Where do you buy knackered cars?

[julianf]

Besides ebay and Facebook?

I've been casually looking for another bag of bits landrover. Mostly because I have loads of left overs from my last spares or repairs landrover and, more pressingly, the freelander 2 that my partner drives is a hateful thing and it's days are surely numbered.


I think I bought the defender 110 back in 2015, and that was an ebay classified. I drove from Devon to Eastbourne for something sold as "spares of repairs".


I've been looking for a while and it seems that knackered old defenders are maybe a thing of the past? They're all shined up now with £8k+ price tags, when I'm wanting something that I need to drag home on a trailer...

Specifically I'm after a factory 300tdi 90.

 

[fractured]

Defenders are just silly money unfortunately. Not sure why really as a lot of people don't use them for their designed uses. I think it is perhaps the "men want to do mechanicing/engineering as a hobby " group of folk - but to be fair they are quite good for that.

I bought mine because I needed a 4x4 with a reasonable capability. I did look at things like a Hilux, but they also were not cheap, had a lot more difficult rust spots (bodywork) and parts were a lot more expensive.

Mine needed work and that cost me 5.4k and I don't think there is a straight panel on it (though it's not wrecked, just a bit scruffy). I have spent time and money on it (which I won't get back), but it has a use that a car won't do and hopefully will last for a good few years if I look after it.

It sounds like you know what you are looking at, so try joining local land rover Facebook groups and put the feelers out. Sometimes you will find those enthusiasts that haven't got time to do the work themselves but can't afford a garage to do it.

Good luck with your search.

 

[frank horton]

sell all ur stuff n buy a Toyota.....hahaha...

 

[Bobupndown]

Always wanted a Defender but never got round to it. Prices are just silly now.
In 2006 I bought a 3 year old Discovery 2. Beautiful car, cost £18k. I could have bought a 110 Defender Td5 similar age / mileage at the time. 11 years later I sold the Disco with 165000 miles on it for £3400. The same Defender was still worth £18k
I now have a Freelander 2. Which I'm very happy with but I think it will be my last daily driver LR. I may buy myself a Series 2, 2A or 3 as a project when I retire. A canvas top 88" in bronze green is on the bucket list.

 

[sako243]

They are about on eBay, Facebook etc., but you have to weed through the dross. The cheap stuff I've heard of is usually word of mouth via friends, family etc.

The moronic thing is my 110 has tripled in value according to the insurers (they've bumped up it's value every few years). It's gone done 200k miles in the 16 years I've owned it, snapped two crankshafts, two gearboxes, two transfer boxes, new rear cross member, two locking diffs added, bulkhead is on the way out and doors have been patched and replaced. They're aware of all this but still that's what the market is...

 

[Olderisbetter]

I look on the owners groups and clubs on FB and word of mouth at events has turned up a few projects.over the years

 

[Shedendman]

The moronic thing is my 110 has tripled in value according to the insurers (they've bumped up it's value every few years). It's gone done 200k miles in the 16 years I've owned it, snapped two crankshafts, two gearboxes, two transfer boxes, new rear cross member, two locking diffs added, bulkhead is on the way out and doors have been patched and replaced. They're aware of all this but still that's what the market is...

Reminds me of triggers broom

 

[colnerov]

Reminds me of triggers broom

It doesn't mean it doesn't do what's required of it.

 

[julianf]

Our factory 300 110 csw was £1500 in 2015 and still had enough mot on it to drive home...

(the seller asked how I was getting it home, and I said I was planning on driving it... it was an honest sale and he looked somewhat worried!)*

My friend did, however, comment, years later, that if I'd bought it for "spares" rather than repairs, I'd have been disappointed...

But that kind of stuff just doesn't seem to exist any more. I mean it took me a while to find the 110 but I did come across others when I was looking that just didn't work for me for some reason or other, but it all seems slim now regardless of budget.


The reason I want a 90 -

My partner "forced" me to get a station wagon (I was after a truck cab) as there was talk of offspring, but I've always been in the conflict of making it "car like" vs still being able to chuck pallets in the back of it.
I figured a 90 is the solution. That can have the carpet etc, run on my cheap fuel, and, when it breaks, be fixable with a range of differently sized hammers.



*engine fault rather than safety - 5 hr drive

 

[Nomad]

Eb@y, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree

Also try the owners club forums, some sales adverts are for restored museum cars at top prices, others have "fun" cars at sensible prices, often cheap so they stay in the club "community" without dealing with having to deal with foolish buyers on Eb@y / Facebook.

Others where I've had & seen interesting cars for sale:

https://forum.retro-rides.org/board/58/cars-sale Retro Rides, 3 sections listed by age, mixed prices & makes, all 20+ years old.

https://forum.retro-rides.org/board/5/ebay Similar to our own "Spotted on Ebay & Gumree" section, but for cars

https://brm-forum.org/board/15/cars-sale Another forum, lots of ex-Retrorides members (created as a spin-off from Retrorides?). A mix of prices & makes, all older. You might have to sign in to see the sales section.

https://autosh***.com/ lots of naughty words but a decent sales section at the top of the page for older "underdog" cars (I think you need to register to see the sales part of the site)

 

[lotus_esprit_s1]

My employer sold off all their 2008 Puma 90 fleet in 2017, I paid £4500 for mine off them as it was a bit dinged!

 

[Smallfry]

Word of mouth mainly. Recently (last year) bought a 1988 Turbo diesel SW for £500. Brother in law bought a couple of months ago a 2 door Range Rover classic for £300. Both are definitely "spares or repair" though. Got my eye on another Defender that hasn't been used for years. M reg, so that will be a 300 Tdi.
They are around if you look.

 

[dobbslc]

@Nomad
I like that autoshxxe site

 

[julianf]

M reg, so that will be a 300 Tdi.

First of the 300s. Same reg as my 110.

 

[My Old Landy]

I have a 1987 90 with a retro fitted 200 TDI in it (well the engine isn't fitted as the chap working on it has been busy) and got offered £4k for it as it stands!

 

[CompoSimmonite]

More chance of winning the lottery than finding a cheap Defender today
Many years ago I paid £600 for a 200TDi Defender, sold the engine for £800 and then swapped the remains (rotten chassis, rotten bulkhead, dented and corroded bodywork etc) for a 1976 ex Iraq army Jeep CJ5

 

[Erie Fred]

The reason I want a 90 -

My partner "forced" me to get a station wagon (I was after a truck cab) as there was talk of offspring, but I've always been in the conflict of making it "car like" vs still being able to chuck pallets in the back of it.
I figured a 90 is the solution. That can have the carpet etc, run on my cheap fuel, and, when it breaks, be fixable with a range of differently sized hammers.

https://www.fireballtrucks.com/

 

[Burdekin]

A mate just bought a Defender 90 for £2k from near Dundee. Looked like it lived in the sea, it was a rusty mess but he mainly wants if for the engine and gearbox as he's converting and restoring a military defender.

 

[brightspark]

Besides ebay and Facebook?

I've been casually looking for another bag of bits landrover. Mostly because I have loads of left overs from my last spares or repairs landrover and, more pressingly, the freelander 2 that my partner drives is a hateful thing and it's days are surely numbered.


I think I bought the defender 110 back in 2015, and that was an ebay classified. I drove from Devon to Eastbourne for something sold as "spares of repairs".


I've been looking for a while and it seems that knackered old defenders are maybe a thing of the past? They're all shined up now with £8k+ price tags, when I'm wanting something that I need to drag home on a trailer...

Specifically I'm after a factory 300tdi 90.

from a local car dealer- stealer bought as seen

 

[armalites]

This kind of thing is all about right place right time and be prepared to take a risk and say yes then get on the road. Usual story all the cheap stuff is miles away.

Because my wife is in and around farms delivering she saw a Discovery 2 sitting in the corner. Enquired and they said they were scrapping it because the chassis was rotten. Youngest was only 15-16 at the time and he managed to buy it for £250. 2002 Facelift TD5 in silver with black interior. Apart from the chassis it's really nice. He bought a galv chassis and is in the process of swapping it out.

Eldest bought a TD5 Auto "by accident" at a machinery auction, he says he heard the auctioner say "running" but clearly he didn't. Turns out someone had removed the tank to to do some welding(didn't do it) and then put the fuel pipes in the wrong places. While chasing the non run issue we replaced the injector seals. Once running he pulled the tank welded the chassis one evening and it went straight through and MOT. All in owes him probaby £600

I know these aren't 90s but bargains are still out there.

Eldest has got an early 90 which will be tax/MOT exempt in the next year or two and a rotten 300tdi Disco Auto, he is going to swap the running gear into the 90 which will make it a decent usable truck. He may be interested in parting company with them, I'll ask him