 | Home > Puma (Tdci) > New Defender - Must-do jobs |
 
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| ericvv Member Since: 02 Jun 2011 Location: Near the Jet d'Eau Posts: 5816   
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Dinitrol is the way to go, and if you have any chance, get a first class professional to do it from new. Take your time to find one you feel comfortable with.
My truck today after 5.5 years and 65k km still looks like in below pics. (the second pic taken only last week) Do a search on dinitrol here, and you will get many educative threads te make up your mind. As to SS bolts, yes, a very good idea, but a little less urgent. You can take your time to do this. On mine this was done after about 3 months when the first sign of rust on a standard door bolt appeared. So then my dealers changed the whole lot. All other mods, well those are optional, and as per your desire...... Good luck 
 Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge You never actually own a Defender. You merely look after it for the next generation. http://youtu.be/yVRlSsJwD0o https://youtu.be/vmPr3oTHndg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GtzTT9Pdl0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABqKPz28e6A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZ49Jce_n0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvAsz_ilQYU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8tMHiX9lSw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dxwjPuHIV7I https://vimeo.com/201482507 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSixqL0iyHw |
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15th Jan 2014 7:17am |
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| ericvv Member Since: 02 Jun 2011 Location: Near the Jet d'Eau Posts: 5816
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My choice and my cost of course. But as my Defender is a long term project, I had no problem letting them do that. Mind, it is a lot of work, even for a main dealer who is used to work on Defenders. I believe in my case it took them something like 15 hours to do the full job. I was kind of lucky with this as I had asked the reception for an estimate first, and the guy told me that it would take about 4 hours. So when in the end I got an invoice for about 15 hours, the head of the maintenance department checked about the estimate, and then cut the invoice in half.
At that time when my Defender was only a few months old I had never heard of Nakatanenga yet, so I found Stig Fasteners who also do really very full sets for various types of Defenders, and I must say until today they continue to look spic and span. You can find some pictures in my gallery. Eric You never actually own a Defender. You merely look after it for the next generation. http://youtu.be/yVRlSsJwD0o https://youtu.be/vmPr3oTHndg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GtzTT9Pdl0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABqKPz28e6A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZ49Jce_n0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvAsz_ilQYU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8tMHiX9lSw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dxwjPuHIV7I https://vimeo.com/201482507 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSixqL0iyHw |
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15th Jan 2014 11:55am |
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| pjb Member Since: 08 Apr 2009 Location: Sunny Oxford Posts: 1244 |
To be fair the Defender does not actually need anything doing to it probably 20% of those bought new are by people like us
 that decide to improve our cars from the landrover standard but to be honest its not necessary just a nice to do.
I know many farmers who buy a new defender & do nothing to them yet they will give good service & they work them hard so do not fall into the trap of think you need do anything. Rust proofing Soundproofing better headlights are all good things to do if keeping long term but none are necessary Do not forget this site is about what can be done, what has been done but rarely is it what must be done Get & enjoy and decide for yourself once you have it what you would like to improve 2020 P300 HSE |
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15th Jan 2014 12:15pm |
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| mk1collector Member Since: 17 Sep 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 6769  
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It seems no'one has mentioned security yet
 get lots of different security!!! A search of the forum will bring up many threads on different devices. |
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15th Jan 2014 12:23pm |
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| MJP Member Since: 28 Dec 2013 Location: Holywell Posts: 41 
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A quick recommendation of security equipment please?
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15th Jan 2014 12:57pm |
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| MJP Member Since: 28 Dec 2013 Location: Holywell Posts: 41
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Solutions/ecommendations for:
Headlights? Soundprrofing? |
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15th Jan 2014 1:00pm |
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| Diablo Member Since: 26 Oct 2011 Location: Basingstoke Posts: 335 
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Headlights:
upgrade to crystals and re-wire the headlights so that they are relayed, as opposed to allowing the switch to burn out. Soundproofing, all sorts you can do. Worth using a vibration damper on large panels (eg silent coat, dynamat, all the same stuff), then a layer of closed cell foam, then a layer of mass loaded vinyl - though you may not be able to use all of the layers everywhere. Security is a big 'un though - at least get the ignition guard from X-eng. |
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15th Jan 2014 1:34pm |
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| mk1collector Member Since: 17 Sep 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 6769
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With security you want as much as possible. As above x eng ing guard, discloc is good and a visual deterrent, one of the many pedal locks is a good idea and if your getting a puma, security bonnet hinges may be a good idea as the bonnets can go walkies easily but I'd recommend reading up on the many many threads on here.
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15th Jan 2014 2:33pm |
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| richardg Member Since: 17 Dec 2012 Location: Cumbria Posts: 30 
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Some better security is an absolute must from day one, pedal lock is a good start. Corrosion protection is important, just pay to get this done. One other bit of advice would be to get some off road driver training if you haven't already had this. Having driven Defenders and Series Land rovers for over 20 years I learnt a lot in a few hours with an instructor. A hundred quid or so well spent.
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17th Jan 2014 8:20pm |
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| MJP Member Since: 28 Dec 2013 Location: Holywell Posts: 41
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What about fitting Dynamat?
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18th Jan 2014 6:48am |
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| MJP Member Since: 28 Dec 2013 Location: Holywell Posts: 41
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What about painting the reader cross member before fitting the rear NAS step?
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18th Jan 2014 7:04am |
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| Byronavitch Member Since: 26 Oct 2013 Location: NE Posts: 115 
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Just in the process of fitting Crystals with osrams could you explain what you meant about the burnt out switches is there something I need to do when fitting,thanks |
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18th Jan 2014 10:43am |
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| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8580 
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The main light switch may over time over heat, melt the plastic/burn out the contacts.
Whilst this may occur it is not a every day failure event. I have only experienced the light switch burning out once. If people are travelling abroad or doing a lot of night time driving I suggest that some optional driving lights are NOT wired through the main beam switch but are wired completely independent as a separate circuit. Wiring optional driving lights this way is ILLEGAL for road use but if travelling in a remote area it is a safety system which deserves some consideration. There is a voltage drop on the light circuit Since Voltage = Current x Resistance ( V= IR). Standard light bulbs are a resistive element and is a constant for a light bulb (OK varies with temperature) so if voltage drops the current must drop hence light output drops! This is one advantage of LEDs as they work over a voltage range of say 9-32 volts
To improve the light output of standard lights you can improve the wiring to the headlights which will decrease the voltage drop i.e. higher voltage at the actual headlight. You can either buy a ready made kit, the best one/heavy duty one I have seen is the Nakatanenga one, there is the one available from NL or you make up your own kit. HTH Brendan |
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18th Jan 2014 11:13am |
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| K9F Member Since: 12 Nov 2009 Location: Bournemouth Posts: 9610 
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Security is an emotive issue as (mostly up North) Defenders are easy targets. The layered approach is best in my view....
A few things you 'may' wish to consider that won't cost the earth.....some have already been mentioned.... Skytag or a Thatcham approved Cat 5 or 6 tracker. Decent pedal lock. X-Eng ignition barrel shroud. Possible relocation of OBD port. The fitting of ball bearings with resin in your door hinge torx bolt heads. Ant-theft bonnet hinges. Decent front lightguards with anti-tamper bolt heads. Internal window guards especially on the rear small oval windows. The list goes on, but as stated a few costs nowt but a little resourcing and time if you have the ability. Here's a thread with a few albeit dated statistics. Partymonkey put a recent thread up with a few updates too. http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic17212.html?highlight=layered
Forget about painting the rear crossmember. My vehicle has sat outside for the best part of 6 years and apart from a regular liberal squirt of WD40 it still looks as good as when I got it. If you go through life with your head in the sand....all people will see is an ar5e!! Treat every day as if it is your last....one day you will be right!! |
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18th Jan 2014 11:22am |
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