Hi, Just got my first Land Rover Yesterday, badly needed a vehicle for towing for a month, plus it's my only vehicle. I live in the low parts of the Highlands in Scotland and cheap (within my non existant budget) L/r's or the likes are Very hard to come across.
Anyway, in a drunken Saturday night trawling the world wide web I stumbled across a 90 Defender Hardtop 1992 200tdi which had just came on a free ad site, called the guy and went to see it on the Sunday morning, obviously before sobering up
op2:
Done a deal after satisfying myself the chassis could be plated in the area of rot I seen and drove off,
I am putting her to my mechanic pal in a few days to get a full report but wanted opinions/ reassurance from here all will be well, or not so I can brace myself
My main points of concern so far are as follows
1. Forementioned chassis, it has had a few plates already and a new rear x member but has perforated in one section, approx 4" bit on the bottom of the main chassis runner, passenger side in front or rear axle on the bottom face, the rest seems in good order and waxoyled.
2. Bulkhead, I lacked the knowledge to thoroughly inspect in a short space of time. The passenger footwell has good ventilation and the driver side bottom of windscreen corner has some rot but was cleverly concealed, the other side same area I suspect is going the same way. The rest as far as I can see is not so bad and seems solid.
3. 2nd gear, if you're driving a wee bit too fast it will crunch into gear on the downshift, drive a bit slower and it's fine, no problem moving up the box.
4, Drive shaft clunk, when you change gear and accelarate there is a "clunk" from the prop shaft, nothing too alarming but a worn pin or something? Or is this the norm?
5. Doors, bits of rot here and there and worn hinges on the driver door.
6, Handling, Is this the standard for Land Rover, feels like I'm steering a ship. This was an initial reaction, it's my first one and was a shock, am getting used to it though. Its running on biggish tyres so could make it worse?
On the good side as far as I can see the engine is good, smokes a bit on start up but quickly clears, pulls surprisingly well and as far as I can tell the 4 wheel drive system is working as it should. The body is quite straight with a few very minor dents and the seats are all good. It has a few trick parts but looks good.
can anyone give an indication of you should pay for vehicle based on this description and if the repairs are going to be worth it for me, keeping in mind I have a small budget and can't take it off the road for to long a period of time.
It has no paper history and I'm guessing hasn't been road taxed for a good few years so prob used on an estate or similar, seems to clean for a hay bale mover. The guy I got it from also said the chap he got it from changed the dash, so the mileage is defo not correct Mot states 110000 at May this year, clock shows 162000. Mot'd until mid May 2011.
Sorry, I know this this a lot to ask all at once but am in state mild panic over my decision.
Thanks
Danny
Anyway, in a drunken Saturday night trawling the world wide web I stumbled across a 90 Defender Hardtop 1992 200tdi which had just came on a free ad site, called the guy and went to see it on the Sunday morning, obviously before sobering up
op2:Done a deal after satisfying myself the chassis could be plated in the area of rot I seen and drove off,
I am putting her to my mechanic pal in a few days to get a full report but wanted opinions/ reassurance from here all will be well, or not so I can brace myself
My main points of concern so far are as follows
1. Forementioned chassis, it has had a few plates already and a new rear x member but has perforated in one section, approx 4" bit on the bottom of the main chassis runner, passenger side in front or rear axle on the bottom face, the rest seems in good order and waxoyled.
2. Bulkhead, I lacked the knowledge to thoroughly inspect in a short space of time. The passenger footwell has good ventilation and the driver side bottom of windscreen corner has some rot but was cleverly concealed, the other side same area I suspect is going the same way. The rest as far as I can see is not so bad and seems solid.
3. 2nd gear, if you're driving a wee bit too fast it will crunch into gear on the downshift, drive a bit slower and it's fine, no problem moving up the box.
4, Drive shaft clunk, when you change gear and accelarate there is a "clunk" from the prop shaft, nothing too alarming but a worn pin or something? Or is this the norm?
5. Doors, bits of rot here and there and worn hinges on the driver door.
6, Handling,
Is this the standard for Land Rover, feels like I'm steering a ship. This was an initial reaction, it's my first one and was a shock, am getting used to it though. Its running on biggish tyres so could make it worse?On the good side as far as I can see the engine is good, smokes a bit on start up but quickly clears, pulls surprisingly well and as far as I can tell the 4 wheel drive system is working as it should. The body is quite straight with a few very minor dents and the seats are all good. It has a few trick parts but looks good.
can anyone give an indication of you should pay for vehicle based on this description and if the repairs are going to be worth it for me, keeping in mind I have a small budget and can't take it off the road for to long a period of time.
It has no paper history and I'm guessing hasn't been road taxed for a good few years so prob used on an estate or similar, seems to clean for a hay bale mover. The guy I got it from also said the chap he got it from changed the dash, so the mileage is defo not correct Mot states 110000 at May this year, clock shows 162000. Mot'd until mid May 2011.
Sorry, I know this this a lot to ask all at once but am in state mild panic over my decision.
Thanks
Danny
