>INSERT CAR HERE<

[MAGICJOHNSON14]

Hi everyone,

Its my first post on the forum but I've been dribbling over the 'members rides' section for a while.

Im now in a situation where I don't have to drive my 96' Ford Festiva anymore, its served me well as a backpacker car, but its time for a Land Rover moment!

Ive always wanted a Defender 90 but I think that will be put on the back burner due to the rarity of them in my price range.

Second on the list is a Range Rover P38. My dad said I shouldn't go anywhere near them due to electrical gremlins etc, Im just wondering was he put off in the past due to incorrect information or is he on the right lines?

Im also contemplating 110s, 130s, and finally D2's.

Sorry for the essay, but any guidance would be great! :angel:

My budget is around 10-15k Max

Cheers

AJ

[LandyAndy]

Welcome Aboard.
YES P38a Rangies can be a headache.
You wont get much in a Defender in that price range.
PLENTY of D2s in that range,great vehicles but do have the gremlins too.
I have both a D2 TD5 and a Defender 110 Xtreme TD5,both are good vehicles,love my D2,always wanted a Deefer,not my favorite vehicle to steer as Im a big fella,its the MRS who steers that one.
Andrew

[timbo]

Welcome Aboard.
YES P38a Rangies can be a headache.
You wont get much in a Defender in that price range.
PLENTY of D2s in that range,great vehicles but do have the gremlins too.
I have both a D2 TD5 and a Defender 110 Xtreme TD5,both are good vehicles,love my D2,always wanted a Deefer,not my favorite vehicle to steer as Im a big fella,its the MRS who steers that one.
Andrew

I disagree, I reckon you can get an excellent Defender within that price range. Just look for a tdi200 or 300 that has been well cared for, and it doesn't matter what year it is.

[MAGICJOHNSON14]

How problematic are we talking? Is there any buyers guides? I've seen theres not much when it comes to defenders in my price range. Ive seen a 130 tdi with 200k on the clock. Is this treading on thin ice with high k/ms?

[timbo]

200k is not high for a defender. haha

Don't worry so much about the kms if it has a good service history and runs fine without much smoke outside of cold starts and hard acceleration.

[Disco Muppet]

Like timbo says. If you're willing to go back a few years you can get a well cared for defender, originally what i wanted, only put off due to license restraints (manual cars). Hell, i saw a 300tdi with bar, CB, lights, racks, jerry carrier, roof tent, ARB lockers, etc for about 13k! Keep your eyes on the markets, Carsales especially i found to be excellent, but be patient.
I waited a year before i got my disco.
On the topic, D2s are great as well. All landrovers have electrical issues of some sort, being made by Lucas. But besides being an addictive and expensive hobby, they're the best! :D slightly biased view point, 2nd gen landy owner
Cheers
Muppet

[JDNSW]

For an introduction to Landrovers, I would not recommend a P38a. While in amny respects they are a superb car, they are quite cheap for good reason. While not particularly prone to problems, they do have problems, and these can be very, very, difficult and expensive to fix. Suitable only for owners with deep pockets or a cavalier attitude to risk. They also suffer from the 'luxury car' syndrome - the assumption that if you can afford one (new) you won't worry what we charge for parts/maintenance. And you will buy another one in a few years, so long term support is not needed.

Defender 90s in any price range are quite rare in Australia - the most popular size is the 110, so this will be the most commonly available. As indicated above, 200,000, properly maintained, is not a problem.

There have been four engines fitted to the Defender.

The first, the Tdi200 is getting a bit elderly now, and some parts are getting to be a bit hard to find.

The Tdi300 is considered by many to be the pick of the Defender engines, having minimum electronics. Either of these must have the timing belt changed at the recommended interval - failure to do so can be very expensive. Both are developments of the original Rover diesel introduced in 1956.

The Td5 is very durable, and more civilised than the earlier engines. It is usually trouble free, but there are two generic problems - some had an improperly installed oil pump bolt, which may cause catastrophic failure. Virtually all of these should have been fixed by now. They also are known for oil ingress into the injector harness, causing poor running - not particularly expensive to fix. The only real caution with these engines is that unlike earlier engines, they do not stand overheating, which will result in very expensive repairs.

The Tdci engine currently fitted is a Ford engine, and it is perhaps significant that there has been virtually nothing written about problems with this engine.

Performance with any of the Defender engines is virtually the same.

From a cost perspective, the best entry into the Landrover world is probably the Discovery 1 or 2. These share the same engines as the Defender, plus the V8 petrol. The Discovery 2 is probably a better and more modern design in most respects, but unlike the D1 (which shares many parts with the Rangerover Classic) parts can be expensive - for example the D1 has replaceable wheelbearings at well under $100 a corner, where the D2 requires the whole hub to be replaced at $350-$600. But the newest Discovery 1 is fourteen years old!

Best bang for your buck would be a Discovery 1 V8 - you can get good examples very cheaply, and maintenance is not high. But the fuel bills are!

Hope this helps.

John

[DeanoH]

.................................The only real caution with these engines is that unlike earlier engines, they do not stand overheating, which will result in very expensive repairs.

John

A point of clarification here, John is referring to Diesel engines here NOT the petrol V8 that you find in the P38a, which is renowned for being particularly temperature sensitive.
The advice given here is spot on. The P38a is not a vehicle for the faint hearted or Land Rover novice. The P38a has a lot of good points, reliability and running costs are not included in them.

Deano:)

[LandyAndy]

I disagree, I reckon you can get an excellent Defender within that price range. Just look for a tdi200 or 300 that has been well cared for, and it doesn't matter what year it is.

You wont get ANY cheap ones in WA,for some reason they command a high price over here.
Andrew

[jakeslouw]

From a cost perspective, the best entry into the Landrover world is probably the Discovery 1 or 2. ........

Best bang for your buck would be a Discovery 1 V8 - you can get good examples very cheaply, and maintenance is not high.
Hope this helps.

John

You can get a Disco 1 V8 for peanuts, and spend the extra money on fuel and modifications. It's a comfortable car to drive, doesn't leak as much as a Defender, can cruise at a reasonable speed without requiring earmuffs, and the after-market add-on range is simply huge.

Just MHO.

[lane]

There's a 300tdi 130 for sale here at the very top of your price range, but I'm sure you can negotiate they alway drop the price! Was this the one you saw with 200000kms on it? If I had the cash it would be sitting in my driveway right now.:(

Landrover Defender 130 Crew Cab Gnangara Rd Car Disposal Centre | Cars | Gumtree Australia Wanneroo Area - Wangara (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/wangara/cars/landrover-defender-130-crew-cab-gnangara-rd-car-disposal-centre/1001924575)

Lane


...but I've been dribbling over the 'members rides' section for a while.
Bad idea, I try not to do that, I get really envious...

[LandyAndy]

Looked at a couple of Defenders there before.BEWARE LOOK CLOSELY AT IT.Others I know would agree.
ICY COLD AIRCON in a DEFENDER:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: Only on an ICE COLD day;);););)
BEWARE
Andrew