Checking out a 200tdi Defender?

[Rimmer]

Tomorrow am going to check out a 95 tdi Defender with 300k. on her. Apart from service record, timing belt changes, what other biggies should I be looking for and any hints on testing the transfer case and gearbox for abuse/wear?

Thanks,
Tod.

[Vin Rouge]

Check for rust, especially the bulkhead and towards the rear of the chassis. Try going downhill in third and check that it does not jump out of gear. Check for smooth operation of the transfer box, it shouldn't 'stick'.
And the obvious ones, excessive wear on the steering wheel, lots of oil marks underneath and mud forced into obscure corners. Excessive play on the steering, and on the wheels (give them a pull-push to check). That should give you a fair idea on how well it's been treated.
Good luck.

[Lightweight]

Pay special attention to gear changedown from 2nd to first, and third to second, i had a fair bit of issue with this and ended up opting for a full gearbox rebuild.

[bcj]

Syncro's- don't try n shift to fast, my 1st-2nd likes a pause in between
rust in door frames (bottoms)
check how it runs at 100-110km/h
Take off oil cap and check for blow by
find some gravel, engage diff lock, pull a couple slow (low range) lock turns to check alls well- you should hear wheel slip, you may have to back up to disengage diff lock after this
Oil leaks -vacuum pump, clutch cylinders
Timing belt -verify when changed
Brett
110 300tdi

[ugu80]

Check the build date, not the Australian compliance plate. A '95 model should be a 300tdi. The change from 200tdi to 300tdi was 1994.

[Rimmer]

Thanks for all the info gents! Had a quick look and a drive this afternoon.

I'll start with what I thought was good/ok.
Drives well, dosen't want to wander. Body very straight. Synchros seem fine. Very smooth between changes, up and back. Body and chassis in reasonable nick for age and non garage. Motor runs sweet, no noises, ticking and the like. Low range engages well, worked fine. Full length alloy carrier. Trim not too bad, it was the blokes work vehicle! (plumber). No rust in the chassis, cross members or bulkhead.
Bad points. Rust in the bottom of all doors. Little bit in drivers foot well. Door hinges quite rusty. Drive train LOTS of slop, both up and back through gears. Uni joints, had it. Front tail shaft quite sloppy. Usual leaks, transfer case front input shaft seal. Some where around oil fiter and sump. Air-con not working. Most external rubbers perished. All rubber bushes need replacement.
Basically, lack of routine maintenance. All this considered it still ran (sounded) and drove really well.
Asking $8.5k but will take $7k.
It's a sep 94 build date. Unsure if it's 200tdi or 300tdi. After wiping the oil fill cap clean before taking for a drive, was completely covered upon return. Is this considered excessive blow-by? Done 310 thou. One owner (since new).

Your thoughts, suggestions and advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Tod.

[bcj]

300tdi air cleaner on drivers side.
alot of drivetrain play will come from uni's and front prop shaft (plus alot of other places as well) check drive flanges. play somewhere usually leads to play somewhere else- all Defenders suffer this
door bottoms can be replaced relatively easily if you can weld
any pressure blowing out rocker cover when you put hand over filler hole? small amount acceptable
If chassis,firewall,engine and box good-the rest is easily fixable just factor costs into price ,sounds like it needs some TLC - work trucks get that way
Brett
110 300tdi

[bcj]

My ute's insured under business insurance- 'market value' was all they'd do & 3yrs ago was deemed $9100- reckon it'd be below 8k now (160k & none of above problems-) Hope this helps
brett

[cewilson]

Keep in mind that Defenders do garner a higher purchase price due to their availability - redbook etc aren't really a good indicator of price.

As for the description of the vehicle - that sounds alright for it's age. Nothing some TLC won't fix.

[ugu80]

Worn rear A frame ball joint will contribute to drive line slop.