Updated advice - daily driver dilemma!

Hello all,

I bought my very own 300tdi hard top last year. I’ve always wanted a defender and I love it. So much so that i use it daily (20 miles) except for every Tuesday when I have to do 80. On those Tuesdays it’s a bit of a pig.

So I love it, but I’m not enjoying it.

Will upgrades make a 300tdi anywhere as ‘civilised’ as a Puma?

- soundproofing?
- overdrive?
- ear defenders?!

Would I be better served selling the tdi and getting a Puma or even a TD5? The price difference is enormous and I do wonder about the longevity of the Puma - they are getting older every day.

Appreciate all input. I have been looking at the forums but information seems to be from a few years ago when the TD5 and Puma had less miles on them.

Tia,

Greenie

TD5's will potter along for miles no problem, but I wish I had a 6th gear, it's comfortable enough but it's the engine noise that gets you when on a long run

Greenie91 said:

Hello all,

I bought my very own 300tdi hard top last year. I’ve always wanted a defender and I love it. So much so that i use it daily (20 miles) except for every Tuesday when I have to do 80. On those Tuesdays it’s a bit of a pig.

So I love it, but I’m not enjoying it.

Will upgrades make a 300tdi anywhere as ‘civilised’ as a Puma?

- soundproofing?
- overdrive?
- ear defenders?!

Would I be better served selling the tdi and getting a Puma or even a TD5? The price difference is enormous and I do wonder about the longevity of the Puma - they are getting older every day.

Appreciate all input. I have been looking at the forums but information seems to be from a few years ago when the TD5 and Puma had less miles on them.

Tia,

Greenie

Click to expand...

Depends. What issues do you have with the Tdi? Chances are a later model will not be addressing any of the points really.

TBH if you aren't off roading or hauling. Then get yourself a Discovery 1 or RRC. They drive very similar to a Defender (as they should, as they use mostly the same parts!!!!). The big difference is, the body on those is mounted as a 1 piece item via rubber donuts to the chassis. A Defender uses many panels all bolted together which then bolt metal to metal to the chassis. This and some other NVH aspects make a D1 or RRC vastly more road civilised.

Greenie91 said:

I’ve always wanted a defender and I love it. So much so that i use it daily (20 miles) except for every Tuesday when I have to do 80. On those Tuesdays it’s a bit of a pig.

Click to expand...

If you really love Defenders and don't fancy a Disco or a RRC then put a V8 in it. You can get an exDisco or RRC 3.5-3.9 V8 and with a bit of fettling it's a straightforward swap. I did it to my 2.5 petrol and went auto at the same time.

Powerful, smooth, quiet or at least much quieter than a diesel, 65-70 mph at around 2.7K rpm, relaxed driving. Downside is fuel consumption but you'd have a similar issue with a Disco or RRC unless it's a diesel.

Definitely has to be a defender if it’s going to be an older Land Rover for me. Attached is a pic of my truck.

I guess my main question is will sound proofing or an overdrive make the cabin as quiet as a Puma?

I actually like the bouncing around and all the rest of it, would just be nice to step out without the onset of tinnitus!!

Also curious to hear if there is any difference in the body spec between tdi and TD5 (I know there was a big change from TD5 to Puma)

Cheers all!

If you are expecting a car-type environment with similar levels of comfort & soundproofing then you could be disappointed whatever model you get.
Do you have a particular problem? I only ask as my 300TDi 90 auto (soft-top) is my daily driver yet it never gives me any issues with noise levels (and that is with nil sound-proofing or carpets). I don't drive it every day (agile working means I can work from home a fair bit) but when I do my round trip is 92-miles and in the past I have twice covered just under 600-miles in a 24hr period.
Never have I got out of the vehicle and found my ears ringing (but then again I am a lifelong motorcyclist and unlike many of my contemporaries have never felt the need for earplugs).
Is the sound-proofing in good order as if not there are several firms who will supply kits to supplement (or replace) the original?
If you think that raising the gearing will help (are you pulling top gear ok at the moment?) then an overdrive or Disco transfer-box could make a significant difference.
Also are you getting a lot of tyre noise? Nowadays it is nothing like it was (anyone who grew up with SAT's or Extra-grips will testify to that!) but some tyres do produce more noise than your average car tyre.

Sound proofing does help.
This product https://www.deadening.co.uk/products/dodo-dead-mat-duo is (IMO) very good. You need to line as much of the bulkhead as you can get to, the floors, the gear tunnel, the seat box and the section behind the seats up the sides and to the rear bulkhead. You need to put the original mat back on top as it's a soft rubbery finish that doesn't like being stood on and scuffs easity.
If you line the tub too, up to the side panels/tub capping, or even just under the rear rubber mat, that makes a huge diference.
To go the whole hog put damping mat (https://www.deadening.co.uk/products/silent-coat-2mm-deadening-mat) on side side panels and roof (under the lining) as well as the in the doors also makes a big difference.

The Defender will never be as 'silent' as modern car, because it isn't.

Greenie91 said:

Definitely has to be a defender if it’s going to be an older Land Rover for me. Attached is a pic of my truck.

I guess my main question is will sound proofing or an overdrive make the cabin as quiet as a Puma?

I actually like the bouncing around and all the rest of it, would just be nice to step out without the onset of tinnitus!!

Also curious to hear if there is any difference in the body spec between tdi and TD5 (I know there was a big change from TD5 to Puma)

Cheers all!

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I don't believe a latter model will address your concerns however. They are fundamentally the same vehicles with the same basic design and same basic issues. None of this was addressed or changed over the entire production run.

A factory standard 300Tdi can be as quiet as a Puma. It really depends on a lot of things. Mostly spec, age and condition. The latter models aren't hugely different in any area.

You can add sound proofing material and ensure no gaps on seals and joins are present and it should make a difference. But in reality the difference will not be huge. Due to the NVH constraints of the basic design. Whether they would be enough to solve your issues I couldn't really say.

Out of curiosity, have you simply tried driving a little slower?

I'm not entirely sure how a 20 mile journey can be fine, but an 80 mile one not.

A mate used to wear a set of tractor ear defenders for any long trip in his series diesel. You could go modern and fit an intercom of the type fitted in rally cars. Then be able to talk to a passenger and even listen to the radio.
I was chatting with a motor biker the other day and he had all that built into his helmet along with dash cam recording tech and at the flick of a switch bring up a rear view in the corner of his visor.

Greenie91 said:

Definitely has to be a defender if it’s going to be an older Land Rover for me. Attached is a pic of my truck.

I guess my main question is will sound proofing or an overdrive make the cabin as quiet as a Puma?

I actually like the bouncing around and all the rest of it, would just be nice to step out without the onset of tinnitus!!

Also curious to hear if there is any difference in the body spec between tdi and TD5 (I know there was a big change from TD5 to Puma)

Cheers all!

Click to expand...

Nice truck