Thread: HOW TO BUY A GOOD PUMA DEFENDER

Hello Becat,
I have an 07 130 dual cab that I've had for 16 months. I love the thing almost as much as my old Isuzu powered tray back. It had 75000km on it when I bought it and it has 125000 on it now. I've found it to be pretty quiet (silent compared to the Isuzu Landrover) and has sufficient power for the job. It's no bitumen burner, but it's very honest and reasonable on fuel (between 7 and 11 km per litre- that's my worst and best fuel usage figures). The loads in the back and the speeds travelled varied, but the best ecomony isn't at modest throttle or light load- I haven't worked out how it does it to be honest.
The 6 speed box is delightful to use, though it takes some getting used to at first.
I've had some issues with the truck but nothing with the motor that was Ford/ Landrover's fault- the fuel pump was wrecked by a bad load of fuel where it was working, but it took out every piece of earthmoving gear we had there as well as most of the other utes of varying brands too.
The headlight switch has been the biggest issue(s)- the original when I bought it and 2 replacements all went sour, so it has had a Narva aftermarket in there for 12 months without problems. I didn't have time to have it off the road for long getting relays and electrics fixed or fitted which is why the aftermarket was used.
So that's it. Maybe I have a good one or any foibles seem inconsequential.
I've read the other entries in this thread and can say that mine hasn't had any of those problems- maybe it has and they've been fixed before I bought it. It does leak, but only in heavy rain and only on the move. It comes (drips) through the roof above both front doors- I don't think it's the door seals.
The air con and the heater both work well except on "fresh" where the lever is very hard to move from recirculating to fresh, and nearly impossible to move back. Hence it stays in recirculating. I drive it a lot with the windows down anyway-personal choice and less yawning from air con. My clutch and clutch pedals are both silent.
Having said all that, If you're after a dual cab, the good news is that I have to sell it- different to "I want to sell it". If you want to try out a good one, (or buy one) please get in touch. I need a bigger and longer tray and for that the Isuzu is now being used and this Defender will just be sitting around.
Welcome to the world of Defendering- and you do look forward to every trip if only in the hope of seeing another one so you can wave.

Originally Posted by portafilter

hey becat, when you find one drain off the fuel filter and examine the diesel. had i done that with mine i would have seen all the water and bits of rust the previous owner had been trying to run it on.
i ended up having to replace a few bits of the fuel pump and also get the transfer case rebuild because of bad backlash. apart from that my '07 has been a blast.

Thanks very much for the advice!

Originally Posted by Defender Defender

Hello Becat,
I have an 07 130 dual cab that I've had for 16 months. I love the thing almost as much as my old Isuzu powered tray back. It had 75000km on it when I bought it and it has 125000 on it now. I've found it to be pretty quiet (silent compared to the Isuzu Landrover) and has sufficient power for the job. It's no bitumen burner, but it's very honest and reasonable on fuel (between 7 and 11 km per litre- that's my worst and best fuel usage figures). The loads in the back and the speeds travelled varied, but the best ecomony isn't at modest throttle or light load- I haven't worked out how it does it to be honest.
The 6 speed box is delightful to use, though it takes some getting used to at first.
I've had some issues with the truck but nothing with the motor that was Ford/ Landrover's fault- the fuel pump was wrecked by a bad load of fuel where it was working, but it took out every piece of earthmoving gear we had there as well as most of the other utes of varying brands too.
The headlight switch has been the biggest issue(s)- the original when I bought it and 2 replacements all went sour, so it has had a Narva aftermarket in there for 12 months without problems. I didn't have time to have it off the road for long getting relays and electrics fixed or fitted which is why the aftermarket was used.
So that's it. Maybe I have a good one or any foibles seem inconsequential.
I've read the other entries in this thread and can say that mine hasn't had any of those problems- maybe it has and they've been fixed before I bought it. It does leak, but only in heavy rain and only on the move. It comes (drips) through the roof above both front doors- I don't think it's the door seals.
The air con and the heater both work well except on "fresh" where the lever is very hard to move from recirculating to fresh, and nearly impossible to move back. Hence it stays in recirculating. I drive it a lot with the windows down anyway-personal choice and less yawning from air con. My clutch and clutch pedals are both silent.
Having said all that, If you're after a dual cab, the good news is that I have to sell it- different to "I want to sell it". If you want to try out a good one, (or buy one) please get in touch. I need a bigger and longer tray and for that the Isuzu is now being used and this Defender will just be sitting around.
Welcome to the world of Defendering- and you do look forward to every trip if only in the hope of seeing another one so you can wave.

Thank s and wlecome all this valuable information. I was thinking of a 110 or 90. But i do some research on 130 BTW what clour is yr 130 ?