Help on getting my first Landy please :)

dmorgan81 · Aug 29, 2013

Hi all,

I've finally been able to save up to get my first Landy, and am on a tight budget so looking for some help - on one in particular that I'm off to see tomorrow!

Description is: a 1987 Defender 90, 200TDi, 130k miles with 6 months tax and 1 years MOT. 2" lift kit, full winch kit, snorkel, electric engine fans, cooper tyres all round with spare, rock sliders, cb radio,folding rear seat, uprated suspension rubbers all round and changed rear axel so disc brakes all round, stump guards, sump guard. Fantastic runner and starts first time - new starter motor, rear brake pads and rear wheel bearing recently.

He wants £3,495 for it, and it has 8 previous owners.

I've asked what advisories were on the MOT, and they're:
> Steering damper slight oil seepage
> Steering box has slight oil leak
> Nearside outer door handle slight damage
> Reverse lamp not working (apparently just need to know bulb)
> Some bushes slight wear but not excessive movement

Any help/tips/advice on whether this sounds like one to avoid, or what I should get checked out? And whether the price sounds about right?

I'm happy to get a few bits done to it as I budgeted around £5k for it, but obviously want to make sure it's not a complete pig!

Thanks all, from a very excited soon-to-be proud owner

Dave

gse1986 · Aug 29, 2013

Go and view it with someone who knows what they're looking for.

Does seem a good price, which could well mean chassis is goosed.

Go and view it anyway, can't view too many

Paul D · Aug 29, 2013

Personally I'd prefer to buy a standard, none-messed-with Defender and add the bits myself, unless I know the vehicle or owner ...

I'd be thinking along the lines of .. It sounds like it has the right bits, but what makes are they? Have they been fitted properly or bodged? Is the winch wired correctly and bolted down correctly? Are the springs 2" lifted or is it on spacers? Are the dampers and brake lines lengthened too?

So many ways to add what sound like reasonable bits, but which aren't really matched or suitable.

Take someone who knows Landrovers when you go see it .. or any other!

Kard133 · Aug 29, 2013

This may or may not apply to you, and you may have already carried out these checks, so please bear with me.
An 87 plate 90 is a 90, not a defender, and the engine is a transplant, so check the V5 to make sure the DVLA were notified, and if the seller has any paperwork on the conversion. Also ask for any receipts or proof of work carried out. With the engine running listen for ticking or chuffing noises in the engine bay, if you can hear either place you hand behind the engine near the bulkhead and feel for air or oil escaping the cylinder head, if present and from the rear the head gasket is blown, if from the right hand rear corner it may just be the manifold gasket. Also look out for unusal amounts of oil on any part of the engine, and leaks from the injectors. If it has been recently cleaned ask why, judge whether or not the explanation is reasonable.
If it has the original viscous fan, first check it has the cowling over the radiator, if it has you might not be able to check if it is working. I have removed mineand fitted an electric fan and thermostat control,sosearch on the forum for how to check the viscous fan. Also check inside the expansion tank for debris or oil, and that the coolant is blue, bbefore I forget, also chech the oil filer cap on the rocker cover, oil should be clearish or black. If black smell it, your trying to smell a heavy odour of carbon or for diesel.
If you can, crawl underneath and tap every bit of the chassis you can with a screwdriver and listen for odd sounds compared to the rest of the chassis, and any places you can push the driver through, also check in the same way the rear lower mounts for the suspension dampers.
Test drive it if possible, try to engage the diff do not drive with it engage for more than a few metres and only at low gear, listen for crunching.
Test all the lights, with them switched off look into the headlamp bowls for signs of corrosion.
Other than that, I think there is a buyers guide by one of the members here posted somewhere on the forum, also look up a site called repairmylandrover, the owner also has a buyers guide and advice on what to look for.
I hope this is of some help.

Oldseadog · Aug 29, 2013

It might help if you:
1/. Introduced yourself before asking for help
2/. Gave us an indication of where you are, so that some kind person on here might be able to come along ad give you some advice!
3/. :welcome2:

dmorgan81 · Aug 29, 2013

Thanks all - a huge help! And sorry to Oldseadog - I'm a bit new to this, so wasn't sure of the etiquette. I'm Dave, 32, not an alcoholic, and based in Bristol... This Landy is in Newbury and I was hoping to see it romorrow morning but trying to jiggle work around to get the time :monitor_punch:

There is a place near to it I will phone to see if they'll check it over for me, Newbury 4X4 Centre.

The more I think about it, a less butchered one would be a lot more fun for me to add bits to myself

dmorgan81 · Aug 29, 2013

Kard133 said:
This may or may not apply to you, and you may have already carried out these checks, so please bear with me.
An 87 plate 90 is a 90, not a defender, and the engine is a transplant, so check the V5 to make sure the DVLA were notified, and if the seller has any paperwork on the conversion. Also ask for any receipts or proof of work carried out. With the engine running listen for ticking or chuffing noises in the engine bay, if you can hear either place you hand behind the engine near the bulkhead and feel for air or oil escaping the cylinder head, if present and from the rear the head gasket is blown, if from the right hand rear corner it may just be the manifold gasket. Also look out for unusal amounts of oil on any part of the engine, and leaks from the injectors. If it has been recently cleaned ask why, judge whether or not the explanation is reasonable.
If it has the original viscous fan, first check it has the cowling over the radiator, if it has you might not be able to check if it is working. I have removed mineand fitted an electric fan and thermostat control,sosearch on the forum for how to check the viscous fan. Also check inside the expansion tank for debris or oil, and that the coolant is blue, bbefore I forget, also chech the oil filer cap on the rocker cover, oil should be clearish or black. If black smell it, your trying to smell a heavy odour of carbon or for diesel.
If you can, crawl underneath and tap every bit of the chassis you can with a screwdriver and listen for odd sounds compared to the rest of the chassis, and any places you can push the driver through, also check in the same way the rear lower mounts for the suspension dampers.
Test drive it if possible, try to engage the diff do not drive with it engage for more than a few metres and only at low gear, listen for crunching.
Test all the lights, with them switched off look into the headlamp bowls for signs of corrosion.
Other than that, I think there is a buyers guide by one of the members here posted somewhere on the forum, also look up a site called repairmylandrover, the owner also has a buyers guide and advice on what to look for.
I hope this is of some help.

Thanks so much - I'll be printing this off and taking it with me! Really appreciate it!

Kard133 · Aug 29, 2013

dmorgan81 said:
Thanks so much - I'll be printing this off and taking it with me! Really appreciate it!

I am in Bristol as well, Kingswood to be more exact. if you like, you could pop over tonight and I could show you around mine and show you some of the things to look out for, although I am no expert the faults I keep finding with mine are fast making me one

If your interested, drop me a PM.

Help on getting my first Landy please :)

dmorgan81

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Old, nackered 'n broke, but the Landy is fine . :)

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