Anyone used Famous Four Louth?

My Defender td5 is in the garage at Famous Four right now, looks like the head is cracked and may need a new/recon engine. I'm gutted!! Been quoted about £2,300 if it's just the head and about £7,000 if it needs new engine. Has anyone used them before?

Tattybird said:

My Defender td5 is in the garage at Famous Four right now, looks like the head is cracked and may need a new/recon engine. I'm gutted!! Been quoted about £2,300 if it's just the head and about £7,000 if it needs new engine. Has anyone used them before?

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Seven grand sounds to me like they're trying to get you to sell them your defender for scrap money.
@blue beasty you might want to move this to somewhere it'll get a better response.

Marmaduke said:

Seven grand sounds to me like they're trying to get you to sell them your defender for scrap money.
@blue beasty you might want to move this to somewhere it'll get a better response.

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How do I move it please, can't get my head around this site....

Where do I move it to?

Tattybird said:

How do I move it please, can't get my head around this site....

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You don't / can't but the cake muncher can when he's finished with Mr Kipling
I can't see why a cracked head needs a new engine. What happened?

I wasn't driving...but last week I started her up and **** loads of smoke came out and she was revving a bit high, turned her off, bad smell from exhaust. Saturday my partner took her out to see if it continued.....at about 50mph rattling noise, big smoke, pulled off road turned her off and she ran on for a few minutes (didn't know to dump clutch and stall ufortunately) lots of oil on the road...got her towed to Famous Four, they said without starting to take her apart and incur labour charges they could see that the engine is full of oil and that they are 99.9% certain the head has cracked....common fault on td5 apparently, and as it ran on after the ignition was turned off there may well be engine damage

Sorry she ran on for maybe 30 seconds not a few minutes

Tattybird said:

My Defender td5 is in the garage at Famous Four right now, looks like the head is cracked and may need a new/recon engine. I'm gutted!! Been quoted about £2,300 if it's just the head and about £7,000 if it needs new engine. Has anyone used them before?

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why dont you have a word with amazon 4x4 they are landy breakers,you should get a very good running used engine for less than 1500, or head i bought one for 300,new engines isnt cost effective on older motors

I haven't got anyone to do the work, don't know if a garage will put in one that they don't supply? I did call engine engineering yesterday they have one for about £1,600...?

jamesmartin said:

why dont you have a word with amazon 4x4 they are landy breakers,you should get a very good running used engine for less than 1500, or head i bought one for 300,new engines isnt cost effective on older motors

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I see they are local to me I'm between Wragby and Market Rasen. Do you know anyone that could do the work for me?

Tattybird said:

I haven't got anyone to do the work, don't know if a garage will put in one that they don't supply? I did call engine engineering yesterday they have one for about £1,600...?

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garages wont want to supply a used one, but many will fit one you supply, i use amazon first as the guy is honest and knows his stuff and local

jamesmartin said:

garages wont want to supply a used one, but many will fit one you supply, i use amazon first as the guy is honest and knows his stuff and local

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I spoke to Binbrook Motors yesterday I think they maybe would fit one....do you do all of your own work or do you have a mechanic that you could put me in touch with?

Tattybird said:

I spoke to Binbrook Motors yesterday I think they maybe would fit one....do you do all of your own work or do you have a mechanic that you could put me in touch with?

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yes i do all mine own work

jamesmartin said:

yes i do all mine own work

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Famous Four have just got back to me...they also gave me the number of Andrew Varrall to try. I don't know what to do

Tattybird said:

Famous Four have just got back to me...they also gave me the number of Andrew Varrall to try. I don't know what to do

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I'll call amazon 4x4 and see if they've got an engine....but until they look at the motor at the garage I don't know what I'm looking at, it could just be a cracked head

jamesmartin said:

why dont you have a word with amazon 4x4 they are landy breakers,you should get a very good running used engine for less than 1500, or head i bought one for 300,new engines isnt cost effective on older motors

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Just spoken to Danny @ amazon 4x4 he hasn't got one at the mo...put me in touch with Alan @ Avenger 4x4 in Peterborough he hasn't got one but both are going to look out for me, in the mean time I have to get my landy back from Famous Four....what a pain

sounds like you need to get it across to @jamesmartin

mojo247 said:

sounds like you need to get it across to @jamesmartin

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Thanks have already had a bit of convo and advice from him

Buy yourself a td5 discovery with a short mot and use it for a donor after you've towed the defender to your chosen garage with it

Marmaduke said:

Buy yourself a td5 discovery with a short mot and use it for a donor after you've towed the defender to your chosen garage with it

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Am seriously considering just that! ;-)