Coming from toyota world

[MJA]

G'day people. I'm the proud owner of a toyota troopy at the moment. Travelling around the country, but when I get back to sydney I'm going to need a ute for work. But also for 4wding, camping and some extended trips. I want a dual cab with live axles. So that pretty much leaves the dual cab cruiser or a defender 130. Since my budget is only around 10 - 20 grand, I won't be able to afford the cruiser. But I have always had a soft spot for defenders. Love the look of them. And since watching some of the camel trophy, it got me into them even more. Thing is, I know nothing about them. I've done a bit of research, and I think I'm after the 300tdi as I like simple engines, but it might be hard to find one in good nick. But not completely against getting a td5. So people, convince me to jump the fence into land rover land! Everyone else I know says its a bad idea, but it's usually toyota and Nissan blokes that know nothing about land rovers. I'm Not after a 300tdi vs td5 debate. Just the general pros and cons of owning your defender. Cheers!

[2stroke]

As you've already said most people who'll say it's a bad move won't really have any real experience with Defenders. Best you drive one or 2 before you commit too, as not everyone is comfortable in one, though I am.
Pros: Will happily perform in real offroad conditions at GVM. Payload of a130 is a lot more than even your troopie. Outstanding economy at full load.
Cons: Don't expect to just rock up at any mechanic and expect him to be happy to see you. When it's a hot day and you turn on the AC don't expect it to cool you that much.When it rains don't expect to be totally dry, or the demister to be worth turning on.
Seriously though you should drive a few, and in terms of pure performance they have no equal.

[Patchy]

Hi mate welcome I was the same as you about 3 months ago after owning toyota's my last one a cruiser which I hydrauliced in a river crossing:( since I always had a soft spot for defender ended up purchasing a 2004 TD5 110 as wanted something capable off road with plenty of room.

things I've learnt since owning it... there are a lot of mechanics that dont know what they are doing mine came with full service history with lots of money spent but also a lot of crappy repairs some were laughable I used these to get a better price. I dont quite get it as a mechanic myself I find them really easy to work on and parts are easy enough and cheap enough if your not in a hurry. Things I've had to do are oil leaks simple gasket change, rear axles and drive flanges very simple job and cheap and the rear diff ball joint.

On road the td5 surprised me much more poke than I was expecting from a small engine and the seating position is something different but i got use to it pretty quickly fuel economy is good for a car this large.

offroad in stock form the defender is a lot better than the cruiser ever was with heaps of aftermarket gear this can only get better only down side is it is a little laggy in the sand but tyres down and not in a rush its very capable.

Cheers Brian

[djam1]

300 tdi 130 inch Performance will be pretty easy to equal
Datsun 120Y comes to mind

That said off road they are as good as you can get in standard form

[frantic]

If your looking for dual purpose , a 130 dc is ideal, in your price bracket stay older than 2003 so you get rear Salisbury diff. This is stronger and your can get hy-tuff axles from Qld that go well with a Detroit locker from the states(6-700 depending upon exchange rate)
255/85 r16 fit (33.2in) without a lift and with the rear you can have your cake and eat in to ,as unlike the toyota you can fit airbags inside the coils. Or you could go dislocation cones front and rear with raised shock mounts and longer travel shocks to increase articulation.
Being a 130 there is no abs, tc or any other electrics to worry about apart from the ECU in the td5. Have a look at parts prices from u.k suppliers like paddocks, ashcroft, as well as others like lucky8 and GBR in the USA . Some locals like all4x4 in Newcastle or apt in Qld are very good as well.

[bcj]

A 300 tdi ain't the fastest on the road, most jap 4wder's seem hell bent on getting places fast. Mostly I cruise on 90 but my old girl will keep up with traffic at 100 or 110 (un laden or at gvm) but she don't like much more than that. You've gotta be certain you want a off-road truck, if you're after a car stick with one of the japs.
Unloaded (110 cab/chassis) ride is quite harsh, r380 shifts are slower, cab is noisey and there's a few clunks you don't get on part time jap 4wd's - would I drive anything else, no chance. I've had my tdi for 5 yrs and a series 3 for 10 yrs before that.

Brett

110 300tdi

[MJA]

Cool thanks for the information guys. I'm in no way after a car, I find them boring. The troopy is a proper truck and with leaf springs front and rear I'm used to having little comfort. Plus the 1hz is bloody slow too and I always cruise at 90. And I'm used to the clunks and bangs. I'm not after a speed demon but rather a robust and reliable work horse. But it sounds like I'll need to find a good land rover mechanic. Hopefully not too hard to find in Sydney. I like working on my vehicles myself (not the huge jobs) and like learning about how things work. Can the AC problem be fixed? Also it seems like there's a huge amount of aftermarket gear available for them at a decent price too am I right?

[2stroke]

A 300Tdi (well mine at least) is a bit faster than my friend's 1HZ 100 series, though that doesn't say it's fast. Performance is adequate for me though.

[Doc130]

They're chalk and cheese, 130 defender all the way!! And I'm pretty sure that Apart from the jeep the defender has the most aftermarket/ bolt on accessories of any 4wd

[mickashay]

I have had a defender 300tdi 130 for 2 years now and have ups and downs with it,but wouldn't replace it and if I had to it would be with another one,
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/10/657.jpg (http://s246.photobucket.com/user/mickadisco/media/3B4DBB4B-2FAB-4940-A539-83DF92C6D769_zpswv6z28ai.jpg.html)

[Wicks89]

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!

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

[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

[eddy]

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

[Mick_Marsh]

Check out Landy Andy's TD5 Defender in the market section...good value.Test drive it over the Nullarbor!
I think that gem has been sold.

Sorry, my mistake.
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/vehicles-sale/204435-1999-td5-defender-xtreme-wa-2.html#post2211010
His Discovery 2 was sold.

[Wicks89]

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
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.

[Devans]

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:

[donh54]

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

[Phil B]

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

[MJA]

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 :)

[cewilson]

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.