RIP Defender??

Last of the Aust Army Land Rovers came off the production line in 1998.

Tendering process has now started to get a replacement.

oh what a shame

Read that it will be made some where in Asia where it will be basically the same!

Brian

Wil,

Only got the Discovery, Range Rover and Freelander to go.

Wayne

Over priced, worst quality of the lot, miserable ride, noisey... Yea Id say its about time....

I heard it would be made in Southern africa out of steel not alloy with all independent suspension - sounds like ford are trying to boost sales of their own 4wd's.

I'm crying into my drink at hte thought of it!

I would buy a Landrover if you could get in one and close the door without it breaking your arm while doing so - or drive without having to have your elbow out the window. Also I would like one if they had cabin room, window wipers that are effective, and that did not fall apart on corrugations. Talked to QLD NPWS at Lawn Hill who have a couple of them and they were willing to pay someone to take them off there hands due to the corrugations causing the dash to come loose and one door to fall off - not real good with on 12 000 Km on them. They also said parts were slow to get, and not many dealers compared to other makes. The owner of a Defender that was with me at the time was not that pleased with what he had to say. But he did say on real rough stuff that needs low range etc to get up they are pretty good and they carry heaps. Hopefully the replacement will not be 1960's standard comforts. Look forward to what comes along, hopefully it will be priced right for what you get. I think if they produce a dual cab with comfort and leg room etc that is ablke to carry a slip on camper that would be excellent - I think Toyota etc don't make such a vehicle large enough at present - Hilux dual cab just to small. Landrovers I think apart from the lack of comfort and some reliability problems are good rough hard going 4WD's. But I want a comprise - sensible price around $40 - $50K, comfort, diesel and ability to drive around town aswell.

PS - who wants stupid air bags anyway - makes a hassle if ya hit a roo and it goes off in ya face at 110Km - WHO TURNED OFF THE LIGHTS

As usual, the people who seem to have the most problems with Landys are those that don't drive one!

Cheers
Landie

Sad, but not really surprising. Lots of people bag the Defender but for the wrong reasons. It is a 1950s design which has been progressively modernised by the addition of technology but not much in the way of creature comforts. It's hard to tack on things like airconditioning etc due to the basic design. The metal dash in the series IIA wouldn't fall off but the tacked on plastic dash will.

What most fail to appreciate is the fact that the design has survived almost unchanged for more than 50 years. That is truly remarkable. It's about time for a completely re-vamped model, new from the ground up. I believe this is what Ford will do, but whether they will maintain the toughness and off-road ability remains to be seen!

To any one who cares.......
I first cut my teeth on landies as an apprentice at a JRA dealer (as they were in 1984) and i know first hand all the stupid fixes the factory came up with.
Then in 88 i went to the UK and worked at a Rover dealer...lots of Leyland landies
I then joined the British Army in 94 and got the 4wd bug on basic drivers cse with a
series 2 moving on to 110,s and converting to Wolf in 97. I had driven 101 forward control as a Gunner/driver till these where replaced with the pinz in 96/97
( by the way the pinzcauer IS the most capable FWD i,ve drivern)
I,m now in the Aust Army and have had a fair bit to do with Aussie 110,s which have a reputation second to none. Although getting a little old in design the army has decided to upgrade with newer model landrovers as it is said that the only replacement for a landrover, is another landrover. I currently own a 2.8 GU patrol but would happily buy a defender extreme if they were priced a little better (and my wife hadn't split her skirt climbing into one on a road test). I for one think that it's a sad end to an era for a vehicle that seems to be slagged off by people who don't own them or drive them.
Nino .... stiff drink needed indeed!

Like Nino, I was a mechanic (in the UK) on Landrovers. To look inside a Landrover gearbox, engine, driveshafts or diffs is an education. Compared to a Nissan or Cruiser, they are "Mickey Mouse". The drive shafts on a Landy are about the same size as Ford Cortina! Look at a Nissan Patrol - they are about the same thickness as yer average 10 tonne truck!

How the hell The British Empire was won using Landrovers is beyond me!

Though I now drive a Toyota Cruiser, I reckon a Nissan Patrol is beyond doubt the most unbreakable 4WD in "Oz". I owned 3 Patrols over 15 years and caned hard in rough bush work as a professional gold prospector - couldn't break 'em. Except for a front top spring overwrap eye when I inadvertently drove off 6 metre rock drop off at night. Boy that shook me but it was self inflicted. Couldn't even make 'em leak oil. If Nissan could give me a vehicle with as much grunt as my TD 100 series, I'd buy one tommorow.

Bilbo

Bilbo