Advice needed for Newbie Defender purchase

I'm looking to buy a second hand Defender to do some offroading and to use as a utility vehicle hard top, plenty of seats etc), and would be grateful for any advice - particularly on these points:

- I've seen on some that they seem to have an exhaust that goes up to roof level. I'm guessing that this is so that it doesn't get immersed in water. Is this correct? What's the correct term for this exhaust, and are they that common / easy to get hold of?

- How well do Defenders (espesh older ones) fair at keeping water out etc (I have a particular love of driving through fords etc!)?

- Any advice on the different models - 90 / 110 / 130 etc, do they refer to wheelbase etc?

- Anything to look out / things to avoid when purchasing second hand?

Huge thanks in advance!

If you need lots of seats you need the 110" (wheelbase) County Station Wagon (CSW) The exhaust you've seen is a snorkel and it's a raised air intake to prevent water been sucked in to the engine whilst wading thru deep water. It doesn't matter if the exhaust is under water as the exhaust pressure will keep the water from travelling up the exhaust pipe and into the engine.

What sort of budget have you set yourself. ??

Ah, air intake rather than exhaust makes sense. What happens if you stall in water though? I guess the water gets pushed out of the exhaust when you turn the engine over? And I also guess that the snorkel is only necessary if you're planning to drive through water that would come up to the top of the engine bay?

As for my budget, it's changing depending on what mood I'm in Wavering between 4k & 14k at the moment!

gizmoid said:

- How well do Defenders (espesh older ones) fair at keeping water out etc (I have a particular love of driving through fords etc!)?

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Badly.

gizmoid said:

- How well do Defenders (espesh newer ones) fair at keeping water out etc (I have a particular love of driving through fords etc!)?

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Badly

gizmoid said:

Ah, air intake rather than exhaust makes sense. What happens if you stall in water though? I guess the water gets pushed out of the exhaust when you turn the engine over? And I also guess that the snorkel is only necessary if you're planning to drive through water that would come up to the top of the engine bay?

As for my budget, it's changing depending on what mood I'm in Wavering between 4k & 14k at the moment!

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In theory if the engine stops, the cold water round the exhasut can creat a vacuum and the water can get sucked up into the engine.
I used to say I had never heard of it happening, but I have, apperenty it took around 20 minutes.
I think you'd be realy unlucky to hydrulic an engine that way. Through the air intake is far more likly.

No, you can suck water in going through water that comes up to top of the wheel rim height as the wave you push along can ride up to the air intake which is sited on the side of the wing.
As for cost of landy, go for the best you can afford, dont go for one that has a load of pointless aftermarket kit on it.

Thanks for these thoughts!

So, big question (does this cause debates?) - which is better for offroading - SWB 90 or LWB 110?

(Oh, and what's the difference between a 110 and a 130?)

gizmoid said:

Thanks for these thoughts!

So, big question (does this cause debates?) - which is better for offroading - SWB 90 or LWB 110?
90 has better break-over angle and turns tighter, but there's little practical difference, unless you go to extremes.

(Oh, and what's the difference between a 110 and a 130?)
20 inches.

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110 has a better angle of approach

Treworgey 90 said:

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Ah I getcha, the number is the wheelbase in inches! Cool...

gizmoid said:

Ah I getcha, the number is the wheelbase in inches! Cool...

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Almost! The 90 is 93" and the 130 is 127" so there's not quite 20" between the 110 and the 130!

i can see something going badly wrong here

I have a 130 Double cab hi-cap for sale if interested V, reg totaly rebuilt using 57 reg panels from the bumper to the tail gate. It was rebuilt for a fussy costomer but he decided to buy a new one so i bought it off him...

buy this and youd have change for a 90 as well

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looks like a good honest one

Sean said:

buy this and youd have change for a 90 as well

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looks like a good honest one

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The link doesn't work. Well not for me anyway.

hmmm maybe you have to be a member - anyways is a right orginal tidy looking 110 with tax n MOT for a grand