Kidbeen
27th November 2017, 09:43 PM
Aulro Forum First Post.
Hello to everyone.
I became the proud owner of a 1995 Defender 130 with a custom built motorhome, mounted to the chassis, late last year. Fortunately, for me, it had a fastidious owner and is in tiptop shape.
Although I am now in my mid sixties I have never been a Land Rover owner. My experience with them was that we had one on a grazing property in central Queensland when I was a kid but I was too young to drive. It was a grey ute with that sharp angular roof at the back and it was probaby in the late 1950's. They made a hardwood crate for it and it carried our two ponies 40 miles to Pony Club events in Taroom and back.
However, most memorable of all was the neighbour's green short wheel based, topless Land Rover that he used to hook onto and help pull fully loaded cattle trucks up the steep creek banks. As a kid, I just stood in awe of the effort of that mighty little Land Rover. It just kept the trucks momentum to get them up the slope.
I assume that both of these vehicles would have been Series 1.
Must say I am envious of the repair skills some of you talk about on the forum. I can pull something apart and put it back together again but I am limited in mechanical and electrical knowledge.
I know for a lot of you guys that Land Rover ownership is addictive. Funnily enough, I too, am showing some signs by cruising the newsagents motoring stands.
I have been getting a window saying I would be deleted from the forum if I did not make my first post by 1/12/2017.
This is my first thread that I have been allowed to start, so I thought I would pick your brains on the following:-
1/. Magazines. Recently, while cruising the Newagent stands, I have come up with these purchases.
(a) DEFENDER workshop (How to improve, repair, maintain, modify - and save £££'s) an annual publication that just recently reached the newsstands over here.
also
(b) Guide to the Defender (Buying, enjoying and improving the icon). This mag was a special edition.
I assume all the magazines come out of the UK. So you fellows must get them by subscription to be sure of getting a copy. Could you give me an idea of what are the best Defender related magazines, and who you subscribe through.
2/. Fuel. What diesel fuel is best? Somewhere I read about BP Ultimate was the go, but then again, more recently, I read Caltex was the best. Why?
My son is an unfortunate Hilux owner. Ha ha! He puts an additive in each time he fills up but I have not read that on Defender forums yet. Do any of you add this additive?Not sure which one he uses.
3/. Radiator. There are a fair few forums about Defenders overheating. Don't think mine has ever been removed but all the standard maintenance has been carried out.
In the short term, I am going to tackle the radiator removal by myself, and have it rodded or a new core, if needed. I trust the advice from my radiator guy 100% and he will guide me when I deliver it to him. Maybe I will also get a Watchdog fitted. The previous owner travelled all over Australia in it and never needed one though. He had that small red light sensor fitted in the cabin.
I read somewhere, if the radiator is out for awhile the water pump seals can dry out; is that fact or fiction?
My other concern is the light steel brackets that are bolted on each side of the radiator. I understand that these have to be bent up to get the radiator out and because the steel has a memory, they never sit down properly when they are re-bent back into position. Fact or fiction?
4/. Gearbox Oil. The previous owner used Valvoline ATF Maxlife. I have been a big Penrite fan since the mid 1980's. Maybe it is not wise to change from Valvoline now.
What do you think? The current gearbox operates fine.
5/.Bullbar. The bullbar is a Land Rover product with Land Rover imprinted in the metal. Is this called an extreme bullbar? Nothing pulled up on the forums about it, they all talk ARB, TJM etc.
6/. Motor. Who made the 300 tdi motor? Someone told me it is an Isuzu. However, while I can find no concrete information about it, I am thinking it is a Land Rover manufactured engine. Who is correct?
7/. Knob. Oh and finally, the rubber bush under my High/ Low range knob disintegrated. My Land Rover dealer had new rubber bushes for a gear lever knob but not for the H/L knob so I bought a replacement knob but is was not the quality of the original one. Having a wood lathe, I decided to make a wooden bush, drill a hole in it and cut a thread. Had some gidgee wood, at home, which I knew could take a thread. Used a 3/8" tap to cut the thread and I glued the new bush in with a cyanoacrylate glue. I also flooded the threads with the glue to give them greater strength. It worked a treat and the old knob is back on again and I am happy.
Looking forward to communicating with all of you.
Gary
Hello to everyone.
I became the proud owner of a 1995 Defender 130 with a custom built motorhome, mounted to the chassis, late last year. Fortunately, for me, it had a fastidious owner and is in tiptop shape.
Although I am now in my mid sixties I have never been a Land Rover owner. My experience with them was that we had one on a grazing property in central Queensland when I was a kid but I was too young to drive. It was a grey ute with that sharp angular roof at the back and it was probaby in the late 1950's. They made a hardwood crate for it and it carried our two ponies 40 miles to Pony Club events in Taroom and back.
However, most memorable of all was the neighbour's green short wheel based, topless Land Rover that he used to hook onto and help pull fully loaded cattle trucks up the steep creek banks. As a kid, I just stood in awe of the effort of that mighty little Land Rover. It just kept the trucks momentum to get them up the slope.
I assume that both of these vehicles would have been Series 1.
Must say I am envious of the repair skills some of you talk about on the forum. I can pull something apart and put it back together again but I am limited in mechanical and electrical knowledge.
I know for a lot of you guys that Land Rover ownership is addictive. Funnily enough, I too, am showing some signs by cruising the newsagents motoring stands.
I have been getting a window saying I would be deleted from the forum if I did not make my first post by 1/12/2017.
This is my first thread that I have been allowed to start, so I thought I would pick your brains on the following:-
1/. Magazines. Recently, while cruising the Newagent stands, I have come up with these purchases.
(a) DEFENDER workshop (How to improve, repair, maintain, modify - and save £££'s) an annual publication that just recently reached the newsstands over here.
also
(b) Guide to the Defender (Buying, enjoying and improving the icon). This mag was a special edition.
I assume all the magazines come out of the UK. So you fellows must get them by subscription to be sure of getting a copy. Could you give me an idea of what are the best Defender related magazines, and who you subscribe through.
2/. Fuel. What diesel fuel is best? Somewhere I read about BP Ultimate was the go, but then again, more recently, I read Caltex was the best. Why?
My son is an unfortunate Hilux owner. Ha ha! He puts an additive in each time he fills up but I have not read that on Defender forums yet. Do any of you add this additive?Not sure which one he uses.
3/. Radiator. There are a fair few forums about Defenders overheating. Don't think mine has ever been removed but all the standard maintenance has been carried out.
In the short term, I am going to tackle the radiator removal by myself, and have it rodded or a new core, if needed. I trust the advice from my radiator guy 100% and he will guide me when I deliver it to him. Maybe I will also get a Watchdog fitted. The previous owner travelled all over Australia in it and never needed one though. He had that small red light sensor fitted in the cabin.
I read somewhere, if the radiator is out for awhile the water pump seals can dry out; is that fact or fiction?
My other concern is the light steel brackets that are bolted on each side of the radiator. I understand that these have to be bent up to get the radiator out and because the steel has a memory, they never sit down properly when they are re-bent back into position. Fact or fiction?
4/. Gearbox Oil. The previous owner used Valvoline ATF Maxlife. I have been a big Penrite fan since the mid 1980's. Maybe it is not wise to change from Valvoline now.
What do you think? The current gearbox operates fine.
5/.Bullbar. The bullbar is a Land Rover product with Land Rover imprinted in the metal. Is this called an extreme bullbar? Nothing pulled up on the forums about it, they all talk ARB, TJM etc.
6/. Motor. Who made the 300 tdi motor? Someone told me it is an Isuzu. However, while I can find no concrete information about it, I am thinking it is a Land Rover manufactured engine. Who is correct?
7/. Knob. Oh and finally, the rubber bush under my High/ Low range knob disintegrated. My Land Rover dealer had new rubber bushes for a gear lever knob but not for the H/L knob so I bought a replacement knob but is was not the quality of the original one. Having a wood lathe, I decided to make a wooden bush, drill a hole in it and cut a thread. Had some gidgee wood, at home, which I knew could take a thread. Used a 3/8" tap to cut the thread and I glued the new bush in with a cyanoacrylate glue. I also flooded the threads with the glue to give them greater strength. It worked a treat and the old knob is back on again and I am happy.
Looking forward to communicating with all of you.
Gary