The following ad is going on ebay next week, I thought I would give you guys the heads up first.

Asking £5,499 ono.

I'll be very sorry to see the Landy go, but go it must. (photos to follow soon)

Mike

Land Rover 110 Defender Hard Top – Ideal Expedition / Overland Camper vehicle

Reluctantly for sale is my treasured Land Rover. This vehicle took me safely from London to Cape Town, is fully equipped and prepared for a similar expedition, and I would not hesitate to use him again for the same trip, if only I didn’t have to work!

This Land Rover will be at home on the plains of Africa or the mud of the British countryside, and deserves to be used and enjoyed, rather than kept in indoor storage which is where it has mainly been since I returned from South Africa in September 2006.

Base Vehicle Specification

• 110 - long wheelbase
• Hard Top – most secure Land Rover if there’s only 2 of you travelling
• 200TDI engine - no shonky electronics to go wrong like in the TD5
• 170,000 well-maintained miles
• Strong chassis and bulkhead
• Paintwork in great condition – was resprayed in 2005.
• Gets up to 30mpg if you drive it gently…
• MOT and tax to end January 2009.
• Note the private registration plate is not included; I will transfer this off the vehicle first.

History

There are 3 former keepers on the V5:

• The original owner is unknown to me.
• The vehicle was then owned by Durham Constabulary, until 2003. The police are fastidious about maintenance on their vehicles so I am confident it was properly maintained over the years. The vehicle still has a small hole in the roof (sealed) where the “blues and twos” were attached!
• It was then sold in March 2003, with approx 100,000 miles on the clock, to a plasterer, who used it as a works vehicle for 2 years.
• I bought the vehicle in May 2005 with approx 130,000 miles on the clock and have owned it since. I used it for a trip from London to Cape Town down the Eastern side of Africa between September 2005 and September 2006. The car was then shipped back from Cape Town in a container. Since then it has mainly been in indoor storage as it is not practical for me as a daily driver.

Upgrades and Expedition Preparation

This vehicle was comprehensively overhauled and prepared prior to the expedition to Cape Town in 2005. I have receipts for much of the following. If you have ever prepared an overland vehicle you will know how much this lot cost, I make it around £5,000.

Engine

• new radiator
• new water hoses
• new turbo
• new water pump
• new fuel pump
• new starter motor
• new screen wash motor
• new temperature sender
• new uprated 80A alternator – ideal for charging twin batteries
• Timing belt replaced at 130,000 miles
• New fan, PAS and alternator belts

Gearbox and Drive

• Transfer box output flanges replaced
• New universal joints all round

Fuel System

• New fuel tank – rusted original fuel tanks affected two other people I know of on the road, so this was a great investment.
• FrontRunner 40 litre additional rear wing mounted fuel tank, with 4 jerries this takes total fuel capacity to around 200 litres.
• Fuel sedimentor mounted on chassis for initial pre-filtering of fuel.

Wheels and Tyres

• Black steel wheel rims all round – alloys, while looking nice, are no good for an expedition, the metal is too soft.
• BF Goodrich All Terrain 235x85R16 tyres all round –these are the king of expedition tyres, and are only about half worn in the 35,000 miles they have been on there. With the 6 tyres, I reckon you could easily do the same distance again on the same tyres. In the whole distance from London to Cape Town we only had one puncture, which was easily repaired. These really are great tyres.
• 2 spare BFG AT tyres, one rear mounted, one bonnet mounted.
• Locking wheel nuts on all running wheels, spares secured with padlocks.
• Swing-away spare wheel carrier on rear (stops rear door from dropping from weight of spare wheel)

Suspension and steering

• Old Man Emu 2” lift heavy duty shocks and springs all round – the best you can get for overland expeditions. These all made it from London to Cape Town without failing; one rear shock started leaking shortly after returning so has been replaced with another OME shock.
• Old Man Emu steering damper
• New power steering pump

Other Exterior

• Frontrunner 44 litre water tank in rear wing
• 2 Foley side storage lockers – each capable of holding 2 x standard jerry cans.
• Chequer plating on bonnet and front wings
• Bull bar on front
• Rear light guards
• Steering Guard from Rebel 4x4
• Jate rings on rear (towing points integrated with steering guard on front)
• Chequer plate-covered side steps from Rebel 4x4.
• Genuine Safari Snorkel
• Wading/breather kit for axles and transfer box etc.
• Higher power headlights than standard LR spec
• High-level 3rd brake light
• Hasps for padlocks on all external doors – great for visual deterrent against breaking in – I know of two people who had their cars broken into while travelling, but ours was never touched.

Interior

• Interior Roll Bar with welded on security mesh installed by North Off Road – gives protection in event of a roll-over, and also separates the cabin from the rear for security and safety – nothing can come flying at you over the bulkhead.
• Mobile Storage Systems lockable centre console with map pockets. There is a CD stereo installed but the CD has packed up due to dust.
• Mobile Storage Systems steel rear window guards
• New interior lamp
• New speakers in cabin
• Rear insulated and ply lined, with some shelving.
• Storage chest in rear
• Rear roof carpeted to reduce noise.

In addition to all this, many other minor jobs were done, such as replacing bulbs, belts and seals, replacing swivel joints, etc etc. We wanted everything to be just right before trusting our lives to this vehicle across Africa!

On the trip, the following were replaced due to issues/wear on the road:

• front suspension turrets and securing rings
• ignition switch
• rear trailing arms and bushes
• track rod ends
• a couple of hub oil seals
• a couple of propshaft universal joints
• new front brake pads

The car was fastidiously maintained during the expedition, with all oils and filters being changed at the recommended intervals, with the best quality available. We carried a substantial quantity of semi-synthetic engine oil, and fully synthetic gearbox and transfer/diff oil to ensure the best quality oils were used at all times.

Since returning from South Africa in September 2006, the following have been replaced:

• The rear crossmember (with extensions) was professionally replaced in January this year at a cost of £800 including labour as it was starting to perforate, but the rest of the chassis and bulkhead is in great condition.
• Front radius arm bushes
• Passenger seat belt

Bad Points

This vehicle is 17 years old and the car must be considered with that in mind. You are not buying a new car. Having said that, I believe this Land Rover is in great condition for its age, and the things I am pointing out here are minor issues that you could fix if they bothered you.

• Dented roof panel above driver’s door, and small scrape on top of driver’s door. This was as the result of a minor collision with a truck in Syria. If it bothers you you may be able to get the dent pulled out at a body shop, or whole new 110 roofs come on Ebay for around 250 quid, and just bolt on I believe.
• Fuel gauge not working. Suspect this may be an electrical problem with the fuel sender.
• Passenger side lock and door handle is flakey – sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Probably needs a new lock rod inside the door.
• Rear door latch does not work – you need to use the padlock to keep the door closed. New latch is about 30 quid.
• The edge of the bonnet rubs a little on the chequer plating on the wings. Cosmetic issue only.
• The plastic surround that the dashboard instruments are placed in is rather loose – you should be able to pick up a replacement cheaply from a Land Rover breakers yard.
• There is an alarm fitted but both keyfobs are broken, I would recommend removing and replacing.

Included in the sale is a large selection of Land Rover spares, including seals, gaskets, hoses, belts, bulbs, two spare shock absorbers, the original water and PAS pumps taken off the vehicle, and many other assorted useful bits. This is a good part of the spares set you should have for an extended trip away.

Viewing and Offering

I am located near Junction 3 of the M3. Please come and see my Land Rover if you are interested, it really is a fabulous expedition-prepared vehicle, pretty much ready to travel the world again. I want it to go to a good owner who will care for it and take it to exciting places. I’m happy to provide any advice on preparing for a similar trip to the one I undertook. Please e-mail me at mike at blanche dot org and I will let you know my phone number to arrange a viewing.

Why am I selling? I don’t use the Land Rover any more, and I need the money for a MBA I am starting in September!




Available Separately

I am planning on selling the following items separately but if you want to make me an offer for the Land Rover including some or all of these items, have a look below. The price I am asking on this listing for the Land Rover is EXCLUDING all of the following items.

• 1.4m Howling Moon Roof Tent – the king of roof tents, with a laminated, insulated floor (not wooden like Eazy-Awn so won't rot), made from tough canvas and in excellent condition. Tent refurbished at the Howling Moon factory in Durban, South Africa, with new mattress, fly-sheet, poles etc and only used for a couple of weeks afterwards. Complete with extension ladder – necessary if you have a tall vehicle or a suspension lift. Selling for £600.
• 2.5m Howling Moon Awning, complete with professionally made sides including zip-up door and windows. Makes another “room” for when you are camping. Selling for £250.
• Thule Heavy Duty Roof Bars and mounts suitable for mounting the above, complete with locking knobs. Selling for £100.
• Exmoor Trim “Tracker” Modular seats in Black “Land Rover” logo cloth – top of the range, very comfortable, in almost as-new condition, complete with all mounting points for a Defender. Complete with Exmoor Trim custom fitted waterproof seat covers. Cost nearly £800 new, selling for £500 the pair.
• 2 x “Safari Loafa” chairs made out of high quality canvas like the tent and awning.SOLD
• 4 x black plastic water jerry cans – army issue - £10 each
• 2 x Metal Fuel jerry cans – army issue - £5 each

Hello Mike

I'm interested in the tent, awning and seats and will be around your way this weekend so could pop over if it's convenient.

Thanks

Pete

This is now on ebay with a lower price of £4,995.

Some pics too:







Mike

This is now SOLD.

Thank you and goodnight!