mrback · Jul 12, 2006

Hi, been searching for a Defender 90 over the past couple of weeks & still learning which is the best Defender to get, can anyone offer any advice?
I have around £5K to spend & wanted to get a TD5 but it looks like it may be out of my price range. I test drove a 300TDI today but it was nowhere near as good as some 200TDI's I have test drove, maybe it was a stinker?
Would it be true to say it doesnt matter about mileage on Defenders?
And to concentrate on the vehicle itself.
Hope someone can help me, it does seem like a proverbial mindfield with some of the defenders priced between £3000-£5000.
Ta

GRUNT · Jul 12, 2006

I reckon everyone will have a different answer to this.

For my money I'd go to the lower end of your budget and keep the remainder for "Problems". If you look around you should be able to get a decent one thats good and solid.

It all depends on what you want the vehicle for. I went for a ratty one knowing that by the time I'd offroaded it a few times it would end up ratty so why bother, besides I don't do shiney.

I rate the 2.5 turbo diesel 'cos theres very little to go wrong with it (no fancy electrics), and what does go wrong can be fixed with a big hammer. Though check for excess crankcase pressure amongst every thing else.

Mileage comes second to solidity especialy where the bulkhead and chassis are concerned.

Let us know how you get on.

mrback · Jul 13, 2006

GRUNT said:
I reckon everyone will have a different answer to this.

For my money I'd go to the lower end of your budget and keep the remainder for "Problems". If you look around you should be able to get a decent one thats good and solid.

It all depends on what you want the vehicle for. I went for a ratty one knowing that by the time I'd offroaded it a few times it would end up ratty so why bother, besides I don't do shiney.

I rate the 2.5 turbo diesel 'cos theres very little to go wrong with it (no fancy electrics), and what does go wrong can be fixed with a big hammer. Though check for excess crankcase pressure amongst every thing else.

Mileage comes second to solidity especialy where the bulkhead and chassis are concerned.

Let us know how you get on.

I dont think I will be doing any major offroad stuff (mainly greenlaning I suppose) I wanted the vehicle for my jaunts to wales etc with my mountain bike & camping gear.
When you mention the 2.5 turbo diesel did you mean the 200TDI?
How would you check excess crankcase pressure?
Thanks for replying by the way

GRUNT · Jul 13, 2006

No TDi has the intercooler I meant the turbo it came between the 2.5n/a and theTDi, I think the TDi came in about 1990-1991. Some people reckon it's under powered and unreliable, it may well be underpowered in a fully loaded 110 and would need thrashing to have mediocre performance and would therefore be unreliable, but in a 90 for normal use I reckon it's OK.

To check crankcase pressure take the oilfiller cap off and hold your hand over the filler hole with the engine running, if you can feel excess pressure the chances are the piston rings and bores are knackered.

Wesley Pegden · Jul 13, 2006

Hello.

Regards WP.

mrback

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GRUNT

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mrback

New Member

GRUNT

Well-Known Member

Wesley Pegden

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