WTB: Defender 130. Opinions Needed

[technophile]

Hi all,

After reading up on here for a while i decided to look at getting a landrover for my fist car. They just seem to fit my personality, Tough, capable, yet can be quirky and stubborn. A family member was selling his 99 D2, ans as i grew up with the car and understand the prior history knowledge is important, i inquired into buying it. Unfortunately it was sold to some one else, as it turns out, it had an engine failure a few months later.

Now a 2002 defender 130 has turned up for sale, with ONLY 25, 000 km
I have been doing my own research into the defenders and have found that they are tough and reliable, excel off road, great payload and are very economical for such a large car (10-12 l/100km). I have also heard that they tend to be on the loud side in the cabin when at higher speeds, the seats are uncomfortable and leg room is limited (I am about 6' 4). Also the other problem i have with this particular defender is the price tag... $27, 000. Now i am willing to pay that however, if it is worth it.

What i would like is your opinions on this particular model and year defender and defenders in general. Including faults and annoyances, along with any remedies, and of coarse and praises you may have for the car. I would also be interested in what else is available for that kind of money.

thanks in advance

[weeds]

I have a 110 300tdi but can put my spin on somethings

Now a 2002 defender 130 has turned up for sale, with ONLY 25, 000 km thats extremely low k's, might be wrth putting the owner on the spot
I have been doing my own research into the defenders and have found that they are tough and reliable, excel off road, great payload and are very economical for such a large car (10-12 l/100km).i would agree
I have also heard that they tend to be on the loud side in the cabin when at higher speeds i would have thought a td5 would be quiter than my 300tdi, it is tough to hold a conversation with the kids in the back seat but other than turning th eradio down to talk to the passenger i dont really notice the noise,
the seats are uncomfortable and leg room is limited (I am about 6' 4) i'm 6' and find the seats comfortable on extended trips re: more leg room you can get extension rails which i hear are good.
Also the other problem i have with this particular defender is the price tag... $27, 000. Now i am willing to pay that however, if it is worth it.cannot help you on prices for 130 td5's but with only 25K on the clock he could ask what ever he wanted

What i would like is your opinions on this particular model and year defender and defenders in general. Including faults and annoyances, along with any remedies, and of coarse and praises you may have for the car. I would also be interested in what else is available for that kind of money.
oil in the injector loom at ecu
has the oil pump bolt been checked

thanks in advance

hope that helps a little bit

[MLD]

PM Lambrover he has a TD5 130 and he knows his LR's. He'll have all the goods and bads.

I have a TD5 110. Notwithstanding some negative comments about the TD5 engine. Mine has 355,000 kms on the Odo. Original head, gearbox, TC. Replaced original clutch and flywheel at 345,000 kms. The rear axles and flanges were flogged out when i bought it so I went with maxidrive for longevity. The rule is "keep the fluids up and replace them at the correct intervals and the truck will repay you in kind".

As for the cabin noise, I lined the cabin with sound deadener and it made a HUGE difference in the comfort level from noise. It's no Lexus but a far cry from the previous incarnation. About $250.

The oil pump bolt is a big item to check. I asked my mechanic to drop the sump and check the oil pump bolt. Mine was loose. If the bolt comes out, no oil and big expense. From comments on the forum there is no consistency whether the bolt is loctited or not. That's across a range of years, defender v disco. For $300 in labour it's cheap insurance.

The ECU harness does have problems with oil. The engine will show signs like it's missing or flat on power or not idle properly. Simple fix to replace the injector harness. Opinions are varied whether sealing the injector harness stops migration of oil or not. Even if you seal the injector harness there is likely to be oil in the main harness to the ECU. It's an annoyance, not a show stopper.

The head is vulnerable to cracking (like any alloy head) if the fluids are low. Make it a habit to flush out the radiator and replace the thermo annually.

All problems i've experienced can be put down to wear and tear. Preventative maintenance is your best defence with any LR.

The TD5 responds well to a chip, intercooler and exhaust. But IMO is not worth it unless you are driving lots of highway miles or towing. Once in low range there is little difference between chipped and stock IMO. I'll be yelled down for that comment, but that's my opinion based on my experience.

If it has 25,000 genuine Kms then $27,000 is a steal (in WA). Buy it and let it grow on you. If it becomes a mole more than a beauty mark you should be able to sell it for what you paid for it.

MLD

[tangus89]

I'm 6'7" and find my single cab comfortable. Seats are comfy long distance. my old man had extended rails in his 110 and i never used it to the full extension. his 90 hasn't got them comfy enough without. (he is 6'6") there is a technique to getting in and out

[technophile]

BUMP

[spudboy]

You'd want some history + a reason why it has only travelled 25K Kms since 2002. Not impossible but pretty rare!

Is it a single cab or double cab? If it is single and you are tall, you have nowhere to go. But in a double cab you can fit seat rail extenders to give a lot more legroom. I'm 6'3" and the seat rail extenders make a big difference (I made my own - so a search here on how to do it - $10 of materials and an hour or two). Cabin is still not wide enough for modern man so you'll end up with your elbow out the window.

Haggle on the price. it's not stupid for the KMs, but it is very much on the high side for a 2002 130.

[technophile]

You'd want some history + a reason why it has only travelled 25K Kms since 2002. Not impossible but pretty rare!

Is it a single cab or double cab? If it is single and you are tall, you have nowhere to go. But in a double cab you can fit seat rail extenders to give a lot more legroom. I'm 6'3" and the seat rail extenders make a big difference (I made my own - so a search here on how to do it - $10 of materials and an hour or two). Cabin is still not wide enough for modern man so you'll end up with your elbow out the window.

Haggle on the price. it's not stupid for the KMs, but it is very much on the high side for a 2002 130.

It is a 130 dual cab, and I believe the reason it has so few km's is because it was a FESA car, or something like that. What kind of price would you think would be a fair price. Obviously it would be easier to compare higher km defender with each other, but the only other low km defender I saw was a 110 with 76,000km and he was asking $33k with accessories in NSW. I am in WA and this defy is stock.

Thanks

[spudboy]

Well, I paid $21K for a 2001 TD5 130 with an alloy canopy on the back (ex-Telstra), a snorkel, winch, bullbar, dual batteries, spotties, UHF and 125,000Kms on it, so that's why I was thinking that $27K is on the high side.

But - I had to fly to Sydney to buy it, as Defenders for sale in Adelaide are pretty rare, and I reckon you are probably in the same boat.

25,000Kms is exceptionally low, and worth a premium for sure.

If you could haggle down to $25K maybe, then I'd be pretty tempted! If it's there and you want it, and you can afford it, maybe that's the one for you.

[technophile]

Just an inquiry.

Why is that, according to gumtree, a 2002 defender 130 is worth more than a 2002 D2 td5. I would have thought that a d2 with all of its electrical wizardry would be worth more?


Thanks

[goingbush]

Defenders hold their value much better than Discos, perhaps its their rugged good looks that fail to age,

theres a good looking Td5 110 on ebay with 45 mins to go,
it has a Salisbury and Traction control, I'd buy it if I didnt already have one.
the guy seems willing negotiate when I emailed him about it.

Land Rover Defender 110 Td5 (4x4) (2002) 4D Wagon 5 SP Manual 4x4 (2.5L -... | eBay