Which Defender?

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asbolondon

New Member
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We are looking for a Defender 90. It is for use in our (very) remote place on the west coast of Scotland so reliability is key. Need a diesel and looking for one 4-5 years old (ideally one with power take off).

I've heard bad things about the tD5 - is this right? And anyone have any recommendations as to which model might be best?

Any advice very very gratefully received!
 
asbolondon said:
We are looking for a Defender 90. It is for use in our (very) remote place on the west coast of Scotland so reliability is key. Need a diesel and looking for one 4-5 years old (ideally one with power take off).

I've heard bad things about the tD5 - is this right? And anyone have any recommendations as to which model might be best?

Any advice very very gratefully received!
Click to expand...

post 2002 td5 is pretty good if you get a well serviced 1 (lower the mileage the better ;)) would'nt touch a tdci imho, definetly not an early 1 they had a lot of issues (2007 onwards).
 
Look for a late TD5, like Buckshot says I wouldnt try and stretch to a new puma defender. What are you using the power take off for? Never used it myself. Do you know if you are looking for a pick up hard top or station wagon?
 
hey guys

thanks for your replies - much appreciated.

basically looking for a hard top - the station wagon is hard to manoevre on our track and the pick up isn't practical with luggage in the rain. A late TD5 sounds good. Are there any years I should avoid?

thanks again
 
asbolondon said:
hey guys

thanks for your replies - much appreciated.

basically looking for a hard top - the station wagon is hard to manoevre on our track and the pick up isn't practical with luggage in the rain. A late TD5 sounds good. Are there any years I should avoid?

thanks again
Click to expand...

What makes you say that a 90 station wagon is harder to manoevre than a 90 van?:confused:

What do you want the pto to run?
 
Hi there

Manoerability not related to the car - its because our track in Scotland has some very tight corners with not much margin for error, so easier in a shorter vehicle.

PTO not essential, but would be useful for in moving logs, pulling fence posts, etc. My understanding is that the original ones ran off the transmission, whilst the newer ones run off a 12v battery. What i don't know is how easy it is to fit one if the car doesn't come with it fitted...
 
Station Wagon spec is available in both 90 & 110 wheelbases so don't get confused about a trim spec.

Sounds like you want a winch, doesn't have to be PTO driven.
A PTO driven winch will run all day using the vehicle engine as the power source however a decent electric winch will also do the jobs you refer to without any problems. The main thing is to ensure you get the correct one. A cheap one running off the vehicle battery for occasional self-recovery cannot be compared to a profesional unit correctly installed with a twin battery set-up and will cost accordingly. Check out the various options with a specialist and you will find a set-up that can be fitted to your choice of base vehicle.
 
110 station wagon:

All_PhotoGallery_L316_11MY_EXT_with_trailer_rear_side-850x425


90 station wagon:

All_PhotoGallery_L316_11MY_EXT_close_up_trailer_rear-850x425
 
Litch said:
Station Wagon spec is available in both 90 & 110 wheelbases so don't get confused about a trim spec.

Sounds like you want a winch, doesn't have to be PTO driven.
A PTO driven winch will run all day using the vehicle engine as the power source however a decent electric winch will also do the jobs you refer to without any problems. The main thing is to ensure you get the correct one. A cheap one running off the vehicle battery for occasional self-recovery cannot be compared to a profesional unit correctly installed with a twin battery set-up and will cost accordingly. Check out the various options with a specialist and you will find a set-up that can be fitted to your choice of base vehicle.
Click to expand...

Litch

Thanks for your reply - and thanks for the correction on the station wagon. My apologies - I'm not completely experienced in this area.

What would be the difference between a 90 station wagon and a 90 hard top? Is it related to the configuration of the back? We always have to haul lots of crap so need maximum amount of boot space.

What do you think of the TD5?
 
asbolondon said:
Litch

Thanks for your reply - and thanks for the correction on the station wagon. My apologies - I'm not completely experienced in this area.

What would be the difference between a 90 station wagon and a 90 hard top? Is it related to the configuration of the back? We always have to haul lots of crap so need maximum amount of boot space.

What do you think of the TD5?
Click to expand...

The station wagon has lots of seats and windows all down the side. The hard top has no side windows but doesn't mean that you can't fit seats. As long as you go for a TD5 2002 onwards you will have the best compromise you can have relating to age, mileage, condition and reliability.
 
Thank you for that -much appreciated. I think you are right and the 90 station wagon is what we need.

Thanks again! Now the hunt begins!
 
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