Coming from toyota world

MJA,

A defender 130 is an awesome rig. Aftermarket parts are cheap as, and with a TDI the parts bill when things break is quite cheap too. TDI's can be fairly spritely if youve got the time and $$ to tune them up properly but it is basically a truck so dont expect too much.
Don't write off a TD5 as too complex either, if you do the learning they are actually really simple, especially in 130 guise as there is no ABS, Traction Control etc etc to mess you around. But buy in price is usually pretty high.

For example you could change a head gasket in your shed at home with only a few tools on either a TDI or TD5.

When I was in NSW I used TR Spares in PADSTOW to get my parts and did most stuff myself on my old TDI, was super easy.

Best part about any Land Rover and this site is: No matter what problem youve got or modification you want to bolt on, theres someone on this forum thats done it and documented it and probably wouldnt mind having a chat on the phone and talking you through it.
Drowned my td5 and everyone basically diagnosed and fixed it via this forum.

You just cant beat that!

Dont worry about the aircon just use beaded seat covers and keep the back window open, plenty cool enough and I'm in DARWIN!

[IMG]http://www.aulro.com/app/data/500/medium/image114.jpg[/IMG]

Nice trucks fellas. Man they flex well hey. Well maybe I should be looking towards a td5 if they're not too complex as you say. Get a good landy mechanic to check it out. The 300tdi's seem to be hard to find with low Ks. Plan to use it as a work truck but also set it up as an expedition truck too. I imagine you guys get lots of stuff shipped over from the uk. Liking the amount of accessories there are for them

Check out Landy Andy's TD5 Defender in the market section...good value.Test drive it over the Nullarbor!

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Originally Posted by eddy

Check out Landy Andy's TD5 Defender in the market section...good value.Test drive it over the Nullarbor!

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I think that gem has been sold.

Sorry, my mistake.
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/vehicles-s...ml#post2211010
His Discovery 2 was sold.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MJA

Nice trucks fellas. Man they flex well hey. Well maybe I should be looking towards a td5 if they're not too complex as you say. Get a good landy mechanic to check it out. The 300tdi's seem to be hard to find with low Ks. Plan to use it as a work truck but also set it up as an expedition truck too. I imagine you guys get lots of stuff shipped over from the uk. Liking the amount of accessories there are for them

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MJA,

You will probably find you wont have to import most parts. There are some that are cheaper imported (some brands of shocks, for example) but for the most part pretty much everything is available domestically anyway. Theres a pretty good local Land Rover network or suppliers and fabricators. APT Fabrications does a lot of suspension and protection equipment such as bull bars, Rijidij do a lot of bar work and similar stuff, as well as Les Richmond Automotive who do everything from bolt on bling to full bespoke builds.

And theres a whole bunch of suppliers of popular accessories for both touring and tougher applications, like dislocation kits and full roll cages. All at a price.

A few simple google searches will find pretty much anything you need/want.

I also wouldn't sweat high Km's on a tdi or TD5, there is a thread on here with "highest tdi km's" or something. Theres been a few examples of near or at 1 million km's for a tdi. Even with your average 2-300,000 kms a tdi or td5 can bounce back from some rough treatment with a little TLC.
The part that can hold you back is rust or if theres an acumulation of drama, like near knackered gbox, needs head gasket etc. but if you get it for a steal.... theres a reason they hold their value so well.

I've had my 300tdi for almost a year now and have managed to get through pretty much all of the mechanical work that needed doing by myself. I learnt the hard way that if you want something done properly then do it yourself.

I'm 22, had never worked on a car in my life, and I've managed to rebuild my clutch, rewired the entire car and had to re-do my brakes after a mechanic ****ed mine (really annoyed me...).

It's a pretty simple thing to work on, you just have to get used to bashing your elbows and skinning your knuckles on all sorts of sharp things when trying to undo seized or stupidly tight bolts.

I'm currently looking at rebuilding my engine, gearbox, transfer case and each corner (oil filled hubs, axles etc.). What I'm trying to say is that it's a lot easier than you may think.

There are so many videos and how to guides online that show you step by step.

At least if you do the work yourself you've no one to blame except yourself, and then you'll never make the same mistake again.

I hope that was helpful haha. :angel:

Before you go shopping overseas, check out Mario (Roverlord) - he's a member of this forum, and has good quality gear at very competitive prices.
Welcome to the Dark Side, Mate! :D

Sent from my HTC One XL using AULRO mobile app

Hi,

Have you considered an ex army Perentie?
Although they are all 20+ years old most of them are low milage. They are all bullet proof (no pun intended!) and can be found in various configurations from Wagon to ute. All have the 3.9 4BD1 motor (designed to last at least 500000km) with strong box, TC, diffs and suspension to suit.
Well within you price range as well.

If you dont like the colour a change to a plain colour is not hard. I am in the process of doing one in my garage at home.
Lots of info about them on this forum as well.

Phil

Good stuff. Well I'm pretty much sold on the 130 then. That defender for sale looks the goods but I need the dual cab. Phil, those army 110s look awesome and are probably bullet proof, but they're probably just a bit too rugged for me as a daily driver. Hey wicks89, you must be one of the only blokes in Darwin that doesn't drive a toyota. I felt extremely unoriginal up there lol. We're back from our trip in another 4 months so I'll start looking around then. Let me know if u know anyone that wants to buy a troopy :)

Probably the biggest difference you'll notice is the way they drive. As you know the Troopy pulls really well from very low revs - it actually loves them. The Defender being a turbo diesel smaller engine, tends to not like the low revs so much - you learn to drive to the 'boost' so to speak.

Not so much an issue at highway speeds, but you will notice it at low speed and off-road the first few times until you are used to it.

Everything else is very similar - dimensions, body roll, braking, off-road capability, gear shift, ergonomics, rust etc.