What to look out for when buying first Landy

Hi guys I'm new to the site and just wondering if you can help me in anyway.

I currently own a peugeot GTi-6 but in about a months time I'm going to get rid of it and I'm looking to purchase a Landy Defender 90 or 110. I dont have a clue about what to go for but I've been doing a little research but I'm still stuck. I've looked at a Army Landy and a Forestry one are these good or bad types to go for? also if I go to have a look at Landy what would be the main things to look out for? (I read a little about bulkheads and chasis). I'm looking to spend around £4k max so could you guys give me any tips. I may use it for a little offroad but travelling to work would be the main purpose.

Many thanks

Paul

jeez where do you start? do some more reading through these forums and other LR forums, they are packed with info. soz if i sound a bit vague but its the best way.

Hi

Forces ones are great as they normally put in a fresh engine/gearbox/axles if not new they're fully recon.

Don't know about Forestry ones. Police spec are also good as they do the same as the Forces. Forces ones will have had all the welding (if required done)

As Bigstoo said check forums get the Landrover mags they're a wealth of info.

That's all the help I can be as I have a Range Rover, I'm guessing the same look under the car at the Chassis/Bulk head/Inner Wings/boot/Fuel tank for rust and other nasties, oh and check the car is straight. Don't go for the first one you see less you know it's the one look at several (Took me over a year to find what I wanted) take some for a test drive and most importantly go to specialist repairers see what they have to say, see how much stuff is etc.

Charlotte

Quick guide:

- Firstly buy a Hanyes manual. This will allow you to read up on the various parts of a Landy. Also read the MOT and service guides. This will show you things to look for. (If you are serious about owning a Landy, you will definitely need this anyway)
- Walk around the outside, and look for the normal things when buying any car (paintwork, rust, crash damage...etc)
- Crawl underneath the vehicle from the side, and look over the chassis for rust. Take a screwdriver with you, and poke about on any rust patches to see if it is cosmetic or terminal.
- Look for any damage underneath. Bends, scrapes and kinks will point to a hard life.
- Scan for fluid leaks. These are normally found on the oil sump, differentials, gearbox, steering pump (if fitted)....etc
- At each universal joint, take hold of the prop-shaft and wiggle. The shaft should rotate a little, but not move in the X or Y axis. These are only a £10 joint to replace, but will give you an idea of the level of service the vehicle as had.
- Look inside the vehicle, but bear in mind a £4K Landy will be tatty.
- Open the bonnet and look for leaks.
- Check all the fluid levels to see how well maintained the vehicle has been.
- Start the engine yourself. It should start promptly and not smoke heavily. The engine will race for a couple of seconds, but then settle to a steady tick-over.
- Rev the engine (not too much, it is not yours) and watch for excessive smoking. Blue smoke = oil, white smoke = water leak
- Take the vehicle for a longish drive. Make sure you use all gears, including low-range with diff-lock.
- Ensure all the lights work, the instrument panel works, the heater works (as much as an LR heater usually works)...etc.

BUT, most of all, listen to your head not your heart. There are thousands of Landy's for sale. Buying the wrong one is far more painful than missing out on a good one.

Thanks for all your replies and an extra thanks to dewils80 its much appreciated. I've been looking in land rover magazine and I'm starting to pick up on things to look out for and get a better idea about the defender. I've decided to look for a Defender 90 with no rear windows only the 2 top small ones. The year I'm looking for is from 1988 - 1994. I'm a DIY person so I may buy a cheaper Landy and work on it myself but what do you guys think about this option?
I will still make sure the engine, chassis, bulkhead etc are all in good condition. I have a few friends that have owned defenders so I will ask for their knowledge and probably take them with me whan looking at some. Also what engine would be the best 200Tdi or the 300Tdi?
I've read about them but cannot seem to find what is the best.

Thanks Paul

If you are still thinking of spending £4K, then you will have limited options. A 300TDi at that price, is likely to be in poor condition (generally speaking).

You will have slightly more choice in 200TDi's, but these will still be very high mileage, well used vehicles. £4K is the bottom end of the money for Defenders, but will normally buy a 19J (2.5TD) in reasonable condition.

FYI: The 200TDi and 300TDi are very much the same. The 200TDi has a tiny bit more power, but the 300TDi is much more refined. The 200TDi was mated to an LT85 gearbox, which is regarded as being less reliable than the 300TDi's R380 (same as the current TD5 models).

As well as the haynes manual look for the 'You and your defender' book by haynes. This gives a wealth of info on different models, engines, mods, what to look for and where; really valuable book, much better than the mags simply because it has all the info in one place. Dewils80 has a good list up there but the book gives you pictures to go with it! If you can look at a whole bunch of vehicles before you buy then you can refine your searches and work out a list of salient points for the vehicles you REALLY want to look at.

Good luck,

Chris

I have just bought my Defender 90 (L reg 200TDI) after owning a series 3 for a few years. I looked when I had a smaller budget and found that 4 - 5 grand would only get battered high mileage 200TDIs which i was not happy with since I use my landy for everything. I spent 7 grand in the end and got a low mileage D 90 200TDI with a fair amount of service history in good order.

A good condition 2.5TD is worth a look, its not as fast or easy to cruise on the motorway but apart from that you could get a tidy one. The worries about the turbo cracking the block on the engine is lower now as those still around have lasted this long!!

Good luck with it.

Andy