Two and a half grand 90?

I'm looking to buy my first land rover at the end of this month and I'm hoping that you guys can offer me some advice?

The vehicle would just be a daily runner not an off roader but I do nearly a hundred miles each day for work so no matter what I buy I will be throwing a few quid into getting/keeping it mechanically sorted.

My budget is £2500 so I'm looking at older vehicles, I've swatted up on what to look for when buying but the question I really want to ask is this.........

After looking around the choice seems to come down to modified or un modified, as in do I buy a land rover that has had suspention etc raised or do I go for a bog standard vehicle and do the mods my self?

One thing I was thinking was that at £2500 for some thing thats been modified there is the strong possibility that its not going to have been done right and they are getting shot of a bad job for that reason?
But then again if I'm spending £2500 on a bog standard vehicle thats been nothing but a work horse am I going to end up with some thing that needs another two grand spending on it just to keep it on the road?

Any advice would be welcome and I hope that makes sense?
Cheers
Mental

If it's a daily runner and not an off reader why do you need mods at all? They are not the most practical daily drives for that kind of mileage anyway. Mods, such as suspension, large tyres, etc will only make it worse.

£2500 will get you a very decent Disco which, apart from a Gaylander, will be the most practical Land Rover for daily use.

Buy one as standard as possible. Half the fun is modding it yourself. That way you can carry out mods you need not what somebody else feels is right.

For that money you want standard and solid, but for that mileage you may find you get more Landy for your money and certainly more comfort if you go down the Disco route.

That said, I wouldn't swap my Defender 90 for a Disco, but then it isn't my daily drive either!

If you've not seen before:

Defender Buyers Guide

Cheers guys

You can't have a landy and not modify it 300AJC all I would be doing is uprating the suspention and fitting some nicer road wheels and tyres.

Not having a Disco, not never not ever.

You want to be looking at least 200/300 tdi and avoid mods that are going to put your fuel comsumption up ! i.e Roof rack,F-Off wheels & tyres, bull bar/winch bumper etc ...................

Mustbemental said:

My budget is £2500 so I'm looking at older vehicles

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Try something ex-mod. It'll be pretty basic, and probably pre-1990, but will have been well looked after. 2.5NA engine isn't fastest, but reliable and easy to maintain yourself. You'll probably find the Army put a new engine in at some point too.

Although 100miles a day might get a bit tedious. Depends on the roads, slow A, B and lanes make perfect roads for an ex-mod. Duals and M'ways not so much fun.

For an on road vehicle I wouldn't bother raising the suspension. Mines has a +2 lift and I use it every day but its bloody awful. I love my 90 and I drive about 60-70 miles a day, agreed its not the comfiest or quietest and as has been suggested you may be better off with a disco for that mileage. Each to their own though. Just make sure you have a good look at the vehicle you choose and take someone with you who knows landys, a forum member may live nearby and we're always happy to help.

I would go for standard and then tweak to suit. Worth getting a more road bias tyre to save on noise and fuel.

disco for that sort of mileage

I'd say v8 lpg disco.

Dobbs said:

Try something ex-mod. It'll be pretty basic, and probably pre-1990, but will have been well looked after. 2.5NA engine isn't fastest, but reliable and easy to maintain yourself. You'll probably find the Army put a new engine in at some point too.

Although 100miles a day might get a bit tedious. Depends on the roads, slow A, B and lanes make perfect roads for an ex-mod. Duals and M'ways not so much fun.

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100 miles a day, every day?

Yep! every day, 50 miles to work and 50 home up and down the M27, M3 and A31 plus any other miles when I go out to site for surveys and habitat work, so that will include a bit of off roading now and then too.

Mustbemental said:

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Your username says it all to me! 700 miles a week on the motorways in a bottom end defender may look good on paper but is not something i'd even contemplate.

I'd put money on that relationship lasting less than a month!

arc said:

Your username says it all to me! 700 miles a week on the motorways in a bottom end defender may look good on paper but is not something i'd even contemplate.

I'd put money on that relationship lasting less than a month!

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Should have a little more faith in the one true land rover

I have a 200tdi 110 and you could do hundreds of miles in it all day/every day

And I do !

Its only got to last until September, once the season changes I'll be working in the New Forest so only twenty minutes from home!

100 miles a day? When I got a new job in march and have to do a similar route, realised that it wasn't fair to expect an old lady (1991 200tdi 110 csw) to do that every day, ended up getting and old diesel hatchback for pennies and keep the landy for weekends.
Don't rush, wait a bit, get something for the commute and appreciate the land river for what it is

Dobbs said:

Try something ex-mod. It'll be pretty basic, and probably pre-1990, but will have been well looked after. 2.5NA engine isn't fastest, but reliable and easy to maintain yourself. You'll probably find the Army put a new engine in at some point too.

Although 100miles a day might get a bit tedious. Depends on the roads, slow A, B and lanes make perfect roads for an ex-mod. Duals and M'ways not so much fun.

Click to expand...

I would agree with the MOD, they are basic vehicles but usually well looked after and a sound starting point. You may struggle to get a decent one for £2500. I've sourced couple for mates from Witham SV in the last few years - their prices are going up rapidly, and there aren't as many mint ones left now.

Landys are great, but long journeys aren't the best.

I moved down to Hampshire from Stockport, and have done the journey maybe 10 times now, and its not the easiest - that's 225 miles each way. You get to a point where you miss the extra 10/15 miles an hour you could do in a smaller car.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not changing my landy for anything - but i'm looking at train for when I'm going back to Stockport for a weekend. It's cheaper, comfier and quicker.