1st defender buying help

Hi guys,

Ok, so completely new to forums and the Landy life. Looking to get my 1st Defender 90 within the next few months, but first I have a few question. I’ve got my heart set on a 300tdi 90 and with the budget I have a galvanised chassis and bulkhead will most probably be one of the 1st jobs. With this in mind can I widen my vehicle search to 200tdi defenders knowing that at time of chassis change (to the 300tdi chassis) i’d only need to do an engine swap to make everything fit? Is a 200tdi body etc a direct swap to a 300tdi chassis or its there a lot more too it that simply the engine mounting?

Apologies if this question has been asked previously on here but if it has I’m not good enough to find it.

Cheers

Clive

They're mostly the same, but with minor differences. Small things like where the fuel filter mounts, the width of the bulkhead screen vents, the bracket thing on the passenger footwell. Nothing that significant.

Remember your 300 would have an R380 and you're 200 an lt77.

julianf said:

They're mostly the same, but with minor differences. Small things like where the fuel filter mounts, the width of the bulkhead screen vents, the bracket thing on the passenger footwell. Nothing that significant.

Remember your 300 would have an R380 and you're 200 an lt77.

Click to expand...

R380 & IT77?

Thanks for the rest sounds like it shouldn’t be too much of a problem to swap a 300tdi engine and chassis onto/into a 200 body.

Clive159 said:

Hi guys,

Ok, so completely new to forums and the Landy life. Looking to get my 1st Defender 90 within the next few months, but first I have a few question. I’ve got my heart set on a 300tdi 90 and with the budget I have a galvanised chassis and bulkhead will most probably be one of the 1st jobs. With this in mind can I widen my vehicle search to 200tdi defenders knowing that at time of chassis change (to the 300tdi chassis) i’d only need to do an engine swap to make everything fit? Is a 200tdi body etc a direct swap to a 300tdi chassis or its there a lot more too it that simply the engine mounting?

Apologies if this question has been asked previously on here but if it has I’m not good enough to find it.

Cheers

Clive

Click to expand...

200tdi has different floor plates tunnel and seat box though that can be altered to fit 300tdi tunnel,also the air vent for engine is on the opposite side but a new wing skin would sort that

If you want a 300, i would suggest buying a 300 to start with.

It means you can just go onto the insurance comparison sites, and type in the reg, and its all done. No need to have to call round "custom" insurers and listen to their nonsense all day long.

I know it may not seem like much, but i suspect you will save enough on insurance due to the increased competition on standard vehicles to make it worth just getting the 300 to start with.


My defender (in bits) was a similar choice - i wanted a 300, got tempted by others, thinking id just change things about (i have a spare 300 engine) but, in the end, just purchased a 300, as it just makes it all that much simpler - have a 101 on a modified policy so im aware of how much i dislike talking to insurers.

julianf said:

It means you can just go onto the insurance comparison sites, and type in the reg, and its all done. No need to have to call round "custom" insurers and listen to their nonsense all day long.

Click to expand...

Plus, it can make getting spares a wee bit easier.

Cheers

Thanks guys, sound advice which I’ll take and stick with a 300.

As I’ll be looking to swap out for a galvanised chassis within a year of ownership ive pretty much been looking for Landys with a solid body only. Any other secrets I should be wary of uncovering?

Cheers

Stumbled across this earlier
https://www.lro.com/reviews/1990-1998-defender-tdi-4x4-review
Will pm other guff..

Clive159 said:

Thanks guys, sound advice which I’ll take and stick with a 300.

As I’ll be looking to swap out for a galvanised chassis within a year of ownership ive pretty much been looking for Landys with a solid body only. Any other secrets I should be wary of uncovering?

Cheers

Click to expand...

If you get one with a knackered chassis, the rest of it will (probably) be knackered also.

Ie bulkhead, sills, posts, door frames.

And when you cost up the chassis, remember that youll end up doing a load of other stuff at the same time, because, you may as well when its in bits... so its not just the chassis cost.