Land Rover for trip to Cape Town

[Dribble]

Looking to buy a 10-20 yr old LWB Defender Station wagon. Could do with a list of useful tips of what to look for when looking at potential machines. I managed to drive a 1 litre Toyota Starlet to Mongolia (even across the Gobi desert) in 2008 so I know roughly what I am doing engineering wise.

Any advice v. much appreciated.

A.

[budrover]

Get better value if you looked at a Discovery !

A 110 Hardtop with be cheaper than a Station wagon

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1998-LAND-ROVER-DEFENDER-110...

But if want a Station wagon go for a Tdi, no electronics on engine.[but not Turbo Diesel]

Normal Land Rover....

Rusty chassis - especially rear cross member
Rusty axle casings - oil weeping from diff pans means cracks.
Front axle - rusty swivel balls [need changing]
Tdi engines are good for 250k miles.
Suspension - rusty springs / knackered shocks / worn bushes -- car wanders when driven or feels like a NY taxi
Steering - worn box - vehicle wanders / notchy box - will need renewal
Bulkhead - under windscreen --look for rust
Doors -- frames rot at bottom - look or poke from underside.
Brakes -- check discs for rust -means calipers seized.

Best bit -parts are cheap and ready available - new suspension / bushes makes an old dog drive nice and tight.

Edited by budrover on Thursday 22 July 12:25

[Grandad Gaz]

This one was made for the job

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1882542.htm

[wombat172a]

Out of curiosity which route are you looking at taking?

[Dribble]

Well its still early days but I really want to go via Syria, Jordan, Egypt and then Sudan, Ethiopia and basically avoiding all the really loony places like Eritrea and Somalia etc..

[Sarge 4x4]

When you going ?

[wombat172a]

Dribble said:

Well its still early days but I really want to go via Syria, Jordan, Egypt and then Sudan, Ethiopia and basically avoiding all the really loony places like Eritrea and Somalia etc..

Ah okay, is the carnet situation still a problem in egypt, or is this why you're looking at an older land rover?

[Dribble]

I can get a Carnet but I was advised that you can get them cheaper via the German version of the AA called ADAC. They had a form for non German cars, and the deposit even for Egypt was looking like 5000 euros, whereas the rip off merchants at the RAC are wanting 800% yes thats 800% of the value of the car as a deposit, which if I spent £6000 is potentially £48k !!! deposit

The Germans have now said they cannot provide me with one and to speak to the RAC !! For one who loathes everything about the EU in every possible dimension this only goes to show that the Common Market is a load of bks (excuse my french) or to put it another way its a monopoly !

[agent006]

Bill is the man to speak to. He did a very similar thing a couple of years ago.