Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Defender owner..........

Very nice, Julian. That would also be something for my father's son. Unfortunately, you can't have everything...

I sometimes miss our Series III diesel. It was slow, noisy, thirsty, draughty, incontinent - and wonderful.

It was the cheapest motoring i ever had or will have. Zero depreciation and cheap parts. Walking into a specialist and buying pistons, rings, big end bearing set and a gasket set over the counter was an aid to ownership.

A long hill with the horse trailer on the back was torture on the noise front.

I once averaged 29mpg - by cruising at 42mph - for several months when interest rates were at their peak.

Just a big meccano set really. We sold it because Management started to compete a lot further away and we need3d a 7.5T horsebox with a living area so the horse migrated to a Bedford TL and I commuted in a Ford that was quiet, economical, warm, fast and lacked soul.

Another advantage of Landies is that you can start on the limitless possibilities of upgrades and accessories, you can go absolutely mental blinging them up if you want.

For driving any distance, absolutely top of the list has to be a Roamerdrive overdrive if you don't already have one. They used to be called Roverdrive but I think they got into legal hassle from Rover. Adds another 30% to your gear ratios so 70mph cruising on motorways becomes easy rather than something to be endured. Pricey but well worth it.

I'd certainly agree on the overdrive unit!

Congratulations Julian - as you said, a lot of Defender owners (and ex-owners) on TM. (hence the reason the icon for this very forum )

They are wonderful vehicles and so easy to modify... which is both too tempting and a slippery slope!

If you are going to keep it soft top, I'd recommend the Safety Devices roof kit - it replaces the hood sticks with a proper set up. If you don't want to go to those lengths, there is another company who does a heavy duty hood kit in galvanised thick gauge steel. I've installed both on a driveway and they are a DIY job.

Another recommendation would be a bikini top - gives you sun protection over the froint seats but leaves the rest bare - great open top motoring without getting cooked!

Lastly, you can get series style doors that have a 'morgan-esque' side screen, which can be removed and provide an even more open driving experience.

Graham, always loved yours - it is a proper working Defender.

Thanks Simon.
It's rather muddy underneath from driving around the Prescott Estate through last winter
And the passenger side sill is trifle mangled after an altercation with some Armco! I don't need Rock Sliders, but Armco Sliders might be a good idea!

Graham, yours definitely looks right.....! Patina............😁

I need to get on with 'patinating' mine...!
It looks better in the photos than it does in real life, the brushed paint is a bit patchy and although it's all blue, it's not necessarily all the same blue.......!!!😆

I've been looking at the endless range of very available upgrade options, I've got a few things planned...... The price of bits seems incredibly reasonable compared to...............

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Well apart from a series 1 I have had them all pass through my life at some point and the Td5 is my absolute favourite; and the engine was purpose designed for a Land Rover. only really had two faults and that was plastic location dowels for the cylinder head on the early ones and oil tracking up the injector harness which cost a fortune on early cars but peanuts later on. They were supposed to be improved to prevent oil ingress but I never found them any better, anywhere between 20,000 and 40,000 miles was the life so not something to prevent ownership but they would cover starship mileages and I love em!

On my second Td5, this one a late build 110 Hard Top with 43K miles, I'm the second owner, previously I had a 90 HT from new and took it twice round the clock, sold it for what it actually cost me to fund* it and still see it running locally.

* some stellar man maths here, a £6k punt on a financial product made a significant return, enough to buy a basic 90 😀