Disco Series l vs D90

S

ShaunP

Guest
Why are Defenders expensive in the US,? New TD5 D90 Extreame is about $10k-$13k cheaper than a Disco in Australia. Old TDIs and TD5 110s are about the same as a Disco in price, 130 crew cabs hold their value pretty well.
Southside LR here in Brisbane had a sweet yellow D90 Extreame ex demo a couple of weeks ago with 1500km(6 weeks old) on the clock it had all the alloy checker plate on the front, big tyres etc looked great, for $3k off replacement cost. No back seats for the kids however.
 
D

dave_lucas

Well-known member
Apr 19, 2004
638
0
52
Golden Colorado
"Why are Defenders expensive in the US"

Simply due to demand.

The NAS Defenders were only brought over by Land Rover to the US 4 years and there were very few of them at that (~6000 total I believe).

1993 Defender 110
1994 Defender 90
1995 Defender 90
1997 Defender 90

The prices have been dropping quite a bit in the last few years and we should be able to start bringing in the 110? in a few more years (must be 25 years old to import into US). Hopefully we will see more Defenders and a significant price drop when/if that happens.
 
M

Mic

Guest
If I wasn't so upside down on my Disco (bought new-rookie mistake) I'd burn it to the ground and send it back to LR so they could shove it up their #$@. Then I'd cry cause I'd miss it and all it freakin problems
 
I

Iron Boots

Guest
We have a '69 Series IIa, some rangies and a D90...no disco for comparison, but enough friends and clients with them....

They all break. They're all cool. Just every one of them has a different aspect of "cool"

The Rangies scream Shabby Chic. The Series screams Wayne Lynch on an endless search for empty waves. The D90 is just so...so...Klank (the new moniker for Bling when on a wheelin rig....)

It's all good.
 
E

EricSiepmann

Guest
ducati said:
"CDL" is standard on every Series.

Power steering can be added quite easily. Kevin Newell from Canada added a really slick power steering ram to his Series 3/Defender lookalike that is awesome if you don't like manual steering. Brakes on my old IIA were great--always made me wonder what the hubbub was about.

Coils are a bit more difficult--but after putting parabolics and new shocks on my IIA I was floored at how comfortable it was.

Now a Series isn't as civilized as a D90 but a helluva lot cheaper here in the US...
Click to expand...

Why is it that all the series owners are so concerned with price? Hell you can basically bolt a lot of parts into a series truck to make it look, drive and feel like a defender, but it's not. You can't compare apples to oranges.

The October club meeting was at Cooper Technica - one of the finest series restoration specialists in the country. He had two trucks on display. Both clients paid between 80k -125k for their trucks. Every single nut and bolt was new. Hand fitted. These trucks were nicer than when they left the factory. I STILL WOULDN"T TRADE MY DEFENDER FOR THEM.
 
I

Iron Boots

Guest
Well.....

You make a good point.

But when someone like...say my dad for instance, comes along and he's got Defender-itus...knows NOTHING about a defender or how to work on one, just knows he wants one. I told him he oughtta just buy a series rig as it's about as cool as a Defender, and will break just as much. That is nice because you don't pay out the ass for a series rig and you expect to work on it LOL. With a Defender you Pay out the ass and STILL have to work on it.

For a guy like my dad that works.

For guys like us who aren't afraid to wrench, either way.
 
rover4x4

rover4x4

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2004
5,228
45
41
North Carolina, Raleigh
I think the prices will fall once Defenders are old enough to be brought in exempt from all the rules and regulations... the NAS are kinda special since there are only so many of em but still we will see what happens when the ROW Defenders are eligible for import.
 
E

EricSiepmann

Guest
Don't get me wrong, I'd like a nice series truck. I'd also like a classic RR and a P-38 as well.

But you're comparing parts for a simplier vehicle to a relatively modern one. Not a good comparison. It's best summed up like this. Land rovers are extremely expensive to fix correctly, but reasonable if you continue to keep them in good condition. If you take care of your Landy it will take care of you.

No sense in arguing over costs. I knew when I bought the truck that on occassion it would be expensive. I can afford it and keep my truck in the nicest condition I can. And my D-90 takes care of me.

Anyway, jumping off the soap box and as they say "this is the internet...."

EwS
 
S

ShaunP

Guest
Why don't LRNA bring them for you blokes, maybe cause they only come as a TD5 these days. LRNA seem to not want to sell you guys oilers for some reason. You don't get TD5s didn't get TDIs I bet you don't get TD6 Rangies or TD4 Freeloaders either. Are you going to get TDV6 Disco 3s? this engine has same power and more torque than the current v8, in fact has more torque than the Jag V8 that the D3 uses.
 
E

EricSiepmann

Guest
ShaunP said:
Why don't LRNA bring them for you blokes, maybe cause they only come as a TD5 these days. LRNA seem to not want to sell you guys oilers for some reason. You don't get TD5s didn't get TDIs I bet you don't get TD6 Rangies or TD4 Freeloaders either. Are you going to get TDV6 Disco 3s? this engine has same power and more torque than the current v8, in fact has more torque than the Jag V8 that the D3 uses.
Click to expand...

They were never certified for the US. EPA/DOT?/Big Brother whatever....
 
S

ShaunP

Guest
So does that mean they won't meet the US epa/dot laws or just that someone at LRNA decided they knew what you guys wanted and wouldn't bother to import Defenders and diesel Disco's? Diesel 4X4s are big sellers in Australia and if a company can't supply them they're out of busines pretty much here. There are some treks like the Canning Stock route that it is not recommended to take a petrol car on because they catch fire with all the spinerfects . Some times in remote aboriginal settlements you can't buy petrol just diesel.
 
E

EricSiepmann

Guest
They're not certified by the Federal Government for use int the US.
 
I

Iron Boots

Guest
In the grand scheme of things there are very few folks here in the US who would buy a diesel rig. That is why very few other companies have them here...

Would I like one? Hell yeah...would 50% of the guys here like one? sure. But what about the Buying public?

Nah.
 
S

ShaunP

Guest
I guess it is what the market is conditioned for. Here the biggest sellers are Nissan Patrol 3.0L tdi and Toyota Landcruiser Turbo. The fact that both of these are really expensive to repair and the engines crap out quickly dosen't seem to matter. The Toyotas have a bad habbit of spinning main bearings at 100k and the Nissans melt pistons and turbos, the bloke next door is on his 2nd turbo at 30k. The 4x4 magazines here love Toyotas and Nissans they can't do any wrong as far as they are concerned. The government here gives farmers diesel tax free for their machinery so they all buy diesel 4x4s cause they get the fuel for stuff all. Also while there is often fluctuations in the cost of petrol, diesel stays pretty much the same. Even lotts of the small pickups like Toyota hiluxs and Mazda Bravos are sold as oilers here. We don't get the big trucks like Suburbans here. GM tried to import them and re badge them as a Holden Suburban but they only sold about 2, no one wanted them. We do get Ford F series but only as oilers. We get Diesel Jeeps as well but one buys them either, the 4x4 mags here hate Jeeps and reckon they are just boulevard cruisers and scary on high speed dirt. I reckon this may be true, I went the Warick rodeo yesterday and a mate was following me in his Cherokee, and couldn't keep up on the a gravel section, when we got there he comlpained how bad the corrogations were but I didn't notice them in the Disco in fact I could a lot faster.
 
S

smenzel

Guest
Why is it that all the series owners are so concerned with price? Hell you can basically bolt a lot of parts into a series truck to make it look, drive and feel like a defender, but it's not. You can't compare apples to oranges.

Sounds like you've never owned a Series rig. :)
 
E

EricSiepmann

Guest
smenzel said:
Why is it that all the series owners are so concerned with price? Hell you can basically bolt a lot of parts into a series truck to make it look, drive and feel like a defender, but it's not. You can't compare apples to oranges.

Sounds like you've never owned a Series rig. :)
Click to expand...

LOL. Nope. Never will. I am content with my Defender.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom