Buying first defender 90, advice please

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T

thecowvet

New Member
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13
Afternoon all,

Long time reader, first time poster! If anyone could help me out with some advice with a potential new purchase I would be very grateful.

I'm a farm vet that has always loved Defenders and would love to own one as my work vehicle but have always discounted it on comfort and drivability grounds - I do 35K miles per year, some motorways, mainly country lanes. However, my boss was telling me how commercial vehicles work out financially well for my practice so I'm looking into one for my next vehicle. I could have a Jap double cab pick-up for a lot less money but then where is the soul!?!?

I'm weighing up something like this from Nene Overland:

Nene Overland 4x4 Land Rover Defender 90 new and used for sale

My questions for the great and the good of this forum are:
1) Will I be arriving at my farms in a terrible mood because the last hour's drive has been so uncomfortable (i'm 6ft1) ? If so what mods can I make to make it more comfortable?

2) Will it leak?! I need something that is weather proof because I'll be out in it all hours of the day and night, heavy snow etc etc. Should i get a hard top instead?

3) Will a soft top be warm enough?

4) What engine/suspension/brakes combo should I go for? I would need to be able to go off road to get to cows stuck in ditches etc but don't envisage huge amounts of off-roading. (trying to keep the vehicle within a sensible budget mind!)

5) Will i be screaming at it in frustration when its too slow to get me a haemorrhaging heifer before she bleeds to death!

Thanks a lot for any advice you might be able to offer.

Matt
 
If the cattle dont mash ya body up driving the landy probably will. ;)
If youve been reading on here you may have read that the inmates like you to post in Introduce Yourself forum first up.
Ive not foun any of my Landys luxurious, maybe the newer vehicles are better. You being a big bloke and high mileage doesnt sound great.Have you considered Disco?
 
I'm 6'6 and big built and my 90 is my daily driver :eek: Only thing is that if you have long legs like I do then your right foot will ache from the angle of the loud pedal, but you get used to it after a week ;) doesn't hurt me anymore :cool:
 
Thanks a lot gents.

Turboman - you're right the cows are slowly mashing up my shoulders and back but its a fun job! I have thought Disco but the appeal just isn't quite there and my clients can be a bit iffy about turning up in a car better than theirs! At least if I turn up in a defender then it'll blend into the crowd!

Pauleh - Cheers mate, glad to know your body just adapts to the stresses and strains of a defender daily driver!
 
thecowvet said:
My questions for the great and the good of this forum are:
1) Will I be arriving at my farms in a terrible mood because the last hour's drive has been so uncomfortable (i'm 6ft1) ? If so what mods can I make to make it more comfortable?
Click to expand...

Depends. I find mine very comfortable to drive all day. Better still if I can wind the window down though ;)

Some folk cut out the bulkhead and fit a bar which allows the seat to go further back, some folk swear by fitting Disco seats. I think the puma has the rear bulkhead removed anyway.

thecowvet said:
2) Will it leak?! I need something that is weather proof because I'll be out in it all hours of the day and night, heavy snow etc etc. Should i get a hard top instead?
Click to expand...

Eventually it will leak from somewhere ;)

thecowvet said:
3) Will a soft top be warm enough?
Click to expand...

Dunno, theory is it will be warmer, well less prone to condensation dripping on you anyway :p
Make sure you get one where the heater works ;)

thecowvet said:
4) What engine/suspension/brakes combo should I go for? I would need to be able to go off road to get to cows stuck in ditches etc but don't envisage huge amounts of off-roading. (trying to keep the vehicle within a sensible budget mind!)
Click to expand...

Probably for what you intend it for you will find it is already more than capable in standard trim, I'd probably go for all terrain tyres though if not already fitted ;)

thecowvet said:
5) Will i be screaming at it in frustration when its too slow to get me a haemorrhaging heifer before she bleeds to death!

Matt
Click to expand...

Very possibly :p But at least you'll be secure in the knowledge that when you do get there, you'll probably be able to get closer than with any other vehicle....


Oh and welcome ;)
 
Cheers Maverick, that guy really was quite upset! If those are universal feelings towards Nene then maybe I should look elsewhere...

I suppose the way to go would be to buy a 90 and do it up myself to the spec that I like but I was looking for something straightforward given that it'll be practice money thats changing hands!

Any suggestions of someone reliable and independent who I could ask for help?

Bromsgrove - Thanks for the constructive reply mate. It does get on my nerves having to park my car in the farm yard, load myself and my gear into the front loader of a tractor and be carried to my patient!
 
I dont know anything about nene personally but when I saw this thread I remembered it, do you know what sort of budget you'll have to spend?
 
thecowvet said:
Afternoon all,

Long time reader, first time poster! If anyone could help me out with some advice with a potential new purchase I would be very grateful.

I'm a farm vet that has always loved Defenders and would love to own one as my work vehicle but have always discounted it on comfort and drivability grounds - I do 35K miles per year, some motorways, mainly country lanes. However, my boss was telling me how commercial vehicles work out financially well for my practice so I'm looking into one for my next vehicle. I could have a Jap double cab pick-up for a lot less money but then where is the soul!?!?

I'm weighing up something like this from Nene Overland:

Nene Overland 4x4 Land Rover Defender 90 new and used for sale

My questions for the great and the good of this forum are:
1) Will I be arriving at my farms in a terrible mood because the last hour's drive has been so uncomfortable (i'm 6ft1) ? If so what mods can I make to make it more comfortable?

2) Will it leak?! I need something that is weather proof because I'll be out in it all hours of the day and night, heavy snow etc etc. Should i get a hard top instead?

3) Will a soft top be warm enough?

4) What engine/suspension/brakes combo should I go for? I would need to be able to go off road to get to cows stuck in ditches etc but don't envisage huge amounts of off-roading. (trying to keep the vehicle within a sensible budget mind!)

5) Will i be screaming at it in frustration when its too slow to get me a haemorrhaging heifer before she bleeds to death!

Thanks a lot for any advice you might be able to offer.

Matt
Click to expand...
1 No

2 Yes

3 No

4 Standard with ATs

5 if heifer dies steaks all round, and you still get paid, happy days.
 
It's a great contribution maverick thank you cos it's so easy to find yourself fleeced when you're new to it all.

Budget wise; got to be similar to what my colleagues are spending on their Jap double cap pick ups: £25k? Not sure what they've paid for certain.

Pretty open to suggestions... All I want is something that allows me to lock away stinky/expensive vet gear and the option of some back seats would be helpful cos I'm getting married this year and everyone knows what comes next...!

Thanks for the help, Matt
 
thecowvet said:
It's a great contribution maverick thank you cos it's so easy to find yourself fleeced when you're new to it all.

Budget wise; got to be similar to what my colleagues are spending on their Jap double cap pick ups: £25k? Not sure what they've paid for certain.

Pretty open to suggestions... All I want is something that allows me to lock away stinky/expensive vet gear and the option of some back seats would be helpful cos I'm getting married this year and everyone knows what comes next...!

Thanks for the help, Matt
Click to expand...

For that sort of money you could buy a nearly new one (less than 10k miles) if you wanted a posh xs version.

My advice would be to go and have a good look at them, is the 90 big enough for example? ask for an extended test drive and see how you feel after an hours driving, the new ones are much more refined than the older defenders and will cruise on the motorway fine whereas my older defender sits ok at 60 not is very noisy above that.

The reliability of the new defenders is a little hit and miss so if its a complete no no for it to be off the road getting repaired then consider that, landy dealers arent always that forthcoming with things like coutesy cars.
 
Cheers everyone.

Re the 110 - I know that the seat situation would be beneficial but I prefer the size of the 90; it would be easier to navigate round tight farmyards while avoiding machinery! Also if I commit to a 110 then I might as well start shopping at Mothercare...

So, if I was to purchase a low mileage 90 from Nene am I likely to encounter the problems our friend did on the other thread?

If I'm gonna get ripped off by them does anyone have any other suggestions of potential vendors? Should I pick up one from a 'reputable' official Landy dealership and have a secondary company do the mods I would like?

Thanks for all the help and amusing comments
 
maverick451 said:
Just my opinion but if I was buying a vehicle to do 35K a year id prefer to driver a discovery commercial to a defender.
Click to expand...
Disco commercial or oldish good condition wouldnt show up your clients. Clients who call you out to cattle out in the fields should be encouraged to find another practice imo. Lazy bastards should get them in!
Im a classic vehicle nut and Im still not sure Id want to do 35k on lanes. Peeps who say its comfortable are probably about 21, I was fine all day in a Landy then.
For what you describe I would have thought a nice clean private sale disco would be ideal, no need to line the pockets of nene or similar for a vehicle that will be used in a **** and silage environment is there?
 
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