90 Defender Daily?

[AshBaldry]

Evening gents,my first venture into this part of PH!
I currently have a focus rs as a daily drive (2003) and have wondered about taking it off the road to keep for best and getting a 90...why?

My father had a 110 years ago and I just loved the rawness/down to earth appeal..
Seems like it would be a good daily drive? I do 40miles a day,and would be good if we had major snow again,don't want to go fast just want one becuase I can,they look hard as nails and will be a good workhorse!

Am I mad?

[SystemParanoia]

Yes, but dont let that stop you.

do it!

[cpas]

Not mad at all. You can always buy one and if you get fed up with using it every day then use this as a weekend car. They are great fun though.

[AshBaldry]

Don't care if it's cold/misses doesn't like it.....can put all my washing/waxing crap to bed and just drive it,get hold of some OS maps and away we go! Are they that bad on fuel? I have a flat cap already

[cpas]

I've got a 200TDi Defender (1991) and it does 25 to 30 mpg and that's on mud tyres inflated to 26psi.

[mrdelmonti]

They are fine as a daily, just so long as you are prepared for a certain loss of comforts, but if you "get it" which it already seems you do, then you just won't care and you'll love it.

Edited by mrdelmonti on Wednesday 23 June 00:20

[AshBaldry]

Pick ups seem to be cheaper for some reason!? Are they reliable if you keep tab on the basics?

[Irish]

I am so going the route! If you "get it" you have got to get it.

[AshBaldry]

It's got to be done at some stage! Makes me think back to The Fast Show sketch with "the offroaders" very funny haha

[BLUETHUNDER]

Ive had a few Defenders. The last one being a 50th. Great vehicles,and in my opinion the best out of the LR range. Simple to maintain,cheap parts prices,and they go on forever.



Go for it. Its got to be done....

[pikeyboy]

I had a defender a few months ago, they are slow noisy let water in, rust a lot, have clunky transmission and generally leak oil from some place or other. However they have charachter, keep their value very well, are cheap to fix and are good off road. If the plus sides off set the negatives why not get one. Pesonally though I've sold mine and bought a more parctical (bad choice of words) isuzu trooper commercial. I've done this as I do far to many miles to be deafend by an old landrover but need something I can through the muddy gun dog in the back of and or drive a 200 mile round trip to pick a set of wheels up for my caterham in, I could only really have done 1 of these in my old defender but did both yesterday in my trooper. ps this isnt a post slating land rovers and I dont want to start the land rover/jap debate again as i dont doubt thats been done to death on here jsut stating my personal experience.

[SystemParanoia]

sorted!

[BLUETHUNDER]

pikeyboy said:

I had a defender a few months ago, they are slow noisy let water in, rust a lot, have clunky transmission and generally leak oil from some place or other. However they have charachter, keep their value very well, are cheap to fix and are good off road. If the plus sides off set the negatives why not get one. Pesonally though I've sold mine and bought a more parctical (bad choice of words) isuzu trooper commercial. I've done this as I do far to many miles to be deafend by an old landrover but need something I can through the muddy gun dog in the back of and or drive a 200 mile round trip to pick a set of wheels up for my caterham in, I could only really have done 1 of these in my old defender but did both yesterday in my trooper. ps this isnt a post slating land rovers and I dont want to start the land rover/jap debate again as i dont doubt thats been done to death on here jsut stating my personal experience.

I never had any of those problems with my 50th. No clunking from the tranny. Smooth changes from the autobox.And could cruise all day at 100mph. Great vehicle.

[AshBaldry]

Awesome!

[pikeyboy]

BLUETHUNDER said:

pikeyboy said:

I had a defender a few months ago, they are slow noisy let water in, rust a lot, have clunky transmission and generally leak oil from some place or other. However they have charachter, keep their value very well, are cheap to fix and are good off road. If the plus sides off set the negatives why not get one. Pesonally though I've sold mine and bought a more parctical (bad choice of words) isuzu trooper commercial. I've done this as I do far to many miles to be deafend by an old landrover but need something I can through the muddy gun dog in the back of and or drive a 200 mile round trip to pick a set of wheels up for my caterham in, I could only really have done 1 of these in my old defender but did both yesterday in my trooper. ps this isnt a post slating land rovers and I dont want to start the land rover/jap debate again as i dont doubt thats been done to death on here jsut stating my personal experience.

I never had any of those problems with my 50th. No clunking from the tranny. Smooth changes from the autobox.And could cruise all day at 100mph. Great vehicle.

Yes, quite, 50-th are more akin to a range rover but with all due respect I doubt the OP will be buying a 50th as his daily driver and the large majority of defenders are manual/diesels that will struggle to manage to do 70 on the motorway and are very noisy.

[AshBaldry]

Looking to spend about 5k max and just keep it

[pikeyboy]

AshBaldry said:

Looking to spend about 5k max and just keep it

yeah 5 grand will get you a tidy ish 200/300 tdi or I think just about an early td5 may be.

[BLUETHUNDER]

pikeyboy said:

BLUETHUNDER said:

pikeyboy said:

I had a defender a few months ago, they are slow noisy let water in, rust a lot, have clunky transmission and generally leak oil from some place or other. However they have charachter, keep their value very well, are cheap to fix and are good off road. If the plus sides off set the negatives why not get one. Pesonally though I've sold mine and bought a more parctical (bad choice of words) isuzu trooper commercial. I've done this as I do far to many miles to be deafend by an old landrover but need something I can through the muddy gun dog in the back of and or drive a 200 mile round trip to pick a set of wheels up for my caterham in, I could only really have done 1 of these in my old defender but did both yesterday in my trooper. ps this isnt a post slating land rovers and I dont want to start the land rover/jap debate again as i dont doubt thats been done to death on here jsut stating my personal experience.

I never had any of those problems with my 50th. No clunking from the tranny. Smooth changes from the autobox.And could cruise all day at 100mph. Great vehicle.

Yes, quite, 50-th are more akin to a range rover but with all due respect I doubt the OP will be buying a 50th as his daily driver and the large majority of defenders are manual/diesels that will struggle to manage to do 70 on the motorway and are very noisy.

Ive had a couple of tidy defenders. 300tdi,s I always made sure that when inspecting that i didnt get any back lash from the transmission.These problems are normally associated fronm the output shaft on the transfer box.

The next Defender will be a Puma XS. Been quite impressed with the performance and the finish inside.

[AshBaldry]

What is the 300tdi? I don't know much about the engines

[hidetheelephants]

AshBaldry said:

What is the 300tdi? I don't know much about the engines

Avoid the TurboD(1985-1990) unless it's very cheap or has had Allard style modifications. Slow and unreliable, especially if thrashed; DAMHIKT.
200tdi(1990-1994) good and reliable if looked after, but still quite noisy.
300tdi(1994-?) as the 200 but slightly more power and quieter.
Whatever you buy, check when it's had a cambelt change(I think the interval is 40k or something); if there's no record get it changed as it's cheaper than a new engine.

I know nowt about the TD5 so will leave that to others to comment on.