dfndr

dfndr

New Member
Hey guys, new member to the forum but a long time lurker!

I think I've found my dream Defender that fits my specs (station wagon TD5, reasonable miles, good paintwork and interior) but I would really appreciate some help / advice before taking the plunge. Being a new graduate, this will be most of my savings to date and it's all a bit nerve wracking.

If anyone could help with the following questions, or any general advice it would be massively appreciated.

1. Do these pictures show anything of concern? *PLEASE CLICK FOR MORE, ONLY 6 IMAGES DISPLAYED BELOW (Provided by the seller)




2. Are there any obvious faults / timebombs I should be aware of for a 99-01 TD5?

3. Tomorrow will be my first serious Land Rover viewing and (hopefully) purchase, does anyone know of a guide / checklist that I should look over pre-purchase - apologies if I've missed an obvious post

Thank you! :)
 
i would look very carefully at that rear crossmember and the rest of the chassis - that rear x-member has definitely been plated due to rust before, and more than once by the look of it. Not necessarily a deal breaker but could cost to repair in the not-to distant future. Definitely a haggle point.

Whats does the seller want for it?
 
The TD5 is a good engine but like all it can have its faults and bare in mind that this is a 20-year old vehicle so it has every reason to be tired.
Yes, the chassis has been welded (as have many) but if it has been done well then that shouldn't be a problem but you need to make sure that there isn't more rot present.

If this is the first LR you have seriously looked at then I would be wary about buying, best to try a selection first (they don't have to be TD5 or a SW) and get a general feel for what they drive like and then you can start to compare them.
Any Defender of that age (of ANY age!) can be a real money pit and a lot depends on how handy you are or more importantly, how willing you are to learn and get stuck in to carry out servicing / repairs yourself. If you are paying for someone to carry out every small job as it comes along (and there will be many) then you will soon become disenchanted and probably decide that LR ownership is not for you however if you can pick these up yourself then you will find it a whole lot more affordable.
 
Just noticed that the vehicle appears to be red but the photo of the inside of the door is green, nothing wrong with that as items like doors are very prone to corrosion and replacement common but the beauty (some would say the problem) of the Defender is that they can be dismantled very quickly and parts swopped around.
On a vehicle that age it is very likely that several of the panels have been changed so just do your homework and make sure all numbers tally.

Chassis looks very wet, were the photos taken on a wet day just after a drive or is that oil / fuel?
No reason for any LR to leak (although many do it is just down to lack of maintenance) so if it is oil then you need to be certain about where it is coming from and that either it is going to be repaired (are you buying privately?) or that you are willing to pay for repair.
 
How much, any warranty.
You will be spending pretty soon on chassis or chassis work, and is that waxoyl or body schutz to cover up all the rust.
Could be a very nice td5 but could also be a very bad td5. Look closely for negatives and hope to find positives.
 
If you do nothing else, HPI check the vehicle. You may well get alerts from such checks, but remember, Landies have engines swapped-out, chassis replacements, etc, but at least it will give you a good 'steer'. I would agree with not buying the first one you set eyes on, unless you're bringing along a seasoned LR "expert"; plus having a look around at different variants and styles will give you a better idea of what you really want. Oh, almost forgot to say, it will cost you a lot more than you ever dreamed!!
 
IMHO, six quite poor photo's is not enough to judge any vehicle on. It might not be unusual to see a welded chassis on a deafener, but my 97 D1 hasn't had any welding on the chassis .... so :confused: ..... be careful...

post #8 is good advice :) - not only can you tell a lot about the vehicle history, but you can also tell how much maintenance it has had over its life - MOT fails, and then shortly after a pass means the vehicle has been repaired, and NOT maintained .... and bring into question how much servicing it has had ..... :eek:

Give us some more details of this vehicle .... and we'll have a collective ganders... ;)

Don't, under any circumstances spend all your money on the vehicle - it WILL need things doing to it - even DIY, you WILL need tools to do these things ....

And if you can't DIY, then be extra careful, because my opinion of garages is too low for words.
 
Disco1BFG said:
IMHO, six quite poor photo's is not enough to judge any vehicle on. It might not be unusual to see a welded chassis on a deafener, but my 97 D1 hasn't had any welding on the chassis .... so :confused: ..... be careful...

post #8 is good advice :) - not only can you tell a lot about the vehicle history, but you can also tell how much maintenance it has had over its life - MOT fails, and then shortly after a pass means the vehicle has been repaired, and NOT maintained .... and bring into question how much servicing it has had ..... :eek:

Give us some more details of this vehicle .... and we'll have a collective ganders... ;)

Don't, under any circumstances spend all your money on the vehicle - it WILL need things doing to it - even DIY, you WILL need tools to do these things ....

And if you can't DIY, then be extra careful, because my opinion of garages is too low for words.
Click to expand...

My 1992 defender has only had a square 2inch by 2inch in the rear face of the x-member so it is entirely possible to find good chassis that are older.

Very good point about the MOT, if you keep seeing the same advisories (old system) crop up year after year it also indicates a lackadaisical owner who doesn’t maintain and only repairs on demand!
 
Last edited:
flat said:
Very good point about the MOT, if you keep seeing the same advisories (old system) crop up year after year it also indicates a lackadaisical owner who doesn’t maintain and only repairs on demand!
Click to expand...

Whereas I would agree with that in principle it is not a guarantee or a good or bad vehicle. It is a good tool to use when combined with a chat with the owner and a look at what service history the owner has.
The only reason I say to be cautious is because you could be discounting a decent vehicle by judging on MOT alone, it is part of a picture and should be combined with other information such as the average yearly mileage. Nearly every year mine gets an advisory for at least one UJ. However I do nearly 30k a year and the chance of the same UJ as last time still being fitted is nearly zero! (if I get 12 months out of one I think I have done rather well!). But I have folders and folders of parts invoices to back this up, so although I do all the work myself there is still dated record of nearly everything fitted from light bulbs to recon gearboxes.
 
dag019 said:
Whereas I would agree with that in principle it is not a guarantee or a good or bad vehicle. It is a good tool to use when combined with a chat with the owner and a look at what service history the owner has.
The only reason I say to be cautious is because you could be discounting a decent vehicle by judging on MOT alone, it is part of a picture and should be combined with other information such as the average yearly mileage. Nearly every year mine gets an advisory for at least one UJ. However I do nearly 30k a year and the chance of the same UJ as last time still being fitted is nearly zero! (if I get 12 months out of one I think I have done rather well!). But I have folders and folders of parts invoices to back this up, so although I do all the work myself there is still dated record of nearly everything fitted from light bulbs to recon gearboxes.
Click to expand...

Yes very true, although I said ‘also’ indicating I should be taken as part of the bigger picture rather than an absolute
 
As above - advisories on minor things wouldn't bother me, unless it was the same every year .... but fails every year on such things as tyres near the legal limit are proof of no maintenance whatsoever......

Who the hell takes a car with a bald tyre for an MOT ??? :rolleyes::rolleyes::eek: :rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
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