written by Oly77 on 15/04/2005
Good Points
Was easy to sell!
Bad Points
It's overpriced, underpowered, rides like a hardtail Harley and rattles like the bolts are made of glass and they all shattered as it was driven off of the lot.
General Comments
Land Rover Defender 90:
I was looking to get into 4-wheeling and I had a few friends that had Land Rovers. I have a buddy with a Range Rover and 2 friends that have Discoveries. I liked their trucks, but I wanted more of a "Jeep-like" convertible truck, so I opted for a slightly used 1994 Defender 90. I was excited when I first got it and enjoyed driving around town with the top down, but upon my first long road trip the head gasket blew. So, in the middle of no where, here I am with a broken down "EUROPEAN" truck that nobody has parts for. A local shop ordered the parts and 3 days later I was back on the road. I almost headed for home, but I decided to go on. I reach my buddy's house in the mountains and we headed out the next day to go wheeling in the backcountry. Well, everything was great, until....bang, SNAP! My driveshaft gives out and snaps a joint. Greeeeat. So, we disconnected the faulty parts and I crept back to his house using the front wheels. To make a long, painful story short, I fixed the heap and put another $4500 into it before putting it in Auto Trader and happily ridding myself of the 4-wheeled money pit. The beset thing is, I sold it for $5300 more than I bought it for! I then did some research and decided to buy a fully restored and dialled-in 1977 Ford Bronco with a new 5.0 litre EFI motor and 5spd transmission. I was also able to afford a ski boat, AND I paid off some bills. So, now I have an American made V8, 4x4 that's a full convertible, and I'm pretty sure that I can get parts for it at ANY auto parts store, but I'm not sure...WHY? Because I haven't had to repair or replace anything and I've put over 50K miles on it and wheeled everywhere from Mendocino to Moab! So, I learned my lesson. I don't understand all of you Euro-loving Rover Fans? Why do you opt to pay twice the price for a sub-par product that will drain your patience almost as fast as it will drain your bank account? I figured it out though, you're all label lovers. The few times I did go wheeling with a group of "Rover Guys", they all had their Timberland boots, Polo shirts, RayBan shades and they drank wine at camp. I guess the term, "Bang for Your Buck" has never made it across the pond, and there's a few Yanks that have never heard it either...they're Land Rover guys. See you on the trails, if your rigs make it there!