Buying tips - Defender - 1986 - 89

bigwill · Apr 1, 2008

Hi,

this is probably a stupid newbie question, but does anyone have a checklist of things to make sure to look at when buying an old defender? i'm in the middle of looking at one, no welding done in the past on the chasis, engine clean, usual rust spots, all looks fine. but to an untrained eye it could be disasterous. any help truely appreciated.

many thanks - - -

hughesy · Apr 1, 2008

First thing to know is they didn't make defenders till 1990, they were Ninety and Oneten until they put the 200tdi engine in in 1990 and renamed it defender. There's a thread on here somewhere that tells you all you might want to know, get searching.

bigwill · Apr 1, 2008

ok, cheers for the info, i thought it was the other way round - they didn't start making 90's untill 1990. lol
cheers!

bloat1992 · Apr 1, 2008

hi there
go up to 30mph and perform an emergency stop , do you vear one way ? - you shouldnt .

check handbrake work on steep hill .

old defenders have a knack for jumping out of 1st 2nd and 3rd gear , especially if they have been used for towing. so go to a steep hill and let the engine brake the whole way down - it should stay in gear .

on early defenders rust was a big problem so check footwells bulkhead chassis and axles. not to mention outriggers spring mounts etc ...

the 2.5 n/a was generally a good engine for reliability but is quite gutless . however it wasnt built for a turbo so the turbo version is reknown to be unreliable.

i sugest you invest in the haynes diesel defender manual and read up on the fault finding bits then you can evaluate a vehicle acuratley . it may save alot of money , stress and time

#23 · Apr 1, 2008

There is a detailed post on here which is a guide to buying a 90. Do a search for 'buying a secondhand 90 guide'

Very usefull info!

bigwill · Apr 5, 2008

cheers guys, going to buy tomorrow this is it:

2 Doors, Manual, All Terrain, Diesel, 142,000 miles, Grey. Huge 265/75/16 BF Goodridge Mud Terrains, 700 miles on engine rebuild with reciepts, mot 02/09, tax 08/09, power steering, new prop and uj's, new galvanised tank, chequer plate kit, new seats, new td5 wheels, gearbox and low range both operate perfectly with no clonks, towbar with electrics, fully wax oiled, chassis and bulkhead very solid, generally a clean tidy landy ready for immediate work or play. This landy has been fully inspected, serviced and completely overhauled, their are no faults and currently being used by us.

he wants £2600 for it - - Worth it???

GRUNT · Apr 5, 2008

If it's as good as he sez it is then it's probably worth it.

hughesy · Apr 5, 2008

As grunt says if it's as good as he says buy it. However don't take his word for it. Newly applied waxoyl can hide a lot of decay so have a good poke around underneath.

bigwill · Apr 6, 2008

got some experts on the case, apart form a bit of welding on the rear crossmember and the usual 1988 rust she's a beauty so i bought her! cheers for the help guys.

pos · Apr 6, 2008

cool! Just remember for every hour behind the wheel there's half an hour underneath

bigwill · Apr 6, 2008

thats not good, i drove it for two hours to get it home today!

pos · Apr 6, 2008

Nah I'm only messing! Chances are that it'll be a lot more reliable than you think. The only reason you hear people saying "they're not reliable" is because people who own them are always fiddling with them and tinkering with things that aren't necessarily broken to try and make them run even smoother or look a little better. Sinse I bought my 1986 90 back in May last year I've rebuilt my engine, changed the timing belt and fitted a new fuel tank (the list is endless!) but it's all things that didn't necessarily need doing but that I've done myself to keep on top of them and save a lot of money.

All I can say is consider it a hobby as well as a car and you'll enjoy it!
-Pos

bigwill · Apr 6, 2008

no doubt i will do. fortunately engine rebuild has happend already, i think i have my work cut out on bodywork and bulkhead repair and as you say interior stuff that isn't broken but could look better, i'm going to be stuck on theis for a while. lol.

bigwill · Apr 6, 2008

cheers for speaker tips also, whats the sound like with them under the dash??

pos · Apr 6, 2008

dunno afraid haven't really ever heard them under the dash but would assume its the best place for them (bass clarity wise)

Buying tips - Defender - 1986 - 89

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