The land rover defender probably the best 4x4 ever built

[geoffrey]

Despite all the negative reports and silly comments, last summer I treated myself to an old land rover 110 it was a 1985 model that came with a 2.5 n/a engine and during the summer I covered around 5000 miles in it. The engine although lacking a turbo charger plodded along and returned 28mpg overall.
The vehicle looked pretty smart but needed a lot of work to get it up to scratch, most of this work I managed to do with the help of a Haynes manual, this included new suspension all round, ball joints upgraded lighting, reconditioned steering box,
After a while I found the n/a engine too slow when loaded up with trailer and quad so I rebuilt a 300tdi engine and my local garage did the transplant. What a difference this has made. I now have a very drivable defender which starts on the button and steers in a straight line, it will be interesting to see how reliable this vehicle will be
As I have a suspicion that most of the reliability problems is down to lack of maintenance and abuse, I chose the 300tdi because once the EGR valve is removed it has no ECU to worry about so no electronic failures that later models are plagued with. time will tell.

 

[greenshoots]

so I rebuilt a 300tdi engine

you hit the nail on the head with that statement to get the best out of a landrover mechanical knowledge is a must, i would love a series 3 ragtop but i dont know one end of a spanner from the other

greenshoots

 

[SimpleSimon]

My father in law has an 80s 90 with the 300tdi engine, it rarely gets an outing now but my wife used to use it as her daily drive and for getting to and from college (180 odd mile round trip each week) when she was there. It took us on a few several hundred mile trips for holidays and was always a lot of fun.
The real let down was a plague of minor niggling problems. Overall "start and drive" reliability was great, but weekly it would need a new fuse, or a bulb, or the stereo would break, or the door would stick, or... Something.
That said, I loved it, and whenever I see it shoved at the back if her dad's drive becoming less used as he becomes older it does make me a bit sad.

 

[bogtrotter]

The plus side of Landrovers is the ease of working on them basic tool kit, availability of spares and at a reasonable price.

The down side shocking reliability and I do have some experience had nine of them before I saw the light.

 

[paul o']

But as plus you can find many good parts in the scrap yard and have hours of fun dragging the kids and wife around and wading in the oil filled yards looking for bits to repair your pride and joy ? and you may even spot the next part you need and pre-empt the next road side wait for the AA low loader

 

[AN DU RU FOX]

Have often thought what if they put a couple of clips on the bulkhead they would have everything,you know which i mean like the ones they have on buses for emergency exit with a toffee hammer on, but in lannie terms it would be a 14lb er!,

 

[paul o']

most i'v seen have four hand prints on the back ? I think they are built with them in place! just in case the owners need to know what place is best to push to get them off the road

 

[timbrayford]

I used to have a Series III LWB, it only had 34k miles on the clock but the gear box was already worn out!

 

[Wingy]

I've had many landrovers over the years from series 2a's, 3's, a lightweight, a modified lightweight with 3.5 V8, and a 110 300TDI. I can't argue I loved them all. I even built a space framed Bowler racer. Thing is the modifications and maintenance is quite easy with a little know how and becomes a hobby. A bit like reloading is to shooting. Thing is I found I needed a second everyday form of transport, motorcycle & small car for me as the landrovers were off the road so often. Either due to being modified or just fixing them
Wingy

 

[unicorn71]

I must have been lucky with my defenders as both were ultra reliable but for long distance they were torture and limited for space, however if all my stalking was local I would have one again .

 

[Markfox]

I owned a number of defenders over the years , I've had a couple nicked , I bought a Toyota hilux and I'd never buy another defender ever again

I've had a number of discoverys all the diesels are rubbish the petrol v8 is the best one

I've had a couple of L322 range rovers strangely I can't really fault them

 

[Bushwack]

I must have been lucky with my defenders as both were ultra reliable but for long distance they were torture and limited for space, however if all my stalking was local I would have one again .

I had 2 defenders (TD5 90 and TDI 110 truck) for more than 15 years. used them for hunting and photographic safaris...and loved them, excellent 4x4 vehicles...but p!@@ing blood after every 500miles driving them in Africa... hell, I had to switch to Toyota Hilux...

 

[Kalahari]

I had 2 defenders (TD5 90 and TDI 110 truck) for more than 15 years. used them for hunting and photographic safaris...and loved them, excellent 4x4 vehicles...but p!@@ing blood after every 500miles driving them in Africa... hell, I had to switch to Toyota Hilux...

The infamous "land rover kidneys"!

David.

 

[Mungo]

We had them as a small kid in Africa, and I can vividly remember the sheer joy across the family when Dad finally abandoned them and got a Hilux (which we had for 15 years after that, with almost no problems).

I didn't sit in one for the best part of 20 years (every research project I worked on in Africa used Toyotas almost exclusively). Then a few months ago borrowed one on a farm where I do the foxing. It was a new vehicle - 2015 plate with almost nothing on the clock. And I was appalled. It was like stepping into a time warp to the early 1980s. The ergonomics were ludicrous - everything was in awkward places. It was cramped and uncomfortable. The fittings were poor. The clutch was like pushing a tin diving flipper through a bucket of rocks. The steering was like stirring custard with a rubber spoon.

I couldn't believe it. It simply was not fit for purpose - 1950s technology and 1970s industrial standards in the modern world.

The absolute mystery to me is why the Toyota Landcrusier 70 series has never been released in the UK. Had that happened, Landrovers would have been put out of their misery a long time ago.

 

[Kalahari]

Even the 70 series is on the way out. They were releasing a final version in Japan, leather interior, 4L diesel. and all the proper stuff inside. Have to agree it would have monstered the Land Rover in this country just as it did in so many other markets.

David.

 

[TOMMO.B]

They were the quickest to rust. and the new ones are worse. 5 year old and requiring extensive welding to chassis.
Had there day long ago.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

I was on the Discovery launch team working for a supplier 2005 and I got to walk along the Defender assembly line once, once was enough, it was an Arthur Skargill like mentallity a real time warp I was expecting the power cuts and the 3 day week to happen.

 

[Heym SR20]

I have spent quite a bit of my life in Landrovers - indeed my earliest memories are of an old light blue SWB Series 11 station wagon in Rhodesia that my father had as works vehicle. As a three or four year old sitting in the back going through the bush was a big treat.

I had an early 110 on a C plate for a while. It was a van body with side windows, heavy duty rear springs and the large 2.5 Litre straight four. It was powerful, smooth and an excellent chassis. In Zambia I had a fleet of old series 1 / 11 and 111 landrovers. We running a small holder agriculture scheme in the Eastern Province, and we collected up several old dead landrovers. We had brilliant Zambian mechanics, and every few weeks out would another landrover from the workshop. My own vehicle was an ex Military Lightweight called Jemima - and she was brilliant in the bush, but could never do much above 45 mph - mind you the state of Zambia's main roads did n't allow much above that. We had a 110 diesel - non-turbo and that was very comfortable but let down by woeful performance and poor seating.

We did have a double cab Hilux. Much, much more comfortable to drive, but hard leaf springs meant the suspension could never keep up with corrugations and it would swap ends if you were not careful - it needed plenty of weight in back.

But we looked with envy at all the NGO workers with their Landcruisers and Nissan Patrols.

Modern Defenders - the TD5 is a nice engine, but with the rest they have just tried to add modern features to a 50 plus year old design. Even the Defender is a mid 80's design. The simple versions work well, the modern ones do as well, but if you are anything over about 5ft 2 3/8" of an inch tall forget it in terms of any sort of comfort.

 

[Hornet 6]

You do realise that all you who are rubbishing the Landy are wrong don't you ?
Introduced in 1948 and built until 2015, that doesn't happen without there being people out there to buy them.
If they really were as bad as you say, there wouldn't be any buyers out there.

Neil.

 

[TOMMO.B]

You do realise that all you who are rubbishing the Landy are wrong don't you ?
Introduced in 1948 and built until 2015, that doesn't happen without there being people out there to buy them.
If they really were as bad as you say, there wouldn't be any buyers out there.

Neil.

How many are being used by farmers and professionals now. Not a lot. Land Rover priced them self's out of the market and lost out to the japs.
The crudeness was fine in 1948 but not now.
I have had some fun in a defender. (and sore elbows with hunching up to drive) But for me its a pick up all the way. Even with my Navara D40 chassis snapping it was a better drive than a Defender And as for parts the japs are way easier to repair and you dont need your late grandfathers imperial tools from the war to fix.
OH i can feel the back lash coming.