advice on 90

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gstuart

gstuart

D3 Grandad
Full Member
Posts
30,893
Location
Kent
hiya

my son who is about to take his car test wishes to buy a land rover

ive personally got a freelander td4

i said to him he would be far better off buying a 90 so as they are alot harder and tougher than a freelander

was wondering would u be so kind please to tell me when the 90 s changed to a defender etc are there any good web sites that you coukd recommend please so we can see what changed from the base 90 over to the defender

hes only got a budget of around 2 grand and the ins quotes james my son has got are around 120 per month, cheaper than a fiesta

said the 90 s he could chuck it around off road alot more than a freelander and cut his teeth in on a 90

i cut my teeth in on series landies etc, but due to my disability find a freelander ideal for me, ut said to james maybe trying to get a fixa upper 90

was wondering can james get anything fairly decent for a couple of grand etc please

been trying to find a web site that shows what mods were done to 90 throughout the years and what changed when they started to produce the defenders etc please

thks again in advance and i know we all have allt of friendly banter but personally i think james would be better buying a 90 or a defender instead of a freelander

as i know when i had my series 3 you could really give them some stick off road where i personally dont think uncould throw the same amount of abuse at my freelander as u could with a 90

should he only stay with the diesels or are the petrol ones ok, if so would a LPG conversion cost alot of money please

any links etc would be greatly received and hope u didnt mind me coming on here being a traiter and owning a freelander

thks

gary
 
Couple of other thoughts

If you've not seen this buyers guide - worth a read

Defender Buyers Guide

For £2k it will be a challenge to find one in great condition - suspect you'll be looking at a 200 Tdi (good reliable engine). Avoid V8 - he'll never afford the petrol :eek:

Would suggest focussing on a good condition chassis and then fixing the rest over time. A good solid Landy that he makes his own is a better choice than one that looks flashy and modded (just my view)
 
Station House said:
Couple of other thoughts

If you've not seen this buyers guide - worth a read

Defender Buyers Guide

For £2k it will be a challenge to find one in great condition - suspect you'll be looking at a 200 Tdi (good reliable engine). Avoid V8 - he'll never afford the petrol :eek:

Would suggest focussing on a good condition chassis and then fixing the rest over time. A good solid Landy that he makes his own is a better choice than one that looks flashy and modded (just my view)
Click to expand...

thks, agree about the chassis etc, as i know when i had series landies they are very expensive to replace, cosmetics etc I'm not bothered about , but as long as the engine, chassis and gearbox are ok not bothered about it

i think James wants to get a fixer upper, he can then put a sheet on the drive, declare it off road and can spend 6 months going over it

would rather he had the 90 as they can take so much abuse and if anything is dinged just adds character, lolol

thks again will check the links out

gary
 
Defenders / 90 / 110 tough things. You'll have a tough time finding anything solid under £3k though. Doors are VERY expensive if the frames have had it. Chassis rot can be well hidden, don't be fooled by first impressions. Everything's in the usual defender buying guides, few on here. I would also advise you check engine numbers with the DVLA and your reg of the vehicle, if it has a different engine to standard (I.e a disco engine) it should be confirmed on the docs. Its not a problem until you have an accident and they (insurers) find out the engine is different to the one on the form! Although no accidents yet for me (touch wood) my engine number was different to the one they had, glad I checked and made the updates. LPG can prove temperamental off road and petrols don't like water unless they are well prepared (more cash). Best of luck!
 
dvla dont put a discovery engine down as a modification because engine size is still the same if its the 2.5na 2.5td'you can get the engine numbers put on v5 if you wanted ' look on ebay/gumtree some cheap landys on there they will need good looking over if your paying upto 2k ie chassis & numbers bulkhead top & floors
 
Currently about to sell my 200tdi. Won't accept under £3k. Very popular at the moment and most in good condition are going through at min £3-£3.5 k quite easily.

You have two options really.

1. Buy a td 90 for £2k. Buy an mot failure but good condition 200tdi discovery for sub £500. Convert it yourself or with help of the guys on here. Kits are about £500all in including clutch. For that price you will probably get an ok chassis etc but be careful.

You son will learn more about cars, parts and engines that way. Also it will increase the value. Aim to do a smart job keeping as close to standard as possible.

Break the discovery for parts and sell them. You'll make a fair bit back. Weigh the shell in. Be sure to keep the steering box. Costly bit of kit and a straight swop for your current one in case you need one. I didn't doh

2. Try to get a 200tdi cheap that needs work. Thats a ball ache and costly
 
Here is a thought, I say this a lot.

What about an ex-military 90 with the 2.5na? Slow but does the job fine. Usually worked hard but very well serviced with lots of genuine LR parts. Chassis usually in better nick than civvie models of equivalent age. Usually low miles. Often recon boxes, axles and engine - the mod don't repair they just replace.

Downside is they are basic, no carpet, radio etc and the paint work is usually hand painted with letters and stencils and insignia everywhere. All this can be rectified though.

Super easy to spanner on and learn on. Cheaper insurance as non-turbo.

Soft top great in the summer and warmer than you would think in the winter. Can be changed for a hardtop if security is an issue.

£2k is the bottom end though - one for that will deffo need paint sorting and some other bits. Check the MOD disposal sites like withams etc they auction them from time to time. Also check eBay.

When he has more no claims/money etc then engine could be swapped or a turbo lump

Other option is a leaf sprung series £2k would probably just about get a reasonable one.
 
Last edited:
We got an ex mod 90 FFR for £800, needs a lot of welding to the bulkhead though and god knows where else but like others have said, they're basic machines to work on :)
 
At your budget , better buying a cheaper one and fix it up , as previous posted, as even at limit of your budget your going to get about the same level (shed)
 
Hello (im the son) I've had a look around and quickly realised I need about 4k so going to save my little arse off and get a 90 that's runs but needs just TLC but looking at all the nice ones on here I want one now!!!!! Lol
 
Just be careful. Some of the cheaper Landys can be made up of stolen parts or whole motors. Do the usual HPI checks etc. and dont buy off somebody from a carpark. Make sure you know where to get hold of them if needs be. If the car turns out to be stolen then the police will take it.
 
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