I Bought A Cheap Land Rover Defender

All right guys, how's it going? Welcome back. Well, today you join me as I go to pick up a cheap Land Rover Defender that I bought for just £15,000. I know what you're thinking, that doesn't sound all that cheap, does it? That's just how weird the Defender market is. It's just arrived in part exchange at the garage, so that's where we're heading. I don't know that much about it, to be honest, but one thing I do know about it is that it's a TD5, and the TD5s are my favourite period of Defenders. It uses that very loud but very five-cylinder turbo diesel engine. It isn't very civilised, but then neither is the Defender. I don't think it suits that car to a tee. I'm not sure what year it is, but it's a TD5, and I think the TD5s were available from 1999 to 2006, I think. Don't beat me up in the comments section if I got that wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's right. Before that it was the 300 Series TDI, and after that it was the 2.4 TDCi Puma engine. The Defender market's like nothing else. If this were a 20-year-old Discovery, for example, or Shogun, it'd be worth £1,500, two grand tops, and they'd be much nicer to drive and use. But for some strange reason, because it's a Defender, which is worse, it's somehow worth a lot more money. Ten times more money, in fact. Makes no sense at all, does it? As we all know, the Defender is a terrible car. I mean, really, one of the worst things to drive on the road. But I love them. Oh, there's a new one. Look at that. That drives like a Range Rover. The one that we're heading to does not. This one was £15,000, and it's been described to me as being quite nice, so I'm hoping for once I might be able to get some profit. Oh, there's one. This could be worth, with a good clean service, MOT, and whatever else it needs doing, this could be worth £20,000. So we're talking a £5,000 gross profit margin. Granted, they're not the easiest things to sell. This one might be in stock for the next six months. But they do have a strange following. Like I said, there's nothing else on the used market quite like them. I'm hoping it's been owned by an enthusiast who's looked after it, and not an old farmer. If I get there and it's been owned by Claude Greengrass, then just all enthusiasm will wash away. It's a miserable day today. It's 10 degrees, but it feels a lot colder. It's lashing down with rain, so thankfully I'm in my Range Rover with the heated seat on and the heated steering wheel switched on. Although I'd better make the most of those while I can, because this Defender will not have any creature comforts whatsoever. What's mad is that for £15,000, or probably £20,000 if that's what I ask of it, you could buy yourself a really nice Range Rover. Anyway, I won't keep you in suspense any longer, let's go and have a look. Ah, I've just seen the roof of it. There we go. It's got a twisted badge on the back. While we wait for the rain to die down, let me do a car vertical check. This is really easy to do. It doesn't cost an awful lot, and it just saves you buying a complete lemon. So, all you need to do is go to carvertical.com, type in your vehicle reg, in this case that is Echo November 05 Hotel Uniform Mike. I wonder if that's a private plate, like Hummer or something. It's currently checking databases in dozens of countries. This checks to see if it's ever been stolen, checks to see if it's ever been involved in any accidents, has outstanding finance on it, all that sort of stuff. I've done a deal with Car Vertical, by the way, so if you click the link below and use the promo code HYPEAT, you'll get 10% off each and every vehicle check that you do. I'm quite looking forward to driving this, because that looks really cool. It's even got the snorkel on the front. What a miserable day. Right, and the report's back. So, there's no mileage fraud. It's never been stolen. Ah, see what I mean about doing a check before you buy a car, not afterwards? It has been involved in an accident. There's no outstanding finance. Let's see when that accident happened then. It's a 2005 car, registered in June 2005. Right, in 2012, we have indications that this vehicle was recognised as damaged in this particular country. Please refer to the damage section for details. It's very thorough, this. Shortly after that it failed its MOT. Ah, I knew that was a private plate. So its original reg was Yankee Golf 05 Kilo Victor Oscar. It just looked like a private plate. Right, load of advisor items there, load of advisor. This isn't looking good, is it? Still, at least I haven't got £15,000 of my own money tied up in it. Oh, wait, yes, I do. Let's see if it's got a current MOT, shall we? Let's see if my day gets any better. The last MOT was done in January this year, which means it runs out in two months' time, and it's got quite a few. Oh, there were fails. Then it's been retested, and then it's passed, but with some advisor items. Nearside front brake pipe corroded, offside front brake pipe corroded, nearside rear brake pipe corroded, offside rear brake. An oil leak. Surprise, surprise, on an old Land Rover. Steering damper bush worn. Nearside front swivel joint leaking oil. Oh, the joys. The mileage at the last MOT was 124,000 miles. So, quick recap then. I've paid £15,000 for a written-off Defender that's done 125,000 miles. Good job. If we go down to the damage section here, the damage happened in the UK. The estimated repair costs are unknown, and the possible damage type is unknown, but it was a meaning the vehicle can be repaired and would cost less than the vehicle's worth, but other costs, such as transporting the vehicle, might take it over the vehicle's value. Fine, okay. So it's a Cat D that's been repaired in 2012 when it was seven years old. Well, it's been on the road for 10 more years since then, so it can't be that bad, can it? It's a 2.5 TD5 manual diesel Defender. Right, well, we're going to get very wet, but do you want to see more? I don't really, no. I feel a little bit sick, but we'll do it anyway, shall we? Let's go have a look. It looks really cool, this. By the looks of it, somebody's spent a lot of money on this. We've got upgraded tyres, wheels. They're the later wheels, actually. We've got the mud flaps. The big thing to watch out for on these is rust. Now, this is cool, isn't it? They're so rough and ready, these. Got the snorkel on it. Right, it shouldn't have all of this. Someone's made this look newer than it is. This is like off an XS, I think, like the Puma engine XS. I like it, though. But it's hard to tell in the rain, but it looks quite straight down the panels, or straight for a Defender, anyway. It's hard to tell where this impact was. That looks new. I'm trying to use all my knowledge here to see where the whack was, but it's tricky on a Defender because they're quite poorly built anyway, so none of the panel gaps are good at the best of times. Ah, right, someone's spent a lot of money on this, because it shouldn't have forward-facing seats. For a Defender of this era, there should be, like, bench seats which fold down. That's quite good. There's not much headroom, but they're just cool, these cars. Painful to drive, but cool. Let's have a look under the bonnet, then. So that is, like I say, my favourite engine, the five-cylinder turbo diesel. It's all tightly packed in there. Can't see any rust or any signs of impact. Right. Well, it smells quite clean. We've got both sets. Oh, we've got heated seats. Let's fire this up. It has done 126,000 miles. The unmistakable noise of a Defender. A full tank of fuel, though, as well. The clutch feels nice and light, you know. Normally painful, but this feels all right. I think I'll replace this cubby box here, because that's all ripped, and they're only about 50 quid for a new one, I think, so that can be replaced. But apart from that, apart from a good clean, it'd be quite a nice thing, this. Let's see what the radio station was set to, then. How do we get this on? Oh, it's a DAB. 808091 FM Radio 2. There we go. Bit of Elvis. Can't go wrong. Somebody's replaced this steering wheel, as well, because this is the wrong steering wheel for this car, and it's leather-trimmed. This has been owned by somebody who's really passionate about Land Rovers. You can just tell. Well, I know this is a Cat D, so I should be quite negative about this, but now I've seen the actual car, it's quite a nice one. Look at that for Land Rover build quality. I've just tried to open the ashtray, and the whole thing just comes off in your hand. It's terribly built. Leave that alone. Has it ever been smoked in? Yes. Leave that. We've got electric windows, heated seats, heated rear screen. It is like going back in time when you get in one of these. Ah, have a look at this. Right, this is what you want to see when you're buying a used car. This, I assume, is the service history. It's like a family photo album. We've got all the previous MOTs. This is what you want to see. This isn't your Claude Greengrass Defender, this. Right, £764 spent there, £500 spent there, genuine rubber seals. Oh, this has been £704 there. Ah, it's had the brake pipes done, I think. They were advised on the last MOT, so if it's been done, that'll save me a job. Somebody has spent a fortune on this. This is great news. £900 there. Right, well, suddenly I feel an awful lot better about this car. This is what you need to do when you're plastic changing a car, by the way. Put it all in a folder like this. You'll get more money for it, I promise you. Right, let's get this show on the road. We've got no warning lights. Hmm, that's weird. My handbrake light doesn't come on. Look at this painfully bad turning circle. Oh, there we go. See that? And we're off. There's nothing quite like driving an old Defender. It's loose, everything's hard work, everything's difficult and heavy or sharp or hot, and yet it always makes you grin like this. It's quite clunky, this. Like it's missing a bump stop or something. Have to get that checked out. Brakes are quite responsive, though. I can't tell whether my door's closed or not. Nope. There we go. I think the door was installed by the same person who installed the ashtray. I think that's what it is. There we go, lights are on. Put the fan on. Very civilised. I ran one of these all winter about three or four years ago, an Oslo Blue Y-Rage 2001 TD5, and it didn't have a working heater. The heater motor had gone, so every day I'd have to get in it with my gloves, scarf, fully north-faced up. What I'm going to do with this one, then, is run it straight to my mechanic to get them to give it a service and an MOT, see why it rattles and bangs, because I know it's a Defender and they're noisy, but it shouldn't be as noisy as this. Then I'll order a new cubby box for it, take it to the valeters and give it a good clean, and then we're good to go. And I think, even though this is a Cat D and it's done 126, it doesn't matter. It's such a weird market. I'm going to chance my arm and try and get 20 grand for it. I think looking like this, the fact that somebody's tried to make it look a bit more modern, like an XS model, I think will massively help. You just instantly feel like a big kid in one of these. I feel like my dad's just let me drive his car for the first time. I've said this before, but the Defender really is just a piece of agricultural equipment. It isn't really a car. So if you view it as a tractor, then it's not too bad. If you're trying to assess this as a car, then it is atrocious. Right, we're just around the corner from my mechanics, so I shall catch up with you in a day or two. Wish me luck. And we're back, and as you can see I've been very busy. I've repainted it blue and I've fitted it with a new interior. Just kidding, this is actually a different Defender. The black one which I was filming with at the start of this video sold right away. Like I said, the Defender market is weird. It ended up needing quite a bit of work, but there was a decent profit margin, so overall it was a good deal. Definitely worthwhile doing. Oh, and I've got news for you, actually. Do you remember how it was recorded as a Cat D write-off? Well, the plot thickens. I was chatting with the previous owner and it turns out it wasn't written off because it had been involved in an accident, like I thought. No, it was actually written off because it was stolen, and by the time the police found it, they'd stripped it of its engine, its gearbox, and its interior. So the previous owner bought it back as a shell, basically, and then fitted it with a new engine, new gearbox, and a whole new interior. Which is why the interior had that newer style XS trim. It all makes sense now. There's always a reason, isn't there? But it did make me feel better about it, because it hadn't been rolled or on its roof or sitting on the wrong side of a hedge. It had just been pinched. And that is quite a common problem with these. They're in high demand with car thieves. God knows why. It certainly isn't because they're pleasant to drive, anyway. Every single Defender experience for me is the same. I walk up to it with the keys in my hand, all excited about the prospects of driving it. Then I get in it, all excited, and it's like being in a big toy. Then I drive it, hmm, six, seven metres, and then I'm bored with it instantly. Since we last spoke, I took it down to my mechanics for a service in MOT, and asked them to give me an MOT with no advisory items. If you remember, there were quite a number on the last one. Obviously, in order to obtain a clean MOT, it needed quite a bit of work, and I'll get on to that shortly. Then I ordered a new cubby box because the old one was ripped, and then I took it for a good detailed valet buff. And it came up looking like new. Now, here's the strangest part. I advertised it for £21,000, and the phone rang off the hook. I'm not exaggerating. We could have sold it five times over. Bear in mind this was a 126,000 mile Defender on the register. It's weird. Like I said, the Defender market is like no other. It sold within about a week, and we took in a nice parts exchange, which has since sold on as well. So overall, it was a very good deal. Right, let me park up somewhere scenic, and I'll talk you through my costs. You might want to pop the kettle on because it's quite a long list. Right, well I think here will do. Doesn't look out of place here, does it? I'll knock this engine off so you can actually hear me. Right, so my bill with my mechanics, if you remember, it was quite rattling. It felt quite loose, so it needed some new rear debushers. It also needed a steering box because the steering was quite vague, or even more vague than usual for a Defender. It had an oil leak, surprise, surprise, on an old Land Rover, so it needed a rocker cover gasket. It needed rear brake discs and pads. It needed two rear brake calipers, and then it also had a service, so oil filter, oil. It also needed an MOT. The MOT test fee was £40. I ordered some new reg plates. The old one, like I thought, was a private plate, and the previous owner wanted that back, so it reverted back to its Yorkshire plate, which I thought looked better anyway. So those plates cost me £12. Then it needed tracking, it needed some power steering fluid, and refit exhaust bumper mountings, and now all the parts that it needed I got from a place called Hallam Brothers over in Hayfield. Now they're Land Rover specialists, so I've got a separate bill from them. So my bill for my mechanics was £895. That was mainly though for the labour, because it was quite labour intensive. The new cubby box cost me £150, and the valet buff and detail cost me £280. Now, the big bill. We've got a genuine cam cover gasket, £33.99, genuine TD5 injector washer kit, £54.97, anti-roll bar bush, that was £4.26. This was the biggie, new power steering box, that was £850. Rear brake discs, £55, rear brake pads, £49.64, and the callipers were £292 each. Quite a big bill on that, isn't it? Let me add all this up. So, we have got £33.99, talk amongst yourselves guys, don't worry, £54.97, £4.26, £850. My total there for the parts only was £1,631.86, plus VAT. So my total is £1,958.23. Add on top of that the £895 for my mechanics, plus the £150 for the box, plus the £280 for the detail, that brings my grand total to £3,283.23. So quite a lot of prep, but bear in mind, I paid £15,000 for the car, I use that term loosely, truck, farm vehicle, takes my total to £18,283. Let me work out my profit then, so it's all for £21,000, less my prep cost, less my purchase price, leaves me with a grand total of £2,717. So it was well worth doing, that's a great profit margin. These kind of deals though, don't happen every day, so when you're offered something like this, you've just got to seize the opportunity. Right, I'm going to go and take this back to work now and jump out of it and get into something a bit more luxurious, like, well like anything. And I go, Picasso. Well thank you once again for watching, make sure you give the video a thumbs up if you enjoyed it, make sure you subscribe if you haven't done already, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, I'll leave a link below. If you've got any comments or questions, let me know below and I'll do my best to get back to you. So yeah, cheers guys, see you next time.