What would you buy?

Doing the full rebuild is a nice idea, but I really need a 130 that's ready willing and able. I'll have my hands full with a new property and need a work horse straight up, though I don't mid upgrades and bits n bobs along the way.

I actually would love 110, but practicality demands a tray.

Defenders are certainly not the cheap option as they seem to be pricey, but compared to a Land Cruiser twin cab they are way better value!

All this input is at least clarifying ideas for me. I've read the Td5 after 2002 is a better engine, some say better than the Puma. Things like that help focus my search even more, slowly narrowing it down.

Ok, so now it looks like I'm decided. Was kind of waiting for my budget to sort, wondering if I could afford a top notch car would I go there or still be frugal.

After all the advice here it's a no brainer just to buy the best unit you can, so I'll be looking at a decent Puma, lowish kms with few upgrades.

Have my eyes on a couple, hopefully soon the right one will be mine and my deep Defender life starts!

Thanks all for input

In my experience
130s get hammered
It’s the Ute you buy when you kill hiluxs!!!!

As such I reckon you want to find the lowest km best looked after one you can

When I upgraded my old old old beaten up tdi 130 last year
I was pretty open minded to exact model BUT
It had to have a tray and low km

I envisaged it would end up being a 2.2 tdci but a forum member reluctantly sold me
His immaculate 2.4 ‘09 .... 60kk sound proofed , grease nipples intermediate shaft
Drive slop removed ... was a no brainer

I regularly tow a 2.5T boat - the tdci makes short work of it and first is low enough that you won’t need the low box to haul out

It’s not like there are millions of 130s for sale
I’d shortlist what tray / tub / canopy fitout you want then just find the best example of that available.... it might be a td5 but I doubt it ;)

Steve

I bought 2-3 years ago my first defender and love it's off road ability and it's character. It's a 2005 td5 and i bought it with 236000km, it had not many mods. I've built it up into a nice wagon with lots of creature comforts including ecu remap and Disco transfer case, it goes great and I hear the td5 is a sought after engine. I haven't had any/many troubles with the car. It has ABS, traction control, power windows, A/C etc. If i had the money and still wanted a defender I'd buy a Puma in a heartbeat, mainly for the seats, 6 speed, and air-con.

The td5 is hot in summer and noisy in the cabin and there's not too much you can do about it except buy a puma or a Disco....

Im running 2 300Tdi, 1 Td5, 2 Isuzu and 1 2.2, 130s in forestry work.. If you can afford it, try and get into a 2.4 or 2.2..(2008 onwards). All of the engines are a good thing, but I find the 6 speed box is a better unit for load carrying and towing, plus better highway cruising.. The interiors of the later models are a much better place to be in than the older models.
Im onto my third 2008+ model totalling probably 500,000k and have had some issues, but generally they have been very reliable and have always got me home

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Summiitt

Im running 2 300Tdi, 1 Td5, 2 Isuzu and 1 2.2, 130s in forestry work.. If you can afford it, try and get into a 2.4 or 2.2..(2008 onwards). All of the engines are a good thing, but I find the 6 speed box is a better unit for load carrying and towing, plus better highway cruising.. The interiors of the later models are a much better place to be in than the older models.
Im onto my third 2008+ model totalling probably 500,000k and have had some issues, but generally they have been very reliable and have always got me home

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Well certainly you have experience worth listening to it would seem! As it happens I have my eye on a very neat 09 130, loads of upgrades, 80k km, extremely tidy unit. I'm 100% into it but seller 50/50 about selling!!

I have my fingers crossed that in the new year it will become mine, it ticks all my boxes, and a few I don't know I have yet I'm sure.

Must be a joy having acces to so many Defenders! I always wanted to do forestry as a teen in Tassie, but life took me elsewhere.