Thread: Dfender 130CC australian release

I can't say I've ever seen one earlier than 1995, but I'm sure someone on here will know for sure.

Areas for rust in the chassis are the very front ends under the bumper/bullbar (call "dumb irons I think), inside and around the large crossmember just behind the back of the cab, and around the rear crossmember.

Rust in the body is the same as with all Defenders - door bottoms and around the bottom of the bottoms of the windows, firewall (foot wells especially), and pillar bottoms. Check out the bottom of the battery box (under passenger seat) too.

Check the sealant in the gutters. It cracks and allows water to leak in under the roof where it will pool in the channel around the inside. This is no big deal to fix, but it's just another job.

Have a look at the front right guard where the fuel filter bolts on. It often cracks.

The cross piece on the inside of the doors at the base of the windows has a tenancy to break next to the door lock button. Again, not a big deal but requires welding.

Trying to think what else.......


James.

wow sounds like you know your stuff thanx thats all very helpful

I have a 2004 dual cab fitted with a steel tray - currently 220K.

Often put a 1 ton pallet on the tray and also towing heavy tandem trailers and after 170K cracked the chassis.

The weakest point is at the top of the chassis where it bends up just behind the cabin - and landrover in their wisdom have a weld directly across the chassis at this point.

Was complicated by my tray not having any 'flex' (got sick of welding ip tray mounts on previous trays and me thinks I overdid the mounts on this one). I also have heavy tool boxes under the tray at the rear and also a spare wheel under the tray at the back - so there is quite a lot of weight involved.

Was quite easy to fix and 50K later no more problems. Touchwood.......

And as per previous post - I have a crack in a door to weld up.

Overall it has been a very good work vehicle - has had the lowest repair cost of any I have owned - largely due to a lack of expensive transmission rebuilds. It has also done much heavier work than any previous vehicle

alanw

Came out (in Aus) in 1995. You can tell the 95 models from the darker interior colour, non drilled standard rims, and a different hoodlining. In 96 they went to a grey interior, drilled holes in the wheels and changed the offset, took the stripes off the side on a lot of them, and put a more sculpted headlining in. If you buy a 95 model check that there is a yellow paint mark on the timing cover under the air con compressor. This means it has the updated timing cover / belt setup in it (which you want). This update came out in 96.