Defender lust

[HertsBiker]

I've got that itch again. Big want, and I feel it's gonna happen. Do I have any worries about defenders with 150k? I only do 9k a year tops. I want something that will last, be reliable, and that's it. Mpg not a problem, nor is top speed. Talk to me LR people! Cheers all.

[mikeh501]

i dont think it really matters tbh. its not so much whether it will be unreliable at 150k.... you need a shift in mind set.

defender ownership is continual maintenance. if you use it for its intended usage then you will be forever tinkering with it. its all part of the ownership experience. it just isnt a modern vehicle which goes faultlessly for thousands of miles without a hiccup.

[CAPP0]

Mike has nailed it there.

[Simes110]

Agreed.

My 110 has done 163,000 miles and has ran without any form of maintenance for the past year (approx 3,000 miles).

However, the work preceding this has been huge. Regular tinkering to sort minor things and very regular servicing, plus a chassis change bad quite a few engine mods to make the 300 Tdi run better / faster.

It's sheer laziness on my part for the past year but another full set of oil changes are due plus a few other odds and sods.

It's all enjoyable, though. These are easy machines to work on. There's plenty of online help and both standard and upgraded parts are plentiful.

These really are vehicles for life.

[anonymous-user]

Simes110 said:

These really are vehicles for life.

Agreed. You never own a Land Rover. You're simply borrowing it off the next keeper.

[SpannerMonkeys]

It always seems a bit corny but Land Rovers genuinely are a way of life. We run a garage up north and we specialise in 4x4s including doing a lot of Land Rovers, the worst bit is when we get clients who really shouldn't have bought one (those who are petrified at the least knock or wind whistle) especially a Defender, they don't last long with them. We see them come in with under 500 miles on, nothing fits right, screws didn't hit screw holes and more. That's just the way a Defender is. That's why we love them.

[HertsBiker]

Slight update, test drove a 2003 defender, loved it, but not for 13k. And the second to third gear change was crunchy. So I opted out until I have enough money to do it properly. Ride was about as bad as my SIIa, but what a great machine.

[2 5HAN]

We bought a 1998 110 300tdi back in February
As everyone says they are a work in progress and I think that even if you spent 7 days a week fiddling you would still have more to do the week after.
The speedo has just turned 153k and it appears mechanically sound. Having said that so far we have fitted a new steering box, alternator and brake servo pump..... Umm what was I saying about mechanically sound lol.

Looking forward to doing some offloading hopefully soon.