Buying 05/06 Defender

[floyd]

Hello Landrover Heaven
Hi I am new to this forum. Started my 4WD life with a S3 lwb LR, but changed to the dark side and have been driving for the last 6 years a GQ patrol. It has been a good rig but something has been missing- Passion.
Need a landrover again.
I know the TD5 Defender is pretty reliable these days and build quality has improved. Great tourers etc
As daily drive what is it really like? I have to drive 60 - 90km a day through 90+ sets of traffic lights accross Sydney . What is it like in town with the stop start traffic jams etc. A Mate has a TD5 disco and drives less km's and has to have 4 disc rotor replaced after approx 40,000km cost $2000.
6 years of driving the GQ accross town and I have had 2 sets of front brake pads and 1 rear never any disc rotors changed. Is more costly to maintain a defender than a patrol? No salsbury rear diff now is this a problem?
Thank you

[p38arover]

Originally posted by floyd
A Mate has a TD5 disco and drives less km's and has to have 4 disc rotor replaced after approx 40,000km cost $2000.
6 years of driving the GQ across town and I have had 2 sets of front brake pads and 1 rear never any disc rotors changed. Is more costly to maintain a defender than a patrol? No Salisbury rear diff now is this a problem?
Thank you

He was probably ripped off.

I recently replaced the rears on my P38A (1995 RR). I did the work myself because it is easy enough (even easier on Defenders and earlier RRs and Discos which don't have sliding callipers). The rear discs were about $100 each plus a set of pads for under $100. My Rangie has 200,000km on it and I've had it for 85,000 km. This the first rotor change I've done. My previous RR I had for well over 100,000km and I never changed the rotors. That Rangie was used for 5 years to take me to/from Emu Plains to Paddington, i.e., across Sydney, 5 days a week for work

Ron

[Pedro_The_Swift]

have to change you tag to GUNGADIN if you do it--- I wouldnt do 90 lights in a year:D

but-- there are a lot of passionate Defender drivers in Sid in e, who probably do that and not blink.

you could search the TECH forum for brake problems in defenders, but off hand I dont think its a huge problem,, mastercylinders now THERES a problem,,
join in any time Zook https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

as for D2 rotors,, yea, about 80K is average, Rons pricing is good but people are now using aftermarket discs and pads.

From reading here, build quality changes from car to car, one mans leak is anothers downpour.

Passion?
is the defenders middle name.

[George130]

I drive 150 km a day for work in my Defender but most of it is highway. Only 6 sets of lights and 3 roundabouts each way. I love it and find its more fun than a sedan. Cost is about the same as a normal car (At least for me).

[discowhite]

hi and welcome!
brake pads and rotors will be an issue, they seem to be really soft.
but as others have stated you shouldnt pay over $90 each for rotors
unless you put ADB ones on. the pads are more expensive than the rotors 8O . oh and to change pads it takes a pry bar, and a set of pliers. and i spose the wheel has to come off https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

i cant say much for the 110 in traffic, but my 90 is great. i had a training
corse at hornsby on thursday(from revesby via No.6 and pennant hills rd)
and its as zippy as any other in traffic, and i drive like shooie :wink:

ive had my 04 90 for 3months now and i would buy another in a flash
if i could.

cheers phil.

[Lionel]

I've had my Defender for nearly 2 years now and have had only minor warranty work (chipping of top edges of front windows), and no drivetrain problems.

The main problem with the Defender is rear visibility which is a little worse than the Disco's, Rangies or the Jap brigade, and the turning circle, which I find a real pain in comfined situations. It is not a great town car largely because of this problem, but one learns to adjust to it. Visibilty forwards is excellent - a LOT better than the Japanese vehicles

Performance is not a problem, and you will not hold up traffic.

But, for heaven's sake don't buy a Defender if you are not intending to take it into the bush. It is there that it comes into its own - leaving most of the rest floundering.

Cheers,

Lionel

[crump]

Yeh, the turning circle is a PITA round town, and I also find the low first gear a bit of a bugger off the lights, quick up changes become natural though.I know when I bought mine I was driving it home from the city and I thought "christ, ive just spent $50k on this!!" (love it now tho)But i had never driven one before, best piece of advice is take one for a run round the suburbs.

[CraigE]

I have had no probs with my rotors (115,000kms). If I did need to replace them it would be with DBA Gold slotted and cross drilled items and Bendix 4x4 pads. I replace my 84 Rangie with these items, did all wheel bearings seals oils etc at the same time plus got a spare set of brake pads for about $700 delivered to my door from Sydney. Cheapest in Kalgoorlie for same items was around $1100. For someone else to do it $2000-$2500. Not a hard job at all, just allow a full day. Much better braking. Will more than likely upgrade the fender the same way when these ones are stuffed.
Cheers
Craig
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[George130]

Have agree about the rear visability and turning circle. You get used to it though. Handling and stopping is quite good, especially when you look at the size and weight. My monster is fast if you drive it hard but uses the fuel then as well.

[bluetongue]

I love my defender around town... sure rear visibility and turning circle is a bit of a hassle + also parking in some under cover garages, especially if you have racks... but I friggin love it. My landy has been off the road since thurs night (fuel pump problems... another story), and after hooning around in my auto 03 commodore wagon all weekend I can't wait to hop back up into the drivers seat - hand-brake hard against my left leg and window hard against my right elbow.... don't ask me what it is, but I can't live without it!! It's raw, it leaks, it's my landy!!!

I drive 30-40 minutes each day in peak-hour traffic... usually no worries. One thing I have noticed is that my general "pace" has slowed down a fair bit... not that I have any problems keeping up or accelerating from the lights, but if someone needs to get ahead of me then so what... I just let them go.

Scott

[DEFENDERZOOK]

Originally posted by Pedro_The_Swift
have to change you tag to GUNGADIN if you do it--- I wouldnt do 90 lights in a year:D

but-- there are a lot of passionate Defender drivers in Sid in e, who probably do that and not blink.

you could search the TECH forum for brake problems in defenders, but off hand I dont think its a huge problem,, <span style="color:darkred">mastercylinders now THERES a problem,,
join in any time Zook</span> https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

as for D2 rotors,, yea, about 80K is average, Rons pricing is good but people are now using aftermarket discs and pads.

From reading here, build quality changes from car to car, one mans leak is anothers downpour.

Passion?
is the defenders middle name.



<span style="color:blue">thats clutch master cylinders.....havent had any problems with the brakes yet.....</span>

[solmanic]

I use my 110 for a lot of piddly commuting crap around Brisbane and I must admit it is not the most convenient thing to drive BUT it is ALWAYS FUN! My other car is a classic Alfa Romeo which is fun in a whole different way but I would have to say the choice of which to drive is a coin toss each morning.

Yes, the Defender has the turning circle of a Collins class submarine.
Yes, you can back the Defender over four or five small cars in the Woolies car park without noticing.
Yes, the Defender is noisy and after half an hour in stop start traffic your clutch leg starts to get the shakes.
and Yes, everyone behind you moves to the other lane because they think you'll be too slow off the lights.
BUT
I rarely get worse than 10l/100km fuel economy AROUND TOWN.
I can see over just about everything in front which helps me pick the best lane.
I can help all of my mates move house at once (because the Defender has supreme cargo space, not because I have very few friends).
I CAN keep up with the traffic off the lights.
And I am sure that my drive to wherever is more satisfying than the guy in the Patrol or Cruiser or Soft-roader next to me.

You have correctly identified that there is a feeling about piloting a Defender which you don't get in other 4WDs. You're halfway between a regular car and a truck. If I wasn't a Landrover fan I would admit that driving one in everyday city traffic is sometimes as inconvenient and frustrating as Telstra. But I am (and I think we all are) a Landrover fan so that stuff doesn't apply.

I like the Defender because it is about the only "real" 4WD left on the market. I like the heritage and image of the brand. I like the fact that I have a vehicle with a hose-out interior but keyless entry, electric windows and most of the other mod cons and real load carrying ability which costs as much to run as a Toyota Camry. And I like the fact that other Defender drivers wave at me and I can come to websites like this to find answers to my every question and crap on about how great it is to be a Defender owner.

[crump]

Well said, but do you mean central locking rather then keyless entry, or did I get gyped when I bought mine?? :?:

[solmanic]

Yes - keyless entry. All late model defenders (I think 2002 onwards) are shipped with keyless entry however, due to import taxing or something the fob is not sold with the car (go figure). You just need to get a service centre to sell you a fob and program it and Bob's your uncle. The fob also activates the alarm (which is also fitted but disabled) and immobiliser.

[crump]

Well strap my face to the side of a pig and roll me in the mud! 8O $50+K and they never even mentioned the option, spose now they"ll tell me 3 years on its too late or to retro fit it costs and arm and a leg and my first born daughter! Any idea on costs??? :?: Sorry about the hijack, but it is relevant as this sort of stuff is all part of the character of LR ownership. https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[solmanic]

About $200. The fob itself is $170-ish and the rest depends on how nice your authorised LR guy is. I have had two of these done for an 02 and an 03 Defender and each time it took a couple of goes for the programming to "stick". You can also choose whether or not to have a horn chirp or flashing lights etc. Be warned, though, if you are out bush and leave the car unlocked for any length of time, you need to give two presses of the unlock button (or lock the car and unlock it again) to de-immobilise the car when you try to start it.

I think this is not a commonly known feature of late model Defenders and certainly bears thinking about if you're in the market for one. I changed from a vehicle with keyless entry and you sure notice it when it's not there!

[Rosco]

Well bugger me gently ....... https://www.aulro.com/afvb/
The keyless bit's a new one on me, I'll be onto the stealer tomorrow :!: :!:

Cheers

[wally]

Amazing. I didn't know that either. Why didn't they ever tell me? :? :?