Help, write off decisions.

Impact could have popped the bead of the tyre, off the wheel rim, or there could be a puncture. not a major issue. If the tyres trashed, you can pick one up relatively cheaply...

+1 great thread! been following from the start. glad to hear that you are keeping it, and its nice to see so many helpful people about in this day and age, as you say! i hope all goes well and it dosent cost too much! id give you a hand, but manchester is abit too far away :-(

Any new updates????????????
People need to know

Yes....DH was going to update himself yesterday but been snowed under with work...I just gave him a call and verbally kicked him, but might as well update for him too. (feel free to tease him about his wife helping so much....)

Skynet from this forum, who lives locally, came to have a look at it on Sunday. The car looks sorry for itself right way up. His suggestion on looking at it was that we ask if anyone local and more experienced with this would be prepared to come and help DH strip it down and assess it in person....the existing condition etc before we move ahead buying doors, bulkhead, roof, windscreen and right panel. That way, as well as being sure its really worth doing (I was in the next barn and heard them saying ''rust'' and ''old'' a lot) half the job...the stripping down bit, is done, ready for the attaching new bits part of the job.


Is anybody willing and able to do this?

edit: We also, discussed both DH and I getting some off road experience and training and volunteering for the 4X4 response group. (me because I'm here more often) At the very least its a small way to use it for good.

Yes, thanks again so much Skynet.

Stripping down is definitely the next step, to really assess the amount of damage and exactly what needs replacing/repairing. It will also stop it looking so terrible, all squished as it is and will set in motion the repair project.

Can't wait to get started (even though am a complete novice at stripping a Defender down...)!

Would it help to say I baked a cake when skynet came?

Presuming we're on our own ...would logic say roof off first, then doors then see where we are? How do we tackle this bulkhead business, or leave that put for now?

Anything we should be keeping an eye out for?

Try sending a PM to those who offered help, do you have a haynes manual?

landroverjack said:

Try sending a PM to those who offered help, do you have a haynes manual?

Click to expand...

I don't want to be too pushy, people might have changed their minds

(which leaves me a little panic stricken, but its not their problem!).


There was a Haynes manual in the thing..I'll try and find it.

Part of the reason things are slow at our end is because DH often works away through the week so everything goes on hold till weekends. I've got a borrowed car for 8 weeks now, but I'm starting to panic about what will happen after that

aurora said:

I don't want to be too pushy, people might have changed their minds

(which leaves me a little panic stricken, but its not their problem!).


There was a Haynes manual in the thing..I'll try and find it.

Part of the reason things are slow at our end is because DH often works away through the week so everything goes on hold till weekends. I've got a borrowed car for 8 weeks now, but I'm starting to panic about what will happen after that

Click to expand...

Well I'm sure you'll get it sorted in 8 weeks, and just lure everyone in with the promise of a bbq and beer .. maybe somewhere to camp if you're feeling very generous and want the landy fixed super quick

Good luck!

landroverjack said:

Well I'm sure you'll get it sorted in 8 weeks, and just lure everyone in with the promise of a bbq and beer .. maybe somewhere to camp if you're feeling very generous and want the landy fixed super quick

Good luck!

Click to expand...

Thanks!

Bit nippy for camping ATM isn't it? But we're very keen to repay the kindness, and camping is a certain possibility for the BBQ and beer and bacon sandwiches. Did occur to me its possibly a nice base here for some Salisbury Plain green laning too.

The taking bits off to get to the bits that are savable opefully won't take long, or will it?

As long as your bolts aren't all rusted / seized up it shouldn't take long.. famous last words It won't be nippy to camp in my landy soon ... I have a diesel heater to install so i will be in 5 star luxury

landroverjack said:

As long as your bolts aren't all rusted / seized up it shouldn't take long.. famous last words It won't be nippy to camp in my landy soon ... I have a diesel heater to install so i will be in 5 star luxury

Click to expand...

DH's landrover is never warm. My old series three used to keep my toes warm in winter, but in DH's I just freeze

There is a field to camp in anyway (and we have a working septic tank now, which we didn't when I first posted so that's good)

If there is money left over I'm thinking of buying something to have as a backup. But if the LR is deemed to far gone by the Landyzone experts I'm voting we get a Freelander instead (ducks quickly)....please don't throw things at me. And then a lorry instead of a trailer.

aurora said:

DH's landrover is never warm. My old series three used to keep my toes warm in winter, but in DH's I just freeze

There is a field to camp in anyway (and we have a working septic tank now, which we didn't when I first posted so that's good)

If there is money left over I'm thinking of buying something to have as a backup. But if the LR is deemed to far gone by the Landyzone experts I'm voting we get a Freelander instead (ducks quickly)....please don't throw things at me. And then a lorry instead of a trailer.

Click to expand...

Nobody will help you now you have expressed desire for a gaylander! Honestly, you can get a proper landy nice and warm, just search for threads to do with heater problems. Who knows, if people come round and help you with the rest of your landy they might help you change a thermostat.

landroverjack said:

As long as your bolts aren't all rusted / seized up it shouldn't take long.. famous last words It won't be nippy to camp in my landy soon ... I have a diesel heater to install so i will be in 5 star luxury

Click to expand...

Thanks Landroverjack - from what I can see, some of the bolts do look seized up (I don't think rusty though). I guess WD40 and strong hands would do the job there?

Skedaddle said:

I guess WD40 and strong hands would do the job there?

Click to expand...

And failing that, my favourite tool - the angle grinder!

Sounds good!

I love that Defender so much, I'm determined to get it back on the road. It may sound corny, but it saved my life and so now I'm going to save its.
:rolly:

Skedaddle said:

Thanks Landroverjack - from what I can see, some of the bolts do look seized up (I don't think rusty though). I guess WD40 and strong hands would do the job there?

Click to expand...

If you are scared any won't come lose when you come to undo them all, spray them a bit with WD40 every day for a few days and if you can loosen them and tighten them just a little, do it so it helps the oil seep through and along the thread. I have found this works wonders. Some screws that are exposed outside are likely to be rusty. I learnt the hard way with my headlights :doh:

Skedaddle said:

Sounds good!

I love that Defender so much, I'm determined to get it back on the road. It may sound corny, but it saved my life and so now I'm going to save its.
:rolly:

Click to expand...

Just whatever you do, don't buy a gaylander

landroverjack said:

Just whatever you do, don't buy a gaylander

Click to expand...

If we get one it ill be MINE, so...not quite gay, just girly.


I'm the person stuck driving it when he's away....and TBH I'm really scared of not having a car. we're not right in the middle of nowhere, (i.e. I could walk to a town from our house, if I had more time...can't be away from here for long,) but we are rural and when I'm alone here with no transport I do feel a bit...vulnerable..if I needed to get to a vet, or a hospital (I have long term ill health which is part of why I'm likely to be an unreliable assistant to dh)

I've never not had a car before this (I actually taught DH to drive a few years ago, my car died last year) and I'm ok with access to his LR though, but if this has had it we need to rethink.

I'm really scared we'll break it more. Sorry, don't mean to be a drama queen but I'm just feeling maybe we've bitten off more than we can chew.

landroverjack said:

If you are scared any won't come lose when you come to undo them all, spray them a bit with WD40 every day for a few days and if you can loosen them and tighten them just a little, do it so it helps the oil seep through and along the thread. I have found this works wonders. Some screws that are exposed outside are likely to be rusty. I learnt the hard way with my headlights :doh:

Click to expand...

Thanks Landroverjack, that's really helpful I'll bear that in mind!

The best loosening fluid is diesel.