Defender for under £1000?

Hey folks,

I've scoured these forums a fair bit, and picked up a great deal of useful info., and it's made me doubt that I can get a usable Defender (or any Land Rover for that matter) for around £1000.

I'm basically looking for something that would be usable day in day out and be fairly reliable. Other than that, I care not. I've always loved Land Rovers and now seems like a reasonable time to get one. I have seen a fair few advertised circa. £1000 but I'm far from an expert on used vehicles.

So what do you reckon? Is any Defender that I get for around a grand going to be usable as an everyday transport or is it going to be be dead or dying?

Thanks in advance y'all.

It all depends on what type of landrover you are looking for, however in my opinion i think you will find it very difficult to find one to suit your needs at that price.

Scott.

Having just gone through the pain of searching for a cheap(ish) Defender, I'm sorry to say that you might find it a struggle to get anything very decent unless you're lucky enough to come across a desperate seller.

The most important advice I think you can have is to to just be patient and take your time to find the right vehicle for you. Also, be very wary. If you're unsure of what to look for, try and get a second opinion. There's a lot of rubbish out there being passed off as half decent.

If it helps though, for a little more than your budget we were able to find a very sound '89 G reg Turbo Diesel. with about 80k on the clock. Not the best Defender engine by popular opinion, but useable for now. Ours is not without its problems though. Spent three hours last weekend trying to sort all of the lights out. Still got some work to do on them too! But hey, that's what it's all about!

If you really can't move much on your budget, don't expect too much but go for a basically sound vehicle. They are out there. Keep an open mind and accept that at this sort of money the vehicle will require some repair or improvements but don't make it a millstone.

All the best.

For £1k your looking at a 2.5 N/A Defender, they go forever.... But are slower than a cyclist downhill.
Personally... I'd wait and keep saving until you can spend at least £5k on a 200tdi/300tdi. Or buy a banger for £500 and stick a 300tdi engine in it.

Thanks for the replies guys, that's pretty much confirmed what I feared.

Better get myself a car to run about in and start saving the pennies...

I bought my 'B' reg 90 for £1000 but had to travel about 200 miles to collect.
It had no MOT, Tax and needed some welding. I spent about £500 (Including £300 on welding by a local con merchant, Sorry mechanic - £180 on a new Mig Welder, they always come in handy and you know the jobs right)
It is now a good road legal Landy and I use it almost everyday for both playing and driving to work etc. Even looking at selling my car as its more fun in the Landy.

So to answer your question you can get a defender for around a grand but you may have to do a little work.

Most people steer away from MOT failures but if your happy to have a go doing the work it could save you in the long run.

Good luck and keep looking

What about a series 3. That's more in your budget. The 2.25 petrol or diesel are very reliable.

Series 3 eh? I'll look into that. Thanks.

You won't notice much difference between a late series 3 and an early 90 or 110.

The only big difference is the suspension. Leaf springs are a harsher ride.

I have just bought a '89 90 TD for my daughter at the cost of £1650.00 with an MOT until November and Tax until December. I was very fortunate to get it, I bought a Disco rolling chassis off eBay and went to pick it up and got talking with the seller and I mentioned that I was trying to buy a 90 for her and he said that he was going to place his 90 on eBay the following week, so quick as a flash the 90 was looked at and arrangements made to look at in daylight. Basically we were able to knock down the price with the removal of the winch and bull bar. She is well pleased with it!!!!!!!! Barry

better still, why not get a 200tdi disco for approx a 1000 quid.
much better ride etc..

might sell mine for the right money!