First Defender! Help!!

Right this is my first post so be easy on me!

My names Joe, I'm 20 and I'm desperate to get my first landy! If I'm honest I have very little mechanical knowledge but I do want to learn. I would be using it daily to get to work (about 15 miles) so I will need it to run reliably, and I don't have a lot of money to fork out every month on it.

I would have a budget of 3-5k, depending on what I get for my current car, so I'm probably after an early 90s defender.

Am I mad or is this actually possible without being bankrupt by 21?!

Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Yes yer mad. Save up some more money and think about it while doing so. Then consider buying a Freelander instead.

Welcome to the forum.

Ignore him ^^

Hello.

I think for the top end of your budget you should get a half decent TDi. The defender is a great starting point to learn mechanics, last year the most I had done was to change the oil in my car...today I took the body off my defender!

james6546 said:

Ignore him ^^

Hello.

I think for the top end of your budget you should get a half decent TDi. The defender is a great starting point to learn mechanics, last year the most I had done was to change the oil in my car...today I took the body off my defender!

Click to expand...

Nooooo.
Buy a td4 freelander, get a really good un for your budget. Then move onto something harder when you've learnt more.
Just my opinion.
Mike

You should pick up something half decent for that, early Def, or a 90/110. Whatever you spend some basic servicing and mechanical skills are going to be essential. Might be worth getting some prices for insurance if you are only 21.

And don't even think about getting a freelander! Ruin your street cred, although you've already done that by not posting in Introduce Yourself first up!

there are some about.. wolf is selling his here http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f59/1987-90-disco-200tdi-260399-9.html#post3136733

needs a little bit of work but is an absolute bargain, someone will snap it up very soon though

just keep your eye out and don't blow the complete budget as you'll need a few quid for any repairs

Thanks guys, definitely not going to be getting a freelander! I've looked into insurance and been quoted pretty much what I'm paying on my 1.2 fiesta now so that shouldn't be a problem. And Turboman I spotted that as soon as I posted this.. Whoops!

i think you should get a Peelander too! instead of learning mechanics you could learn to cut hair!!!!!! pair of scissors is way cheaper than a tool kit!!

seriously though, buy a defender!!!!!!

ArboJoe said:

Thanks guys, definitely not going to be getting a freelander! I've looked into insurance and been quoted pretty much what I'm paying on my 1.2 fiesta now so that shouldn't be a problem. And Turboman I spotted that as soon as I posted this.. Whoops!

Click to expand...

Don't forget that you have to pay VAT on the van sided ones.

Mine was £3k+VAT for a 300tdi with 135k miles and a usable chassis. That is the main thing, check the chassis and bulkhead (bit under the windscreen).

ArboJoe said:

I've looked into insurance and been quoted pretty much what I'm paying on my 1.2 fiesta now so that shouldn't be a problem

Click to expand...

That's good, they are in quite a low group, I suppose because the performance is fairly modest.

I think you only have to pay vat on hard tops if the seller is vat registered, I certainly didn't pay any vat on a private sale when I bought mine in 2008.

The search button will be your friend, plenty of buying advice as someone asks this question pretty much every week, then Gumtree / eBay, oh and stick your location in your sig just in case some kind soul lives close to you and could show you where to look

Landies are a good place to learn mechanics, partly because they're simply built and most things are accessible. Just remember that it's not a fiesta- they are mostly old vehicles of an even older design and need more looking after than a modern car. You should be doing a walk-round and underbonnet check at least weekly, and learn to keep an ear out for abnormal noises while driving. Don't neglect servicing and maintenance or it will leave you stranded.

Fortunately, most jobs are straightforward on a landy and parts are relatively cheap. If you've got some basic tools and a workshop manual it's easy enough to maintain the vehicle yourself, learning as you go.

Fuel consumption- double what you're spending on petrol for the fiesta and you're about there. Mid-20s mpg as a rough estimate- a tdi will be slightly better, petrol engines will be worse. I personally don't have to drive particularly far and ride a motorbike as well, so it's less of an issue for me. If the landy is your only vehicle and you drive a lot of miles, you may end up wishing for something cheaper to run.

If you want to buy a Land Rover then buy a Land Rover, not some s@@@@@y bmw thats been bashed by an ugly stick :hysterically_laughi

The 90/Defenders are much easier and cheaper to maintain than hippos.

Alternatively the D1 & 2's are a good compromise, though as you say, they may not be cheap to insure.

Remember to crawl underneath any prospective purchase an have a good look at all the steel work to see how advanced the rust has become and if there is much damage from off roading.

Good luck, and welcome to the forum.