thinking of buying this 90 defender

davidreid · Dec 9, 2017

hi everyone david here and what a great site this is..
im considering getting my first landrover defender that needs work https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/landrover-defender-90-1989/17205716 ..
i know very little about them so im hoping ye can help
i under took my first project two years ago which was a 1991 suzuki escudo.. i learned lots from it known some day id want to get a defender and restore it..

anyway the few questions im wanting to know the answers to are?
what to look out for and expect..
the defender i have linked is it good value for money.. the owner says it was parked up due to costing to much to run in and out of dublin city and has been parked up for two years,, it was also tested when parked up.. its been in his family for a while and his two other brothers also owned it at some stage..
the reason it was resprayed was because it was parked beside another car that caught fire and the paint work got damaged
he says it needs very little and the doors need attention and a new battery..
also he mentioned he had upgraded he lights on it

neilly · Dec 9, 2017

davidreid said:
the defender i have linked is it good value for money..

You might need one of our Ireland based members to help on that, @mick the builder ...What do you think?

Regarding the rest, if you do a quick search buying a defender , then you may find a lot of good points to look at. BUT If it was me. Find someone local who KNOWS what they are talking about and take them to poke and pord it, even if you have to pay them in beer tokens.

Cheers

Al2O3 · Dec 9, 2017

Do you mean one of these?

There's not a lot of detail in the listing to go on. Have you viewed it and driven it?
There are loads of threads on here about what to look out for. Spend a lot of time reading those so you know all the corrosion points and what to look for and then view it and drive it.

RobV8Defender · Dec 9, 2017

Hi, great to hear you are buying a Defender - best of luck with it.

I hate to poor cold water on anything, but this wagon does have warning signs all over it. There are plenty of very expensive parts that could need buying to get a Defender through an MOT (NCT for you?) - never mind getting a non-running engine going. I wouldn't consider buying one that isn't road legal and running, unless it was for spares price.

With the price of the Euro to the $, you quite likely would be able to pick up a running Defender with an MOT from the UK - might be a much safer bet. I have no idea what the import costs /registration costs are, so I could be talking rubbish.

If you go for it, keep us all in the loop - we love to see cars being done up.

davidreid · Dec 9, 2017

Al2O3 said:
Do you mean one of these?
View attachment 136470
There's not a lot of detail in the listing to go on. Have you viewed it and driven it?
There are loads of threads on here about what to look out for. Spend a lot of time reading those so you know all the corrosion points and what to look for and then view it and drive it.

no i wish this is it lol

davidreid · Dec 9, 2017

RobV8Defender said:
Hi, great to hear you are buying a Defender - best of luck with it.

I hate to poor cold water on anything, but this wagon does have warning signs all over it. There are plenty of very expensive parts that could need buying to get a Defender through an MOT (NCT for you?) - never mind getting a non-running engine going. I wouldn't consider buying one that isn't road legal and running, unless it was for spares price.

With the price of the Euro to the $, you quite likely would be able to pick up a running Defender with an MOT from the UK - might be a much safer bet. I have no idea what the import costs /registration costs are, so I could be talking rubbish.

If you go for it, keep us all in the loop - we love to see cars being done up.

i hear where you are coming from but fixing something is what i like doing and would like to put my hand to getting the vehicle back on the road.. but at the same time id dont want a money pit..
if i do get something i will keep ye all in the loop just like on did on the suzuki forum when i got the escudo up and running

Al2O3 · Dec 9, 2017

davidreid said:
no i wish this is it lol

I was excited there for a while. That's what came up when I googled it. Admittedly, so did a few things like yours, but I thought they were Vitaras.
Looks like you've done a cracking job though and it's pulling some weight there.

davidreid · Dec 9, 2017

Al2O3 said:
I was excited there for a while. That's what came up when I googled it. Admittedly, so did a few things like yours, but I thought they were Vitaras.
Looks like you've done a cracking job though and it's pulling some wight there.

its the jap import version of a vitara and called an escudo .. in fairness i did a lot of work to it but got it at a very good price..
have yet to see one still on the roads here as old as it.. its only a 1991 but they are little rust buckets and not very common.. it was an intrduction to me for basic restoration but ive always wanted a defender so here i am now at that stage in life..

nobber · Dec 9, 2017

Dude, I wouldn't take that for free, really , look at it for Christ's sake.

nobber · Dec 9, 2017

Think about this, bulkhead new is 3k , respray done properly 4k , doors, tailgate, chassis is probably tired, its just looks like its been dragged out of a bog.

neilly · Dec 9, 2017

nobber said:
Think about this, bulkhead new is 3k , respray done properly 4k , doors, tailgate, chassis is probably tired, its just looks like its been dragged out of a bog.

Do you have a new bulkhead, new respray etc on your Landie?

we all start somewhere, the thing is knowing where we start. and what we are looking at.

Cheers

nobber · Dec 9, 2017

''perfect for hobbies or farm'' , FFS! Its a 19j probably as well, could be early tranny box with none cross drilled input gear so worn output shaft on the gearbox, probably drums on the rear, its very shabby, not been looked after, 700 what for the tyres? Goats? spoons?. And how many colours is it?

neilly · Dec 9, 2017

nobber said:
''perfect for hobbies or farm'' , FFS! Its a 19j probably as well, could be early tranny box with none cross drilled input gear so worn output shaft on the gearbox, probably drums on the rear, its very shabby, not been looked after, 700 what for the tyres? Goats? spoons?. And how many colours is it?

Hold on,......have you put in a cheeky bid??

Cheers

nobber · Dec 9, 2017

neilly said:
Do you have a new bulkhead, new respray etc on your Landie?

we all start somewhere, the thing is knowing where we start. and what we are looking at.

Cheers

Yes I did, new td5 bulkhead, new paint, but mine only cost me 500 quid and it was in better shape than that.

nobber · Dec 9, 2017

neilly said:
Hold on,......have you put in a cheeky bid??

Cheers

You can bid on it? What kind of mug bids 3 k on something like that? Am I missing something here?

davidreid · Dec 9, 2017

nobber said:
''perfect for hobbies or farm'' , FFS! Its a 19j probably as well, could be early tranny box with none cross drilled input gear so worn output shaft on the gearbox, probably drums on the rear, its very shabby, not been looked after, 700 what for the tyres? Goats? spoons?. And how many colours is it?

im here asking for advise calm down...
i never said i was buying it.. im only looking for advise.. who said all these things are gone on it.. i have yet to look at it.. costs nothing to do so,,

lightning · Dec 9, 2017

You need to get somebody who knows about Land Rovers to have a look at it.
Anything can be repaired but you don’t want to buy too much work.
You can’t get much Defender or 90 for under £5,000 these days. But you should be able to buy a runner that you can use.

nobber · Dec 9, 2017

davidreid said:
im here asking for advise calm down...
i never said i was buying it.. im only looking for advise.. who said all these things are gone on it.. i have yet to look at it.. costs nothing to do so,,

Mate, I just hate to see things like this with price tags like that, for that kind of money you could get something original, that's really nothing more than a huge amount of work and money, at that age you will have a tired bulkhead, chassis, drive train. It may well have the old type tranny box and if so it will have a worn output shaft.
I mean , look at the door, the stay has broken loose from what looks like corrosion and no attempt to repair it, no attempt to clean it up to sell it, the back is full of crap, no battery? Lol, that's a deal clincher right there.
Look at the hand brake, that's never been adjusted in its life.

jamesmartin · Dec 9, 2017

davidreid said:
hi everyone david here and what a great site this is..
im considering getting my first landrover defender that needs work https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/landrover-defender-90-1989/17205716 ..
i know very little about them so im hoping ye can help
i under took my first project two years ago which was a 1991 suzuki escudo.. i learned lots from it known some day id want to get a defender and restore it..

anyway the few questions im wanting to know the answers to are?
what to look out for and expect..
the defender i have linked is it good value for money.. the owner says it was parked up due to costing to much to run in and out of dublin city and has been parked up for two years,, it was also tested when parked up.. its been in his family for a while and his two other brothers also owned it at some stage..
the reason it was resprayed was because it was parked beside another car that caught fire and the paint work got damaged
he says it needs very little and the doors need attention and a new battery..
also he mentioned he had upgraded he lights on it

have a good look over for rot, any truck for 3k will need work engines axles boxes are easy to swap rotten chassis bulkhead and body is not so easy

davidreid · Dec 9, 2017

lightning said:
You need to get somebody who knows about Land Rovers to have a look at it.
Anything can be repaired but you don’t want to buy too much work.
You can’t get much Defender or 90 for under £5,000 these days. But you should be able to buy a runner that you can use.

cant say i know anybody here who does.. there isnt as many enthusiasts here as in the uk.. he seems genuine on the phone but that wouldnt make me buy it lol,,

thinking of buying this 90 defender

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