Am I setting my sights too high? 90 TD5

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paddyred

New Member
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33
So after looking for a 300tdi for 6 months now I am looking for a TD5 after speaking with people who own them. I'm looking for a TD5 in relatively good nic with under 100,000 on the clock with a maximum of around 6-7 to spend. Preferably a county style or panel back if its around. I discovered that some seem to be registered as van's so insurance is silly money as my no-claims in non transferable. Have I set my sights too high? I would have thought I could find one at that price! :confused:
 
I would have thought you would have got one for that.

Have you found any so far that aren't right, or just none at all?

Mine is a van and the insurance isn't that bad.
 
james6546 said:
I would have thought you would have got one for that.

Have you found any so far that aren't right, or just none at all?

Mine is a van and the insurance isn't that bad.
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None at all! Just seems like all the TD5's with under 100,000 on seem to be around the 8-9k mark Idealy I'm looking for one with 80,000 or less but that seems to be a stretch. Ones that are under 100,000 and within budget are beat to hell...

It's similar to 300tdi's! I looked seriously at 3. First looked great in the pics but when I went to look it was rusted out and had a cheap spray job done. The owner then wanted £7500 for it. Second one was stolen and recovered but all the VIN's had been ground off and all I had to check it with was the two bits of plastic on each end so that was a No-go. Then the last one is the red one currently on eBay. I contacted the company to find it had been deported and re-imported and currently it wasn't UK registered. I then found it was classed as a Van and my insurance was silly money.

I'm only 19, to insure one as a Van it will be £1300 because of no-claims. To insure one as a "car" its £600 so its a huge difference. It appears that a few of the panel back ones I can insure under normal car insurance which is a bit strange. I'm just amazed that the "less desirable" (or so I have been told) TD5's are still a lot more than I would expect. I thought I could get a 2002 one with under 100,000 for 7K. Maybe I'm in the market at the wrong time? maybe now the holidays have started people will be selling with the hope of finding something more practical. I wish I did my homework previously. I have seen some Ideal ones around in the 6 months I have been looking!

I have been looking within 100 miles of Exeter so far!
 
Last edited:
td5landy said:
Search nationally
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I have been so far but the few defenders that I would snap up are around 250 miles away. After previous viewings I don't want to go 250 miles to find its a Pos when I get there. I am up that way mid next month so it may be I come back with a present ;). I just wondered if I was looking for too much for the money and I needed to lower my expectations. It looks like I just need to wait it out again
 
Brown said:
Well the view I took was that I'm buying a Land Rover that I'll want to keep for a long time and spending thousands, so the odd £100 here and there on train and taxi fares isn't that much when you come to think of it. I got one from about 200 miles away as it turned out.

It won't be that hard to find what you want
LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90 HARD TOP TD5 | eBay
Or
Land Rover Defender 90 Hard Top Td5 | eBay
And so on . . .
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Thanks, It may be time for a day trip by the look of things
 
We picked up an 02 td5 with the later 15p engine for £4k, me and a mate are rebuilding at the min, Guess the millage? :p
It did look abit rough so price was good!
 
I don't mind doing a light resto job but Couldn't do stuff like chassis, engine or bulkhead replacement. I park it on the main road and that's also where I do all the work! I don't have anywhere else to go! :(
 
you should be able to find one for that price easily.. i wouldn't be so picky about the mileage though. 100k by a numpty who doesn't service it is worse than 180k with regular services imo

with defenders it's more about how they are looked after than age, plus you can always engine swap for a few hundred
 
That's a good point Trax. I've always had low mileage cars before and I think I've developed a mental block about 100,000. Not really applicable for Defenders I know ;)
 
My advise is just take your time, look at a few
You will find something
I Jumpted straight in as I always do and now im paying the price doing a full rebuild

Remember there are loads of people on here that will give you advice so dont be affraid to ask
 
paddyred said:
That's a good point Trax. I've always had low mileage cars before and I think I've developed a mental block about 100,000. Not really applicable for Defenders I know ;)
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I def agree. I was the same, but with defenders everything can be swapped so mileage doesn't really matter.

My 300tdi has done 135k miles and the engine still drives the same as when my parents bought it with 75k.

I am currently re-doing the chassis, before getting my 90 in Sep I had never done any mechanical work before, so don't be too afraid about getting one that needs some work.
 
Thanks guys, out of interest what would be the life span of a TD5 engine assuming I got one at 100,000 and gave it a full service every 6,000 miles and changed the oil filter every 3,000? Used it on the road and didn't beat the crap out of it?
As far as mechanical stuff goes ive been doing car repairs since I was 12 so done everything from turbo's to panel spraying so that isnt an issue!
 
Depends how it's been looked after for the first 100,000 and whether a 10p that's been sorted or a 15p

Sensibly no reason why not at least double and then some
 
paddyred said:
Thanks guys, out of interest what would be the life span of a TD5 engine assuming I got one at 100,000 and gave it a full service every 6,000 miles and changed the oil filter every 3,000? Used it on the road and didn't beat the crap out of it?
As far as mechanical stuff goes ive been doing car repairs since I was 12 so done everything from turbo's to panel spraying so that isnt an issue!
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don't know, jm would know better as i think he sees a fair few.

i'd expect the usual repairs, lift pump, head gasket.. but i'd hope for 200-300k, probably need main bearings done and the oil seals, nothing crazy.

i think it's mainly the heads which can go on them, and that again isn't too bad a job
 
trax said:
i think it's mainly the heads which can go on them, and that again isn't too bad a job
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Iv'e heard of plastic head studs :eek:? what's that about? I'm guessing that's the 10p Engines, Is it something that can be sorted during head replacement? What are the symptoms? or what happens to the plastic studs? Im guessing post 2002 is the best to go for?
 
paddyred said:
Iv'e heard of plastic head studs :eek:? what's that about? I'm guessing that's the 10p Engines, Is it something that can be sorted during head replacement? What are the symptoms? or what happens to the plastic studs? Im guessing post 2002 is the best to go for?
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seems so, 15p
 
It's not the studs themselves that are plastic but some dowels that help to locate the head so all the holes line up. People tend to fit metal ones when replacing the head gasket. Machining the TD5 block (rebore, skimming etc.) is not recommended by Land Rover but some people claim to have got away with it. There seem to be some TD5 engines around with high mileages on them now - between 200000 and 300000 miles is not unusual, especially in Discoverys. So clearly it is possible for them to last quite well. In any case, there are a lot of engines coming up on Ebay second hand, so there are ways of keeping things going even if you can't afford one of those mouthwatering Turner Engineering remanufactured jobbies.
 
I looked for ages and then found just what I was looking for a few miles from my house, something will turn up!:):tea:
 
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