It's getting up there!

Thanks for those who took the time to read my musing over my D4.
For those who have commented on maintenance items such as timing belts etc. please be advised they have all been part of the standard service schedule which has been followed (and where it made good sense, exceeded) to the letter. The additional stuff such as fluid change in the auto trans has been done on a regular basis along with the internal filter. The suspension stuff inclusive of the rear arms as well has been refreshed all around. As any issue has arisen the items have been addressed. I can be a bit obsessive that way! My only concern now is how long the engine and auto trans will hold up. I have explored the re-manufactured engine option and checked out the A & B auto trans change over costs. When you consider the cost of these two items they would, once fitted, most likely exceed the current value of the vehicle!
That said both of those items seem to be quite o.k. at this time. Gee.....hope I have not put a mozz on myself with that last comment!

I know all your comments re keeping the vehicle are logical and make sense. However, and there is always a 'however' isn't there? The old 'consumer' devil is climbing onto my shoulder......just a little.

They may well exceed the resale value of the vehicle, but are probably less than 3 years of depreciation on a new vehicle...?
Perhaps an option for 'forward' planning is to get the major items refurb'd then reconsider in say 3 yrs time?...just a thought![bighmmm]

Anyone who recalls the regret of selling their D2 because it was getting on in age and Kms should now look at the D3 or D4 the same way.

Rather than buying a high depreciating newer vehicle imagine what you could do to improve the D3/4 with the same spend.

And let’s admit it - the D3 and D4 looks much better than a D5..... [emoji12]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LGM

My only concern now is how long the engine and auto trans will hold up. I have explored the re-manufactured engine option and checked out the A & B auto trans change over costs. When you consider the cost of these two items they would, once fitted, most likely exceed the current value of the vehicle!
That said both of those items seem to be quite o.k. at this time.

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I'd therefore consider the vehicle to have little to no value and continue to use it to extract maximum gain from it while continuing to maintain and service it to prolong it's life to the maximum, but if either of those two big ticket items died, then get rid of it for scrap/wrecking value.

My midlife is planned at this stage as follows:

Full suspension change out - UCA/LCA F&R, new bags/shocks, Sway bar bushes.
Overhaul compressor, new sensors on all 4 corners.
Inner and outers on rack,
Wheel bearings on all corners
All fluids and filters
New brake lines
New rear rotors and EPB shoes
And a full detail [emoji6]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by twr7cx

I'd therefore consider the vehicle to have little to no value and continue to use it to extract maximum gain from it while continuing to maintain and service it to prolong it's life to the maximum, but if either of those two big ticket items died, then get rid of it for scrap/wrecking value.

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That’s based on a value equation - eg trade in
Which is a consumption based thought process.

If the vehicle is in good condition, and you throw $15k of parts at it, that’s still far more financially economical than throwing $90k on a new one and then kitting it out.

If you then get 5 years out of it, that will be $3k a year. Much cheaper than repayments on a new one. Then sell it for $5k and move on. Makes it $2k a year.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tombie

We ordered a new Defender, and cancelled it a few months ago.
We’ve looked at options and pretty much given up on the idea of changing or buying another vehicle.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the 2 we have, they run like a dream and are in mint condition.

The financials just don’t stack up - it’s literally change for the sake of change (victim of consumerism at best) and we decided not to waste cash on upgrading and use the $$ to travel and do other things.

Even with my planned “mid life” on the D4, it’s only a $10k outlay for all new suspension etc.

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Probably saved yourself a world of pain with the new Deefer mate. The interweb is buzzing with notable initial quality issues.1

My elder bro insists on sending me adverse reports about the new Defender and LR quality generally. I don't know why as he drives an FL2 and has had it for 7 years without too many probs and him and his dearly beloved had his and her RRs for many years. Plus always new ones each every couple of years. Rich *****. :)
Seems his daughter and her friends had problems engaging Hill Descent, or finding out how to engage it when faced with a steep downward slope. Pity they didn't read the manual prior to driving off to do a bit of yahooing through the hills around Zurich or observe what the terrain was like they were heading into first.
He also reckons they've had other troubles but as yet hasn't been forthcoming as to what they were exactly. I shall make further inquires.....
AlanH.

PS. Why he should be keeping a car 7 years old now I don't know unless he likes the idea of dying even richer than he is.

When I started to think on the D4 and what to do next I was in a bit of a quandary trying to justify in my head that (as a retired person) getting rid of a fair bit of loot on another vehicle would make my endorphins flow a bit better or some such reason.....

The comments from folks re retaining the D4, which I have referred to previously, all make sense and strike the logical note. But in truth logic and sense has little to do with what is going on in my thoughts right now. If I take a helicopter view of myself it seems to me that emotion, vanity, and a bit of the 'look at me, look at what I have got' I want to feel good stuff has been stirred up.

What has caused this I wonder? I am well beyond a mid life crisis!

I have started to trawl the CarSales and other web based vehicle sales sites looking at LR's.....what about a TDV8 RR sport 2014 model????? Dreaming......no matter what I do at the moment I keep coming back to this nagging thought that says, when you do up a 2011 D4 what have you got to show for all the work. Exactly, a 2011 D4!

Reckon I need to get outside and occupy myself on other stuff to take my mind of the subject and trust these thoughts will pass! My worry is the genie is out of the bottle.......[bigsad]

LGM. Completely understand those thoughts mate!

For most of my life if I had to register a vehicle twice I had kept it too long [emoji41]
By the time I was 27 I had spent over a Million dollars on cars and didn’t have any of them.

Lara (110 TR) was the first I kept more than 2 years and went at 7 years, and the D4 is now 9 years old and going strong.

I still smile when I look at it.

For late life crisis - the Katana fits the bill...