The Defender thread

Just bought a 1963 diesel 88" S2A project, original Irish registered.

Is the 4xforum still going, I registered there the other day, haven't been approved yet though?

Any other good forums for them, I'm in the process of joining the S2 Club in the UK.

Ill check for you Murph

You need a new wheelbox probably (that's the cog, shaft and the housing they come in) and if you take the cable off at the motor and turn it 180 degrees the other side of the splines will engage with the cog.


I replaced both wheelboxs on mine before Christmas and when I put it all back together it was worse .
After a lot of trail and error plus a good bit of swearing I but the new part in the vice pushed the top of the housing 2 or 3 mm closer to the cog and it solved the problem.


Hope this helps good luck with it.

I've seen this come up in the UK forums where it is legal to replace your chassis, but not in Ireland. There may be others here who have more experience of it.

Technically your VIN comes with your chassis. In all likelihood you can get a new chassis but the hoops you will have to jump through will be ridiculous. If you replace your chassis you will most likely have to re-register your vehicle. I think you will have to contact the vehicle reg office in Rosslare to get a definitive answer.

I have heard of people galvanising the original chassis after ensuring it is sound and leaving the stamped VIN exposed.

If I was doing it this is how I would approach it. Try to start with a sound one but most chassis parts can be replaced, while keeping the substantial part intact. If you are doing a ground up build you will start with a stripped down chassis anyway.

So with that in mind, will a UK V5 come with a Richards or similar chassis or will that chassis technically still be on the road in the UK as someone over there has just swapped out a galv chassis? and Richards have dipped the old one?

Pete - Richards and Marsland chassis are brand new reproductions with no identity or V5, not old chassis galvanised. You can buy them for just about every model up to Discovery 2. You can replace a chassis on a UK vehicle like for like and retain the registration, it belongs to the vehicle as a whole, not the chassis. With values rising, it's a fairly common practice and the old chassis is scrapped.

Mycroft, Land Rover Defender and Series prices are climbing at the moment, especially good original ones up to and including Td5. My 74 Lightweight (on a galvanised chassis!) is worth 6k, my 101 8-10k and my shabby 00 110 is still worth 6 - 7k. I had a very original factory registered 84 110 I sold to a mate a few years back, should have hung on to it, probably worth 4 times what I sold it for!!

101sean wrote: »

Those are sterling prices, forum doesn't seem to like the pound sign!!

We sold our clean 200tdi 5 years back for near 5,000 Euro. They're that and more over there (plus the sterling difference)

The disco is still a cheap buy over there. None of the appeal but a few creature comforts

I have been tracking UK defender prices since early last year when I near totalled my own and was looking at replacements. I would say in twelve months the asking price for late TD5s (04-07) has gone up by about 20% on an already incredible price.

To put it in perspective, in 2006 I bought a 2005 XS (highest spec) 90 for £20.5k in the UK. That was about £6.5k less than new price which I thought was decent. Now, ten years later it could probably realise 14k-15k to trade, more if sold privately. That's still sterling prices. This means the depreciation has been about £500 per year. I can live with that.

Good if you got one. Not so good if you yearn for one.

It is not just that they stopped making them, though that is a big part of it. They can modified in so many ways and I think we all know that despite their uncountable flaws (found dozens in ten years and only scratched the surface) and dodgy detailing they are just soooooooo damn cool. And that's not easy to achieve when you are pushing fifty. :cool:

banjolin wrote: »

Pete, what Sean says raises something else to watch out for. Given the difference between UK and Irish rules, you should watch out if buying a starter from the UK. If it has already had the chassis replaced there (i.e. not on the original) it might cause some problems here when you go to register it.

Yeah, I had always been weary of importing one because of the difference in chassis rules.
To be honest, my plan was to start from the ground up and build one in the shed over the space of numerous years. with new or reconditioned parts. its more of a hobby than a daily driver.

Any Defender TDCi(puma) owners experience turbo issues? Mine started make the odd screech but after and oil change it sounds like a bag of cats. Only 150K Kms on her and hasn't had the toughest life for a Defender.

Warped exhaust manifold can sound like a screech, don't know if Tdci's are prone to this, Td5s were if worked very hard.

Never mind. Think I found the problem. The contacts in the multi switch (indicator) for operating the headlights are out of line. The plastic casing has melted. Didn't check it earlier because it was only replaced in February, and it's a bitch to get at. Quality of spares is gone to hell. PITA :mad:

I am guessing that the smaller headlight switch sends power for the headlights to the multi switch which then determines whether it is dipped or full beam. Apparently older models had dimmed/dip option as well operated by the relay behind the instruments. Messy.

Highway patrolman, have you really thought this through? There are cheaper and less risky ways of expressing that middle age itch. Have you thought about buying a crotch rocket. Born again bikers or even ageing newbies are everywhere. Then again you might not be middle-aged. What about having an affair?

Seriously though, unless you are up for participating fully in the ownership of an ageing defender, and not expecting to just sit in every time and expect it to go, don't even consider it. Mine is only 11 years old, a mere pup, and I take nothing for granted. And I have owned it since it was nearly new and know everything about it.

You can definitely get a minger in the UK for under £5k but be prepared for a partial/total rebuild. A respectable runner will cost at least £8K and still require surgery. Buying any Defender has the potential to turn you into a gibbering idiot.

Advice? Do your research. Then do it again. Get to know them inside out and when you are sure you are prepared for anything then set your budget and go for it. I think we have or will soon reach peak Defender. Prices can't keep going up. To be honest, 90's are far more desirable, and hence pricey, than 110s at the moment, mainly because they appeal to the mod squad who are buying them up and turning them into tricked up Chelsea Tractors. 110s appeal more to the practical and rural buyers and while good clean ones are hard to come by they are out there and much less likely to be heavily modified.

Bottom line is you really have to love them to own them. So take your time.

I might have agreed with you up to this year about the other woman but I have been sorely tested of late. As we speak I have no headlights and it intermittently refuses to start.

In the UK Autotrader is a good place to start. Put in a UK mainland postcode and search "national" to get an idea of what is available. They also come up regularly on carandclassic.co.uk but they tend to be pricey. This would be fairly typical of what you are looking for. It is a good place to look for private sales.

There are dozens of independent specialists that you can find with a quick search. Some are happy to keep an eye out for a specific model if you ask nicely. The advantages of buying from a dealer are somewhat moot if they are in the UK. The truth is they get chopped and parts don't always match up and most dealers won't bother to check that. Much better to go well informed and actually give the truck a good once over and look for a half decent service record, especially for the early years. Well maintained high milers are way better than abused low mileage trucks.

I find myself asking, knowing what I know about them, and if I had the money, would I buy one now. The answer is yes.

Now that I think of it Sean101 on here has one that might be up for sale soon??? Can't remember if it is a hard-top or a station wagon.

Banjolin, did you get the lights sorted?

Hi Sean Thanks for the info, a lot of people seem to be afraid of the td5, that's why I was leaning towards a 300tdi, apart from the engine and transmission what else would be different if anything?