Land Rover Defender used car advice

Posted on 20-08-2013 at 16:00 by Alwood – 30 Comments”

Defenders are good allrounders pur sang, but usually one puts the Defender in to full throttle over speed bumps driving. The coast guard uses them, as well as the Marines.

The Land Rover Defender in the short
A Defender is not just a used car. It sounds like a cliché, but with every Land Rover Defender, you’ll buy a piece of history. Over 50 years ago, begins the development of the model, as ‘Series 1’. It is still a small car, with a shorter wheelbase than today and leaf springs make it a lot less comfortable than the Defenders of today. Yet, it is in that time a car that good can come on the road and especially all the side of the road.

Still, the Land Rover Defender at great height when it comes to ‘go anywhere capability. Especially under circumstances where a simple car a necessity it seems. Electronics is extreme situtaties in the way, advanced technology is more likely to stretch and is more difficult to repair. Nevertheless, it is true that in Africa and the deserts of the Arabian peninsula, they prefer Japanese offroaders like the Patrol and Land Cruiser.

Land Rover makes the Defender according to an old recipe. A recipe that makes it impossible the car is new to sell in America, but at the same time, an extreme degree of interchangeability between new and old models. On the basis of the car is a very steel ladderchassis. Two steel beams from the front to the rear forms the basis of the car. Springs on rigid axles wear this chassis. Between the beams is located in the front of usually a diesel engine, in most cases, with about 120 to 130 hp. A lot of Defender engines are viercilinders but there are around the turn of the century also vijfcilinders used, at the time under the watchful eye of BMW for Land Rover developed.

The very koppelrijke, quiet in the rpm’s climbing diesels make the Land Rover Defender no snelwegbeest. Along with the movement of the turbodiesels fine, parking in the city is easy and you can burden behind hang of 3500 kg. Once on the motorway fights the aluminum gazebo (placed on the steel chassis) fierce against air resistance and that you can hear.

Sit on a tuinstoeltje, the steering is much more horizontal than most cars and the seat is very ‘upright’. Nevertheless, long breaks in a Defender, with appropriate speed à 90-100 km/h, as best as possible. How modern the Defender, the greater the comfort. Seat position and interieurruimte change, however little. New models win on smoothness of the engine and sound insulation. Depending on the implementation (90/110/130 inch wheelbase) hovers consumption for the diesel engines is around 9 to 10 litres on 100 km.

As a used car
Looking for the ideal Land Rover Defender, you can very in many different directions. Coarse taken produces Land Rover model since 1983. In the first years are called the long and short models, respectively, ‘Ninety’ and ‘One Ten’. They are in Great Britain then not yet on the name ‘Defender’. Models prior to 1983 differ actually in chassis, brakes and suspension and go as a ‘Series’ (1/2/3) through life.

In view of the upcoming ‘the abolition of exemption motor vehicle taxes oldtimers‘ have the classics (1983-1987) any charm is lost. Diesels from that era usually have no turbo, its strong but very slow. This is the road tax for diesels of 1600 kg and more expensive. A pleasant exception to this are the more rare V8 petrol Defender. Almost from the beginning delivers Land Rover Defender with 3.5 litre Rover V8. One of the most produced and versatile applied engines ever. In the ‘classic’ Ninety and One Ten delivers this block 136 hp. Later, in 1998, there are also small series and Defenders with 4 liter 182 horsepower V8.

Creative projects aside, moving most of the Defenders vision on diesel. From the 113 hp 300tdi is the Defender well join in with the daily traffic. Even faster is the TD5 (122 hp). That engine is after 2002 is somewhat pinched in the lower rpm’s because of its emissions. Since then, there are still a 2.4 turbo diesel Ford and a 2.2 TD4 in the Defender spooned.

Prices are dependent on the state of the Defender range from €5000,- to €50.000,-. Relatively cheap ‘loafers’ are often part of a full restoration need to be reliable for a few years. Well-maintained copies are already to be found between €8000 and €12000,-. Defenders are in terms of acquisition not cheap cars, but the car is also wanted and therefore loses little value. Inevitably there hefty maintenance costs on Defenders, but those who like to self knutselt remains a high bill savings. Parts are very well available for all years through all kinds of official and especially “aftermarket” channels.

From 1998 BMW pulls the strings and improved the quality of Defenders. When Ford in 2007, Land Rover took over, they assembled a better engine and began the assembling of steel doors. Of these cars, the bodywork is the least to suffer.

Issues
Despite the long development time is a Land Rover Defender is still not error-free. Bodywork, brakes, and electronics can all be (big) problems. Only the supporting parts of the chassis seem to be fairly indestructible. Chassis can heavily corrode, but are at the same time very strong.

Have the older Defender (pre TD5) you interested? Carefully inspect the entire body and chassis. Steel parts rust heavily, and rust in 20 years if you paid no attention to the cars spends. Aluminum body panels may be after 10 to 15 years corrosion show. Sheet metal ‘responding’ than with steel frames. It hurt the functioning of the car itself is little, but beautiful it looks. On the outside it is often much opgebolde lacquer and white attack. Doors and fenders are easily available new, which costs primarily in the paint to sit. In case of damage to the bulkhead (check near the hinges of the front doors and voetenbakken driver and passenger) is a repair is more complicated.

Motor are Defenders strong. They are oversized and are never really ‘in power’ driven. It keeps the turbo’s often a long time and come out cracked cylinder heads and exhaust manifolds less than in the Land Rover Discoveries with the same engines. High mileage harm the car’s barely any. Do not wash after off-roading and poor maintenance hurts the Defender.

Mud and water in the engine compartment left often works as a first in on fans and the alternator. A short look under the hood you can learn a lot. The same applies for the chassis. Sit here, big holes in it, use this to see if the beams are thoroughly clean.

Electronics can be a crime in Land Rover Defenders. Land Rover seems to be fairly random wiring harnesses in each other. On the most strange places to sit kroonsteentjes and electronic failures are the car so not strange. Of ABS and ESP malfunctions to broken computers, or turn signals, everything comes for. Computers are under the passenger seat mounted. There is a wiring harness to go to, where sometimes water is leaking, then dies the computer. The best Land Rovers are instances where a specialist this kind of weak spots already taken out. For example, by harness again or to soldering and insulating.

Look for traces of oil at the pivot points of the front wheels. Check play in tie rod ends and universal joints. Some (older) cars have grease nipples on these parts sit and regularly need fresh grease in the moving parts.

Conclusion
Werkschuwe people: stay with the Land Rover Defender away or take a very large bag of money. Buy a Land Rover Defender to adventure, the charm of self to the car and are unbeatable terreincapaciteiten. As a hobby V8-petrol models very special and powerful machines, but in terms of character fit diesels the car better. Speed is a Defender from the evil, just as the ‘drukmaken to time’.

You will be a Land Rover Defender, never need washing, hosing down is strongly recommended. Black hands, you get no doubt, and it demands a rich and/or skilled man to put him in a good state of driving. The reward? There you will have to come by to drive. A Defender brings you to the most remote holiday destinations in the world, and then drag the heaviest loads. Does this appeal to? Click through for an overview of Land Rover Defender used cars.

Gallery: Land Rover Defender 1983-2012

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Gallery: Land Rover Defender 2013

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