What car am I going to buy?

[R'chitect]

Defender 110 test will happen this weekend. Will report on findings.

Mikinoz's Black VW van above looks like it has a small side window for dispensing the crystal meth...

[Tank Engine]

Defender 110 test will happen this weekend. Will report on findings.

Mikinoz's Black VW van above looks like it has a small side window for dispensing the crystal meth...

I think what we really need is a test GTG - I can bring 6 kids this weekend as cousins are in town.

[R'chitect]

More than welcome, except I'm in Auckland. Might get a bit expensive.
Back in Sydney next week for a few days, but too busy with work for car shenanigans..

[skc]

LED tail lights. Cool.
Chip & suspension modifications and we'll be all sorted.

Good call! A 60th anniversary model w a chip n exhaust would be great. A defenders design providence makes a 911 look like jonny come lately. At least once a month I get either a note, or some one asking me if I want to sell our 90.

[IML337]

haha a Defender as a family car? I love LRs don't get me wrong, but having a Defender full of young kids screaming because the rain outside is leaking in through the roof and windows wouldn't be much fun. Are those things even water tight?

[skc]

Perfect car for kids - if they drop their ice cream, throw up, or split each others heads open, you just unclip the seat bases and hose it all out

[IML337]

I notice you tactfully dodged my question about how watertight a Defender is

[skc]

They are no better or worse than anything else I have owned. But to be fair, I have only had one other vehicle in water over the bonnet.

[IML337]

hah I meant during general road use in the rain, not while crossing rivers

[skc]

Never had ours leak in the rain.

[Zorg2]

does it have side and curtain airbags?

how about something like this?

http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/...0903&silo=1011

you can get ones with 7 seat option as well.

[vwlatino]

Airbags, no.

Cant remember any to be honest, it must have a drivers at least?

I think most of the proper off road 4wd have next to no airbags as the cars actually get used off road and bashed around.

[Zorg2]

tell that to a Disco 4 or RR Sport or RR, heaps of airbags but yes how many get used off road. Even the new Landcruiser has full curtain and side airbags etc, i don't think I would want to roll a Defender. MB had an A160 that hit a Patrol and rolled five times doing the rounds of the dealerships Merc occupants walked away Patrol ones went to hospital.

[vwlatino]

A disco or rr? Even the 200 series landcruiser. How many of those $100k + cars are going to get bashed up bush tracks? None right, not that they would have a hope of doing much more than steep, dirt rutted roads. Pretty sure a stock defender on the stock tyres would go places those cars could only dream of.

[Zorg2]

I'll give it a run I think Landrover have some vids somewhere on one of their training experience courses off the Disco 4 and RR Sport / RR keeping up with a Defender. Anyway off topic as usual

I've see a Disco 3 totally stock soccer mum edition go up a steep rocky hill that defeated a Prado and a 110 on 4wd tyres rather than raod biased the electronic gubbins can do amazing things



Don't try this at home kiddies



some nice snow play in HD

[vwlatino]

did you read the bit where i wrote "proper 4wd" and "steep, rutted dirt road"

I reckon we would have tried to and would have driven over that in a 200b as kids.

[Zorg2]

yes I did - I think as you said Defender might have more grunt etc but the electronics in the disco are a big aid as well. I know which one I'd take as a compromise to lose some hard core off roading vs daily driving and safety.

[J-Tim]

What's the reliability is like in Discovery 3 ? I'd honestly be scared to take a 4x4, full of British-engineered (well, maybe not) electronics out to bush.

[vwlatino]

Would habe to be ok youd think. Skc has had no trouble with his 90 i dont think and he had some good touring pics from it, not sure if he smashed it up tracks or not?

Zorg man, you asked about airbags and i simply answered it, by stating that the proper 4wd dont have many as they get bashed around. Luxo large wagons are not really proper 4wds hey. It simple to see, the defender and 70 series landcrusier would be right, cars made for the country and easily modified into off road weapons.

The future of big luxo wagons is like the new labdcruiser, the patrol will be the same, but cars like the defender have live axles, coli springs, really low gears, rubber floors, hardly any electric gizmos for a reason.

Why do you think we all though Rchitect was crazy for choosing a defender as a family wagon?

[auR32]

the electronics in the disco are a big aid as well. I know which one I'd take as a compromise to lose some hard core off roading vs daily driving and safety.

http://www.landroverhell.com/

Would you like some good walking boots with that, sir?

[J-Tim]

Why do you think we all though Rchitect was crazy for choosing a defender as a family wagon?

No, it takes balls and a very understanding wife to buy something like that.

[R'chitect]

No, it takes a wife with balls to buy something like that.

That's the way things roll in our house.


Bianca (22 weeks pregnant) will be driving the Defender this weekend. All will become apparent after that. In the meantime while the GTI is being serviced she is driving around in a Jetta Bluemotion to get some appreciation of diesel rattle and low rpms..

Bianca does have form though. She used to love driving around in a jacked up Hilux ute her old boss had many years ago.

[J-Tim]

So, are you saying your wife's trousers are bigger ?

[vwlatino]

Well I had a perfect x5 3.0d and got rid of it for a patrol. I have only took it camping a few times, beach driving and in the bush (maybe 6 times in the bush now). And fark me it is covered in scratches. It wasnt a cheap car either.

It has in full stock trim, even the siht at tyres it came with gone up things I had trouble with on my dirt bike. All done in low range. Defender has excellent wheel travel, both up and down, a basic td engine from the ford delivery van. Its made for the bush, its actually pretty narrow and fits easy in the tracks, problem is its very narrow inside also. Basic inside, great if you will do the custom interior for travvelling or work, tools etc.

[R'chitect]

No, but we are talking about someone who took the day off school on her 15th birthday to sit her driver's licence, we have never owned an automatic, and she used to hit the rev limiter in the R32 on a regular basis......

[vwlatino]

Bianca sounds cool, well going to have 3 young ones you'd need to be cool.

It takes a bit for the mrs to learn that driving the diesel, working out that anything past 2000rpm just makes smoke and does not move it any quicker, just the fuel gauge

I should add, the 330d works a bit different to the tractor engine patrol.

[Zorg2]

hehehe hard to find someone like that. look fwd to hearing the updates.

[Lima]

No, but we are talking about someone who took the day off school on her 15th birthday to sit her driver's licence, we have never owned an automatic, and she used to hit the rev limiter in the R32 on a regular basis......

So what you're saying is that you probably should have an automatic to avoid over use of the rev limiter.

[vwlatino]

Where are moving back to in aus or are you buying the car in nz?

[R'chitect]

Moving back around end of November.

Had a lovely time back in NZ but there is no work here, and heaps happening back in Sydney.

Work makes the decision easy, otherwise it would be a serious dilemma.

Blood Orange in Elizabeth Bay will be sponsoring the shift back to get their cashflow back to where it was last year....

[Jim Bookie]

this thread is destined for epicness....

[Jim Bookie]

is blood orange your caffeine dealer, chris?

[R'chitect]

Nah, frock shop, cropped up on the credit card statements way too often...

[vwlatino]

At least with a defender you wont notice any extra dents from parking on the street

We spent lots of winter in the area, so tempted to move back. Now some warm weather is on its way, our house becomes brilliant again. I knew a family that lived in the first 5 or 6 story monster next to the shop on roslyn gardens, they had the driveway down the side of their place, Id move back for one of them, just burn the contents of my garage. Would be worth it. Then again tje dad was a lawyer, a good one, got alan jones out of the toilet mess

[vwlatino]

Nah, frock shop, cropped up on the credit card statements way too often...

For a while I felt like a motorcycle courier going there for pick ups and drop offs from bondi