Thread: Finding a 130

Maybe your not being real about what it costs to buy a decent 130. Defenders hold there value well, a nice one in good nick with the options and KM's on it you want is going to cost more than your average Jap dual cab etc. I have also found (when searching for my 130) the dual cab market (jap brands included) is thriving.....in many instances it was only $5k to $10K more to buy new dual cab for the kind of KM's/condition I was looking for, the extra $$ was justified to me in relation to KM's travelled. In the end I bought a new 130.

Also Defender drivers know that the PUMA may well be the last of the true defenders with Live axels etc. The new model 2014 or 2013 may be softened down considerably and this MAY be inflating a prices of all models a little.

Just my thoughts on the matter for what its worth....

This may be worth a flight to Melbourne, followed by a road trip!
Looks light it has a couple of battle scars... but well within your budget. And you could get a lot of work done with the 10grand you would save...
already has 4 new Cooper STTs
1996 Land Rover Defender 130 (4X4) White 5sp M Crewcab | eBay

Tdi - fixable
TD5 = disposable.

Originally Posted by pc3

Maybe your not being real about what it costs to buy a decent 130. Defenders hold there value well, a nice one in good nick with the options and KM's on it you want is going to cost more than your average Jap dual cab etc. I have also found (when searching for my 130) the dual cab market (jap brands included) is thriving.....in many instances it was only $5k to $10K more to buy new dual cab for the kind of KM's/condition I was looking for, the extra $$ was justified to me in relation to KM's travelled. In the end I bought a new 130.

Also Defender drivers know that the PUMA may well be the last of the true defenders with Live axels etc. The new model 2014 or 2013 may be softened down considerably and this MAY be inflating a prices of all models a little.

Just my thoughts on the matter for what its worth....

Perhaps I'm not. What I'm really looking for is a bargain if I'm to be honest. And I am prepared to spend time finding it.

I feel like I've been through exactly this. I waited and waited, and then got 'beaten' to a couple that came up - one within the hour of it being advertised online. I ended up engaging in some high risk buying (ie. sight unseen) - luckily it worked out - although I'd never claim it was a bargain. I was pleased to get a reasonably priced td5 with low kms - they seem a rare breed - most seem to have 200k+.

I stumbled across mine at Australian Machinery Wholesalers - its worth keeping an eye out there for ex Rural Fire Service units (they seem to get mixed up in large lots with other fire trucks). I have no idea how often - but mine was one of 2 in that lot.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by wally

I decided some time ago that I needed a crew cab 130. My current single cab 130 has been an excellent, and monumentally reliable, farm ute for me for the past eight years and I am very reluctant to part with it. However I really need to be able to put the whole family in and head out bush. Doing that in anything other than a Defender just doesn't feel right. So I've been looking...and looking...for a very long time. And I realise now that a good one is a very difficult thing to find at the right price. I think I regret selling my old 300Tdi crew cab back in 2002.

<snip>

Must've been at least two years ago that you called about mine.

Originally Posted by abaddonxi

Must've been at least two years ago that you called about mine.

Oh, has it really been that long? I've been looking on and off for about that long I suppose. Sometimes I get sick of it and stop looking.

Originally Posted by VladTepes

Tdi - fixable
TD5 = disposable.

OK, I know we've had a lot of Tdi vs Td5 stuff on here, but I'm interested in what you mean by that, Vlad. Can you expand on it? What's disposable about a Td5 and what can you fix on a Tdi that you can't fix on a Td5? I've owned both. In fact I've had three Tdis and two Td5s over the last sixteen years so I'm not new to them but I don't really understand what that comment's all about. I still think I could go either way. My Tdis were all pretty good. One of the Td5s was disastrous and the other was excellent. A Td5 would be a bit better suited to the work I do (lots of highway and some heavy towing), but I'm more familiar with Tdis, I like their simplicity and I'd be happy with a good Tdi - but it's hard to find one that doesn't have super high mileage.