New Defender : long term preservation

[Wheatos]

My brand new 110 will delivered soon, and I'm keen for advice on how to protect it against its idiosyncrasies as soon as I get it.

I've read that the oil it comes with is not as good as it can/should be, or there's not enough of it (?), then there's the leaky window seals. Are these worth replacing when I get the truck? I'd like to improve 'Defenderisms' such as these so they don't cause issues further down the track (as opposed to protecting it from driver fun/error/stupidity).

What would be the top 3 changes I should do early in its life to maximise its long term structural & engine integrity.

Thanks!

[Tombie]

Oil is fine, one member commented his diff (iirc) was a bit low, but if the PDC is done correctly this won't be an issue.

The engine oil at delivery will be the correct Castrol gear and is a good oil.

Leaking window seals - not too sure on this one either. Some defenders leak, some don't. Wash it and see! Then get the dealer to sort it.

[jimr1]

Hi like you I'm waiting for a new 110 "they say June " My question is what do you wont to do with It ? I'd like to tell you what I'm going to do . Front winch bar , driving lights , winch . Why because I have them . side steps rear spare wheel carrier , and cargo barrier . Of course you don't have to do any of this , just drive It and enjoy . There is something about putting your own stamp on your vehicle . The next one will be number 5 Land Rover station wagon and about number 10 , I have loved every one . I'm sure we will both be very pleased with our new trucks . good luck ... Jim

[Wheatos]

Hi like you I'm waiting for a new 110 "they say June " My question is what do you wont to do with It ? I'd like to tell you what I'm going to do . Front winch bar , driving lights , winch . Why because I have them . side steps rear spare wheel carrier , and cargo barrier . Of course you don't have to do any of this , just drive It and enjoy . There is something about putting your own stamp on your vehicle . The next one will be number 5 Land Rover station wagon and about number 10 , I have loved every one . I'm sure we will both be very pleased with our new trucks . good luck ... Jim

Thanks Jim. Sounds like you've been down this road before.

I've ordered all the kit I want for it, incl Front Runner rack, Rijidij spare wheel carrier, Mulgo bumperettes, APT steering guard, diff guards plus a few other bits and pieces. That will do me for the next 18mths or so as all I have planned is a few trips to a farm at Trunkey and a Christmas trek to Fraser Island. I'm very excited by what is coming, and after ordering it in Nov, waiting till after ANZAC Day requires patience of a kind that I'm not strong in!

However, rather than work out other bolt on pieces I can get, I'm trying to establish what changes to the standard offering I should do that would avoid a slow deterioration over time.

Cheers

[manic]

A major long term concern is corrosion.

Wax the chassis and bulkhead internal. Galvanise the steel body cappings. Separate all the steel brackets that mate with aluminium body with something durable to prevent galvanic corrosion. There are many. Look at restoration posts for older defenders to get an idea of where the rot hits. My seat box restoration thread gives you a good idea of the kind of rot you can expect if not prevented.

[Pocket Rocket]

You may also want to consider putting in the traxide headlight relay kit. Prevents the light switch burning out.

[MrLandy]

8 months wait...nice zen training opportunity! Then I reckon just drive it! A lot! And enjoy! In my 2014 the gearbox is a little notchy til it warms up 5 min so I take it easy, but I reckon that's normal, then its sweet all day long.
...Maybe hose it down if you're in salt air country... But apart from that Defenders aren't even meant to be washed. :-)

[EastFreo]

I was also worried about it when I got mine last year as I want it to last a very long time. Found a great thread on Defender2.net "corrosion prevention guide" and took some advice from that and from a heap of threads on this site.

I ended up using a professional outfit here to rust proof it and I am liberally spraying inox and other similar products fairly frequently. Probably a bit like my Dad who has used CRC on his 300tdi and it is still pretty rust free.

Will say the corrosion of the modern defender chassis is one item I am a bit disappointed with. We have had a lot of old series models and three defenders growing up and none had rust issues and Dad did nothing other than spray CRC. Mind you that goes on anything at home from guns to hinges as well as cars!

[JDNSW]

Best thing you can do is to move inland to a dry climate. And, definitely, if not doing that, keep it under cover and wash thoroughly underneath whenever you use it off road.

John

[jimr1]

I suppose , keeping the mud out of all those area's that are traps underneath , It gets into every nook and granny , then sets hard as . Then I gets wet slowly causing corrosion , Especially salt water . I try to keep mine clean underneath . That can be a rotten dirty job , after driving in wet clay !!.. Jim