Crazy Defender 90 Decision

As a 90 owner, for what you need fella you should buy a 110.

The 90 is more fun to drive, the 110 is great but it’s like driving a mini bus.
If there’s two kids and a dog as well though, it would have to be a 110 for that.
Kids in the second row seats and dog in the rear.

As above, a 110 might be better suited to your stated needs - BUT make sure your wife drives it, and drives it on an extended test drive too - For example, the driving position in a deafener is unique, and the clutch is HEAVY for most females.... ( a clutch servo sorts that, but it is an extra thing on the list )

BigJock2007 said:

1. I am looking at an R-plate ('97) 300TDI with 120K on it, in very good nick.

1B) I'm told there are purely mechanically fired, with no electronics on the engine.

1C) Does this make them more reliable?

1D) Are they reliable starters?

1E) Does this also mean they really do sound like tractors?

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1A - pay careful attention to the known rust traps on the chassis - take someone with you who knows what they are doing to check. If you include a rough location in your profile, someone might volunteer to help!

1B - Yes, no electronics on the engine -

1C - YES - provided they are looked after, there is nothing to fail - BUT they must be serviced PROPERLY, and preferably to the LR schedules.

1D - Yes - 300 Tdi's, in good order will start in just about any weather - quite a few people on here run them without heater plugs too.

1E - They are a direct injection diesel engine, and this produces the characteristic diesel "knock", increases efficiency, and more torque. Most tractors engines are the same technology, so yes, they sound like a tractor.

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My other half went from a newish modern 1.4 small peugeot to a (97) D1 300Tdi when the pug needed a fortune spending on the electronic sh*t - It uses more fuel, but has been utterly reliable. I reckon you'd have to fight her to get her to go back to anything modern

Disco1BFG said:

For example, the driving position in a deafener is unique,

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Where as this is true, once you are used to and have driven it for a while it you will find you adjust the seats of modern cars to as near to this position as possible, otherwise it feels like you are driving laying down!

Wise man says let your wife choose her own car then it cant be your fault ever!
Mine buys on colour and the biggest diesel she can get.

An auto TDI 300 would be a nice car, the heavy clutch on any 90 is a killer for many men never mind women.

Mine buys what she wants (whatever it is) and if it isn't fit for purpose it's always my fault as I should have told her.

You can't tell her anything as she never wants to listen and I'm always wrong.

Mr S1 said:

You can't tell her anything as she never wants to listen and I'm always wrong.

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Always room in the doghouse for another one @Mr S1

My partner will never drive my 90 TD5...she would rather get a taxi, bus or walk. She wouldn´t drive the D2 we had either. She loves her Suzuki Swift and won´t change it for anything. She didn´t ming being a passenger in any of my Land Rovers.

Definitely get her to test drive it... I don´t particularly enjoy driving my 90 around town and use my Octavia RS automatic

take your wife on a off roading day in a 90 and see what she thinks

My missus loves driving her 90 TD5 but won’t drive my 110 TD5, says it’s “scary” and feels like it’s “running away”

As above, if you want your missus to drive it make sure you get a decent test drive with both of you driving before you buy.

Been there and done it - the 90 will be too small. My first 90 lasted 6 months, we had to get a 110 and loved it and kept it for 6 years. I a back to a 90 now that the kids are grown and gone and only have 2 small dogs - perfect now,

Well that’s the answer then....buy two!

A 90 and a 110. Then you will have the best of both worlds.

Thanks hugely for all the comments everyone, really helpful!!
This Defender is an auto, and as far as I can see they're as rare as hen's teeth. It's a conversion, but from the stick I'm 99% sure that it's a RR auto box that's been put on it. Good old LR lego.
I think we'll go and see it tomorrow and get her a burst in it. I'll take one bairn plus dog so I can check out space. This would be the local runabout so it'll never be on the motorway and longest run it will do will be to the forest for a bit of hiking and dog walking.
She won't wear a 110 that's for sure, but if she likes the 90 then hey, that's step 1 heh heh...
I'll try and get a couple of pics, and let you guys know what happens.

BigJock2005 said:

This Defender is an auto, and as far as I can see they're as rare as hen's teeth. It's a conversion, but from the stick I'm 99% sure that it's a RR auto box that's been put on it.

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AFAIK, the only Deafener auto's out of the factory were the (V8) NAS spec ones, and they are rare indeed, and command good prices.

As you rightly assume, the standard way of the doing the conversion is to use the RRC/D1 auto ( ZF4HP22 - or if you're lucky, the stronger ZF4HP24)

Have a look here for some info on the conversion:-

http://ashcroft-transmissions.co.uk/defender-auto-conversion-kits.html

I have a D1 auto, and looked after they are a fine tool, with a long life - tuned and fitted with a full width intercooler, they are also quick enough to surprise a few, and frankly, I love driving mine

Mr S1 said:

As a 90 owner, for what you need fella you should buy a 110.

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Mine's a former troop carrier; former owner put in a carpeted raised floor to accommodate storage compartments. I had to rip out the original benches in the back to allow me to register it as a truck in Germany (otherwise I would have had to rip out the whole bullbars/winch assembly when I imported it), and now there's enough space in there for two living rooms...

My experience: My wife was happy driving our previous RR classic, but not really happy driving the 110. It is a bit noisy (even if I don't think the 300Tdi sounds like a tractor!) On our camping trips with 3 kids and big dog it works out fine. A 90 wouldn't be big enough. Our dog is now getting on in age and can't jump in the back any more because it's too high. Have to get her in via a side door with the seat folded so she can get to the back easily.

Well troops, went and viewed the 90 today. I'm afraid it's a slam dunk instafail. There's no way I'll get the dog in the back even with two of the seats folded up. I didn't appreciate how high the seats sit. I mean, my head was against the roof and my eldest is an inch taller than me. Upside is she did like sitting in the driving seat and liked the driving position. I think I might have sold it to her if there had been more space in the back. We checked out an XS as well with the seats forward-facing, but again, no way my 65kg hound of the baskervilles is going to fit in there!
I'm going to keep looking. Who knows, maybe I can talk her round to the 110... the challenge begins...
Thanks again for all the useful feedback

One thing (of many) to look out for. 110's are not the easiest of things to park, you get used to taking 2 goes to get it into a supermarket parking space and that is fine, but parking up to the kerb in a line of parked cars is not always going to happen. Make sure she has a go at manouvering in tight spaces on your test drive.

Don’t put kids in defenders they’re made of tinfoil and the roof squashes when u roll them because it can’t support the weight of the chassis & running gear.


Nobody on here cares tho cos they look cool.

blackstrat said:

Don’t put kids in defenders they’re made of tinfoil and the roof squashes when u roll them because it can’t support the weight of the chassis & running gear.

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I am sure everyone cares about their kids.

You don’t generally roll a Defender in normal driving. I only know of one accident in the last twenty years where kids were killed in a Defender accident and in that case the vehicle had been badly modified with a lift kit by the owner and was speeding.