£5,000 SERIES?
SERIES I
TOP-NOTCH SERIES Is aren’t in our price bracket. These days, £5000 would be lucky to find you anything better than a field-find requiring total restoration – and all that entails.
TIP: Unless you have the time, skills and money for a resto, don’t bother.
SERIES II / IIA
SERIES II prices have been rising in recent years, but not enough to put a halfway-decent example beyond reach of our £5000 budget. Of course, the very best will cost much more, but an honest runner that needs a little TLC can be found for less than £5000.
We’d advise a 2.25-litre petrol model, as the diesel engines are lethargic – unless it has been retro-fitted with a later Tdi engine. If you don’t mind losing the originality, the turbo Tdi option makes these lovely classics a more practical proposition on the road.
TIP: If the ride is harsh, consider replacing rusty leaf springs with parabolic alternatives.
SERIES III
TWENTY YEARS ago you could pick up a reasonable Series III, with a year’s MOT, for a few hundred pounds. Since then they’ve greatly increased in value, but £5000 will still buy you a good one. The lovely 88-inch example featured here belongs to LRM contributor Tim Hammond, who will be telling you the full story in a future issue. Suffice to say that this one has a Tdi engine under the bonnet, drives like a Defender and Tim got plenty of change out of his £5000 to tidy up a few bits.
Series IIIS are affordable everyday runabouts, but as with the Series IIS, avoid the original diesel engines, which are very slow. The extra cost of running the thirstier 2.25 petrol is offset by the fact that most of these vehicles are now tax-exempt.
TIP: Check chassis, outriggers, rear crossmember and all steel bits for rust.