Should I sell my Defender?

Iam in the final stages of my Series refresh. Is this meant to be the fun bit when you fit all the freshly painted and new parts? I have certainly been enjoying it, although progress has been slow owing to my injured tendon. I think there’s another six weeks before I can contemplate driving again so, for a while at least, I will just have to make do with admiring her new paint job.

I have just spent the best part of a day lying on my back fitting a disc brake in place of the drum, transmission brake. The conversion kit was ordered from the UK and took just four days to arrive here in Australia (ironically, ordering parts from the UK is often quicker than if sourced domestically). The kit came with no fitting instructions so I had to chase them up and when I did get them, they were useless. Compounded by a combination of incorrectly sized and missing fasteners. It is a shame because now that it is fitted, it does seem like a fantastic bit of kit but definitely let down by lack of care in the delivery. I have contacted the supplier with my feedback and, if the next kit I order has the same issues, then I will be calling them out publicly. I have run into similar issues with quite a few parts over the years and it is frustrating when you have paid quite a lot of money. These same companies will often also expect me to promote their product on my social media channels…

As I write this month’s column, I see in the news that diesel engines that require Adblue (an additive made with urea) are going to run into trouble as supplies dwindle. The main reason for the shortage is that China, which previously supplied 80 per cent of Australia’s urea supplies, has banned export of the product (something to do with the escalating costs of fertiliser). What does this mean for Land Rover owners? Well if you are one of the few people who own a Discovery 5 (I still barely see any over here) with a diesel engine, then you might find you can’t run it. Good time to switch to an electric vehicle maybe? I see more and more talk about EVS.

What else to discuss this month given that I currently drive a Toyota Hilux? Well, I’ve seen quite a few new Defender 110s over here now (far more than Discovery 5s). They seem to be popular in Brisbane. As well as looking at the car I often find myself looking at the driver (to cast silent judgement if I’m honest). Who is buying the new Defender? I am not sure I have identified a common demographic yet but certainly all the

Defenders spotted have been immaculately clean and I am not convinced they have seen much off-road action. I do not think that is a negative as such, just an observation.

Whilst I swan about in a Hilux, Leah is driving our old school Defender 110 and there is a bit of a problem: the air conditioning has stopped working. This is not fun when it is over 30ºc each day. I have had a bit of a poke around to see if perhaps a loose wire is to blame (wishful thinking I know) but to no avail. I suspect the heater blower motor has failed but getting at it looks to be a complete pain (especially when balanced precariously on one foot) so I have bitten the bullet and booked in a garage to sort it out. There’s a four-week wait though, so we will be sweltering over Christmas.

We are currently considering a fairly radical change to our fleet. We bought our 110 six years ago for camping trips and adventure, but the reality is we have only been on one trip away since our daughter arrived. The mighty 110 is proving a little impractical if I’m honest. A smaller vehicle, one that fits in multi-storey car parks, has really good air conditioning and more space in the back for a child seat, is looking increasingly more appealing.

I know, it sounds like sacrilege. Prices are extremely strong for good Defenders and, bizarrely we could actually sell for a profit. Since when does that ever happen?

Thinking about values, I actually just contacted my insurance company to revise the agreed valuation. It was set at AU$30,000 – roughly £16,200 – but this has now been upped to AU$75,000, or about £40,600. Sounds crazy but that is where the market has reached for a good Defender down here.

So if we sell, what would we get in its place? We are struggling to agree on this. A part of me thinks let’s just get a regular car. But then, would we miss not being able to venture off-road at all as a family?

Sure, I have my Series Land Rovers, but these are currently vetoed for child carrying (the lack of seat belts seems to be a point of contention). It is certainly a tough one. The Defender has such presence and despite being nearly ten years old it still looks fantastic. They are cool, even if their occupants aren’t.

“Prices are very strong for good Defenders and we could sell for a profit. If we sell, what would we get in its place? A part of me thinks a regular car, but would we miss not being able to venture off-road as a family?”