$100 to evaluate a Defender near Tampa/Ft Meyers

How worried do I need to be about this possible corrosion under the wax oyl?

How difficult is it to replace the rear panels with windows?

-Sam
 

acheck

Well-known member
that chassis has had a lot of patching work done and a lot more scaly rust covered up by waxoyl.

the "audio system" will likely be a source of headaches. pretty rare to ever find one wired up to standard and that doesnt kill the battery, cause other issues, etc.

also no photos of the rust prone bulkhead areas. based on the chassis i would be very suspect.

in general, the price is cheap ish for a 5 door but this one will not look this "good" for long. within 2 years it will likely be visibly deteriorated - paint flaking, corrosion bubbling through doors, chunks of metal falling off the chassis, maybe rust holes showing through the bulkhead.

buyer beware - this was at one point a $3000 defender that someone has infused with about $10k to make it pretty.

based on the collection of parts here - series front doors, early 110 middle doors, no window roof sides, etc it was probably built up from some chap's parts pile.
 

Napalm00

Technical Excellence Contributor
How worried do I need to be about this possible corrosion under the wax oyl?

How difficult is it to replace the rear panels with windows?

-Sam

covering rust in wax oil is literally how guys in UK get these trucks to pass inspection. You just have to physically check it some are not bad some are horrible. This truck is in about a million times better condition than mine originally was when I purchased it. One more note it's not a possibility of rust corrosion under this wax oil there IS rust and corrosion under the wax oil. You can physically see it and it's why it is bumpy and is why you have rust repair welds all over the frame.

You don't replace the panels you cut big holes in them and you put the windows in there. If you have to ask You aren't capable of doing it. You're looking at a couple hundred per side for the windows if you get them used, plus maybe $500 to $1,000 in labor for a local shop who's willing to do the work. Finding somebody willing to do the work is going to be probably harder


I don't think this truck is a lost cause but it's not a deal at 20k.

If you could get this truck for $17,000 and put 20% of your purchase price aside for repairs and deferred maintenance in the first year you would be off to a good start.

But like others have said expect to repaint it then expect to have corrosion issues essentially forever. Like every other truck in this price range.

If you're willing to spend around $30,000 or maybe $35,000 US you can get a truck that's essentially rust-free but original and not with pretty paint. You could then spend anywhere from 2 to $10,000 to prep the original paint for a good paint job to make it look like this one, and it will last.
 
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At $20,000, It looks like The “buy/“don’t buy” meter is leaning towards “don’t buy”

I get the impression that the risk of expensive repairs is high and potential longevity of the vehicle is low.

-Sam
 

Napalm00

Technical Excellence Contributor
Any truck at the $20,000 mark or below is going to need constant and extensive repairs essentially for the rest of its life.

It will however last forever
 

SimonDewing

Well-known member
Definitely a bit of an oddity
Early sliding window doors nod a Salisbury axle on an M reg (1995)
Most if not all 5 door SW’s without rear windows were built for the various water and electricity boards in the UK
Like we mod vehicles they were commonly available and relatively cheap from the various auction sites.
But in general they had a hard life and were pretty tired by the time they were sold on
 

chuckc4

Well-known member
Waxoyl hides a lot of corrosion woes for photos.

A few more weeks of this stock market and $20k will buy you a very nice LHD....be patient.... the toy liquidation is coming.
[/QUOTE]

Why would people give up their toys when they will be able to pick and choose what they default on shortly? Lenders are pissing themselves. "College Loan Forgiveness" is going to come to fruition without Bernie or Warren.
 

1of40

Well-known member
Two of the most common mistakes people can make is searching for price and not understanding what they’re buying. If you don’t have time to go see this truck you should reconsider whether this is the right time to buy from an unknown seller that has painted over every surface possible and so busy he had to get his wife take pictures. If that doesn’t send up red flags I don’t think anything will.
 

MountainD

Technical Excellence Contributor
You could do better. $1500 for new doors, $800 for sliding windows, you’re now closer to $20k with iffy chassis and if that is iffy, so is bulkhead. Front sliding windows and 1/2 doors on hard top suck imho. Personally, better deals out there. At $15k, not too bad. But I wouldn’t touch it without eyes on it. Good call— you’re asking the right questions.
 
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