Advice Please

[Hymie]

I had a look at a 300 Tdi 130 today.
Asking the usual questions on servicing, ie when, where, who did-does the work and what bits have been worked on I received this sage piece of advise.
This guys mechanic has told him that Land rovers don't have timing belts!!!
So, I spoke to his mechanic, apparently he's worked on a few Land Rovers and what he doesn't know about them you could write on the head of a pin.
It's about 20000K overdue for a new belt, will it go twang on the drive home?
How much should I try to bargain off the price or should I just walk away?
If it's been badly serviced there are bound to be other compounded maintenance problems I'm thinking.

[Blknight.aus]

they're pretty hardy and forgiving vehicles...

if the belt doesnt let go I dare say that so long as the basic servicing has been done right then it'll keep going once you start to look after it...

[justinc]

Hymie,

Dave has a point there about basic servicing by competent people, but what about all the normal Defender service items??? Wheel bearings/ hub seals, rear axles flanges wearing, transfer case intermediate shaft O rings, tappet adjustments, fuel sediment bowl cleaning, correct grade of Gearbox oils, Main belt tensioners, inlet mnanifold gasket leaks, oil cooler lines leaking, CV oil instead of packing with grease, etc etc etc.

I'll be the spanner in the works here and suggest getting it looked at by someone independent that knows these particular vehicles before you buy it.

130's in good nick are hard to come by, so it is still worth looking this one over IMO.


JC