I'm looking to buy a Defender, but I've been away from Landys for 20-odd years and don't really know much about Defenders. So, I'll describe my intended uses, ask a few questions, and hopefully narrow down to the sort of thing I can expect and should look for...
Uses.
It will be a second vehicle. I drive a sports car, and it's crap in the snow and ice, but is otherwise great for the 15 miles each way commute to work. There are times when a Landy would clearly be the better vehicle.
I have a passion for photography outdoors, which includes landscapes using equipment that is too big and heavy to cart around on my back (hefty 5x4 monorail view camera and tripod, if anyone's interested). A Landy will get me much closer to the places I want to be to take photos using this equipment. I'm not looking to get stuck in remote bogs in the highlands - it's more a case of unpaved tracks, and carrying the gear a short distance if needed. It's also possible that I'd want to set up the camera/tripod on the roof of the Landy to get extra height for some shots.
Body type.
Not quite sure about this yet. Truck cab and soft top are out - has to be a hard top. Part of me wants to be able to sleep in the back, another part wants a 90 (too small to sleep in?), and yet another wants a 110 with extra seats (also too small to sleep in?). What about kipping in it widthways, stretched across the seats? Is that doable for me at 5'10"?
Engines.
From the little reading that I've done so far, most (all?) seem to be diesels, and I've seen a few comments that they do around 30mpg - is that the case for all diesel Defenders, or are there specific engines that manage that, while others do less/more?
Ex-MoD.
In terms of visual appeal, I like the olive drab or camo ex-army motors, but are they worth buying? My assumption is that they will have been well maintained, but might have had a hard life. Are they likely to have had modifications that would make things awkward in a civvy context, like 24v electrics, or strange mods that are hard to get spares for? What sort of fuel consumption do these manage, if different from the norm?
Price and condition.
I'm not looking for a project vehicle - must be something that I can buy and pretty-much start using right away. I'm unlikley to be doing my own servicing (I can, and used to, but my interest in that has waned over the years). Like most people, I have an aversion to rusty chassis and bulkheads, and want a barely used low mileage vehicle. My budget is £2-3K. Is that realistic? Does a station wagon or County type body cost more than a van (or add up to a tattier vehicle for a given price)?
Thanks in advance for any guidance.
Uses.
It will be a second vehicle. I drive a sports car, and it's crap in the snow and ice, but is otherwise great for the 15 miles each way commute to work. There are times when a Landy would clearly be the better vehicle.
I have a passion for photography outdoors, which includes landscapes using equipment that is too big and heavy to cart around on my back (hefty 5x4 monorail view camera and tripod, if anyone's interested). A Landy will get me much closer to the places I want to be to take photos using this equipment. I'm not looking to get stuck in remote bogs in the highlands - it's more a case of unpaved tracks, and carrying the gear a short distance if needed. It's also possible that I'd want to set up the camera/tripod on the roof of the Landy to get extra height for some shots.
Body type.
Not quite sure about this yet. Truck cab and soft top are out - has to be a hard top. Part of me wants to be able to sleep in the back, another part wants a 90 (too small to sleep in?), and yet another wants a 110 with extra seats (also too small to sleep in?). What about kipping in it widthways, stretched across the seats? Is that doable for me at 5'10"?
Engines.
From the little reading that I've done so far, most (all?) seem to be diesels, and I've seen a few comments that they do around 30mpg - is that the case for all diesel Defenders, or are there specific engines that manage that, while others do less/more?
Ex-MoD.
In terms of visual appeal, I like the olive drab or camo ex-army motors, but are they worth buying? My assumption is that they will have been well maintained, but might have had a hard life. Are they likely to have had modifications that would make things awkward in a civvy context, like 24v electrics, or strange mods that are hard to get spares for? What sort of fuel consumption do these manage, if different from the norm?
Price and condition.
I'm not looking for a project vehicle - must be something that I can buy and pretty-much start using right away. I'm unlikley to be doing my own servicing (I can, and used to, but my interest in that has waned over the years). Like most people, I have an aversion to rusty chassis and bulkheads, and want a barely used low mileage vehicle. My budget is £2-3K. Is that realistic? Does a station wagon or County type body cost more than a van (or add up to a tattier vehicle for a given price)?
Thanks in advance for any guidance.
