Hello - from a wannabe 90 owner

Hi

Have always wanted to experience the "joy" of Defender ownership having owned a variety of D3/D4/DSports over the years. However I haven't got the time/skills/budgets for a "project" and so am looking to buy a relatively "safe bet" - full appreciating that that statement doesn't exactly go hand in hand with Defender ownership!

I've spotted a potential 90 which has a new galvanized chassis, leather seat Exmoor re-trim, new suspension all round, a reconditioned gearbox and a full respray.

As a newbie, what should I be looking for/asking about? And with a vehicle such as this, is there any impact on resale values as it's been so extensively restored? Don't know how purists my feel or if the upgrades would be welcomed for the longevity of the vehicle.

Really hoping I can join your ranks in due course! Cheers Ben

Welcome

As far as your quest for "joy" and "safe bet " well.
Rust is 1 of the biggest issues with the Defender type so having a galvy chassis is a great place to start as that's a huge potential issue off the list. I would say ask if there's a build file that goes with it as the chassis number obviously wont be there to check against the paperwork, unless they held on to the original dumb iron with the number on.
If you can wield a spanner they can be quite therapeutic.

As far as the "purist" side really doesn't seem to be an issue to me and peeps pretty much do what they want and don't get complaints, so wouldn't particularly worry about it if you like it.
Have a look in the for sale section and you may find 1 popup you fancy and often as owners are members there's more trust in the description
Good luck. Put pics up when you get it. or come back and ask Qs if you have any doubts about it

J

Thanks for the advice-good to know.

Will certainly post pics if/when I get it. Just no trying to work out if there's any way of getting a 17yr old insured for the odd drive....?!

Hello and welcome
hope you find a good one

Hi and welcome!

As mentioned, the chassis is the biggest concern when it comes to rust on a Defender. But the bulkhead also rusts so check this too. Defenders are very commonly stolen, and are quite easy to disguise once stolen so make sure you check all chassis numbers and paperwork with the likes of HPI. With a galvanised chassis, it would be better to see evidence of the original chassis number from the previous chassis and a receipt showing it’s purchase.

Welcome to the forum