Thread: 1st purchase

First thing I can think of: Take one for a decent test drive and make sure you like the seating position and the lack of right elbow room. Defenders are from another era and so is the seating.

TDI engines (up to 1998 I think) are mechanically driven and are able to be worked on by most mechanics. TD5 engines (1999 - 07) are run by an ECU and other electronic witchcraft.

If you get a TD5 wagon, make sure all the things like traction control and anti-lock braking system work ok.

There's tons and tons of after market gear for the Defa (especially from the UK)

Expect panel gaps, no two Defenders line up the same ( I took to my TD5 wagon with a tube of Sellys No More Gaps to seal it)

Ask question on the forums, there's years of knowledge here and a bunch of great guys.

Hope my info insn't too useless and welcome to the forum!

Hi Rover Rob, welcome to the best site on the net. Firstly,
I have to say I hate my laptop cos I had all this typed out and then it decided to spit the dummy so here goes again if I can remember it all.
Rules are: you gotta give it a name and also wave to other Defender drivers; that's absolute, just like gravity and taxes!
You come to love your Def just like the family pet; somehow they have that effect hence the relative scarcity of good ones for sale.
Things to look our for:
RUST, RUST, RUST ; in the bottom of all the doors and the front footwells; pull all the mats right out of the car (don't simply lift them and look - take them out and throw them on the ground and look really hard for rust at the front of the footwells where they meet the firewall and near the front pillars.
LEAKS - they all leak and LR have produced a Water ingress manual that is on this forum. give it a hose down and then look for leaks in the front from the windscreen hinges and that stupid piece of rubber separating the windscreen from the firewall/ bulkhead, from the roof seams and the rear sliding windows.
check out the integrity of the sealant in the gutters.
BACKLASH or slack in the drivetrain (a biggish jolt when you release the clutch); they all have it to some degree but it shouldn't be really excessive. Too much could mean the ball joint on top of the rear diff needs replacing ($180 ish fitted) and/ or the rear axles and wheel hubs are worn ($150 + install); can be inspected by getting someone else to release the clutch and you remove the rubber dust covers to the rear axles and look for any movement between the axle and hub. It's pretty obvious when you see it.
BRAKES - you should definitely be able to lock up the wheels; if not if could be the brake booster pump (in the side of the block) - $350 installed or the vacumn servo unit ($200 + install = say $350) or other more obvious worn/ faulty brake components.
AIR CON - probably won't work and doesn't work the best anyway.
The speedo will probably we way out. eg. Mine reads around 115 when I'm doing 100.
Sagging roof linings - just got a quote of $500 if they do the lot or around $350 - 400 if you remove and re install after they reglue new lining to the backing.
There's obviously more but I can't think of them just now.
Look forward to meeting you on one of the many daytrips organised from here. They're a great way to discover the capabilities of these awesome machines. As Isuzu-too-eh (Mark) commented to me recently; the limits of a Defender are determined by the driver and judging by what I've seen on the few trips I've been on with these guys, it's an accurate observation. Oh, I might add, the limits are also determined by how much expendable income you have to put towards damage repairs
I paid $13K for mine 2 years ago
cheers Gerald

I am in the similar siuation as you Rover Rob, the more time I spend watching this site, the more I want a defender against all my logical thoughts. I havent driven one, but like many have heard many negative things, but read this forum and you'll hear just as many great things. i do want something different, too.
i will continue to read this post for info. Some very knowledgable folks here.
if my budget was $40 plus, what would you guys recomend? Which year?
Look forward to reading more and Rob.......good luck with your choice

Originally Posted by Didge

Sagging roof linings - just got a quote of $500 if they do the lot or around $350 - 400 if you remove and re install after they reglue new lining to the backing.

I fixed mine myself for no cost........I took it out.

Age is irrelevant. Condition (with service history) is the important bit.

Originally Posted by tennismark

....... Some very knowledgable folks here.
if my budget was $40 plus, what would you guys recomend? Which year?
.......choice

2 x $20K Defenders If you spend $40+ on one car you won't want to get it dirty or scratched (bush pinstriped)

ugu80 - yeah I'll do the same but I'm thinking of lining it with something different like crushed velvet or something bohemianI've already got the ceiling out looking for a roof leak that comes down, hits the front passenger door and then the passenger's left knee

Originally Posted by Didge

yeah I'll do the same but I'm thinking of lining it with something different like crushed velvet or something bohemianI've already got the ceiling out looking for a roof leak that comes down, hits the front passenger door and then the passenger's left knee

Red crushed velvet with tassels. Now there's a different look.

hahaa- now that's a thought, gold tassles and royal red. I was thinking of the royal purple considering the queen used to drive a black county which is where I first obtained the desire for a 110, and it's not that I fancied the queen either. Actually, there is a company that makes ceiling tiles for commercial offices but they finish them with fine aluminium expanded metal (over a black foam) and it looks fantastic but is horrendously expensive at, from memory around $400/m2. I just can't justify $1200 for the ceiling. Anyway, that's a bit off track from the topic of this thread isn't it?!

Originally Posted by Didge

If you spend $40+ on one car you won't want to get it dirty or scratched (bush pinstriped)

Got some blackberry scratches down the sides of my 2010 Puma. Whoops. Nothing which won't Buff Out? Right?

But seriously, at 22 get something you won't mind if you (or girlfriend or boyfriend) reverse over a gum tree, wipe out a concrete column in a car park, misjudge the bollards at McDonalds or demolish a guard rail on the Bells Line road with. (talking from experience)

I wish my first 4wd was a Defender. Instead of parking it under a tree in the paddock, it would have been worth dropping a 2nd donk in it.

Beckford.