1983 Land Rover Defender V8

[Ruff]

This is such a cool vehicle.

1983 Land Rover Defender V8 County Station Wagon up for Auction

I know they call it a station wagon but, it is really a SUV. I would love to buy something like this if the price was not insane expensive.


Ruff

 

[Ron4RNevada]

It's called a station wagon because the term "SUV" wasn't coined until the 90s.

It'll probably fetch about $40,000.

 

[KidVermicious]

Yup. My first gen is titled as a "wagon" too.

I hear the Defender is going to be selling in the States by 2017 or so. I'm anxious to see if that's true, and if they're really going to have a 2 door convertible model. I've never bought a new vehicle in my life, but I'd be tempted...

 

[mnofpeace]

when i had my LR Discovery, i used to lust after one of the later models of these...with the removable top, at the dealer when i would get my legs broken, oh-i mean when i took it in for service...

:crutch:

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Yup. My first gen is titled as a "wagon" too.

I hear the Defender is going to be selling in the States by 2017 or so. I'm anxious to see if that's true, and if they're really going to have a 2 door convertible model. I've never bought a new vehicle in my life, but I'd be tempted...

It's going to be a unibody

 

[KidVermicious]

I read somewhere it's supposed to be a hybrid ladder frame/monocoque. A full unibody wouldn't be a deal killer though, probably. Have to see.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

I don't trust a consumer unibody to stand up to the abuse a 4Runner or a Real defrnder sees offroad. Historically JGCs have shown that unibody (or whatever they want to call their version of it) get stress cracks and fatigue from flexing too much.

Most unibodies for consumer vehicles are designed for comfort more than torsion, it's not like the Defender is going to have a factory tube frame.

 

[KidVermicious]

No, it's not and it won't. If LandRover does bring it over, it'll be aimed squarely at the market segment that buys JGCs now, it won't be intended to match a BOF truck or SUV in offroad burliness. But if it's got all the options that I'm reading it's supposed to have (300hp V6, six speed manual, 2 door w/soft top, three lockers) it'll be a fantastic soft-roader and backcountry scootabout. And that's all I'd want it for.

 

[Dephcon]

I know its not in the same class, but I wheeled a Jeep XJ (Cherokee) for many years which is a uni-body. Front coils and rear leafs. I never had any issues with stress cracks, although, if you where flexed the right way, don't open the rear hatch cuz it wouldn't close until you got on a level surface.

 

[LandCruiser]

Will DHS, which has apparently nothing better to do, kick down your door, shoot your dog, confiscate and cube this, or is it old enough?

Also, diamond plate is a hillbilly way of covering body rust.

 

[geazowksitn]

i used to lust after one of the later models of these

 

[ID_DTD]

Hey I have a similar one in my garage! Diesel powered though!

 

[BlackWorksInc]

No, it's not and it won't. If LandRover does bring it over, it'll be aimed squarely at the market segment that buys JGCs now, it won't be intended to match a BOF truck or SUV in offroad burliness. But if it's got all the options that I'm reading it's supposed to have (300hp V6, six speed manual, 2 door w/soft top, three lockers) it'll be a fantastic soft-roader and backcountry scootabout. And that's all I'd want it for.

But see that's the part that turns me off from it...

The Defender is world famous as Land Rover's "tough as nails, nigh indestructible" expedition vehicle. It's built for the singular purpose of being off-road, capable, and durable. Used world round for that very purpose.

Instead they want to ruin the name and make it ANOTHER JGC competitor like the Range Rover, the LR4, the LR2, the Evoque, and the Discovery. All of which are nothing more than ritzed up mall crawlers if anything. It's a shame really, I never really liked Land Rover much; but the Defender was one of the only vehicles I felt really stood up to the name "Land Rover."

 

[Ruff]

Hey I have a similar one in my garage! Diesel powered though!

That is awesome. How does it ride?


Ruff

 

[wanderMT]

ID_DTD - Guessing the value of yours goes up substantially after the auction!!!

 

[ebg18t]

I've bid on a couple late 80's LR Defenders but seem to get outbid. I made a deposit to buy one with an importer in SC that went under a two years back. So needless to say I will eventually get one, just have to wait for the right time. I may just have to breakdown and spend more & restore less.