95 130 Inter 300tdi

[Colmoore]

Gday All.
I'm selling my 2010 110 atm and looking to buy a 130. I'm thinking of getting into an older 300tdi or td5.
Your thoughts on both please?
I'm a carpenter, so she'll be a work truck firstly. I have 3 kids and we like to get out into the bush camping - have been to all states and done some quite remote stuff (GRR, Tele track, CREB, High Country etc) so I want a capable unit and hope not to tow anything in future.
I've driven td5's and found them to be great, apart from the head gasket/warp issues. They have all been chipped too.
But I've never driven a 300tdi.
There is one at Lennox Head with the Inter 300tdi on car sales. Anyone know this car/owner?
It's had quite a bit done as well as the donk, that doesn't have big ks on, but the rig itself has done 400k plus.
I think it's a bit o/p but it's nonetheless tempting if I could get it for a decent price.
Does anyone have experience with these motors?
Are there any issues I should look for?
Does anybody have time to look at her for me?

Cheers
Col

There is a

[donh54]

Does seem pretty high price if it's done 400k.
I'd strongly suggest you find someone in your area with a 300tdi and take it for a drive, before you lash out. Compared to a chipped td5, a stock 300tdi will seem positively agricultural!

[VladTepes]

I like the simplicity of the Tdi but from a purely driving perspective I'd much prefer a TD5 and even moreso a Puma.

DEFINITELY drive one, you may find it doesn't come up to what you want and finding that out after shelling out a pile of cash is NOT what you want to do.

That particular one seems very expensive, way too expensive.
I get the impression the owner is trying to recoup 100% on the accessories he's fitted to it, and a higher-end price on the vehicle itself.

[Vern]

I know the guy that used to own it about a year ago, sold it as is to the current owner for $26k! All its had done to it since is routine servicing.
I can pm you Michaels number if you like.
They are asking a bit much in my opinion

[Colmoore]

Thanks Vern, Vlad & Don, I appreciate your advice and the drum on the truck. I would be keen to hear what the previous owner says Vern, if you could pm me his number please?
I drive a puma now with the BAS remap, so I know I'm going backwards with an earlier model in some respects but I wonder about others? The Ford input into LR seems to have taken much more than it gave - the puma goes well, but I'm not so sure it will go for long; that includes most of the driveline actually!
Maybe I'm better off looking at a td5.
Thanks again

[cripesamighty]

If it's any consolation, I went from a TD5 Defender to a Puma 2.4L Defender (without remap) and now own a D1 300Tdi (due to a breakup). Each engine has it's pro's and con's and they require different techniques to get the best out of them. The Tdi is simpler, a bit more 'bushproof', not as tweakable, the most agricultural of the three - and the slowest. At various times I've run mine on kero, jetfuel and vegetable oil. The TD5 is a bit more refined, sounds great, can be electronically tuned, and (with caveats) is almost as 'bushproof'. The Puma was the best performer of the lot but not as 'bushproof'. There are a few threads on here comparing the various model Defenders, so maybe take a gander at those too. Make a list of what qualities you require and then refine your options (ie which models to discount). Definitely see if you can go for a drive in a 300Tdi and TD5 to compare each engine. I'm thinking the tune-ability of the TD5 engine would probably more suit your needs.

[Robmacca]

I know the guy that used to own it about a year ago, sold it as is to the current owner for $26k! All its had done to it since is routine servicing.
I can pm you Michaels number if you like.
They are asking a bit much in my opinion

I thought Michael only bought this for $22k from Victoria?

[Vern]

I thought Michael only bought this for $22k from Victoria?

He had 2 of them. The other one is for sale i think now for around $19k
I know he spent a lot on this one with all the suspension mods etc..

[Silenceisgolden]

FWIW I owned at the same time a stock standard TD5 130 and a stock standard 300TDi 130. I felt the 300TDi had a little more low down torque and possibly marginally less top end, but really there was very little to choose. They were both brilliant - however the TD5 did feel a little smoother and more refined, but the 300 was still a lovely engine.
I still have the TD5 - I sold the 300 only because I had built a motorhome on the back, and now have a bigger one on an Oka. We did some great trips and the engine never caused any grief whatever, and because we mostly travel on dirt power was never a problem.
But like the others, I reckon that one is way over-priced. Good luck - whichever you choose, I am sure you will be delighted.

[donh54]

When you look at what's been done to it, the asking price is probably not that bad, but it illustrates the fact that putting a lot of money and effort into a 20+ year old vehicle is very rarely going to achieve a return on investment. Nowadays, I would only do something like that to build a "forever" vehicle.