new 90 defender

i was looking at buying a relatively newish 90 defender for off roading? mainly because i am a mechanical numpty and would not know where to start on keeping an older beast on the road to muddy weekends!! am i just wasting my money investing in something so new.ie damage etc or do others do similar??

If you buy a landy you'll soon learn how to keep it running, you'll get sudden urges to want to go and work on it or bolt something new to it.

Seriously,depends what sort off roading you want to do. If its just green laning or pay and play days or helping around farms etc most of the off roading will be non-damaging and a new vehicle will be fine.

If you want to do the more extreme stuff then you'l def have to get good at mechanics quick.

yu will rip the paint to bits and possibly damage suspension etc. Whatever you do , you will have to get to grips with the mechanicals, particularly if you uintend to do any serious stuff. Get yoself an old one, save yo money until yu need it to fix bits.

oh an go fur a 200 or 300tdi.

The Mad Hat Man said:

yu will rip the paint to bits and possibly damage suspension etc. Whatever you do , you will have to get to grips with the mechanicals, particularly if you uintend to do any serious stuff. Get yoself an old one, save yo money until yu need it to fix bits.

oh an go fur a 200 or 300tdi.

Click to expand...

point taken re:saving money. but how do you learn? not got time to do a course?? and if i go out to the vehicle on the weekend and hearing a knocking sound etc? where do you start!!

furst rule - get yoself sum AT tyres at least.
second rule always go with at least 3 and no more than 5 vehicles.
3rd rule - enjoy


cornwall huh - ask Trewy - he's one of them.

get a socket set to start with, some spray-on oil, a haynes manual and if you feel flush a parts manual, download the official workshop manual for free and as long as you can read and can move your hands, you'll have no problem.

get an old 90 and without even trying you'll end up with some mechanical competence.

I barely could put fuel in a tank or check oil, then I bought an old 90 and with no training whatsoever, and all the above books, I'm rebuilding it entirely from the ground up - as well as changing and adding a bunch of stuff that 6 months ago I'd have thought was witchcraft.

PLUS, if you get stuck, theres at least one person on here with a smattering of helpful knowledge.

I was 19 (ans a complete novice) when I got my TD5 22 now and def still learning but i've picked up a fair bit.

If you get a TD5 there isn't a haynes out yet and you'll need the workshop manual which you can download off the net (google it) for free (you have to look for it though).

It's more difficult to find cheap parts for a TD5 without going to a main dealer and then there not cheap anymore. There aren't too many in scrap yards yet and not many after market suppliers sell TD5 parts yet.

That said mine was one of the first (1999) and has done 115000 and the first and only thing thats gone wrong with it is the alternator which went on friday.

some interesting points there. i suppose my biggest problem is not really knowing how involved i will get and how " off Road " i want to go. ie. just green lanes or more serious stuff.
what i don't want to do is save money early on and then regret it every weekend i go out, as another thing fails and pi$$es me off. thereby killing any enjoyment i have?

TD5 will need garage to sort out - 200/300TDI are easier (less electrics)

best thing yu can do is go as a passenger on as couple of trips with local folks then decide if yu want more.

I went a cupple of times in my slitty, decided i wanted to do it, but wasnt prepared to ruin the paintwork on a good motor - so went and bought a cheap off roader.

Hi ya.

Have you actually been `off road ` yet & have you tried having a go at the pay & play places like the Landrover experience centres, these are
great for learning the techniques & you have the added bonus of not
banging your own vehicle to pieces while you learn, think that you may even find it easier on your pocket over a 12 month period rather than buying a cheap vehicle, as we all know to our cost there is no such thing these days as a cheap vehicle.

Good luck
jph1386