Defender 90 - any info?

[TyFenn]

I wonder how those things are to own. Anyone out here own one now of in the past? Care to share any experiences?

[lendaddy]

Very cool, but it's still a Rover. Do you enjoy working on your vehicles? Is HP unimportant to you?

[svandamme]

it's a mortal sin to have em in a freshly painted condition
there has to be visible rust in order to have the right look

[Dottore]

The single worst motor vehicle I have ever driven. Driving it reminded me of sailing: you sort of tack right and then tack left and hope you are headed roughly in the direction in which you intended to travel. Braking also reminded me of sailing. Horrible machines!

[Paul K]

I had one. Looked great, very capable off-road, but the build quality and reliability were awful, plus it was a pig to drive. I think they're terribly over-priced too...

Forum: http://www.discoweb.org/

Cheers,

Paul.

[Don Plumley]

A D90 soft top is one of the coolest cars I've seen. Look to be hewn from a solid piece of metal. IIRC, back in 2000 a good condition D90 was about $25K - now they are going for more than $30+K. Certainly my Carrera did not increase in value.

There are a few D90 websites, they seem to have more than their fair share of mechanical issues however.
www.d-90.com/forum
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/forum.roversclub.org/forum/

[svandamme]

Originally posted by Dottore
The single worst motor vehicle I have ever driven. Driving it reminded me of sailing: you sort of tack right and then tack left and hope you are headed roughly in the direction in which you intended to travel. Braking also reminded me of sailing. Horrible machines!

it's a terrain vehicle
it's not a car, don't rate it at such...

[Don Plumley]

Hmm - just surfing the for sale ads - must resist...English car

[svandamme]

Originally posted by CS119laCoS
I see them navigating the rugged Hills of Beverly all the time.

there you go , hills are definately classified as "terrain"

[scottmandue]

Originally posted by Dottore
The single worst motor vehicle I have ever driven. Driving it reminded me of sailing: you sort of tack right and then tack left and hope you are headed roughly in the direction in which you intended to travel. Braking also reminded me of sailing. Horrible machines!

Sounds like the 64 Comet station wagon I once owned (RIP)

[Seahawk]

Owned one, one of 40 aluminum hardtops imported in 94.

Great truck, awful truck...the big parts worked fine, the little ones sucked. PM me if you want details.

Be afraid.

Edit: Made money on the sale...

[Steve PH]

Simple rule with this product the older and simpler the Land Rover the better! Cars built in the late sixties, seventies and even early eighties are pretty robust and reliable (they may suffer the odd glitch but they will keep going and going......). The Rover/Land Rover company started to struggle with electrics etc during the late eightie and nineties.

Also just to back up a point the Defender is first and foremost an off roader, not an on roader, do not expect good road manners.

[Bary Mukalkiner]

Originally posted by Don Plumley
they seem to have more than their fair share of mechanical issues however.
www.d-90.com/forum
forum.roversclub.org/forum/ [/B]

A buddy of mine in Phily had one for awhile. They have big time corrosion problems too.

[dagriff]

Used to have on as a company car when I lived in Hereford......




Only problem was with sand when we went on our holidays...

[jdm61]

Super cool car that can go anywhere, but it does have the old Buick Special motor and electrical system by the Prince of Darkness. You can either wait for the newone if they decide to import it or check out the Toyota FJ Cruiser. You know that one will be reliable.

[dagriff]

These were fun.
Land Rover,
Lightweight,
Aircraft, for the chucking out of.




(p.s. A Land-Rover is the only pink painted vehicle I would ever ride in!).

[Jims5543]

Originally posted by Paul K
I had one. Looked great, very capable off-road, but the build quality and reliability were awful, plus it was a pig to drive. I think they're terribly over-priced too...

Forum: http://www.discoweb.org/

Cheers,

Paul.

Notice the truck in his sig? Notice mine?

The big difference between us is I never owned a LR.

Check out the new FJ and never look back. Its not the status truck a LR is but a great truck on and off the road.

[jyl]

I love old LRs. Had a 61 109 SII. Was my only transport in LA for years. Did all my own work on it. Electrics were fairly reliable, mostly because it had almost none. Comforts were non-existent. Got a tad hot in the summer - just a big beige box sitting in the 100F LA sun . . .

Now we have a 1995 Range Rover. It is the least reliable vehicle I have ever owned, with a 1986 Ford taking second place. I do like it a lot - when I'm not writing $2,000 checks to the mechanic - and it is the best snow vehicle I've ever owned. But it is an expensive indulgence and our next vehicle won't be another new-ish LR.

Anyway, if you are going to DIY then I think a D90 would be fine. There are a lot of Internet/mailorder parts places (like Pelican) and lots of Internet DIY forums to help you. Great community. If you are going to pay someone to maintain it, then hope you have some disposable income. Is it worth it just for that Daktari "look"?

[Superman]

This is just one of those totally surprising, counter-intuitive facts of life. 'Rovers are not used in Africa because of their reliability. There is, apparently, some other reason. We're still looking for that one good reason.

[lendaddy]

Originally posted by Jim Cesiro


Check out the new FJ and never look back. Its not the status truck a LR is but a great truck on and off the road.

Jim, with all due respect to the 'Yota (I'm also a fan and owner) it cannot hold the jock strap of a Land Rover in terrain. It's really not even a contest. My Range Rover is unstoppable in a way that makes you laugh. You would swear the thing has claws.

That being said, I wouldn't advise anyone to buy one.