Bad idea to go see a 1999 td5 tomo morn? Help!

Hi guys,

Meant to be going to see a 1999 td5 90 van tomorrow. It's had a rear crossmember and guy says engine and gearbox are good, don't know much else about it but its only £4k.

Only jus now a friend has told me that if its had a rear crossmember the rest prob ain't great and this age of td5 ain't great and will prob need a head/head gasket soon.. Is he talking ****e? Or am I wasting my time going to see this even for £4k?

CHEERS!

footballshmootball said:

Hi guys,

Meant to be going to see a 1999 td5 90 van tomorrow. It's had a rear crossmember and guy says engine and gearbox are good, don't know much else about it but its only £4k.

Only jus now a friend has told me that if its had a rear crossmember the rest prob ain't great and this age of td5 ain't great and will prob need a head/head gasket soon.. Is he talking ****e? Or am I wasting my time going to see this even for £4k?

CHEERS!

Click to expand...

Aye away out and buy it sounds like a bargain you have been on here since 2010 so will have read all the posts on buying a land rover and will know what to look for.

My 1995 300tdi has had a rear crossmember , the rest of the chassis is fine

Just wear dirty clothes and get right under it for a good look

Go with a check list, so cross member (check it's been done right!) make sure gearbox doesn't crunch, check diff lock works, check chassis all round, check bulkhead, ideally take someone who's had a landy with you (if you've not had one!), and agree that you'll at least go away (to nearest pub!) and have a think instead of agreeing to buy straight away

In case you haven't seen

Defender Buyers Guide

footballshmootball said:

Hi guys,

Meant to be going to see a 1999 td5 90 van tomorrow. It's had a rear crossmember and guy says engine and gearbox are good, don't know much else about it but its only £4k.

Only jus now a friend has told me that if its had a rear crossmember the rest prob ain't great and this age of td5 ain't great and will prob need a head/head gasket soon.. Is he talking ****e? Or am I wasting my time going to see this even for £4k?

CHEERS!

Click to expand...

If its cheap theres a reason, make sure it's not a cloned car, do every check poss
The slightest hint of dodgy walk away.

I have a 99 TD5 and it dosent need a new cross member or a new head gasket!

Head gasket depends on maintenance and mileage so just look for the signs.

Chassis's on landrovers should be inspected anyway wether you own one or are looking to own one

As SH said, look at the buying guide.

footballshmootball said:

Hi guys,

Meant to be going to see a 1999 td5 90 van tomorrow. It's had a rear crossmember and guy says engine and gearbox are good, don't know much else about it but its only £4k.

Only jus now a friend has told me that if its had a rear crossmember the rest prob ain't great and this age of td5 ain't great and will prob need a head/head gasket soon.. Is he talking ****e? Or am I wasting my time going to see this even for £4k?

CHEERS!

Click to expand...

Fill in your location pal, you never know, some kind soul (there are plenty on here) might offer to have a look with you. Maybe not this time as its a bit late, but there might be a next time

I bought my td5 recently (for 4k) with my heart and not with my head and now my landy is turning into a rolling project! My only advice is take somebody who knows them with you and don't make any offers straight away.

Think about:

MOT (It might be 5/6 months away - but it might needs hundreds to get it up to scratch)
Major issues like - problems with the drivetrain (crunch gearbox is all well and good but are you doing to need a new one any time soon)?

Also bear in mind it costs to get somebody else to do the work. I've spent 1k on mine already (mostly coz I'm an incompetent boob).

I bought my 2000 td5 a few years back.
It has since had a new rear cross memeber & patch on the outrigger. Everthing else is solid so it got a good waxoyl inside and out.
Bulkhead needed patching, so I just replaced the whole thing - because you can with a LR.
Bearing mind it is 13 yr old, if you don't mind putting in some effort, then it will keep it's value or increase.
As for the engine - the only problem I had was from driving in v.deep water. My own fault. Luckily it caused no damage.

Well???
Didja buy it?