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| Will@LRW Member Since: 04 May 2019 Location: UK Posts: 183   
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I would definitely take the time and effort to fly, see and drive a prospective purchase in person before it gets shipped. No two Defenders drive the same.
This year I bought a Defender overseas unseen, and was only comfortable to do so because I know them inside out and it was a special example. And I still did a separate recce trip which cost me about £1k extra on top. Lot of other good advice had been given in this thread already. Good luck! LR Workshop Find a Defender's history and spec: https://defender.lrworkshop.com |
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31st Oct 2024 11:06am |
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| rustandoil Member Since: 08 Sep 2012 Location: Cotswolds Posts: 745  
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I was just about to recommend a look at will@lrw's YouTube story of purchasing from abroad....
Plenty of info there  |
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31st Oct 2024 12:40pm |
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| Ianb Member Since: 25 Oct 2023 Location: Devon Posts: 405  
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I don't actually know so someone might say otherwise, but I'm not convinced a roll cage is going to be a great help in standard driving accidents other than a rollover.
The Defender has no airbags, built like a solid brick lower down, but like a tin can high up... It's very difficult to buy something without seeing, a "genuine example" will probably cost more, I'd guess hold its value better? but it should be basic without any odd goings on that you have to figure out (without the previous owner input) etc. A modded one might be modded to hide a multitude of sins, it might be modded then the owner realised it was too expensive to fix the next issue so is parting, or it might have been cared for by someone who put in a great deal of effort and expense then life changed.. I certainly feel my defender fell into that last category, the previous previous owner was meticulous, tons of receipts, very loved, but quite modded, sadly he passed away, hence why it got sold. The Yeti - 110 Camper https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic90308.html Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@YetitheDefender Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/yetithedefender/ |
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31st Oct 2024 3:38pm |
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| DSC-off Member Since: 16 Oct 2014 Location: North East Posts: 1428 
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With the greatest respect to you. The best thing to do in your position, before it becomes an expensive mistake, is look at Defenders and learn where the usual problems are. Then you'll know what to look for and what a good one should be like. There's no urgent rush, prices aren't going up, there will always be a choice of good (and bad) ones for sale.
This is why that crossmember has been welded, and why I recommend buying one from a warm, dry, salt free climate:  Click image to enlarge |
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31st Oct 2024 4:04pm |
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| JOW240725 Member Since: 04 May 2015 Location: Suffolk Posts: 7906 
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Defenders are marmite, we all love them, I'd never be without ours, but they're certainly not for everyone!!
Have you considered approaching a UK company to help source and import? Plenty out there depending on budget, but condition is everything and you'd certainly want a trusted person to give it a once over. Good luck. James
MY2012 110 2.2TDCi XS SW Orkney Grey - http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic43410.html MY1990 110 200TDi SW beautifully faded Portofino Red - https://www.defender2.net/forum/post743641.html#743641 MY1984 90 V8 Slate Grey - https://www.defender2.net/forum/post744557.html#744557 Instagram @suffolk_rovers |
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31st Oct 2024 6:21pm |
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| Race.it Member Since: 27 Aug 2019 Location: Algeciras Posts: 823  
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Another option maybe to see if there are specialists close to the defenders you like and see if they will go and inspect it, and provide a report to fix items.
It’s prob cheaper to fix issues in Europe before you send it to Canada, or even purchase the spare parts needed and put them inside the vehicle for shopping. I did that with a 1954 pickup I brought from the US years ago. Paid off as I did not need to get the truck here then see I needed to spend on parts and shipping of them parts Searching for my first Defender...and started just as Covid hit, so talk about timing. 5 months after starting the search I found it, and here is the details |
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2nd Nov 2024 8:27am |
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| Dinnu Member Since: 24 Dec 2019 Location: Lija Posts: 3421  
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Those welded plates on the rear crossmember of #4 are indeed strange, but the rest of the crossmember looks very solid, with just a few cosmetic dents.
It is on Dutch plates, Holland does not have mountains, but they do occasionally salt the roads, but generally they maintain their cars very well. I would expect more tell tale signs of corrosion if it was a rust issue, which there is none. Otherwise its the one I like most, second would be #2. 1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing 2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black |
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2nd Nov 2024 9:39am |
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| ds_discosport Member Since: 28 Oct 2024 Location: Toronto Posts: 5 
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hi All,
Since you all were super supportive and helpful with my last ask..i thought i'd reach out again.. found another listing that seems to fall within my price bracket. https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/land-ro...able=false A little rough on the interior, but outside looks decent. Also, there seems to be a safari like roof opening behind the second row. you can see the additional panel on top of he roof, is that correct? is 167km high mileage for this price point? Thoughts? |
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6th Nov 2024 9:11pm |
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| Not_Given Member Since: 25 Dec 2017 Location: UK Posts: 94 
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In no way a professional opinion:
I an not at all familiar with what has been done to the roof and, as such, would be concerned. Is it plastic and will shatter in a Saskatchewan winter? Or poorly sealed and let in a BC rain storm? Also, what have they done to the roof (cutting through ribs etc. That said, 1 owner for that long is a plus. 167K to be expected, but can't comment on the price. A new steering wheel would go a long way to improve the interior. However, I'd want a new roof too. Which is doable, for a price. The warranty on the above thoughts expires at the end of this sentence! |
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7th Nov 2024 3:49am |
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| Dinnu Member Since: 24 Dec 2019 Location: Lija Posts: 3421
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That roof thing is a Dutch thing too. I thought it was only on 90s to get the interior volume big enough to be categorized as a goods vehicle, hence cheaper road tax. 1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing
2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black |
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7th Nov 2024 5:11am |
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| Ianb Member Since: 25 Oct 2023 Location: Devon Posts: 405
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Do other countries have their equivalent of MOT checks available to view online? For the OP, an MOT is an annual check that we have to have done by a garage... sometimes it's not worth the paper it's written on, even when accurate doesn't guarantee anything, but when you see an MOT history that is reds and oranges, (red = fail, orange = advisory) then see the same advisories year on year, it can sometimes give you an indication as to whether or not the owner kept on top of everything etc.
One of the main things I found when hunting for ours is our MOT history never had any repeated advisories, rarely failed and mostly passed without advisories, which gave me the confidence to bother to travel 600+ miles to go view it in the first instance. The Yeti - 110 Camper https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic90308.html Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@YetitheDefender Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/yetithedefender/ |
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7th Nov 2024 2:43pm |
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| TexasRover Member Since: 24 Nov 2022 Location: Paris Posts: 1084  
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Does not look like it is increasing interior space by much at all. Looks more like a removeable panel to stick you head through the roof |
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7th Nov 2024 2:56pm |
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| Race.it Member Since: 27 Aug 2019 Location: Algeciras Posts: 823
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In reply to ianb
Spain for instance does not have mot (itv) online and all you get for history is a sticker on a piece of a4 paper if the seller does not keep the emissions paperwork you never know more. Though Spanish itv is nothing like the uk mot, just had my daily go through the itv with two really noisy and moving wheel bearings, it passed. Would not of passed a uk test. Have seen worse (also we have two blown shocks and still passed with that) Don’t know re Dutch or German test but there is carfax in Europe that checks the insurance db etc Searching for my first Defender...and started just as Covid hit, so talk about timing. 5 months after starting the search I found it, and here is the details |
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7th Nov 2024 3:25pm |
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| Dinnu Member Since: 24 Dec 2019 Location: Lija Posts: 3421
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Picture 25 shows the modification to the roof liner. Indeed its not a lot of gain, but apparently enough to get through the Dutch regulation. Edit: see also https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic91284.html 1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing 2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black |
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7th Nov 2024 5:32pm |
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