defender or series?

[LRNationals]

it seems as though the prices of defenders are coming down. are the prices of sreies rising? what i am thinking to do is to buy another series. not another chassis swap case, but one that someone else has put the time into, and like fine wine i would think they will increase in value with age... what is everyones thoughts.
ive sprayed my entire body with RAID and even drank a cup full of it. seems as though i cant kill the landy bug. what a disease!

 

[garrett]

First off distinguish if you want to have an investment or a vehicle you will enjoy or if both are necessary.

Maybe it's my old age, but I'd take an early Defender over a Series. You still get the simple, no frills vehicle with old school charm, but with the Defender you get a more civilized ride and versatility. Not to mention you get better engine options, a better ride and typically a vehicle that's in better and more manageable shape.

If you have the luxury of having several Land Rovers and a Series that would be a dedicated "local" vehicle, so be it. But my feeling is that an early Defender diesel is a more versatile vehicle.

As you mentioned the prices for Defenders are becoming more realistic and with that more vehicles to chose from.

 

[enonz98lr]

i have been thinking the same thing. My D1 is getting high in miles and stuff keeps going wrong:banghead: im about to graduate college and hopefully get a job I have been looking at the prospects of a stage 1/ early defender to take over as my DD.......but i have also been thinking about overhauling my SIII and making that my daily(but with a D90 chassy, 350 SBC ect which i already have laying around) I will be watching this thread closely because i for one do not want a new plastic car

 

[eric w siepmann]

A well sorted series or an early defender are going to be close in price.

Personally, I'd go with the defender if you plan on using it. Series body parts are getting real scarce right now. If you have never driven a series, coming from a modern truck will be an eye opener. You have to really resist the urge to modernize. Disc brakes, 200tdi, etc. At that point it's still a cool truck, but you would have saved a huge amount of money just buying an early 200tdi Defender.

Series prices are based on the condition of the truck. If you have a very very very well done restoration, you may be able to get some of your money out of it. An investment is an investment. A truck is a truck.

My 66 is more a hobby than a mode of transportation right now. Ike says my shiney new galv bulkhead is done so I guess my winter project will begin soon...

EwS

 

[bmohan55]

Somewhat related, did anyone see Barret-Jackson last Saturday....Don Johnson sold his 94 D-90 hardtop with 16K miles for $50K!!!!!!

I'd say someone overpaid by $20k.

 

[Blueboy]

Barret-Jackson last Saturday

that was the highlights from the '09 auction.

low mileage 90s are getting harder to find.

even Copley is starting to get higher mileage ones for sale.

that was a nice low mileage D90 - forget about the DJ crap.

maybe over paid because of the auction hype, yet, nice Rover.


Jaime

 

[Blueboy]

what is everyones thoughts

Series vehicles are just cooler.


Jaime

 

[your pal]

What's considered "low Mileage"? I have less than 60,000 on my 95 d90 and its #001/500. I always wonder what the value of mine is, even though I don't plan on selling it. What do you all think it would go for? Of course I'm not Don Johnson.

Rico

T

 

[eric w siepmann]

What's considered "low Mileage"? I have less than 60,000 on my 95 d90 and its #001/500. I always wonder what the value of mine is, even though I don't plan on selling it. What do you all think it would go for? Of course I'm not Don Johnson.

Rico

T

It'll go what what someone wants to buy it for.

Most 90's are selling anywhere from 18 to 25k. Only a few have been listed for higher and sold for more and most of those were either cherry with low mileage or had 300tdi's

Best pulse for the market is d-90.com for sale section.

 

[LRNationals]

i guess what i mean, i have found a lot of series that have been refurb, new galvi chassi, restored bulk head, brakes and lines, tires... you guys know .. the lot.. they are clean looking. 7-10 k price wise... then i go look a defenders. 10-18 and the seem in rough shape, original chassis, or been welded some how, rusty doors, galvonic corrision, they need repainting, worn bushings, your typical wear and tear, most are right hookers... now i did find a 88 on galvi coil chassis,2.5 gas clean inside. r380 gear box... anyway seems as though that some of these series restos are a good buy considering the guys have put the time and expense into it and now selling at his loss, new components and what not, where as these defenders seem to be imported, hit with a fast coat of paint and dumped into the market, for buddy to make a fast buck.... cause you know the truck hass been used over seas, put on the market, bought, powerwashed, shipped, cleared customs, and put back up forsale here.
looks like, series have been refurbushed two to three year restos buy someone with intentions to keep for them self. painstaking detail. then wife wants something more modern or second child on the way, or change of plans....

 

[Blueboy]

What's considered "low Mileage"?

somewhat subjective to each.

for me 16k on a 1994 D90 is ultra, ultra low mileage.

1997 D90 with less than 36k - low mileage

1997 D90 SW with less than 8k - crazy low

my 109 has 28k since 2001 - not low mileage imho and probably never will


JT

 

[Blueboy]

Best pulse for the market is d-90.com for sale section

for folks who know Rovers Eric, agreed.

yet, there are many folks out there who think Copely in MA is the market price.


Jaime

 

[weatherm]

I own a series.. its great and even simpler than a defender. my friend has a 83 defender ... he likes mine more. He does have coils but I have parabolics on mine. We run about the same speed he can go a tad faster at top end but i can beat him at acceleration. If you want one I have one for possible sale but its not going to be a 6k clunker deal. I've restored the mess out of it and kitted it out. Parts are cheap also.


yes it was the worlds slowest drag race ever.

 

[wineryrover]

There is a big difference between the two. I have both and like both, but each has its own purpose. A defender drives/rides much closer to a disco than a series (both are coilers, v8's, disc brakes). A series, even with parabolic (as mine has) is not even close to the ride of a coiler. In most cases, you can buy a series for less money than a defender, and in better condition. But, if you plan on doing a disc brake conversion so you can actually stop, or an engine conversion to drive at highway speed, you might as well spend the money on the defender. As others have said, it comes down to how you are going to use it, and what is in your bank account.

 

[LRNationals]

6K for a clunker ouch, ive found a few 88s with galvi chassis's refurbushed, for 7 k.. you can tell the guy has more into it then that... going to go have a look at a coiler 88 2.5P also. ... once this MKIII range rover sells ill make my move. all though i really liked the rangie and still own a sport(which is not nearly nice as a MKIII). just want to be back on the trails waste deep in water, running a koenig to get unstuck.... you know the sasquatch is out there. the real hairy ones seem to be a bit further in the woods...

 

[eric w siepmann]

for folks who know Rovers Eric, agreed.

yet, there are many folks out there who think Copely in MA is the market price.


Jaime

Not really. It's such a small subset of the market that it caters to a select few. Stu's prices have come down quite a bit as well. He rarely has real low mileage D's anymore. he went from 10-20k rigs to 40-50k rigs.

 

[eric w siepmann]

i guess what i mean, i have found a lot of series that have been refurb, new galvi chassi, restored bulk head, brakes and lines, tires... you guys know .. the lot.. they are clean looking. 7-10 k price wise... then i go look a defenders. 10-18 and the seem in rough shape, original chassis, or been welded some how, rusty doors, galvonic corrision, they need repainting, worn bushings, your typical wear and tear, most are right hookers... now i did find a 88 on galvi coil chassis,2.5 gas clean inside. r380 gear box... anyway seems as though that some of these series restos are a good buy considering the guys have put the time and expense into it and now selling at his loss, new components and what not, where as these defenders seem to be imported, hit with a fast coat of paint and dumped into the market, for buddy to make a fast buck.... cause you know the truck hass been used over seas, put on the market, bought, powerwashed, shipped, cleared customs, and put back up forsale here.
looks like, series have been refurbushed two to three year restos buy someone with intentions to keep for them self. painstaking detail. then wife wants something more modern or second child on the way, or change of plans....

There's no such thing a a good previous owner restoration. Unless you are buying it from someone who had Ike or Lanny restore it. Even ECR never really got the bulkhead restoration right compared to Ike, Lanny and David Cooper and that line of crap about epoxy lasting indefinetly is a joke. A truly restored truck comes up very rarely and they easily fetch well over 20k.

If you want coils, buy a Defender. My series climbs better than any coiler. Which is why Timm Cooper and Ike use leafs instead of coils.

As far as the coiler - maker sure it's not a shit conversion. Most are cut up range rovers and 90 percent of those were done poorly. It should be a designa chasis. Make sure the R380 has the correct bell housing. Most don't. It's a specific and rare housing. Make sure that the drive train looks factory. If it does, than it may be a good conversion. 2.5 is nice motor. Finally, Make sure the bulkhead is rust free. Most aren't, even those with nice paint.

I'd read the "what to look for" theards on the RN board.

 

[LRNationals]

thats what im trying to come to. no stranger to rebuilding a series, always seem to put more into em then you get back... 20k for a properly done series.... not bad, cause you know the owner put his hart and passion into it. attention to detail and a beautiful job. mostly new parts installed, should last the rest of my life as a part time driver.
where some of these RHD defenders coming in, are heavly used, dirty and in need of work. ive gone to look at a few and was not impressed at all. trucks get the road salt and rot out just as much in the UK as here., i guess if i look into places like cali or airizona there wouldnt be the corrosion problems. maybe i'll take a trip back to costa ricca? rust free rovers there, they just have a lot of chrome work done.lol. man a few years back while in thailand i found a beautiful blue five door safai wagon. not a scratch on it, totally rust free. big koenig on her. awe man should of could of but didnt... ill keep looking i know the right ones going to come buy. maybe i'm too fussy, but if im going to part with this hard earned cash its got to be mint. :victory: