Defender vs Series - Buying/Selling advice

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.

DPG213

Member
Posts
20
Location
Lincolnshire
Morning all,

Need some advice from people that will empathise with my plight.
At present I have a V8 LWB Series 1 that I use as a daily driver; a car I'd longed after for years until I was finally able to get my hands on one. In the year that I've owned it I've spent approx. £10,000 bringing it up to scratch mechanically (much more than I'd originally expected) and maintenance costs are proving to be relentlessly high what with the recent fuel price hikes and the general wear and tear associated with a 60 year old LR driving upwards of 10,000 miles a year. To top it all off, my girlfriend is now pregnant and isn't convinced this is a suitably safe mode of everyday transport; she also yearns for a little luxury after spending the last few years cradling various smiths heaters.
She wants a Tdci Defender, a car I really like and have had in the past, however as prices have recently ballooned I couldn't justify buying one as a stablemate to house alongside the Series 1 - and so here the dilemma begins. I'm in complete agreement that this would be a more competent, practical and safer vehicle, undoubtedly more suitable for our changing circumstances, but I have a few concerns.

With the new Defender gaining popularity and the Ineos Grenadier becoming available, will the classic Defender's start to decrease in price, especially now the government is pushing for greener vehicles? I think Series and early models will remain exempt (although E5 is getting annoyingly harder to obtain) and that their values will continue to steadily rise but the more modern and late model Defenders I'm not too sure about their futures? I live in a village but work in the cities of Nottingham and Lincoln, 5 days a week.

I'm very aware that if I sell the S1, I'll find it very difficult, if not virtually impossible, to find this model again.

Also, there's a rewarding smugness that comes with owning a classic Land Rover and keeping it on the road that you don't get with later models - however they are in turn equally infuriating. I had toyed with the idea of getting a battered Series 3 to run alongside mine so that the mileage could be shared but in all honesty, I can't say I enjoy working on them when there is a deadline and they need to be used the next day, so adding another money pit to an already substantial hole is a little off putting.
I have also thought about a Defender Wolf or a well sorted tdi as some of these are still reasonably priced but if I'm abandoning the classic I'd rather have a clean break and get something with heated seats and a stereo I can listen to.

So there we have it, I'm not sure what to do. Any advice would be much appreciated - a real head over heart issue.
 
Hi there, I would echo what Kev12 says: keep the Series and get a boring sensible car which can deal with the commute and family duties. As you know, even quite new Defenders are not especially comfortable, safe or economical. It would be a real shame to sell your Series One that you have spent so much time and money on. Keep hold of it for the fun times! Believe me, as soon as your child is toddling, the Series will be their favourite adventure toy! Best of luck.
 
Morning all,

Need some advice from people that will empathise with my plight.
At present I have a V8 LWB Series 1 that I use as a daily driver; a car I'd longed after for years until I was finally able to get my hands on one. In the year that I've owned it I've spent approx. £10,000 bringing it up to scratch mechanically (much more than I'd originally expected) and maintenance costs are proving to be relentlessly high what with the recent fuel price hikes and the general wear and tear associated with a 60 year old LR driving upwards of 10,000 miles a year. To top it all off, my girlfriend is now pregnant and isn't convinced this is a suitably safe mode of everyday transport; she also yearns for a little luxury after spending the last few years cradling various smiths heaters.
She wants a Tdci Defender, a car I really like and have had in the past, however as prices have recently ballooned I couldn't justify buying one as a stablemate to house alongside the Series 1 - and so here the dilemma begins. I'm in complete agreement that this would be a more competent, practical and safer vehicle, undoubtedly more suitable for our changing circumstances, but I have a few concerns.

With the new Defender gaining popularity and the Ineos Grenadier becoming available, will the classic Defender's start to decrease in price, especially now the government is pushing for greener vehicles? I think Series and early models will remain exempt (although E5 is getting annoyingly harder to obtain) and that their values will continue to steadily rise but the more modern and late model Defenders I'm not too sure about their futures? I live in a village but work in the cities of Nottingham and Lincoln, 5 days a week.

I'm very aware that if I sell the S1, I'll find it very difficult, if not virtually impossible, to find this model again.

Also, there's a rewarding smugness that comes with owning a classic Land Rover and keeping it on the road that you don't get with later models - however they are in turn equally infuriating. I had toyed with the idea of getting a battered Series 3 to run alongside mine so that the mileage could be shared but in all honesty, I can't say I enjoy working on them when there is a deadline and they need to be used the next day, so adding another money pit to an already substantial hole is a little off putting.
I have also thought about a Defender Wolf or a well sorted tdi as some of these are still reasonably priced but if I'm abandoning the classic I'd rather have a clean break and get something with heated seats and a stereo I can listen to.

So there we have it, I'm not sure what to do. Any advice would be much appreciated - a real head over heart issue.
Good Series are hard to come by now. And the standing costs of keeping one are minimal. No VED, No MOT, and classic cars insurance, very cheap.

Defenders are overpriced, they aren't any safer than a Series, and the tax and insurance and general maintenance are very expensive.

So, like they say^^^^^^^. Keep the Series, get a little car with air bags and stuff to run the baby around in, and very fuel efficient.
 
Like everyone else , I suggest getting a boring modern car for every day use and keep the Series One for the weekends . That doesn’t mean you can’t use it for work, just not necessarily every day . Which model is it ? Station wagon or pick up ? I have a 107” tray back that I use to supplement my Hilux when I have stuff that it too long for it .

6m drainage pipes ? No problem .

E1C7D65E-6E6C-44D6-87B5-95265042858B.jpeg


I would expect the V8 to be no thirstier than a 2l or 2.25l petrol engine , but a lot pokier. I bet it is fun/challenging to drive .



Show us some pictures so we can drool over it . Big respect to the girlfriend for putting up with driving in it .
 
Well done for keeping that and doing 10k a year, you have prob spent the major outlays and hopefully just routine costs going forward.
Got to agree with the mrs and those above , it’s no vehicle for a baby
You need to get a valuation on it at least who knows you may be sitting on £20k+
Then get sensible diesel car that mam to be can happily drive and you can get 50mpg +
Sell the S1 :eek::eek: :( and get a cheaper s3 diesel that does a few more mpg if fuel cost is a problem in S1 and you can’t get hands on sensible car above
 
Well done for keeping that and doing 10k a year, you have prob spent the major outlays and hopefully just routine costs going forward.
Got to agree with the mrs and those above , it’s no vehicle for a baby
You need to get a valuation on it at least who knows you may be sitting on £20k+
Then get sensible diesel car that mam to be can happily drive and you can get 50mpg +
Sell the S1 :eek::eek: :( and get a cheaper s3 diesel that does a few more mpg if fuel cost is a problem in S1 and you can’t get hands on sensible car above
They aren't too bad for a baby, I was transported in similar vehicles when I was a kid, and I lived! :)
But women are funny about that stuff, and pregnant ones aren't to be messed with.

Been giving this some consideration. Another thought, Nottingham and Lincoln will be on ULEZ in the next few years.
Which really rules out a Defender for the commute, and also means it might be better to get a sensible petrol car. Unless he wants to splash out on a newish diesel.
Lean burn petrol do excellent mileage these days too.
 
If you run a defender as an everyday car, you wont drive the series that often as its much the same.
Sell it and you will live to regret it.
 
As above, keep the S1 for fun and get a cheap to run modern car for carrying around the baby stuff. It also means you have flexibility to use the S1 when the Mrs needs the other car, and if it's off the road for a few days while you wait for a part it's not such an issue.

We have an Alfa Giulietta 1.4MA petrol turbo which costs £30 per annum in road tax and does nearly 40mpg. Alfas depreciate steeply, so it was a lot of car for the money and costs little to run. The road tax varies as the govt changes the rules constantly - an identical car a year younger than ours is circa £150 pa.
 
Yes you are correct. keeping a Series 1 is totally impractical for your new needs but luckily for you I'm happy to consider a straight swap for my D2 TD5 which has all the luxuries and practicalities of keeping a GF happy and baby safe!
Or, you could give him the D2, and he could give you the pregnant girlfriend, and you can get a little car to drive her and the baby around in.
 
Back
Top