Defender prices general discussion

I am beginning to look at another 110 as have a second child on the way, in the sprit of fairness after getting one for my son on the day he was born with a plan to rebuild in about 10 years time with him, I will need to do the same with this one. I am looking at the bottom of the market at a couple of grand and expect to do a full rebuild, does not even need to be complete, as I have an engine and gearbox (fire damaged 200tdi in need of rebuild and lt77 box).

Am I missing something on this ad: LINK

In my initial searching to get an idea if these cheap project vehicles are still around I came across the above ad. Apologies in advance if the owner is on here, feel free to contribute. Either this vehicle is vastly overpriced or mine is vastly undervalued. I would like to work out which.

In my view the list of work done in the ad is nothing special and is all work I have done to mine and then some, with a lot of it just being what is required to keep a vehicle running. It is a hardtop, so again nothing special, I am aware that in converting my hardtop to a station wagon I will have increased the value. I would have put a hardtop on a galv chassis (in my opinion what this is, everything else does not add value but just makes it worth buying) at about £12k ish and I thought prices were stabilising and on their way back down.

Am I out of touch with pricing or is this over priced?

I think it's well over priced.
Like most owners (me included) they have spent more than they will ever get back but think they can when they sell (not that i'm going to).

A mate sold a clean/tidy TD5 110 recently for £10K.
I think your estimate of £12K is generous to be honest ... more like an £8K car IMHO

There is junk on the bay thats asking stupid (high) money by the time you have sorted missing panels you would never get money back.
As for you link that’s had the desert dust eating away at the doors.

Did you see this on the bay in projects?

dag019 said:

I am beginning to look at another 110 as have a second child on the way, in the sprit of fairness after getting one for my son on the day he was born with a plan to rebuild in about 10 years time with him, I will need to do the same with this one. I am looking at the bottom of the market at a couple of grand and expect to do a full rebuild, does not even need to be complete, as I have an engine and gearbox (fire damaged 200tdi in need of rebuild and lt77 box).

Am I missing something on this ad: LINK

In my initial searching to get an idea if these cheap project vehicles are still around I came across the above ad. Apologies in advance if the owner is on here, feel free to contribute. Either this vehicle is vastly overpriced or mine is vastly undervalued. I would like to work out which.

In my view the list of work done in the ad is nothing special and is all work I have done to mine and then some, with a lot of it just being what is required to keep a vehicle running. It is a hardtop, so again nothing special, I am aware that in converting my hardtop to a station wagon I will have increased the value. I would have put a hardtop on a galv chassis (in my opinion what this is, everything else does not add value but just makes it worth buying) at about £12k ish and I thought prices were stabilising and on their way back down.

Am I out of touch with pricing or is this over priced?

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I don't personally think the one you linked to is too overpriced.
He says he's looking at 15k in the advert, and with the list of bits he's done realistically a pair of new doors is all youd have to do, or repair the existing ones and I doubt there would be anything else to do to (maybe a look at bulkhead).

Like you say, we've all done similar things to our Landies, but you can find loads on eBay without a galv chassis, and no hint of rebuilt axles etc etc for a couple of grand less, some are more. I think it's OK personally, although pretty high mileage for the money...

miktdish said:

I think it's well over priced.
Like most owners (me included) they have spent more than they will ever get back but think they can when they sell (not that i'm going to).

A mate sold a clean/tidy TD5 110 recently for £10K.
I think your estimate of £12K is generous to be honest ... more like an £8K car IMHO

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I got the 12k for mine after the fire from the insurance with no arguments, but that was 3 years ago now.

I completely agree with your comment about we spend too much on them without increasing the value. I have no intention of ever selling mine and six years ago at the point I had owned it for 10 years I thought it would be interesting to look at how much i had spent on it so started tallying the receipts in my service file (does not include any second hand purchases for cash without an invoice which is a lot!) and stopped adding up when I got to 46k as it was too depressing and I was only about 2/3 through the file. I have has another 6 years of excessive spending on it since then so hate to think what the true total is. My fuelly app is bad enough looking at the total fuel bill which doesn't even have the argument of having an asset that has value at the end of it!

Chalky. said:

with the list of bits he's done realistically a pair of new doors is all youd have to do, or repair the existing ones and I doubt there would be anything else to do to (maybe a look at bulkhead).

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That I disagree with entirely. I have a galv everything fitted to mine, rebuilt axles etc, there is always more to do just to keep them on the road, other than the chassis everything listed is a "service" item. I have a recon steering box sat in the garage waiting for the time to fit it, I am on my fourth Ashcroft recon gearbox, and third recon of the transfer box. If you are using the vehicle everything done will need doing again in a couple of years time other than the steel parts replaced with galvanised.

I guess ultimately something is only worth as much as another will pay for it! I feel like its a typical case of sellers wanting top money for their cars but buyers wanting something for nothing.

There are a lot of dreamers out there, but if you look hard enough and are patient you can still get a good deal as well. Of course certain things will demand a premium, such as galv chassis etc and whatever else has been rebuilt, but there is something to suit all budgets... Unless you want a Defender for a grand, in that case you're onto plums! I keep seeing this 300 TDI 110 Station wagon pop up on marketplace, no idea what the guy wants for it as my girlfriend will murder me if I even went to see it, but its an ideal candidate for a rebuild providing they don't want silly money. Things are out there ultimately... I wasn't originally looking for a 110, I was looking for a Series 3 project but a 110 came along at the right price and it was a done deal after going over to the guys house 3 days a row.

Hicap phill said:

Did you see this on the bay in projects?

View attachment 343767

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Bit steep for me, ultimately whatever I get is going to sit in the side of the field for 10 years before being touched and then rebuilt over the next 6-8 years to hand the keys to the child at 18. After sitting that long any vehicle will need a chassis and bulkhead anyway so may as well get one that already needs that and pay less for it now. All I really want are straight ish body panels and a v5, as nearly everything else will be replaced so I am very squarely in the bottom end of the market for couple of grand looking at the things most people would say is a spares vehicle.

dag019 said:

That I disagree with entirely. I have a galv everything fitted to mine, rebuilt axles etc, there is always more to do just to keep them on the road, other than the chassis everything listed is a "service" item. I have a recering box sat in the garage waiting for the time to fit it, I am on my fourth Ashcroft recon gearbox, and third recon of the transfer box. If you are using the vehicle everything done will need doing again in a couple of years time other than the steel parts replaced with galvanised.

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It doesn't matter whether you agree or disagree with the sentiment, it is a FACT that an old defender that has a galv chassis and bulkhead, rebuilt axles, rebuilt trans and gearbox, new diffs, rebuilt axles etc will ALWAYS be worth more than one of the same age that hasn't had that work done to it, and he has dates listed when various work was carried out, so you know ow exactly where you stand. I rebuilt my axles 10 years ago, and apart from one sti ky caliper, they are still in superb order.

My point is that on eBay you can find defenders with all the above listed work done to it for only a couple of grand more than ones that haven't, and to me, I'd buy the one that has.

I too have rebuilt axles, new diffs, new galv chassis etc etc, and if I was ever to sell it (I'm never going to) I'd obviously list this work, along with the vast file of receipts, and expect to get a damn sight more than one of similar vintage with non of the work done to it.

If an original gearbox can last upwards of 190k then I'd also expect a recon one to do the same, so id be disappointed to be on my 4th recon box personally, that would seem to indicate either its not been put together as well as original, or so.ething is amiss with servicing/driving. I dont think of a gearbox as being a 'serviceable item' like bearings, discs and cvs etc.

dag019 said:

Bit steep for me, ultimately whatever I get is going to sit in the side of the field for 10 years before being touched and then rebuilt over the next 6-8 years to hand the keys to the child at 18. After sitting that long any vehicle will need a chassis and bulkhead anyway so may as well get one that already needs that and pay less for it now. All I really want are straight ish body panels and a v5, as nearly everything else will be replaced so I am very squarely in the bottom end of the market for couple of grand looking at the things most people would say is a spares vehicle.

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There was one On a galv chassi but had been part stripped. At least you have time to collect the parts. V5 etc think no engine though

I’ve got a matching numbers 110 CSW 200tdi sat in the garage where it’s been for 4 years. I’m wrestling with shifting it even though I love it and would love to put it back on the road. Been in my possession for 10 years.

Then I have Brian’s old 90 sat on the drive and a 79 ex mil S3 109” that’s about to go roadworthy. I’m losing interest and want a tractor instead

doriz said:

I’ve got a matching numbers 110 CSW 200tdi sat in the garage where it’s been for 4 years. I’m wrestling with shifting it even though I love it and would love to put it back on the road. Been in my possession for 10 years.

Then I have Brian’s old 90 sat on the drive and a 79 ex mil S3 109” that’s about to go roadworthy. I’m losing interest and want a Grey Fergie tractor instead

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Go for it. You know you want to