About to take the SVX plunge

[Roulston]

Okay, test drove it today, the deal has been negotiated and I am about the get the fleet company to close on the SVX Defender.

Aside from a few things I don't like (third row seats) it seems okay once they closed the price gap between the base model and SUX to under $10k and incuded 3 years of servicing.

The advice I need are on the accesories:

I will swap my new AT rubber from my current 2000 v8 disco (which is on the market now for $10k if anyone is interested) to the SVX, but still want

1) Bar and winch
2) Snorkel, and
3) second battery.

The real confusion is the bar and winch combo, ARB, TJM, etc. Who can make a cost effective recomendation. I do not expect the winch to get a LOT of work, I am a hunter not a rock crawler, more insurance than heavy duty cycle.

Thanks for reading and for your thoughts.

Cheers, Tony

[BilboBoggles]

Personally - I'd go for a MillWeld (winch bars-rock sliders-4x4 snorkels-custom bar work) competition bar (about $990) which is cheaper - stronger - lighter - and nicer looking than the ARB. See MILLWELD

Or alternatively Scopion Racing do some nice bars - and Rovercraft import them (Also around the same price.) Last time I priced an ARB bar it was much more expensive than that.

There are apparently some good deals on less well known brand winches - and various review articles floating around. One advantage of a brand name winch is that the parts are easy to get - but it will be expensive. If price is a consideration - then I'd look at some of the less expensive winches on eBay. I've seen a few there that cost around $600 that seem to be reviewed quite well.

One slight issue I've seen on the SVX is that the black interior shows dust up really easily, and once it's dusty it's hard to make it look nice again. If that would bother you, then before you go out anywhere in it, get 2-3 tubes of Sikaflex and seal up all of the gaps in the body work. (Or hassle the dealer until they do it.) The New defender has no underseal which make it suck dust in like crazy through the little gaps in the panels. Ive got a little volcano happening in the rear of mine!.

FYI - The tyre size on the defender is 235/85/r16 which I think is not a size normally fitted to a Disco? The Stock Defender tyres are General Grabbers and are actually quite good as an All Terrain type tyre.

[kenleyfred]

G'day Tony
Had our SVX 4 months now and love it. Had to get the SVX for my wife to like a Defender.
To be honest I would prefer a 5 seater, not black. Like the sunroof but it lets a lot of heat in and is often hot enough for me to want to wear a hat. The side steps are handy. The ipod connection is useless to me ( no Ipod)
All our weekend use is on the beach and even though I have the full Defender rubber mats inside the fact that it is carpeted is a pain. I like to clean the interior with a leaf blower. The seats are too nice to want to cover with canvas covers.
But those front seats. They are worth the extra money to me. Just love them.
I rest my hand on the gearstick all the time, love the feel of that aliminium knob. (that sounds really sick)
The radio is not the easiest to use but is really tops.
Enjoy yours
Kenley

[kenleyfred]

I would love to put an ARB bullbar on it. Had one on our Disco.
But one of the crossbars cuts right in front of the little spot lights. The standard lights are very good.
Kenley

[Grover-98]

Get some pics up as soon as you get it

[Roulston]

I do like the look of the milweld unit and the price is right.

Re: the tyres, I am not running the standard Disco tyre size anyway. I am sure they will fit.

I will pay attention to the sealing as a priority, though one shouldn't have to.

Cheers, Tony

[wally]

Personally - I'd go for a MillWeld (winch bars-rock sliders-4x4 snorkels-custom bar work) competition bar (about $990) which is cheaper - stronger - lighter - and nicer looking than the ARB. See MILLWELD

Or alternatively Scopion Racing do some nice bars - and Rovercraft import them (Also around the same price.) Last time I priced an ARB bar it was much more expensive than that.

There are apparently some good deals on less well known brand winches - and various review articles floating around. One advantage of a brand name winch is that the parts are easy to get - but it will be expensive. If price is a consideration - then I'd look at some of the less expensive winches on eBay. I've seen a few there that cost around $600 that seem to be reviewed quite well.

One slight issue I've seen on the SVX is that the black interior shows dust up really easily, and once it's dusty it's hard to make it look nice again. If that would bother you, then before you go out anywhere in it, get 2-3 tubes of Sikaflex and seal up all of the gaps in the body work. (Or hassle the dealer until they do it.) The New defender has no underseal which make it suck dust in like crazy through the little gaps in the panels. Ive got a little volcano happening in the rear of mine!.

FYI - The tyre size on the defender is 235/85/r16 which I think is not a size normally fitted to a Disco? The Stock Defender tyres are General Grabbers and are actually quite good as an All Terrain type tyre.

That Millweld bar in the picture provides bugger all protection. The guards are completely exposed. And to my eyes looks horribly ugly. It might be more expensive but I'd be looking at an ARB. At least it'll give the vehicle some protection in the scrub or if you hit a large animal.

[geckos]

ARB one when i bought mine was $1150 in 2006.
cheers
also solid as, have it some trees with it at low range speed.

[Roulston]

Well the saga is that after calling every manufacturer I can think of, no on can supply a bar for the SVX, of the base model current defender.

Can there be that much change in the models or are they simply not sure?

ARB were a definate no, as were TJM, ECB and OL?

I have gone to MLWELD yet, as I perfer the protection offered by the ARB style bar.

Are they all simply unhelpful crack heads or has on one produced a bar for these?

I get the same message for a snorkel, surely they have not change the air intake between 2007 and now?

I also note a few of you have winches and lights mounted without bull bars. I assume these winch bars are still third party.

Tony

[kenleyfred]

ARB in Hendra have shown me a photo of one of there bars on a SVX. The smaller spotlight was obstructed but the owner didn't care.

Scorpion have told me they can customise there bar so the spots are not obstucted. Personally I prefer the ARB bar and will eventually go with one of theirs with additional spots to compensate.
Kenley