defender buying advice and guidance needed

firstly id written this already and taken half an hour to do it then closed the tab by mistake and i have a habbit of doing things in a list style format cause its the way my brain works (it does honest)

secondly.
if this is in the wrong place, forgive me, i always get lost on new forums. please be gentle and shift it to the right place and call me a muppet.


third
this is probably a load of questions which people have ansered before in differnt guises. sorry im a muppet i know

forth
ive done a fair amount of reserch on the mechinical issues with the style of landy i want namly the chasis and bulkheads. if there are any other hot spots to look out for please tell me.


so onwards.

i am looking at getting a landy defender for a series of reasons.

mainly i just like the look of them but there is also a practical element invovled for me.
i scuba dive and it would be nice to have a vehicle which i can toss 2-4 sets of dive kit into the back off and tow the club rib around to dive other places instead of my usual haunts.
im a single bloke so i dont have to worry about kids n a missus complaining or having masses of space in it. i do need to drive my parents around of occasion so enough space for them as well is essential.



im looking at a pre 2000 defender but the exact model is undecided as yet. as is the body styling. which is where i need some help from thise who know more than me to make an informed decision. i want pre tax change as ill be dammed if i have to pay more tax for the same vehicle
plus i do think landies are like port. they get better with age.


this is going to be my sole vehicle as i cant afford to run 2 and due to medical issues i need to have a vehicle to get around. as such i do need it to be reliable.

im not looking at doing any offroading for the forseable future however it may end up going that way.

i am also not looking at all for a mechanical project some light work is doable but a rebuild is right out of the question.



so my list of inane questions are as follows

1) the tax issue. am i being short sighted in this and would having a newer one cost me less in the long run with increased fuel efficancy and other running costs being reduced?

2) as i am looking at towing and hauling hefty loads of kit around i am looking more at TDI powerplants partialy because i have been told they are better for this and also because i prefer driving a diseil . again is this being short sighted?

3) what do i actualy need in both chasis size and body type? i dont want to get a 110 if im not going to use the capacity which i dont think i will do at least 90% of the time. so at the moment i am leaning towards a 90 county with the 4 flip down rear seats.

i belive this will give me enough space in the back for the miriad of dive gear i will carry but if someone has real experiance of this to give advice it would be excelent

im also toying with a pickup 90 as in all honsety in my soul im a total redneck. BUT practicality is going to be the key for this so it depends mainly on the question below. is the open load bay easier to shift stuff around in or is not realy much use

4) the middle seat.
is it realy practical to have 2 large blokes and a woman in the front of a defender? or will itbe realy cramped?
this is one of the reasons i am leaning towards the county is that it has the rear seats.

5) the rear flip down seats.
a few questions on these

are they comfortable for long ish journies call it 2 hours wih no break or are they only for short runs?

how easy are they to remove and replace at will?

i ask because they dont apear to fold out of the way totaly which would reduce the load capacity for dive kit. also i would want to be adding restraining straps for the cylinders so they dont shift in transit.

6) cab stowage.

i know its very limited in a secure manner and knowing me alot of stuff will migrate from variouse places into the cab. documents, tools, god know what will end up there.

i have 3 ideas of what i could do as a longer term project which are ind of based upon the answer to the middle seat issue. but telling me what is and isnt a total pipe dream of bad idea

a) rip the middle seat out and install a lockable mid box come arm rest come drinks holder

b) modify the existing dash furnature and install a custom made set of
stowage boxes in the pasenger footwell agaisnt the bulkhead.

c) install an overhead shelf similar to those in trucks not deep but enough space to store the bits i need. im a shortarse so it wouldent be much of a problem.

7) stero system.
i wont lie i like music when i drive so how hard is it to install a reaosnable sound system with a newer radio to let me run MP3s instead of a tape deck.

any other ideas/comments/assitance is gratefully recived.

ta muchly

Will your parents be able to climb in and out of a 90? Especially the rear seats?

front yes. back my father will be able to. not 100 about the mother

what about taking them with you. lot more room in 110

110 gets my vote. Front mid-box and existing dashboard space for day to day junk, and kit out the back to suit dive needs - restraining straps, lockers etc.

Paul_cavanna said:

i am looking at getting a landy defender for a series of reasons.

mainly i just like the look of them but there is also a practical element invovled for me.
i scuba dive and it would be nice to have a vehicle which i can toss 2-4 sets of dive kit into the back off and tow the club rib around to dive other places instead of my usual haunts.
im a single bloke so i dont have to worry about kids n a missus complaining or having masses of space in it. i do need to drive my parents around of occasion so enough space for them as well is essential.



im looking at a pre 2000 defender but the exact model is undecided as yet. as is the body styling. which is where i need some help from thise who know more than me to make an informed decision. i want pre tax change as ill be dammed if i have to pay more tax for the same vehicle
plus i do think landies are like port. they get better with age.


this is going to be my sole vehicle as i cant afford to run 2 and due to medical issues i need to have a vehicle to get around. as such i do need it to be reliable.

im not looking at doing any offroading for the forseable future however it may end up going that way.

i am also not looking at all for a mechanical project some light work is doable but a rebuild is right out of the question.



so my list of inane questions are as follows

1) the tax issue. am i being short sighted in this and would having a newer one cost me less in the long run with increased fuel efficancy and other running costs being reduced?

Tax is an issue but if you can get a slightly newer one that is higher on tax for a good amount less than an older one that has cheaper tax it may be the better deal

2) as i am looking at towing and hauling hefty loads of kit around i am looking more at TDI powerplants partialy because i have been told they are better for this and also because i prefer driving a diseil . again is this being short sighted?

TDI's are more reliable and easier to work on yourself but for long drives the TD5 is a much more pleasant drive.

3) what do i actualy need in both chasis size and body type? i dont want to get a 110 if im not going to use the capacity which i dont think i will do at least 90% of the time. so at the moment i am leaning towards a 90 county with the 4 flip down rear seats.

i belive this will give me enough space in the back for the miriad of dive gear i will carry but if someone has real experiance of this to give advice it would be excelent

im also toying with a pickup 90 as in all honsety in my soul im a total redneck. BUT practicality is going to be the key for this so it depends mainly on the question below. is the open load bay easier to shift stuff around in or is not realy much use

From what you are describing I would say that a 110 csw would be the best option for you 5-6 front facing seats and a seperate boot area. The problem with carrying people in the back of a 90 is that they are surrounded by your luggage.


4) the middle seat.
is it realy practical to have 2 large blokes and a woman in the front of a defender? or will itbe realy cramped?
this is one of the reasons i am leaning towards the county is that it has the rear seats.

the middle seat is ok for short journeys. Look at it as an emergency seat only. If you are planning on having to use it then forget it.

5) the rear flip down seats.
a few questions on these

are they comfortable for long ish journies call it 2 hours wih no break or are they only for short runs?

Better for short runs. It tends to be when you are swivelling around trying to chat to the people in the front or see where you are going that you begin to ache. If you get used to staring straight ahead they aren't too bad. Another reason for a 110 csw.

how easy are they to remove and replace at will?

Not as quick as just tilting them. Another tick in the box for a 110 csw

i ask because they dont apear to fold out of the way totaly which would reduce the load capacity for dive kit. also i would want to be adding restraining straps for the cylinders so they dont shift in transit.

The case for a 110 csw is mounting.

6) cab stowage.

i know its very limited in a secure manner and knowing me alot of stuff will migrate from variouse places into the cab. documents, tools, god know what will end up there.

i have 3 ideas of what i could do as a longer term project which are ind of based upon the answer to the middle seat issue. but telling me what is and isnt a total pipe dream of bad idea

a) rip the middle seat out and install a lockable mid box come arm rest come drinks holder

security cubby boxes are around £100-£150

b) modify the existing dash furnature and install a custom made set of
stowage boxes in the pasenger footwell agaisnt the bulkhead.

If you go for a 300tdi you have the under seat box free on the drivers side. You can also fit a floor safe in for keeping wallets and documents safe. A Rhino safe is about £100. pm Iannotts cos he is looking into making under floor storage.

c) install an overhead shelf similar to those in trucks not deep but enough space to store the bits i need. im a shortarse so it wouldent be much of a problem.

Not a good idea. Wait til you hit a big bump offroad.

7) stero system.
i wont lie i like music when i drive so how hard is it to install a reaosnable sound system with a newer radio to let me run MP3s instead of a tape deck.

easier than with most other cars. You can even get security cubby boxes that have a special secure stereo mount in em.

any other ideas/comments/assitance is gratefully recived.

From what I have read of what you want I think you are looking for the wrong vehicle. I think you will be much better off with a 110. Many peole buy 90's and then regret not having gone for the 110.

ta muchly

Click to expand...

Hope that helps

So what yer now saying is that you are on the lookout for a 1994-2000 110 csw.

here's mine. As you can see, I have a secure rear load area and 2 rows of seats. I have a cubby box in the front middle seat and another in place of the rear middle seat. Mine is a 4 seater now.

thanks for that.

its a case at the moment of matching budget to what is avalible agaisnt wants and needs now.

i should have mentioned my budget is 3.5k from an insurance payout plus possible another 1.5 for the right one. plus whever i get in trade in for my car.

A Defender 90 would probably be a wis choice. I'm not sure about older models, but I know that, with the Puma, the tax is more expensive because of the sheer size of it. If you plan on taking loads of gear around with you, the utility would probably be better than the station wagon. More gear can be fitted in the utility.

DCH Jr. said:

A Defender 90 would probably be a wis choice. I'm not sure about older models, but I know that, with the Puma, the tax is more expensive because of the sheer size of it. If you plan on taking loads of gear around with you, the utility would probably be better than the station wagon. More gear can be fitted in the utility.

Click to expand...

Evening DCH jr.

Haven't I seen you somewhere before.