So the Land Rover bug has bit and I was looking at pics and decide that the next Rover I will get will be a defender. LOL. I couldnt believe how much they were. So I decided to ebay a little in Canada and Europe. Looks like you can get one on the cheap as long as its older than 25 years old you can import it with shipping around $2000 plus the vehicle cost. Might be a way to go. Considering what they go for here.

post up links. I remember the 90's going cheap in Brazil as well, definitely cheaper to bring them in. I think it is pretty crazy to pay premium...

Defenders are two a penny in the UK but, even so, I suspect finding a good 25 year old example would be difficult.

Example 1 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190333074615)

Example 2 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270444797931)

guys name is Mike at 858 483 0160. He says $2,000-$2,500 with all the import fees.

Import 2 or 3 and flip them until you get one you want. If its not in good shape gut it and stuff it with Jeep internals or something. Maybe even Disco stuff if you want to keep it Land Rover.

guys name is Mike at 858 483 0160. He says $2,000-$2,500 with all the import fees.

Import 2 or 3 and flip them until you get one you want. If its not in good shape gut it and stuff it with Jeep internals or something. Maybe even Disco stuff if you want to keep it Land Rover.

Thats a San Diego number. I have never heard of him. That probably means nothing, but there are a TON of scams in and around importation. Even older rigs. CYA.

Yes, buy one overseas and bring it in.

This is news?

excuse my ignorance (not being fromt the sates) but do fenders/countys (early mid 80's) really go from $20K plus like the guy who advertises in the for sale section here?

that just looks crazy from here...maybe $5k (albeit not restored or anything) over here...

Never mind 25 years old, if it's from the UK or Europe it'll be rusty enough by about 10-15 years old.

We just collected a 25 year old 110 for a friend, bodywork was straight but there is nothing else worth saving.

I was refered to the guy Mike. Havent dealt with him before. He said he deals with a couple of people who live in UK and the states and they bring Land Rovers back every time they return. Just to resell.

Never mind 25 years old, if it's from the UK or Europe it'll be rusty enough by about 10-15 years old.

We just collected a 25 year old 110 for a friend, bodywork was straight but there is nothing else worth saving.

True!
Most older models don't just have a bit of rust, they're ususally quite rotten...

We've got a '94 softdash Rangie standing in the garage at work for a project. There's rot everywhere, footwells, inner wings, sills... you name it..

Even Td5 Defenders show lots of rust, we got a td5 130" from a customer, and the rear crossmember already has a big hole in it and lots of lamination..

Get one from Australia :D, they might be cheap too, don't know about shipping though..

Just in case anyone is interested, I have been importing 90's and 110's to the states and always have a couple available. All of the trucks I bring in are super solid and many have the chassis replaced with a galvy chassis. I have 4 90's with tdi's right now starting at around 13k. I can also provide some guidance to the importation process if you want to try and bring one in yourself.

C-

where are you located?

-ben

where are you located?

-ben

I assume your asking me...? I am located in Raleigh/Durham, NC. Most of the buyers of my previous trucks have been from other corners of the Country. If you are digging a truck I have, buy a plane ticket to RDU and I will pick you up in the truck and you can give it a run in person. My last truck was an amazingly nice 110 tdi that was bought by a fellow in Utah, he flew in, jumped in the truck and drove it across the Country w/o a hiccup.

Never mind 25 years old, if it's from the UK or Europe it'll be rusty enough by about 10-15 years old.

We just collected a 25 year old 110 for a friend, bodywork was straight but there is nothing else worth saving.


There are good ones, it took me about 6 months to find my 1984 90 but it is a good solid example and has less rust than most newer 90's I have seen from the east coast.

1 owner from new
87K documented miles
All documents from new including the original sales documents
As far as I can tell it is 100% original and has had waxoyl sprayed heavy on everything

Bulkhead has no rust, battery box looks like new, footwells are solid, no alloy issues, frame is great (does need a new fuel tank outrigger but that is easy$25 and a few hours work).

All bolts have come out easy and I have not broken one yet :)

www.militarytires.com beater ExMODs for cheap.

Just in case anyone is interested, I have been importing 90's and 110's to the states and always have a couple available. All of the trucks I bring in are super solid and many have the chassis replaced with a galvy chassis. I have 4 90's with tdi's right now starting at around 13k. I can also provide some guidance to the importation process if you want to try and bring one in yourself.

C-

$13K ???? as in thirteen thousand?
for a tdi 90?
really? :confused:


a good solid example of a well maintained 90 would fetch in the region of £3K over here, thats $4.5k approximately. Do the importation yourself, so only got a few admin fees and the shipping costs. others above have said $2k.
round it up a bit with some nice shiny new paint and goodies.
Call it $8K.

robbing bastard :p

A friend of mine has just built up a Defender from two donnor cars, one of which was over 25 years old and they cost $150 and $600 each. You can easily get a rough, but structurally sound (it will still need some welding) 90 for $600 in the UK. Then just rebuild in the US with the running gear from a wrecked Discovery.

Good rebuilt older ones with Tdi conversions normally change hands for $3000 - $4000 ish.

If you spent $13,000 in the UK you'd get - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2002-Land-Rover-Defender-90-TD5-Pick-up-P-X-Welcome_W0QQitemZ200353768120QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAu tomobiles_UK?hash=item2ea603e2b8&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Or, if you take into account shipping, tax, duty, etc. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1995-LAND-ROVER-90-DEFENDER-TDI-RED_W0QQitemZ130328447391QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAutomo biles_UK?hash=item1e582e499f&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

$13K ???? as in thirteen thousand?
for a tdi 90?
really? :confused:


a good solid example of a well maintained 90 would fetch in the region of £3K over here, thats $4.5k approximately. Do the importation yourself, so only got a few admin fees and the shipping costs. others above have said $2k.
round it up a bit with some nice shiny new paint and goodies.
Call it $8K.

robbing bastard :p

Thanks for your input...

Thanks for your input...

Offering a turnkey import ready to register is worth the premium for most people, but for the PBB DIY'er, probably not.

Offering a turnkey import ready to register is worth the premium for most people, but for the PBB DIY'er, probably not.


Which is why I have not really tried to push them here. My earlier post even offered to help the DIY'er with the import process and procedures and I still get crap from some UK punk. Ahh well.

C-

Which is why I have not really tried to push them here. My earlier post even offered to help the DIY'er with the import process and procedures and I still get crap from some UK punk. Ahh well.

C-

What'd you expect. Defenders are the F150's of Europe. :flipoff2:
With that said,I'd love to have TDI daily driver here before too long.

What'd you expect. Defenders are the F150's of Europe. :flipoff2:
With that said,I'd love to have TDI daily driver here before too long.

Let me know if you bring one in yourself, I will be happy to help you with some contacts. You going to MAR or URE?

Chuck

Let me know if you bring one in yourself, I will be happy to help you with some contacts. You going to MAR or URE?

Chuck

I'm definitely contemplating doing it at some point.... not sure when though.... gotta get some stuff straight on my end before I can do it.

Probably won't be at MAR always falls on my birthday.. and well... partying.

I didn't know there was another URE event this year?

What'd you expect. Defenders are the F150's of Europe. :flipoff2:
Erm, have you ever been to Europe? Japanese 4x4's are the F150's of Europe, Defenders are a slightly more "prestigious"/expensive and significantly less reliable 4x4.

Seeing a Defender outside the UK is about as common as seeing an Aston Martin or similar sports car.

Seeing a Defender outside the UK is about as common as seeing an Aston Martin or similar sports car.

Not entirely true. Here in the Netherlands you see a lot of Defenders driving around. I'm quite sure that if you would drive around for a day you'd see more Defenders than Cruisers....

I'm definitely contemplating doing it at some point.... not sure when though.... gotta get some stuff straight on my end before I can do it.

Probably won't be at MAR always falls on my birthday.. and well... partying.

I didn't know there was another URE event this year?

22-25th of October.

Erm, have you ever been to Europe? Japanese 4x4's are the F150's of Europe, Defenders are a slightly more "prestigious"/expensive and significantly less reliable 4x4.

Seeing a Defender outside the UK is about as common as seeing an Aston Martin or similar sports car.

I've seen loads of them in Ireland and Iceland. I think I saw more in Iceland than I did when I was in the UK.

Maybe this can help ,http://www.britrest.com/index_a.htm

22-25th of October.

That is when the Isuzu/Mitsubishi Hallo'wharrie trip is, I will keep an eye out for any Defenders. I have been interested in getting a D90 for a while, but it has always been they are too expensive. If I run into you guys on the trails I will definitely have to ask a few questions about getting one imported.

most of the stuff that ends up getting dragged into my shop that has been imported from e-bay UK or whatever is good for occupying space and that's about it. Junk. Many very disappointed buyers. I don't even work on most of them as the repair is very uneconomical and they get parted or back to e-bay. It's pretty sad really. I have an entire bay full of trashed Tdi's right now. There are some nice rigs coming in but they are by far the exception and not the rule. The rule generally seems to be that you get what you pay for and importing a good rig will cost some money. Being British I have do have an overdeveloped sense of extreme optimism with all things mechanical (or just in general) but that can only go so far.

most of the stuff that ends up getting dragged into my shop that has been imported from e-bay UK or whatever is good for occupying space and that's about it. Junk.
That's because eBay is a great dumping ground for junk, especially when people can't look at it before they buy. As I said, any Rover at all will have something wrong it, and past about 5 years old you really need to start looking for the big problems such as rust.

Cheap TDi's are also a bit of a myth - bear in mind the 200TDi was last made many moons ago now, so anything you buy is going to have done some work, and 300Tdi's are not so new either.

Frankly if I was in the US and wanted a Rover I'd be buying a shitbox from the UK for the ID and bodywork and then doing a rebuild/re-chassis using a locally available powertrain. You guys have loads of good toys available off-the-shelf with massive parts backup. The only reason for having a TDi here is that fuel is twice the price and there's not many easy alternatives.

I really like the defender Body style. I reall could care less what kind of an engine it had. Solid body on a Jeep or toyota chassis?

The rule generally seems to be that you get what you pay for

Like most other things in life really. All of a sudden, buying from a US based importer doesn't look like such a rip off. After all, he is taking the risk and if you don't like what you see you can just walk away.

Alternatively, if you are really keen, come over here and buy one yourself. There are plenty of good ones about despite what the all the gloom and doom merchants on here say.

Frankly if I was in the US and wanted a Rover I'd be buying a shitbox from the UK for the ID and bodywork and then doing a rebuild/re-chassis using a locally available powertrain.

Why bother with the ID? Buy the coachwork, put it on a Disco or Rangie chassis and you're set with a vehicle that is no more difficult to fix, or have fixed than the original vehicle. If you were to build a Defender on a Chevrolet drivetrain, it is more likely to be a cobbled POS that only the person who built it can fix it.

Like most other things in life really. All of a sudden, buying from a US based importer doesn't look like such a rip off. After all, he is taking the risk and if you don't like what you see you can just walk away.

Alternatively, if you are really keen, come over here and buy one yourself. There are plenty of good ones about despite what the all the gloom and doom merchants on here say.

Bingo. A lot of the trucks you see are junk and if you do not have a way to ensure your getting a nice truck your taking a large risk. The nice trucks will cost you some coin but they are worth it. If your bringing one in yourself do your homework and find a local to go look at it for you.

you guys gotta start looking outside the box...I'm picking up a this on Thursday in LA...from Boliva


for less than our friend buyrover is posting the 90...with little or no rust


It will be for sale in the next couple of weeks

Very nice. Is that a tdi or another motor?

C-

Gas motor but we are dropping in a 300tdi.

Gas motor but we are dropping in a 300tdi.

Cool. How much will the truck be with the 300tdi in it?

C-

Not sure on the price yet...

Seeing a Defender outside the UK is about as common as seeing an Aston Martin or similar sports car.

I belive that there are more modifyd Defender in Iceland than in UK.


http://www.4x4offroads.com/image-files/glacier-picture-land-rover-defender-44-inch.jpg

Erm, have you ever been to Europe? Japanese 4x4's are the F150's of Europe, Defenders are a slightly more "prestigious"/expensive and significantly less reliable 4x4.

Seeing a Defender outside the UK is about as common as seeing an Aston Martin or similar sports car.

You mean Landcruisers are more reliable than LandRovers? who would have ever thought that! Anybody know where I can get A 3.9 Isuzu to replace my POS landrover 2.5?

I belive that there are more modifyd Defender in Iceland than in UK.


http://www.4x4offroads.com/image-files/glacier-picture-land-rover-defender-44-inch.jpg

I live in Canada, and I have a Chevy so I can have a functional heater in winter, the defender is my summer toy. how do Icelanders keep from freezing to death in their defenders?

Not sure on the price yet...

Not sure, but less than 13k? Should be a fair deal. Below is my last truck I sold. It had new doors, new galvy chassis, defender 200tdi, and was stupid nice. Needed nothing and sold for 15k.



http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260464470829&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEUSX%3AIT

I belive that there are more modifyd Defender in Iceland than in UK.

I believe more % of the defenders in Iceland are modified, but I very much doubt there are more of them than in the UK. There are probably more LR's in the UK than the population of Iceland. You mostly only see the modified ones on weekends, the rest of the time they're on people's driveways needing repairs after breaking at the weekend :flipoff2:

I guess they keep warm by fitting a diesel-fired heater, it's what most of us do rather than prick about with the LR effort :D

BuyRovers is right, for the cost of a plane ticket you could fly over here and have a few days touring LR's for sale - there are hundreds of dealers and with a bit of planning & fore-warning you should be able to go through AutoTrader's website and pick a few likely private sales to look at on the way through. A post or two on LR4x4 would be a good starting point to gauge a dealer's reputation.

BuyRovers is right, for the cost of a plane ticket you could fly over here and have a few days touring LR's for sale - there are hundreds of dealers and with a bit of planning & fore-warning you should be able to go through AutoTrader's website and pick a few likely private sales to look at on the way through. A post or two on LR4x4 would be a good starting point to gauge a dealer's reputation.

In '03 I spent two weeks in the UK. Attended the Sod and went searching for a truck to bring back in my luggage.

It took up until the last three days to find one worth the effort to bring back. At that, if it hadn't been for my driving it for two years, it wouldn't have been anywhere nearly profitable for me.

Sadly, most of the 110s I looked at (at the time, my brother in law still held a Serbian passport and I would have been able to import it in his name until it became 25) were knackered.

As for them being prestigious, I must have traveled in a different part of the country as all of the Defenders and Gelandewagens I saw looked like beat-up farm trucks. We stopped for fuel in Manchester and in front of us at the pumps were some sort of Lambo and a G230. The G-wagen owner used a piece of rope to tie the door open while he fueled it. There was a sheep in the back.

I just happened to see this post in "new posts" do to the bump this morning.

FYI I was driving through Silverton Colorado on Saterday and there was a green D90 for sale on the side of the road. I was blowing by so I didn't get any info but Silverton is way small. If somebody is serious, I could drive back over there next weekend and check it out for somebody. Just PM me if your interested.

As for them being prestigious, I must have traveled in a different part of the country as all of the Defenders and Gelandewagens I saw looked like beat-up farm trucks. We stopped for fuel in Manchester and in front of us at the pumps were some sort of Lambo and a G230. The G-wagen owner used a piece of rope to tie the door open while he fueled it. There was a sheep in the back.

Sounds like you were in the frozen north then, they all carry sheep up there for various recreational purposes :p

Most LR's in the UK fall into a few categories:
1) Very new & shiny, bought to tow the horsebox or hack round the estate because the other 4x4 offerings from abroad are a bit too tasteless. Also bought by Ewan & Charlie pretenders who believe the hype.
2) The same vehicle 20 years later without so much as an oil change to its name, or ex-business / local authority sold just before the value takes a final plunge as everything corrodes and falls off.
3) Enthusiast-owned and vastly over-optimistic rust buckets, often priced rather optmistically too, especially if they are ex-army.
4) As per 3 but not enthusiast owned, priced just above scrap value for a very good reason.

Abroad (Europe) they mostly fall into category 1 due to high import taxes, running costs, spares & servicing etc. plus much more stringent roadworthiness inspections & anti-modification rules. Running a 4x4 in places like Holland will cost you at least 10x the road tax of a normal car, and because ownership costs so much you generally don't see beaten up cars running round because anything is worth a good few thousand euros.

that's right enough.
Not saying it's all junk. The stuff I buy is from known good sources and good cars and parts are not terribly hard to get.....it's the cheap AND good that's hard to come by. I get funny looks when people ask prices 'cause apparently I'm out of my mind as you can get the stuff on e-bay for half the price.

that's right enough.
Not saying it's all junk. The stuff I buy is from known good sources and good cars and parts are not terribly hard to get.....it's the cheap AND good that's hard to come by. I get funny looks when people ask prices 'cause apparently I'm out of my mind as you can get the stuff on e-bay for half the price.

Bingo. The nice trucks cost nice money and the random ones people like to reference are a totally different ballgame.

I have a very beat up D-90 That I paid a small fortune for. But its rust free. I did some resealing of the axles, new brakes, and a head gasket and water pump. It is solid, reliable and, F-ugly. So i dont worry about it breaking down on the trail, and I dont worry about denting it. Get yourself a rusty piece of shit from the UK and throw a brand new Galvanized chassis under it. I think thats the cheapest way you could build a Defender here in North America.

Why bother with the ID? Buy the coachwork, put it on a Disco or Rangie chassis and you're set with a vehicle that is no more difficult to fix, or have fixed than the original vehicle. If you were to build a Defender on a Chevrolet drivetrain, it is more likely to be a cobbled POS that only the person who built it can fix it.

All the cutting andwelding work involved with Rangie chassis conversion makes a Galvanized Marsland frame look like a bargain!

All the cutting andwelding work involved with Rangie chassis conversion makes a Galvanized Marsland frame look like a bargain!

Not when I have four rolling chassis three of which are in fantastic condition.

I can put a lot of time into a for all intents and purposes free chassis.

I just happened to see this post in "new posts" do to the bump this morning.

FYI I was driving through Silverton Colorado on Saterday and there was a green D90 for sale on the side of the road. I was blowing by so I didn't get any info but Silverton is way small. If somebody is serious, I could drive back over there next weekend and check it out for somebody. Just PM me if your interested.

Is that still sitting there? It's been there for like a year .. I think it is a ghost...

Is that still sitting there? It's been there for like a year .. I think it is a ghost...

The ghost of silverton! WHOOOOHOOOHAHAHAHOOWOWHWOO:eek:

Not when I have four rolling chassis three of which are in fantastic condition.

I can put a lot of time into a for all intents and purposes free chassis.

Here in Soviet Canuckistan , Range Rover chassis crumble like soda crackers after ten years in abundant road salt. Good luck finding a good one here.

Is that still sitting there? It's been there for like a year .. I think it is a ghost...

Yup, still there.

. Good luck finding a good one here.

I don't need to, I have so many of them that they are in the way and going to be cut up for scrap in the next week or so.

Long story, some not so good things have happened lately that require me to consolidate.

Which is why I have not really tried to push them here. My earlier post even offered to help the DIY'er with the import process and procedures and I still get crap from some UK punk. Ahh well.

C-

It's called capitalism, if people do not want to pay the price they can go somewhere else. I wish there were more guys like buyrovers importing defenders, especially ones offering help with importing. Thanks buyrovers.

Hacking a 100" Rangie chassis to fit a 90 or 110" wheelbase Defender doesn't make any sense.
Better yet take the 100" running gear and fit a Tomcat (http://www.tomcatmotorsport.co.uk/gallery.htm) on it.

http://www.tomcatmotorsport.co.uk/gallery/TomcatGallery/images/100%20tocat_JPG.jpg

Used Defenders are way overpriced over here too. A Defender usually goes for about 2-3x the price of a Range Rover of the same year.
At least the running gear is usually not very old. As often as it breaks, it's changed regulary:flipoff2:

that's a cool kit but I'm not buying anything that has a VAT attached to it. You Europeans elected socialist governments and have to deal with it...I don't.

Why spend all that money on a Tomcat when you can buy a tube bender, welder, and wrecked disco or rangie for half the price.

that's a cool kit but I'm not buying anything that has a VAT attached to it. You Europeans elected socialist governments and have to deal with it...I don't.

Sorry to piss your parade, BUT if you buy from outside Europe your not paying the VAT:homer:

Why spend all that money on a Tomcat when you can buy a tube bender, welder, and wrecked disco or rangie for half the price.

I don't have time to reinvent the wheel, much less time to run the rigs I have. Although I do lust after a Tomcat or Dakar!

In my opinion building a Tomcat is probably one of the best things you can do with a coiler chassis - you end up with a light and compact trail-ready car. The car has a built-in roll cage so there are no duplicated structures.

The downside is that you have to be careful with packaging to ensure you get as much room in the cockpit as you can - I am 5'11" and am comfortable, much beyond that in either height or build and you will run out of room.

But all that Fiber--ass really sucks here in tree country!

Is that still sitting there? It's been there for like a year .. I think it is a ghost...


still there in january. sign said $34(?)k

sad, because you can buy a l322 range rover and a D2 for that cost easily. and both are comfortable and just as good off road or better than a stock d90. (except wheelbase)

I dont think a D90 has any real advantage over a longer truck as far as wheelbase is concerned. Sometimes a little extra length would add some much needed stability!

I dont think a D90 has any real advantage over a longer truck as far as wheelbase is concerned. Sometimes a little extra length would add some much needed stability!

true, i did notice the 8" difference between a d2 and p38 changed the dynamic in a very large way.. at least the trails I go on.

I do like my heated seats, a/c heat and general protection from the elements when it gets bad that a d2 offers. plus they are way less $$$

I am sure that brits laugh at the inflated value that our defenders bring over here...

I am sure that brits laugh at the inflated value that our defenders bring over here...

Not as hard as you guys laugh when we brits try to find axles that wont break the wallet or on the trail over here......

Sorry to piss your parade, BUT if you buy from outside Europe your not paying the VAT:homer:

Damn, you europeans are REALLY getting screwed then..lol.

true, i did notice the 8" difference between a d2 and p38 changed the dynamic in a very large way.. at least the trails I go on.

I do like my heated seats, a/c heat and general protection from the elements when it gets bad that a d2 offers. plus they are way less $$$

I am sure that brits laugh at the inflated value that our defenders bring over here...

Around here they dont laugh, they import them and sell them to us!

Damn, you europeans are REALLY getting screwed then..lol.

So you've never paid sales tax, ever?

So you've never paid sales tax, ever?

yeah, I've paid 5-7% not 19-25%. That rate is for people that must enjoy getting bent over.