Thread: Which Defender to choose?

one thirty . gone.

Well at least I am informed now on what to look out for!

It took me 2 years to get my 300tdi. The biggest problem was rust. New doors are around $1,200 each. From the UK, $300 each for skins (you have to swap out all the winders, glass, rubber etc) plus freight. I wanted a 300 as they are all mechanical, so have done no research on the td5, but people love the highway bit with them.

Like any second hand car you never know who has owned it before and how it was looked after. Mine had been a WA car for 180km with all receipts, then a Canadain couple took it round Australia, then the young bloke I got it from.

He was not mechanical at all and had been driving around with buggered ball joints and bushes. He just had a new head fitted and the brakes all done up. I bought it unregistered once I showed him what was wrong and he then could not afford a road worthy.

I have done a full bush replacement, might as well do all if you have to do 4 of them. Replaced 4 bolts that were worn due to driving with worn bushes. Replaced all ball joints. Replaced the drives side swivel seal, new shocks in front and new steering dampner, that was just anal. I did this all myself having never worked on this type of car before. This stuff is a breeze, if you have a press at work.

Now road worthy done and off to do rust this week. Very minor under doors starting at the drains. Mainly having the door cards removed and inner doors cleaned and rust proofed. But matching paint and labour etc etc at mates rates is still going to be $1600. Back door does need a bit of welding.

Mate I saw cars with 330km with giant holes in the floor and rusted out doors where they wanted $13,000 because it was a 300tdi. We all agree that 300tdi is a great car but, even a 98 is now almost 14 years old and nothing lasts forever. If you are not mechanical make sure you have it well looked at by someone who is and who also knows where to find the rust in them. Most of the ones I looked at were crap, OK if you could get them for 4 or 5k and were prepared for a lot of work.

My mate has a 1997 130 that he has had from new. Very well looked after, regular services, timming belts etc. Mainly a work car in quarries, no beach work, no heavy 4x4ing even thought it has maxi diffs front and back. At 250k's the worst things so far are 2 clutches ( one was faulty)and a head machine, set of shocks and a couple of bushes. Rust just appearing in drivers door.

I found on research that the 200tdi is expensive on parts and a bit noisy on the highway.

I like 300's, but again, they are second hand so be carefull. Most of the ones I looked at were people who were not land rover lovers who had got them to the point of too hard or too expensive to fix trying to sell them for what a good one would cost.

Hope this litle chat helps.

Tony

Originally Posted by tonic

It took me 2 years to get my 300tdi.

I have done a full bush replacement, might as well do all if you have to do 4 of them. Replaced 4 bolts that were worn due to driving with worn bushes. Replaced all ball joints. Replaced the drives side swivel seal, new shocks in front and new steering dampner, that was just anal. I did this all myself having never worked on this type of car before. This stuff is a breeze, if you have a press at work.



Tony

Tony, mate. Great advice. A few questions.
1. How much mechanical experience do you have? I am bit handy but not much work on vehicles-

2. When you and others talk about how 'electriocal the Td5 is v 300Tdi, I gather the Td5 that it is Fuel injected electronically.. but all the stuff you talk about above has nothing to do with 'electrics' right? I know you said you have no experience with Td5's but sounds like you have **** load more of an idea than me!

Yeah, 330km, rusted out floors.. $13k, whats going on? Think the phrase your looking for "You're dreaming mate!"

Well, rang the 300Tdi guys yesterday upon landing at brisbane international and the car was sold, a while ago. beauty...

Mate I have limited mechanical experience. All the stuff I did was just nuts and bolts, nothing too hard. Ball joints have to be measured to know how far to screw back in is about the only thing to remember. There are measurments for this in the PDF manual a friend sent me.

In my late teens and early 20ies I did a lot with cars. Then you get to the point of doing what you do and paying someone else to do what they do I suppose. I could do timming belts etc using a book, but would now pay someone who could do it a fraction of the time I could while I make money doing what I do.

The td5 thing is more personal with me, I want to do this fender up for big family trips, Cape, Broome etc. With the right spares and tools I know I can probably always get to a town with a 300tdi. Would not know what to do with broken abs, efi etc.

Most modern cars have stuff you just cant fix in the bush. EG, a mate of mine had a sensor go on the accelorator pedal of Nissan Patrol. Six week wait from Japan for a new one or risk one from a wreckers, which he did and so did I when the same thing went on my wifes Rav 4.

You can still drive on the raod when these go wrong to get to a town, but if you get stuck in the bush where you need revs you are stuffed.

I plan to have the motor rebuilt, pull the boxes apart and service and install maxi drives over the next few years while my son gets old enough to appreciate the trips we have planned.

My personal view is spend 20k doing up a car you fix and make it new or spend $60, 80, 100 plus K on something new and do the trips before warranty finishes and all the electronics start palying up.

But that's jsut me.

Tony

Fellas. FYI, since you took the time to offer advice I though I should give some info.

Thanks for the advice. Just when I was ready to go for a TD5 and had some money available to borrow, the missus went and chose a 110 Puma as her lease car!

We took delivery a few weeks ago. Pretty excited! Feel a little spoilt though and part of me feels I have missed a learning opportunity by not getting a 300 or Td5 etc... But take what you get.

Cheer

Jim

Some pictures.

Well done!

Check out Bundalene's Puma rebuild thread. Lots of good info there if you plan to buy the vehicle at the end of the lease.

Sounds like you now have the opportunity to get another landie as a "project" vehicle

Exactly what I thought!

Reckon I keep trawling looking for a 20+ yr defender and develop it, learn and probably end up loving more than the new puma.

Find myself constantly listening for problem noises, that I have NFI about but read enough posts about large problems with new pumas and paranoia sets in.

Loved recent thread about good piña stories though.

Thanks again for time advice.


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