12K TD5 Expectations

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
I stopped driving my 200 daily 3 years ago and when I use it now its a real culture shock!

My enthusiasm for driving landrovers has decreased with age as well.
I will drive them if I need the off road capability, but now much prefer my car for long distance.
After the severe vertigo attack in 2015, I try and avoid anything bouncy as much as I can.
 
I stopped driving my 200 daily 3 years ago and when I use it now its a real culture shock!
Wouldn't be my choice of a daily drive now I am over 40.

You're both going soft! I might not be over over 40 yet, but nothing wrong with a defender as a daily drive.

I also disagree they are "Less comfortable, more like as crude as fcuk". If you want that, you want a series. Whereas I wouldn't change my series III there is not any argument I can make against that statement. A defender however by comparison is the height of refinement :D
 
You're both going soft! I might not be over over 40 yet, but nothing wrong with a defender as a daily drive.

I also disagree they are "Less comfortable, more like as crude as fcuk". If you want that, you want a series. Whereas I wouldn't change my series III there is not any argument I can make against that statement. A defender however by comparison is the height of refinement :D

Give it another 10 years, see how you feel then. I am well over 50 as well as over 40.
 
Give it another 10 years, see how you feel then. I am well over 50 as well as over 40.
I will admit to not even being 30 yet, so I am sure a time will come. But I have been a grumpy old man since I was about 12 which makes me the perfect land rover owner, especially for a series vehicle. Nothing better than being in the garage grumbling about how the quality of Lucas parts is not as good as it "used to be", even if the "used to be" was 20 years before I was born and even then they were not very good.
 
You're both going soft! I might not be over over 40 yet, but nothing wrong with a defender as a daily drive.

I also disagree they are "Less comfortable, more like as crude as fcuk". If you want that, you want a series. Whereas I wouldn't change my series III there is not any argument I can make against that statement. A defender however by comparison is the height of refinement :D


Ive got both and both have tdi engines and in my eyes the only difference is the defender has a radio:D
 
I will admit to not even being 30 yet, so I am sure a time will come. But I have been a grumpy old man since I was about 12 which makes me the perfect land rover owner, especially for a series vehicle. Nothing better than being in the garage grumbling about how the quality of Lucas parts is not as good as it "used to be", even if the "used to be" was 20 years before I was born and even then they were not very good.

When I was 30, my daily drive was a 109 with heavy duty springs and a Perkins engine. And I drove a Ninety hard top pretty much every day until I was 53.
Now, I prefer my car. :)

I was pretty grumpy from the age of Five, although my Mum would say sooner. :D
 
Defenders are still well over priced at the moment. eBay seems to be the worst, and I'd be surprised if any of them sell for what they are advertised for. £12k I personally think is lot for a 15 year old defender no matter how well maintained it is, but that's just the way it is at the moment while there are people willing to pay the money.

As @dag019 says, service history can be fairly irrelevant, especially when you see the standard of work for some of these garages. We've even had garages charge for work they clearly never did, so 90% of work is done ourselves now. We do keep a record of the work but not all the receipts as it's more so we know what and when we have done stuff than for any future owners, which I don't think there will be any as we tend to run stuff into the ground.

I've never bought a defender off anyone with clean hands ;)

I’ve had a dealer offer to buy the TD5 90 for £11,000 yesterday.
I will probably let them have it.


Fitting Terrafirma adjustable dampers has transformed both my Defenders particularly the 110 which rides much smoother (with the dampers set to the softest of the 4 settings)

With the 90 my missus says it’s “like having a mattress between you and the bumps in the road”

You can adjust them so it rides like a standard version, or harder for “fast road use” lol
 
Last edited:
I’ve had a dealer offer to buy the TD5 90 for £11,000 yesterday.
I will probably let them have it.


Fitting Terrafirma adjustable dampers has transformed both my Defenders particularly the 110 which rides much smoother (with the dampers set to the softest of the 4 settings)

With the 90 my missus says it’s “like having a mattress between you and the bumps in the road”

You can adjust them so it rides like a standard version, or harder for “fast road use” lol

Is it quite a late TD5? If they’re offering that much they’ll be expecting to sell it for at least 14.

I’ve also got those terrafirma adjustable shocks, only got around to fitting the rear so far but I am pleased with them. I think I also left them on the softest setting, I’ve not tried adjusting it yet it’s spent more time in the workshop than out!
 
126,000

I just sold it this morning to somebody who saw it outside the missus’s work and offered £11,800.

I was after £12,000 as we paid £13,000 in 2015 so that was OK with me.

I’d guess the dealer would ask £13-14,000 if they’d bought it but they have to make a living l suppose. Plus they would put a warranty on it and would need to service/MOT etc. And Defenders sell well up here in Derbyshire.
 
I’ve also got those terrafirma adjustable shocks, only got around to fitting the rear so far but I am pleased with them. I think I also left them on the softest setting, I’ve not tried adjusting it yet it’s spent more time in the workshop than out!

You will really notice a difference when you fit the front ones.
 
Ebay advanced search, completed listings and the prices in green mean thats what it got bid up to/sold for.
Doesnt mean the others didnt sell, just that the seller most likely used ebay as an advertising medium rather than a selling tool.

I searched land rover defender td5 90 and got loads of results, not many with prices in green though! and the ones that were in green were quite a bit less than your 12k.
I never you you could do that. Great trick!
 
Hi there 12k should get you a solid one... my advice would be to look at a few first... check everywhere for rust inside and out, when you feel youhave checked, check again... also with the td5 check it starts well from cold, this will be a good indicator of good compression... lift up floor mats etc rust rust rust...

Good luck
 
Thank you all for advice. I see that this going to take me longer than expected as there are so few car for sale at the moment and those that are seem to be at the four corners of the UK.
 
Back
Top