Defender advice For buying

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JLaw65

New Member
Posts
8
Location
Colchester
Hey guys, i’m new to land rover defenders but i’m very interested in getting one, i’ve driven a couple and tested them out but i want to know from the people who live with them, is it worth it? And if so, what should i be looking for in a defender?

I’m car savvy but i’ve heard bad things and good things about lots of different defender models which just causes confusion. Are there any models i should avoid completely?

I hope you can help and i look forward to hearing back from you!
 
JLaw65 said:
Hey guys, i’m new to land rover defenders but i’m very interested in getting one, i’ve driven a couple and tested them out but i want to know from the people who live with them, is it worth it? And if so, what should i be looking for in a defender?

I’m car savvy but i’ve heard bad things and good things about lots of different defender models which just causes confusion. Are there any models i should avoid completely?

I hope you can help and i look forward to hearing back from you!
Click to expand...

Budget?
 
A good one will run for a long time with little work. Most on here like to learn to do it themselves and take great pride, but it isn’t a rule. A Decent friendly Indy or a thick wallet will suffice. With all Landrovers eventually you will learn to get your hands dirty in some form or another. If you enjoy it that’s all that counts :)
 
RangeRoller dt said:
A good one will run for a long time with little work. Most on here like to learn to do it themselves and take great pride, but it isn’t a rule. A Decent friendly Indy or a thick wallet will suffice. With all Landrovers eventually you will learn to get your hands dirty in some form or another. If you enjoy it that’s all that counts :)
Click to expand...
I’m certainly not afraid to get my hands dirty, and i’m also not afraid of learning new things, defenders seem to be extremely rewarding to work on and thats part of what interests me:)
 
Then put good MIG welder some gloves and a mask in your budget lol. If I had to do one again, make sure bulkhead and chassis up around suspension/rear is good and try not to take the dash out if you can - I still get nightmares about that years later :D
 
RangeRoller dt said:
Then put good MIG welder some gloves and a mask in your budget lol. If I had to do one again, make sure bulkhead and chassis up around suspension/rear is good and try not to take the dash out if you can - I still get nightmares about that years later :D
Click to expand...
I can only imagine how much of a nightmare the dash must of been:eek: do i need to worry too much about body work rust on defenders? It seems to be a blanket issue across them, i guess it can be mended and stopped.
 
My last one died after 19yrs. Paint was smashed dinged and scratched all over (off road work vehicle from new). Didn’t make blind but of difference other than asthetic. Just make sure there’s no rot underneath, bodywork can be changed like a mechano set as long as ‘H’ frame is sound or galvanised I would expect for £15G
 
RangeRoller dt said:
My last one died after 19yrs. Paint was smashed dinged and scratched all over (off road work vehicle from new). Didn’t make blind but of difference other than asthetic. Just make sure there’s no rot underneath, bodywork can be changed like a mechano set as long as ‘H’ frame is sound or galvanised I would expect for £15G
Click to expand...
Thats good to know, after buying it i want to work on it as a project, beef it up a bit and modernise it, i’d love to add some aesthetic bits to it, i’ve had a look at parts and it all seems affordable for me
 
Read the attachment below.
I don't remember who made this list but it's very thorough.
 

Attachments

  • Defender check points Ver 1.pdf
    733.4 KB · Views: 205
You'd be better off getting a decent series 3. They where the last of the good landrovers. A series has more character, is easier to work on and the value is going up all the time so you won't loose money they also look good shabby so you don't need to worry about washing it.

Col
 
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