Re: Is the Defender really the car for me?
Posted by Michael from Oz on January 13, 1998 at 22:45:04:
In Reply to: Is the Defender really the car for me? posted by Poul Bjerre on January 05, 1998 at 06:32:55:
G'day I drove a 300 tdi Defender 110 almost every day for two years and I loved it. It returned about 10 litres / 100km, was generally reliable (it never broke down although the air-conditioning, and Australian add on failed twice). I now have a 200tdi three door Discovery in defference to my wife's need for a more luxurious vehicle.
Your Defender will cruise easily and suprisingly quiently at 110 kph. Because it is lower geared than the Discovery, it gets off the mark better and is better at overtaking in the mid speed ranges (70 to 100km).
The ergonomics of the Defender are a little dated and crude but it does not take long to get used to them. The tyres did 87000km in the time I had it and were still good for about 15000km more.
The seats are basic but quite comfortable. I put sheep skin covers over them and this improved them considerably.
The body work responds well to some additional under sealing which will seal small openings and keep water out. The Meccano construction of Defenders does let in some wind and water but some undersealing will solve most lower leaks.
The "Alpine Lights" - those funny little windows in the roof - sometimes need a little extra sealant.
Don't buy one with carpets. Rubber mats are tougher and it doesn't matter if they get wet.
Oil your door locks and external fittings. The dealer is supposed to but they never do. This will stop a lot of "rust".
Finally - the Defender is a truck - it is not a luxury vehicle - expect a few "teething" problems but then expect a long period of happy ownership.
Hope this helps Michael PS Drop in at my site for even more Land Rover bumpf.
Follow Up Messages
| 
