I've always wanted a Defender and may finally have the opportunity.

It will be a second car for only occasional use, I cycle to work every day and wife uses the main car, Landy will be for picking the kids up from nursery when the weather is too rubbish for bike trailer or sticking muddy bikes in the back.

I know about higher tax and poor mpg but am prepared to accept that. There is a guy locally selling a 10 year old 110 with 109k on the clock, seems keenly priced. I know squat all about under the bonnet stuff, what big service jobs do I need to look out for and anything in particular I need to check out when looking at the car?

what do I need to look out for?

Rust!

wheels on each corner

fuel stations.

Look out for low flying pigeons! Little fu(k3r5!!

Something else, I had an 09 Defender last year, hands down the worst ride and most dreadful seating position ever…

High mileage 4×4,avoid !

Have you ever driven one? They are horrendous to drive.

A HiLux with a big trailer

2nd the above. They are really terrible on the road. Hard work even on the motorway. Great fun in the rough but are you actually going to do that?

Right 10 year old 110 so thats a 2000 on a X?

So a 110 TD5 if you want to pick kids up assume its a County Station Wagon (5 door)

TD5 is a great engine and 105k is nothing, oil can creep up the loom to the ECU other than that they have proven to be bullet proof depsite the scepticism. It may just be it's ended up being Land Rovers best ever engine.

Everything is cheap on a Landy so running them is fine and most of it can be fixed easily apart from 1 thing

Chassis Rust! 10 year old this shouldn't be an issue but look out for it, especially the rear cross member.

The bodywork will prob be pitted at the base of the doors etc. This is just electrolite corrosion ali touching steel looks manky but thats about it.

They are bomb proof and ace! not much to worry about on them

Check the history, they like to be serviced and are (due to meccano nature) very very easy to ring / clock / etc!

Marmite cars, I accept what everybody says about them being crap to drive and they kinda are but I just love mine to bits.

anything in particular I need to check out

Lengthy pro/anti 4×4/faux-by-faux threads on STW…. 😉

As stated, RUST!

Check rear 1/4, outriggers, sills, door bottoms, footwells, bulkhead, body mounts everything made of steel… Mechanically simple and parts cost sack all, but if you can't weld it yourself a rusty one will cost you a lot of money.

When I replace mine I'll either buy a rusty one and rebuild on a galv chassis or buy one someone has already done.

High mileage 4×4,avoid !

It's a landy! At 109k it's barely run in!

Great stuff, thanks

Although not mechanically minded, I am fortunate to be friendly with a local, reliable and cheap mechanic. I'll take him along to have a look over it with me when I view it.

I'm not fussed about the driving position, handling etc, I'd be surprissed if I do more than 2k a year in it. If I'm going any distance, I'll take the S-max.

Just need to work on MrsSinatra now for final (budget) permission!!

Blimey, surprised that Hora hasn't yet voiced an opinion yet…

😉

Theft. Above all else, the main problem with Land Rovers (especially tidy Defenders) is you can almost guarantee someone will try to steal it. Not kidding.

Other than that, even though they soak your right knee every morning at the first left turn, they are without a shadow of a doubt the best cars in the world and if you get the bug, you'll enjoy every mile.

For driving enjoyment I'd take a 90 on mud tyres over any sports car you can care to mention.

Paul. Seriously mate, go and take one for a drive before splashing cash on it. They are truly horrendous to sit in let alone drive.

I was sat in a yard of seemingly 50+ landys last week at Lix…rows and rows of the things.
This one is best.

Paul. Seriously mate, go and take one for a drive before splashing cash on it. They are truly horrendous to sit in let alone drive.

If you hate it you can sell it again.

Think mine has lost maybe £500 in 5 years

Rather than plump for an off-roader that can be driven on-road, buy an on-roader that can be taken off-road.

Can recommend a late model Freelander diesel; decent onroad and fine offroad, plus will tow most things.

if you cant do your own maintenance – AVOID !!!

Rather than plump for an off-roader that can be driven on-road, buy an on-roader that can be taken off-road.

Can recommend a late model Freelander diesel; decent onroad and fine offroad, plus will tow most things.

Yea, but freelanders are teh gayness

Had one , lots of rust , got stolen, wouldnt by one again

I've got a mate who developed an updated version of those tracks.

http://www.versatracks.com/

Yea, but freelanders are teh gayness

Be careful, I've just had a final warning for making comments about gender!

And its the wifes'

It's a landy! At 109k it's barely run in!

With the engine I'd agree with you but there's a whole load of cogs & sprockets underneath that aren't half as durable…..

Surely if you weld and steel joist/cow catcher to the front – you won't have to look out out for anything ?

If you need to scratch an itch go with a Alfa. At least you'll have a good driving experience inbetween the 'what next' and 'cost'.

If you even vaguely like how a car steers and feels, avoid.

If you need it for regular dirt track access to your house in the sticks- possibly consider this.

They are not bombproof and someone may nick yours and break it down to sell on ebay to the thriving market (thirst?) for spare parts of other Landrover enthusiasts.

If anyones doesn't like what I've written your not really a Landrover owner but a townie who wants to pretend to be one. Sure you'll post pics up of yours in snow etc until you drive home back to suburbia 😉

😆

I kept on having that itch…

Have you ever driven one? They are horrendous to drive.

Driving one on tarmac REALLY put me off. Defenders fill a section in their manufacturers line up. For customers who want a vehicle to on the motorway but still have some off road ability they have the Disco. For mostly offroad use etc- Defender.

You wouldnt buy a jump bike and do 30mile XC rides on it would you? Fit for purpose. Unless your an off-road enthusiast, farmer or live in the wilds why else would you buy it?!

I had the misfortune to have one as a company vehicle for a year a number of years ago where it was taken seriously off road every day. Compared to any of the decent Japanese offroaders they are crap off road too.

Telling someone to scratch a Land Rover itch with an Alfa is ridiculous. It's like telling someone to scratch an Orange Five itch with a Pinarello.

You make a valid point about theft though. Land Rover owners don't seem to understand that they fuel the eye watering theft rates that blights the marque. Main reason I stopped using mine as a daily driver. Fed up of worrying about it going missing.

As an side (cos even though I'm no longer in the fold I do still love them) despite the frequent cries of 'they're not even anything special off road' you'll hear, they are. They really are.

Lean, approach, breakover and departure angles, wading depth and axle articulation are all class leading, by some margin (Jeep included). Proper 50/50 split permanent 4WD with centre diff lock, beam axles and low rate coils – honestly, out of the factory, nothing can touch them this side of a Unimog or Pinzgauer. The compromises inherent in a Defender are there for a reason.

Whether you're prepared to put up with them is another issue. And to justify why you would be is as difficult and redundant as justifying your love of riding bikes though mud all weekend to incredulous work colleagues.

If you want a 4×4 you can't do much worse than look at what those who have the most extreme requirements buy. It's either got to be a 20 year old rusty Hi-lux or a Beetle. Although usually the beetle doesn't normally have a machine gun strapped to the roof.

HAve you consideed a Jeep Cherokee? They are cheap as chips and much better off road

Fit for purpose. Unless your an off-road enthusiast, farmer or live in the wilds why else would you buy it?!

Stop talking sense! This is a guy who's considering buying a Land Rover when he knows bugger all about cars, doesn't drive much, will use it primarily for taking his kids to school and occasionally carrying a muddy bike. Is there a vehicle less fit for purpose than a Defender?

Some of the posts since are 😆 yet bang on 😯

Interms of itch. All of us men have that yearning in the back of our head to buy something unusual/not entirely fit for purpose..

If its only occassional use and bike duties occassionally and you live somewhere where cars pickup parking dings etc – why not:
Volvo 940

This is a guy who's considering buying a Land Rover when he knows bugger all about cars, doesn't drive much, will use it primarily for taking his kids to school and occasionally carrying a muddy bike. Is there a vehicle less fit for purpose than a Defender?

All true, but I want one and that is good enough justification for me. My money, my choice!

The seats etc are good for child seats/small children?

Compared to any of the decent Japanese offroaders they are crap off road too

Actually that's BS,Defenders may be money pits, but they rarely get left behind in the off road stakes…..:FACT:
Most the competition can't even get around the "Jungle Track" they have where they're built……Another :Fact:

Check for awesomeness and it being a fun car without being fast.

Check for a great Landy community – try LRO.com for answers to any questions.

Check to make sure that I haven't been driving it in the North Sea ( I really shouldn't have ).

Check that it's been properly washed inside and out:

Oh and if you buy one and go off roading in a huge Polish military base, remember to engage diff lock when navigating the water section of the tank training course:

slight edit –

I got stuck in the middle of this ( and it was my fault, not the vehicle's ):