Defender MY 2022 overland build that become an LR4 :)

[leeloo]

So I just got a call today that I can come pick up my new defender on Friday at 14.00.
2 more days of waiting :(

Ordered in March to replace my curent OV vehicle, a toyota hilux.
The Hilux is not that old, but I did not like it. I did had plenty of space but I was coming form a Landcruiser, so I wanted back to comfort, air suspension and a normal size vehicle . You can travel with a pick up in Europe, but it makes life more difficult. On top of that, I hate modern diesels, at the time I bought I did not had many options, in Europe, on the big 4x4 scene only the wrangler came with a petrol engine.
So besides, the Defender, I was looking at a Jeep Wrangler - too noisy on the Highway and unrefined, and at a Lancruiser Prado , facelift no.3 . Did a drive test with the Prado, it left me cold. The engine was the biggest let down , the hardened suspension ( what is with all manufacturers with this crap " tuned at Nurburgring" for any type of car is beyond me ), and the age of the model, it has been in production for 11 years .
So the Defender won, because of the level of comfort on the highway, and it is good enough off road for me. I don't want to enter a debate, I am sure wrangler is better, and I think it is on par with a land cruiser, but of course not really important for me, any of them are more than enough for where I plan to go.
I also liked that I don't have to do any heavy and costly modifications, it has good factory recovery points, good underside protection , no need for a lift etc..
Last, but not least , you can get it with a petrol engine in Europe, which is great.
So I ordered the base version , the P300 engine, even the color is the basic one, Fuji White. ( it will get scratches pretty quickly for sure, I wanted a cheap color to be easy to repair ) .
I got as extras just the bare minimum that would be useful for camping trips : the off road pack, rock sliders, heated seats, and I also got the Blind monitoring pack for extra safety., and the bigger screen ( makes the maps you project via Apple car play easier to read and follow ). That is about it, so it came at a decent price, even lower than an LC Prado with similar options.
On Friday, after I pick it up I will go straight for a week end camping trip. I will improvise something for the fridge as a temporary set up.
Pics will follow as soon as I get my hands on it.

 

[leeloo]

So the trip went ok up to a point ... no it did not break down.. :)
So I went to pick it up on Friday, did not spend much time there, got the kid from the school, packed and went away for a week-end camping trip, so no time to check the car carefully.




But I did discover it was not what I ordered. Somehow between my order and the time it came to be manufactured, one important option was lost on the way, mainly the air suspension. This is not something I can get over with so I called them and took it back.
A coil sprung defender has basically the same ground clearance as a Forester, and for independent suspension is not really something that I want to have..


Now they are investigating bla bla bla.. but basically I have to order something again, and I have to wait most likely 6 months again. Not a huge deal, camping season in europe is almost done anyway..
But is not a total loss. I did had it for a full week-end on a camping trip and I realized some stuff. While the car itself is great, I like the engine and gearbox as well, the trunk really sucks. It is not Jeep Wrangler level, but not far from it. I knew it will be a problem since I saw it in the showroom, but when I started packing it, it became obvious that is something difficult to overcome. I my situation I would like to keep at lest 2/3 of the back seat up. Otherwise you keep hanging things outside of the car and that raises other issues.
So since I had this oportunity now, I am also looking at a Disco 5, a much more usable trunk and space. yes I loose some of road capability but I can live with that..
So on Saturday.. another drive test and I will make a decision. But the Disco is already looking more and more attractive to me.

 

[leeloo]

So, after I took the the disco 5 for a spin, I am ordering a Disco.
What convinced me - the trunk space, and the lower overall height of the vehicle, that makes it more manageable. Defender does have many things in his favor, but I think they sacrificed to much of the trunk for the comfort of the back passengers.
So now, back in the queue . On the other hand, I plan very little travelling till May next year, and I won't be doing any camping for sure.. But with the manufacturing issues it is a risk that I won't get it until than.

 

[leeloo]

The never ending saga is continuing. The dealer called me last week that JLR is not taking orders for the Disco 5 unless is something like a HSE.. I was told it can take anything between 9 and 18 months ( about the time to make a baby elephant.)
Basically this people make it impossible for someone with cash to burn to give them away.
So I am pulling out of the deal, asked for a reimbursement, and on Friday I am going to see a second hand Disco 4/LR4 that I found in Germany on the LR Approved vehicles that has very low mileage and comes with a 2 year Land Rover warranty. Crazy expensive.. but what can you do...

 

[leeloo]

By the time I was scheduled for a drive test that LR4 was gone, found another one in Netherlands that I bought and going to pick it up on Saturday.
This are some pictures from the add.



It is a 2016 SDV6 with about 150k km on the clock, HSE luxury trim, full service history and 1 year warranty.
Over the winter I will start prepping it for the next spring camping season. This will involved some maintenance, tires, installing some dual battery system.

 

[El-Dracho]

So finally you have a proper rig again after this odysse. D3/D4 are great overlanding rigs. Congrats. As said already in the LR registry thread, take care of the timing belts. I am excited to see the mods you will be doing over the winter. I hope we will see some pictures of them here. Thanks.

 

[leeloo]

Thank you. The only regret I have no matter how hard I tried, I am back to a diesel still.. There really are no choices in Europe for this kind of vehicle.
Before I decide some more significant changes I want to have it in my hand for a while, to see what is need it. For sure an aux battery system is a must, the rest I will determine later...

 

[El-Dracho]

Thank you. The only regret I have no matter how hard I tried, I am back to a diesel still.. There really are no choices in Europe for this kind of vehicle.
Before I decide some more significant changes I want to have it in my hand for a while, to see what is need it. For sure an aux battery system is a must, the rest I will determine later...

Yeah, V8 gasoline D4 are rare in Europe. An interesting solution could be the Toyota GRJ 76. 4 doors, 6 cylinder 4.0L gasoline.

 

[leeloo]

Not for me, it is only manual and a bloody tractor with 0 comfort. Like the old defenders, at least for me, I like to admire them from a distance.. but not own.. :)

 

[leeloo]

So I went on Saturday to pick it up from Netherlands, about 350 km away. The trip back home was uneventful, no unpleasant surprises so far. I loved the ride and the engine has plenty of power for my use. Is not a fast car but it will do fine.
Very comfortable and quiet, exactly what I was looking for.
Fuel economy was a pleasent surrpise, about 9.5 l/100 km , 1l less the Hilux i had before that was lighter and had 100 less HP...
So the first thing ordered for it, being a LR, I got a specific diagnostic tool from Amazon that should be delivered in a couple of days :)
For the moment I will focus on getting the car registered in Luxembourg and finding a good LR service to do the timing belts, fuel pump belt and what ever else is need it.

 

[leeloo]

With the help of El - Dracho, I found a specialized service in Land rovers, in Germany, about 200 km from me. I will drop of the car there on Saturday and leave it for as long as it takes to do what is need it.

I got a quote from them for the timing belt kit, HPFP belt , water pump, oil change in the transmission, about 1800 euro. I don't think a dealership will be a lot more expensive but I have no trust in the dealership here in Luxembourg .
I also asked them to change the glow plugs.
When I did the technical inspection to register the car, they found what it looked like an OIL leak, and a pretty big one.
Making a closer inspection home , I think they spilled some oil when they did the last oil change, because the OIL was yellow like new, not the dark black one you see in a diesel engine even after just a few kilometers.
On top that in more than 1000 km and the car sitting for a few weeks in the garage I found no sign of leaks or changes in the oil level. If it leaks as badly as they were telling me, I should have a change in the oil level.
I will tell the guys at the shop to investigate further when it goes in.
Once everything will be fixed, some wheels and tires will come next.

 

[El-Dracho]

Great. I am happy to hear that your project is progressing. Great that you got an appointment in the garage. It would be nice to know if you can really recommend the guys there. Please keep writing about your project and show some pictures, please. Enjoy!

 

[leeloo]

well you were asking more pictures, there you.
Not some nature or offroad shots.. :)

At the technical inspection to register the car I was rejected due to an oil leak. At the shop they decided to take the body off and check. Some strange things, some work has been done on the engine that was not mentioned in the service history, you can see the new cylinder head on the left and old one on the right... so most likely the head on one bank was replaced in 2021.
I bought a 2016 one hoping it will be less prone to big issues.. but I might as well bought a cheap old one.. does not seem to matter with Land rovers, probably the bill to fix it would be the same.
Not they still don't know where this leak is, the is no oil on the banks and inside the V but there is oil on the timing belts..

Otherwise he told me the body, suspension and chassis look very good. The engine is a pile of crap tough..
Waiting form some news now in the afternoon..
This will be costly so far I am at 3500 euro and counting and the only trips I took were to register the car and straight to the shop. :) the life of Land rover ownership.. :)

 

[El-Dracho]

It's good that you're doing it right for once, or having it done. Then you have a reliable vehicle. If you want to rely on your vehicle, it does not make sense to try here and there a little bit and repair. Of course it is expensive, but once right and then you have a good basis. And in the end still cheaper than the new Defender you wanted to have first. So, keep reporting on this great project. Have fun with it!

 

[leeloo]

Got the car out of the shop. Final invoice 5300 euro. The guy robbed me blind, but since I was pressed for time , had no choice. I am taking a long trip this winter holiday and I wanted to do it in the Disco.. I had quotes from 2 other LR shops for ~ 3000, but they were booked up to the end of January.
After this big repair the gearbox came back to life, and the engine seems more quite and smoother. .. Passed the Technical inspection with no issue.
Tomorrow I am taking the 3'rd row of seats out and the carpenter at my work will make me a nice new floor for the boot. That I intend to cover with some kind of auto upholstery, and use the space gained to store items not used often like spare parts etc..

I will also be able to install additional anchor points without ruining anything else.

On Saturday I have an appointment to fit some General Grabber AT3's I ordered. Decent price for the size, and they seem really ok, good reviews.

 

[AggieOE]

I can't believe you've already had to do so much maintenance but I will say I think that's one of the best looking SUVs on the road. Hopefully, you're good now to go another 150k km.

 

[Mike W]

Sorry to hear you had bad luck with it. The L319 platform in general is way more reliable than some of the older land rovers. It is a great platform. Super comfortable and spacious yet it is nimble and has great turning radius and isn't very wide or long.

Hope to see your adventures soon. With the tires on, you won't really need much else to go have fun. Don't mod too fast. I've been building my since 2013 and I definitely have more crap on it than I need. Stay away from lift rods, leave the suspension alone.

 

[leeloo]

I can't believe you've already had to do so much maintenance but I will say I think that's one of the best look SUVs on the road. Hopefully, you're good now to go another 150k km.

For the diesels you have to do huge service at 150k. Most of it was normal maintenance, so I did the timing belt kit, there is another belt for the fuel pump in the back of the engine, it is very hard to access, I changed all the glow plugs ( long cold starts kill this engine pretty quick) and they are inside the V, very hard to access as well. I changed the oil and filter of the automatic gearbox. The only issue was the oil leak, coming from a semi ring at the camshaft, at the back part of the engine.
Because of the little access, garages invoice huge amounts of labor. The diesels require a lot of maintenance, and the biggest issue is access and a lot of specialized tools that you need.
I have a small garage, no room, and while I do have some mechanical skills ( I can cahnge soem brakes, brake pads, do an oil change etc ) , for big jobs I don't have the space, patience or or tools, I prefer some professional help.

@ Mike

Sorry to hear you had bad luck with it. The L319 platform in general is way more reliable than some of the older land rovers. It is a great platform. Super comfortable and spacious yet it is nimble and has great turning radius and isn't very wide or long.

Hope to see your adventures soon. With the tires on, you won't really need much else to go have fun. Don't mod too fast. I've been building my since 2013 and I definitely have more crap on it than I need. Stay away from lift rods, leave the suspension alone.

Thank you Mike. I knew this big service was due, and I was prepared for it, this is why I managed to negotiate the price down when I bought it. In Europe the late years LR 4 are more expensive than Disco 5, and on top of it all second hand cars have now crazy prices .. wrong time to be in a market ofr any car now I would say.. :)
But the issue was the shop who robbed me blind..

I plan to get get an electronic module, eazy lift - it is DIY job - and I will have manual control over all the settings of the suspension. As you know for example over 40 km/h I think, the car will lower from the off road height and you can override that. There are many situations where you want to have the offroad heignt but the road is relatively good and you can go faster. You can also put it temporarily at maximum height, lower it 2 cm for highway cruise, it has an auto leveling function useful when you camp in an uneven spot and so on .. very nice toy, about 400 euro. Lift rods are too permanent for my taste.

I will not modify the car , is not need it for what I do. Except for the removal of the 3 rd row and installing an auxiliary battery system, all I will put in will be some storage solutions.
Any way, so far I love it.

 

[leeloo]

New shoes are on :) General Grabber AT3's . Did some km on the highway, I could not see any difference in noise compared with the highway tires I had on
Tomorrow the custom boot floor will be installed.

 

[XC70_OVERLANDER]

So I just got a call today that I can come pick up my new defender on Friday at 14.00.
2 more days of waiting :(

Ordered in March to replace my curent OV vehicle, a toyota hilux.
The Hilux is not that old, but I did not like it. I did had plenty of space but I was coming form a Landcruiser, so I wanted back to comfort, air suspension and a normal size vehicle . You can travel with a pick up in Europe, but it makes life more difficult. On top of that, I hate modern diesels, at the time I bought I did not had many options, in Europe, on the big 4x4 scene only the wrangler came with a petrol engine.
So besides, the Defender, I was looking at a Jeep Wrangler - too noisy on the Highway and unrefined, and at a Lancruiser Prado , facelift no.3 . Did a drive test with the Prado, it left me cold. The engine was the biggest let down , the hardened suspension ( what is with all manufacturers with this crap " tuned at Nurburgring" for any type of car is beyond me ), and the age of the model, it has been in production for 11 years .
So the Defender won, because of the level of comfort on the highway, and it is good enough off road for me. I don't want to enter a debate, I am sure wrangler is better, and I think it is on par with a land cruiser, but of course not really important for me, any of them are more than enough for where I plan to go.
I also liked that I don't have to do any heavy and costly modifications, it has good factory recovery points, good underside protection , no need for a lift etc..
Last, but not least , you can get it with a petrol engine in Europe, which is great.
So I ordered the base version , the P300 engine, even the color is the basic one, Fuji White. ( it will get scratches pretty quickly for sure, I wanted a cheap color to be easy to repair ) .
I got as extras just the bare minimum that would be useful for camping trips : the off road pack, rock sliders, heated seats, and I also got the Blind monitoring pack for extra safety., and the bigger screen ( makes the maps you project via Apple car play easier to read and follow ). That is about it, so it came at a decent price, even lower than an LC Prado with similar options.
On Friday, after I pick it up I will go straight for a week end camping trip. I will improvise something for the fridge as a temporary set up.
Pics will follow as soon as I get my hands on it.

Super exited.