Another Defender at Pickles,only 7700km but a bit worse for wear.

[Top End Rangie]

G'day all,found another totalled Defender at Pickles.
Located Alice Springs,goes under the hammer in Darwin May 28.:D

Driveline may be OK.

Vehicle Detail - Pickles Auctions Australia (http://www.pickles.com.au/damaged/vehicle/CP-10-08-Land-Rover-Defender-110-09MY-Wagon-5-Seats/itemid-1-652012785/lotid-0)

[I Love My Landy!]

Geez! Hopefully the person driving was okay and didn't have a passenger! Defenders really need a roll cage.

[Top End Rangie]

Geez! Hopefully the person driving was okay and didn't have a passenger! Defenders really need a roll cage.
Yeah,bit of a mess hey.As you say,hope the occupants were OK.
A rollcage probably would be good idea,and maybe a bit more padding around head-hight.
We saw a Telstra 130 Dualcab rolled on our way to Gove once,we arrived about 5 minutes after the event.The poor lady was on her own,and was pretty shaken,but physically OK.
From what we could see,the heavy duty XL tradesman type box on the back was what stopped the cab getting crushed.She had rolled 3 times from the looks of it,and the box had taken a beating,but the cab had just shifted sideways about 3 inches at the top.The 10 foot extension ladder off the roof was about 40 yards off in the bush!
She reckoned she just overcooked the corner.
One has to wonder what Telstra was doing sending an inexperienced employee off on her own into the middle of nowhere anyway,she still had 400km of dirt to go at about 3pm when we found her!:mad:

[dmdigital]

What's really scary is I think that could well be the white Defender they had at Sutton Motors in July/August last year. We almost bought that one if it is it.

Be good for parts.

[scarry]

Wouldnt mind the vacuum pump,it would be good to have a spare:):)

[dullbird]

now this is the 4th one I have seen go through pickles....3 of them were rolled.

what the hell is it with sleepy Pumas'

[one_iota]

I reckon that the rear suspension needs some work.

Mine is too firm and bounces around...ok under load but too fiesty without.

Any one not realising this will get into trouble.

[Mikes defender]

Does the new puma have sway bar's? i think it had them front and rear. been 2 years since i took one for a test drive. I do remember them cornering heaps better.. False conferdence? external cage would be great but 5000 is not cheap.

I have been temped to aproch some one like brown davis Brown Davis Automotive (http://www.browndavis.com.au/) for a quote to fit one. Less stress off road. you could try anything!!!

[dmdigital]

Yep, front and rear sway bars are fitted.

[solmanic]

Seriously - what is wrong with the Puma drivers in this country. DB counts 4, but I am sure there have been more than that written off! Most rolled, but I remember one a few weeks back that was drowned.

I am strongly considering lobbying for the introduction of specialised 4x4 licensing!

[Captain_Rightfoot]

I'm surprised that it doesn't say black and red cloth :(:(

It's interesting. I'm sure there are LOTS more td5's fenders out there than there are pumas so far but the pumas seem to be having the rollovers. Pumas get a rear swaybar whereas td5's don't have one.

Maybe with the swaybar they load up the outside back more, limiting understeer and making them feel better in corners. Perhaps this encourages people to go harder until the back snaps out by which time there isn't anything that can be done. Perhaps it promotes "tank slappers".

In theory, without a rear swaybar the td5 should understeer more and earlier as in a corner the outside front will cop the heaviest load on the car. I know my car understeers on bitumen.

It seems to make sense ? :confused:

[Bigbjorn]

Looks like a classic 4WD "roundabout rollover". There are usually one or two or more at every damaged vehicle auction. Gone over the left front onto the tops of the left front guard and cab.

[solmanic]

At least a few of the roll-overs we have seen come through have been brand new cars with hardly anything on the clock. Is it test drivers, dealers and press that are tipping so many over?

[Captain_Rightfoot]

I know what it is. It is defender people buying Pumas and then blasting along and arriving at corners 30k too fast because they are so quiet!

[dullbird]

or because they are usure which gear to select as there are too many :D

[eksjay]

There are far too many people who drive a 4WD like a car. I have had a couple of near misses in tight bush tracks with idiots coming round a blind bend at full speed.

Even in open country, people with limited experience do not realise that the smallest pot hole could upturn their car in a flash, or a slick surface can turn them 180 degrees with total loss of control.

I recall some of my mistakes when I first started out, but they were small in comparison to the stuff I have seen from others.

A 4WD is a very capable car if handled properly, or a loaded weapon ready to backfire if mistreated.

[Bigbjorn]

At least a few of the roll-overs we have seen come through have been brand new cars with hardly anything on the clock. Is it test drivers, dealers and press that are tipping so many over?

I suspect it is the private school mums haring into a roundabout at the same speed as they drove the Beemer or the Volvo. Next they know, full plough understeer and they whack on more RH lock to try to turn and up and over the left front corner she goes.

[PAT303]

Overconfidence.I drive my defender ALOT faster on dirt roads then any of the work tojo's,I don't do it because I can but because it handles so much better it lures me in. Pat

[scarry]

Overconfidence.I drive my defender ALOT faster on dirt roads then any of the work tojo's,I don't do it because I can but because it handles so much better it lures me in. Pat

X2,
I find this happens with the D2,particularly when loaded.
I am no racing car driver,but i find i can drive the D2 faster on dirt roads than any other car i have ever driven.
Its the breaking distances you have to be real careful with as the ABS doesnt help on the dirt ,particularly in a staight line.IMO:(

A mate of mine works in the mine near Weipa & they have had the lowluxes detuned as there were to many accidents on the dirt roads.