Looking at a defender - tips

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td5landy

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173
Hi.

Looking at a 90 TD5 tomorrow

2000 on a W

It's a van - back

Anything I need to look at? Any pointers, common issues? It's done 130k, just had the head gasket & recon head fitted.

Thanks for any help.

Scott
 
As above, potential rust areas on chassis rear xmember and chassis legs, spring hangers, outriggers and where the upper cross member joins the chassis rails.

Drive the vehicle, try all gears, low box and diff lock, listen for whines and knocks in the transmission throughout. Check oil, water and fluids for level and condition, get under the vehicle and check for major oil leaks, leaking shocks and so on.
Don't know much about td5 myself, but there has been a lot posted on the forum before about the common faults etc.
 
Hi.

Looking at a 90 TD5 tomorrow

2000 on a W

It's a van - back

Anything I need to look at? Any pointers, common issues? It's done 130k, just had the head gasket & recon head fitted.

Thanks for any help.

Scott
Might be a good idea to look for reg. numbers or chassis numbers etched on the glass parts...... they should match the V5 details. Be sure to get both sets of keys and see if they will throw in any extra security equipment that they may have used on the Landy. Good luck with your purchase, hope you get it for a good price.
 
Done all of the above.
Rear cross member needs to be replaced, one outrigger doesn't look good.
Rest of the chassis looks ok, the car is in ok condition. Bearing in mind I am buying this to lane, and it has already been laned it has a few dinks and scrapes.

The doors are shot, especially the drivers, bottom of the door is crumbling on the inside, there also seems to be some rot around the seat boxes & even the frames of the seats are rusted? Is all of this normal? The interior rust seems odd to me?

There is also an oil leak, quite bad under the turbo, seems to be a pipe dripping, but it has only just come back from the garage and the owner is taking it back.

Car drives ok, much more agricultural than my disco but that it to be expected. It has got terra firma +2 suspension, seems very firm again compared to disco with the same set up

any more advice?

Thanks
 
Sorry.

Did that on another thread.
90 2000/W 130k miles
Blue van
Mud tyres, diff guards & winch
Terra firma suspension
£4500
 
Is it common/typical for that age?
I'm not scared of a bit of work....if these are common and if I look at 10 then 9 will have these problems then so be it, if it's not common, I will walk or barter.

Can't find another at 4500!
 
Hi pal i recently bought a td5 with 102k on clock on a yplate 2001 reg most panels have dents in both seats ripped, poss needs a new crossmember paid 3900 for it and bought it as a project which is on going, i do alot myself like yourself to keep cost down, its not worth 4500mate!
 
In answer to an earlier question, yes they do go rusty inside. My seat frames and rails were rusty when we bought the car. It's had new ones and they've started going rusty in the space of about two years. It's very damp inside Defenders. The main thing is not so much the seat frames but the bits of the bulkhead and footwells that are concealed by matting because it tends to retain moisture.
 
Ok, gotcha, I don't intend to have any carpets in there and when I do get it wet it can sit in the garage to dry out.

I really am shocked how badly these can corrode, genuinely shocked that a 10 year old car has holes in the chassis!
 
Ok, gotcha, I don't intend to have any carpets in there and when I do get it wet it can sit in the garage to dry out.

I really am shocked how badly these can corrode, genuinely shocked that a 10 year old car has holes in the chassis!

Its a Land Rover! Ive seen 2007/2008 plate tdci defenders rusting already, Its all about maintenance, and how/where you use them.
 
Its a Land Rover! Ive seen 2007/2008 plate tdci defenders rusting already, Its all about maintenance, and how/where you use them.

If anything the corrosion issues have got worse over the years, from what I have seen, as you say there are five and six year old vehicles with plenty of surface rust all over the rear chassis, and I was looking at a two year old Def 110 at a local show, the rear xmember was already spotting with rust.

Then there is the odd case of one that has been in salt water or heavy road salt, they really rot! :eek:
 
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