Cam

Cam

New Member
I've had the 1990 200tdi defender a few months now, and I completely love it! As a car it's completely terrible, brilliantly slow, and really ****ing uncomfortable and noisy, and I need another, just for fun!

I quite fancy a v8, just for the noise really. I figure if i can find one with LPG it won't cost much, if anything more to run either. Am I right in thinking that the 3.5 v8 won't have much more performance than the tdi? Does the 3.9 have much more? Also, where and when did the 3.9 come about? Was it fitted to the defender form new? How do these engines cope with big mileages? Also, I've seen manuals and autos for sale, how do the autos perform? (smoothness, reliability, economy?)

What do you reckon? Good idea, bad idea? 3.5? 3.9? Money isn't really an object here in terms of fuel, I don't care, it's just heavy repair costs that scare me a bit - should I expect them with a v8?.


I bought this bloody car as my be all and end all machine, the end of my stupid impulse performance car days, but I fear I might've found something even more addictive! It feels like having a supercar that costs pennies to own!
 
I want a V8 diesel outa a rangrover. That would be the best. Would still be able to swim and all.
 
Hmm... TDV8 is a leckertrickle controlled beasty, so it's only going to like swimming as much as, say, a TD5 does.

What about the GMC V8 diesel? Kind of low on power compared with the TDV8... but all mechanical and no ECU.
 
why dont yer just fullt service an tune the tdi manual. youll fins they will go just as quick as a v8, oh and some sound deadening wouldnt go a miss.
 
LPG is half the price of petrol, so you could think of it doing twice the MPG, or more truthfully, twice the MPP. (Miles Per Pound) However, at 12 MPG blatting around town, you're still only going to do the equivalent of 20MPG on petrol. Is it really worth the money it costs to convert?
 
If you want a V8 in a 90 3.5 will be quite quick enough, as the chassis dynamics will be the limiting factor and will only end in getting you to the scene of the accident quicker. The idea of the V8 option in land rovers was for more pulling power etc , not for going faster . JMHO:)
 
I had my p3 converted and its fantastic. No loss of power and the running costa are half. Had a really good deal aswell. Cost £1500 for a top system (prins) from a new conversion cenre in Surrey called Capital Autogas.
 
I'd be looking for one already converted anyway, I'd never pay to have it done, regardless of the eventual savings (whihc would come decades down the road with the distances I drive).

How are the autos? Any use? And what's the gearing like? 70 in a tdi creates a fairly heroic noise...

On a side note, are the pretty big vibrations at idle normal with a 200tdi? Or are the engine mounts shot?
 
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