 | Home > Puma (Tdci) > Newbie:- essential upgrades |
 
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| JSG Member Since: 12 Jul 2007 Location: Berkshire Posts: 2412   
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Why not Justin? John http://www.hampshire4x4response.co.uk 2011 Tdci 110 CSW XS |
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4th Oct 2011 9:23pm |
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| CityDriver Member Since: 27 Sep 2011 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 60 
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This sounds like what exactly the sort of thing I was thinking of. What switches did you use for the lights? I am thinking of installing a nice instrument panel with an eye on future "gadgets". |
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5th Oct 2011 7:52am |
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| Happyoldgit Member Since: 14 Sep 2007 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3471 
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If you've never owned a Defender or done any offroad driving before you start contemplating bells and whistles I'd seriously consider investing in some decent tuition or membership of your local club so that you know what the vehicle is capable of and how to drive it sympathetically. Steve.
Owned numerous Land Rover vehicles of all shapes and sizes over the decades. Current Defender: A non tarts hand-bagged Puma 110 XS USW. [Insert something impressive here such as extensive list of previous Land Rovers or examples of your prestigeous and expensive items, trinkets, houses, bikes, vehicles etc] http://forums.lr4x4.com I used to be Miserable ...but now I'm ecstatic. |
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5th Oct 2011 8:44am |
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| CityDriver Member Since: 27 Sep 2011 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 60
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Fair comment. I am by no means an offroad expert, but I grew up on a farm and spend a few weeks per year in snow-covered areas. That's also as much offroad as I will do, so training might be a bit excessive. I will definitely do the Experience day though, to get some first impressions. |
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5th Oct 2011 9:24am |
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| Happyoldgit Member Since: 14 Sep 2007 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3471
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Given your username and knowing 0 about your experience you'll understand my comments, that said I now imagine you ought to have a reasonable grasp of the basics  Steve.
Owned numerous Land Rover vehicles of all shapes and sizes over the decades. Current Defender: A non tarts hand-bagged Puma 110 XS USW. [Insert something impressive here such as extensive list of previous Land Rovers or examples of your prestigeous and expensive items, trinkets, houses, bikes, vehicles etc] http://forums.lr4x4.com I used to be Miserable ...but now I'm ecstatic. |
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5th Oct 2011 10:15am |
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| MartinK Member Since: 02 Mar 2011 Location: Silverdale (Lancashire/Cumbria Border) Posts: 2665
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Hmmm - I have had mine 2 weeks now. Did plenty of research, and got some really good advice from Zagato on the forum (suggest you PM him) re rustproofing and protection.
Essential upgrades for me: 1. Rust protection, get some advice from Zagato (or ask him to do it for you) 2. I replaced the rear (folding) step with a towing-bracket mounted one 3. The rear mudflap (on 110's) will fall off - look at re-enforcing the joint onto the body. Entreq do one but you can make it yourself: http://www.entreq.de/products/reinforcemen...ngers.html - and search on here 4. Noisekiller - mine's arrived, fitting this weekend 5. mats to protect carpets (incl load area mats) 6. Early life oil change for engine, diffs, gearbox & transfer box (some guys on here have changed the oil and been horrified by what they have found). Already got the filter, just need the oil now, will porobably do it at 1500 miles. Also considering some other stuff, but the 6 items above were what I considered "Essential". Defender "Puma" 2.4 110 County Utility (possibly the last of the 2.4's) |
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5th Oct 2011 10:21am |
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| JSG Member Since: 12 Jul 2007 Location: Berkshire Posts: 2412
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Essential upgrades to a new Defender? None really - they are fine 'out of the box'.
Without knowing what you want to use it for it is hard to say more. Rustproofing is essential - more of a looking after thing than an upgrade though - along with rubber mats etc. Many people buy a Landrover then throw cash at toys and bolt ons that they don't need. My advice would be to get used to it as it is your first and after a while you find out which things are essential for you - more storage maybe, raising the cubby box for a better arm rest, tow bar if you need to tow, recovery points if you want to go off-road etc. If you're not careful you'll spend a lot of money you don't need to for no real benefit. John http://www.hampshire4x4response.co.uk 2011 Tdci 110 CSW XS |
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5th Oct 2011 10:27am |
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| CityDriver Member Since: 27 Sep 2011 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 60
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No worries, it was a good comment actually. |
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5th Oct 2011 10:44am |
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| Happyoldgit Member Since: 14 Sep 2007 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3471
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There seems to be a myth developing here. With all due respect a casual browse through this forum would suggest that there were / are others here who were applying rustproofing products to various Land Rovers and other vehicles years, nay decades before Zagato arrived here and proceeded to ask 1001 questions and picking every ones brains to the enth degree about the ins and outs of post 2007 Defenders a fair while before he had got his. Steve. Owned numerous Land Rover vehicles of all shapes and sizes over the decades. Current Defender: A non tarts hand-bagged Puma 110 XS USW. [Insert something impressive here such as extensive list of previous Land Rovers or examples of your prestigeous and expensive items, trinkets, houses, bikes, vehicles etc] http://forums.lr4x4.com I used to be Miserable ...but now I'm ecstatic. |
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5th Oct 2011 11:29am |
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| Zagato Site Supporter Member Since: 08 Jan 2011 Location: Billingshurst West Sussex Posts: 5012
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JB From what others have said one of the first things I did was get the Entreq rear mudflap bracket support for a 110 (not an issue with the 90!) - the mudflap bracket is simply bolted through the lower rear wing so any motorway driving will see the bolt break it's fixing point eventually
 I.E rear wing  with hole!
As others have said if it's new get it undersealed ASAP, you can never treat rust inside a chassis properly once it takes hold, you can only slow it down. Your new motor will have small rusty bits from new externally but these can be converted but wait until it's been through a salty winter and it's never so good a job  That salt and rust will be very hard to flush out of the inside of the chassis - my boat trailer never gets the salt completely off however long you run the hose of it 
If someone is offering to clean your underside in the morning and treat/under-seal in the afternoon don't touch them with a barge pole, there is no way you can dry or disperse moisture in that time from inside the chassis! Plenty of firms keep your vehicle for drying out over night or a few days. Having looked last weekend at a couple of Defenders that have had treatment from reputable under sealers they do miss bits so make sure you do a forum search to ensure it is all done properly, capping's, bulkhead, doors, rear tub spreaders etc etc and get the windows sealed by your local window fitter, it's no good having water sitting under your rubbers let alone leaks My Td5 window frame had holes in it after just 5 years  Take your front grill off and paint or spray with ACF-50 the brackets/screws etc as they will rust within a year and do any internal screws/nuts and seat bases/frames. Also do your wing mirrors, window latches, headlight rims, rear step, hinges, inside the engine bay etc etc. If you catch it from new you shouldn't have any problems. Just remembered (have drunk a bottle of wine tonight already Hic! early party  ) one of the most vital things to do is treat your bonnet to bulkhead hinges with ACF-50, pretty well every one I have seen over 6 months old had brown staining from rust from this hinges - the metal is not properly coated before it is fixed in place (like your capping's!) and will need cutting out and welding before long (nightmare job as it would need doing again in not so many years!) All the 60 plate models I looked at had this rust staining from new so get it sprayed it stops it dead 
I don't think they leave the red engine hoist bracket on now but take it off if it is still in place, it will come of on it's own accord otherwise Loads i have missed re sorting body but a few searches should bring other things up...........like sealing your capping's to stop water ingress... If you really want to sort your chassis out for good, get underneath and spend a couple of days painting it with POR-15 you will never have to under-seal it again apart from cavity wax Loads of other stuff but..........Hic! hope it reads OK 
EDIT & spray the rivet heads that are not painted the inner part will start rusting very quickly, a 60 plate i did 2 weeks ago had started rusting already Careful also treating your props IF you do, any under-seal applied too thick will cause an imbalance and create vibration....loads more....window hinges to bulkhead can come off, give a good splurge of under seal and replace, will stop leaks and help the hinges from rotting! Check out the water ingress manual.........it will give show you the areas to check on your own vehicle, the roof to front window frame seal is not always sealed properly for instance and the bits they just thumb in a bit of dumb dumb in could do with a check or re-doing....Last edited by Zagato on 5th Oct 2011 5:39pm. Edited 6 times in total |
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5th Oct 2011 5:07pm |
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| Zagato Site Supporter Member Since: 08 Jan 2011 Location: Billingshurst West Sussex Posts: 5012
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Quite true as MOG says I have just picked all this up from doing thorough research myself but I am no expert, it takes me hours/pages replying to pm's asking about rustproofing etc. As I have suggested before it would be really useful to have a technical section with headings on the main Defender issues/upgrades so that the same answers don't have to be repeated time and again. If you REALLY want to go right through your whole vehicle like some kind of concourse rebuild there is A LOT to do but doing a search and going by what already has been said above by others others is a start. Defenders have been rotting for years from brand new so there is plenty on the web to keep you busy
The bottom line for me is that its a lot easier to prevent rot than fix rot - people say why bother but if you are going to keep your vehicle for a long time your going to either save yourself a lot of time or a fortune or both sorting it all out provided you can still get the parts I have hit many dead ends with my Series 2 rebiuld even though parts are supposed to be plentiful but thankfully people get parts manufactured off their own backs and do a batch to help others out and make it financially viable - Boy do you then really appreciate a brand new vehicle off the shelf and want to preserve it so you don't have to go through the expense and hassle of replacing bulkheads. rear quarter chassis etc in the future  Last edited by Zagato on 5th Oct 2011 6:09pm. Edited 7 times in total |
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5th Oct 2011 5:13pm |
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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731  
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I have all sorts of mods but the most important for every-day town-ish driving is the wheel spacers. 3 cm each side and the steering can be tightened to an almost sensible turning circle
Tell someone you love them today because life is short.
But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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5th Oct 2011 5:31pm |
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| willy eckerslike Member Since: 15 Jun 2009 Location: North yorks Posts: 1789 
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The ability to laugh at / ignore the various bangs, cruntches, whistles, whines, and occasional unexplained water drops on the head.
A bottle of suncream for your right arm in the summer. A leg warmer for your right arm in winter. Land Rover Spider (essential) An inflatable arse for the longer journeys. The ability to turn the heater control less than 1 mm to get the right temperature. Night vision. The gear change skills of a 1950's Lorry Driver. A love of petrol / diesel stations. A Large rope and a smug grin (especially useful in winter) The ability to remember you left it in low box. A neck brace (see above) The ability to remember not to put the handbrake on until you have come to a complete halt Plasters for forehead (see above) Broken belt loops on the back of your jeans (if you don't have these you'll findout how to get them) A complete disregard for speed bumps. The parking ability of Russell Swift. The ability to roll under the car and pretend to look at some thing when you open the door and fall out cause you forgot you just had a 2" lift Original Member Pie n Pea Club. 110 HCPU Tipper |
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5th Oct 2011 6:28pm |
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| JSG Member Since: 12 Jul 2007 Location: Berkshire Posts: 2412
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 John
http://www.hampshire4x4response.co.uk 2011 Tdci 110 CSW XS |
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5th Oct 2011 6:37pm |
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