£3000 Defender
Yep, you read it right. That’s how much it cost Pete Long to turn a battered old workhorse into a purring 300Tdi-powered 110. Dave Phillips reports
How to turn a battered old workhorse into a purring 300Tdi-powered 110 for a few thousand
THE SOUND of spring is in the air, with birdsong emanating from tree and scrub in the unspoilt setting of the Billing offroad course. But suddenly the dawn chorus ceases as a new sound grows steadily louder. It’s the distinctive note of a 300Tdi engine in a fine state of tune – a sound as familiar as a skylark in the British countryside – and it’s under the bonnet of what is at first glance a pretty ordinary Land Rover.
This is a Defender, but this is not yer average 110 LWB. This battle-scarred warrior has been owned by enthusiast Pete Long for almost half his life – and most of the life of the vehicle itself, come to that. What’s special about it is that he has done a nut-and-bolt total resto on it for £3000 – and that includes the silky rebuilt engine.
Ah yes, the engine. The 300Tdi is probably the most popular engine of all time among Land Rover folk. There are those who will tell you that title belongs to the Rover V8, but if the V8 was that good, how come so many were replaced by 300Tdi conversions? I’ll tell you why: it was because that rock-solid Tdi oil-burner would last three times longer – and burn less than half the fuel – of its fancy American cousin.
It’s particularly appropriate that Pete has a 300Tdi under the bonnet, because this year marks the 25th anniversary of the introduction of Land Rover’s greatest engine. Yes, I know it slipped under the radar, which is a shame as well as a surprise. After all, everybody in the Land Rover world loves a party, with every anniversary seen as an excuse for a good knees-up – which makes it all the more surprising that the 300Tdi’s quarter-century has gone unmarked.
But we’re about to change all that. Nobody knows 300Tdi engines better than Pete Long. He’s a member of that endangered species who have actually stripped down and repaired one. In this throwaway age when almost all engines are replaced by factory-reconditioned units, it is hugely refreshing. But I’m getting ahead of myself; let’s start again at the beginning of this story...
“I’ve always loved Land Rovers,” says Pete, 39. “I drove one for the first time when I was 13 years old and helping my cousin get the harvest in on his farm. I’ve never driven anything else since. For work experience at school I went to a Land Rover main dealer in Luton and after college I got a job at Land Rover specialists Rogers of Bedford. Then 19 years ago I was offered a job as a mechanic at Joe Edwards Auto Engineering in Leighton Buzzard, where I’ve been ever since.
“I got my first Land Rover on my 16th birthday, in 1996. It was a 1997 109-inch Series III and it was a present from my Nan. I’ve still got it and it will be the next one in my garage for a full rebuild. I could never get rid of it. In fact, I won’t get rid of any of my Land Rovers, because they all mean so much to me.”
Pete’s personal fleet also includes a V8 petrol Range Rover Classic and, of course, the 1992 Defender you can see on
these pages. He first met it soon after he started working for Joe Edwards, in 2000.
Pete recalls: “A customer came in with it one day and asked me to take a look at it, because it wasn’t running properly. ‘It’s the slowest Tdi in the world,’ he said. I popped the bonnet and immediately saw why: someone had replaced the original 200Tdi engine with the old, naturally-aspirated 12J diesel engine. No wonder it was slow!
“The customer didn’t see the funny side. He’d bought it thinking it was a Tdi – after all it had the Tdi stickers stuck on the outside. There was nothing I could do to make it go any faster, so I didn’t expect to see it again, but a few months later the owner phoned me and asked if I wanted to buy it.
“He needed some cash quickly, he said. He wanted £3000 but I only had £2000, so I offered him that. He called me back the next day and accepted my offer. I was pleased, because even back in 2001 a Defender 110 for £2000 was really cheap.”
Since then, work on the Defender has progressed slowly, at Pete’s own pace. It was off the road for long periods of time, but that didn’t matter because Pete could use his V8 Range Rover for everyday transport.
Early on, he decided that the 12J engine would have to go and replaced it with a 300Tdi that happened to be in the corner of his garage, in bits.
“It was worn out, but I put it back together and ran it for 40,000 miles before it finally blew up,” says Pete. “Then I decided to give it a complete overhaul – and I rebuilt it from the bare block. I fitted a new head, pistons, rocker shafts, con rods, valves, bearings, turbo – the lot. I used Land Rover Genuine Parts throughout. I wanted quality stuff and I didn’t skimp. It took four years, so I had plenty of time to save the money.
“I use Genuine Parts wherever possible because I like to keep things pretty standard and there is enough choice in the Land Rover parts catalogue for you to create a vehicle to suit your own preferences. You can pick and choose.
“I like standard Defenders. I think everything has been too modified in recent years and people are starting to return to the standard look that you got when they left the factory.”
Pete’s Defender had started out life as a working vehicle for a local authority, but despite its tough treatment the bodywork was in remarkably good condition. The chassis needed a new rear crossmember – a given for all Defenders of this age – and some minor welding, as did the bulkhead. This is where Pete’s sublime skills as a professional fabricator came in useful, and he also applied Waxoyl generously and regularly to all the steel parts, to keep corrosion at bay as much as possible.
“It was all pretty routine to me,” says Pete. “To be honest, If I wasn’t a welder and mechanic and had to pay someone else to do the work, I probably wouldn’t have been able to afford it. It also helped that I work in the trade and was able to get the parts I needed at trade prices – especially as I was using Land Rover parts, rather than cheaper copies. I know I keep going on about this, but it’s as standard as I can get.
“I’ve never actually added up the cost of it all, but it would have come in at about £3000 – maybe £3500 tops. That’s less than some people pay for alloy wheels for their Defenders.”
After Pete had rebuilt the 300Tdi engine, he drove it very gingerly at first. “Although I had done a professional job, I couldn’t help worrying. The engine was a bit tight at first, because of all the new parts, but after running it in for 500 miles or so it got looser and ran really well.
“Unfortunately, a few weeks later, the LT77 gearbox let go. I was thinking of buying the special tools I’d need to rebuild it myself – and I’d have enjoyed doing it – but it worked out cheaper to get a reconditioned ’box from Ashcrofts, so I did that instead. I did rebuild the transfer box myself, though.”
The rest of the drivetrain – propshafts, halfshafts and diffs – are all standard, as are the brakes. Pete has used Camel Trophy Defender springs and added rear anti-roll bars to make the vehicle more stable.
The black-painted modular wheels were on the vehicle when he bought it, back in 2000, and look good shod in BF Goodrich mud terrain tyres, which Pete says “last for ever”. But he admits to an affection for Wolf rims and will invest in a set in the future, together with all-terrain tyres. He hopes to fulfil a long-held ambition to go overlanding in his Defender – probably to Iceland – and he knows that allterrains will offer a more comfortable and quieter ride when driving on tarmac.
The side locker on the nearside and military-style lights and front bumper mean many enthusiasts are fooled into thinking this Defender has served in the armed forces, but appearances can be deceptive, as Pete explains: “The front bumper was rusty and needed replacing and I happened to have the galvanised ex-military one handy – and I liked the look of it anyway.
“I fitted the military lights because they are better than
“I’ve never actually added up the cost of it all but it would have been about £3000”
civilian ones. I bought them from the Billing Show autojumble back when you could pick up a set for £1 or so. I’ve also fitted an ex-military number plate light – the sort the British Army use for convoy driving at night. It’s much better and stronger than the standard number plate light.” All lights are protected by OEM wire guards, because Pete also takes his Defender off-roading and greenlaning, where they are vulnerable to damage from stray branches and shrubbery.
There’s a lovely story attached to the hand-painted Marine Blue paintwork on the Defender, as Peter explains: “It was originally hand-painted green, but the paintwork wasn’t very good. I could have gone for a respray, but I had a better idea. My cousin Nick, who was a farmer and taught me to drive when I was 13, was killed a few years ago in an industrial accident. Nick always drove Series Land Rovers. His favourite was a 109 that he hand-painted Marine Blue, so I did the same on my Defender, as a tribute to him.”
The Defender’s doors are two-part Series III units, with sliding windows, which although non-standard on a Defender were Pete’s choice because he can take the door tops off in summer – and he loves the simplicity of the sliding windows. It’s a trait I can appreciate, because I did exactly the same with my 1984 Ninety, three years ago.
What aren’t standard Land Rover fare are a QT Services roll cage and four Hella spot lights fitted along the top leading edge of the cage. The cage was a sensible choice for a vehicle used for off-roading, although Pete admits it was such a faff to fit that he probably wouldn’t do the same again.
The roof rack is from Brownchurch and the swingaway spare wheel carrier mounted on the rear is from Mantec. In the passenger footwell is a discrete lockable passport and
“I’ve got some ideas to make it faster, but I can’t say too much at the moment”
documents safe, built by Pete’s employer, Joe Edwards.
The side locker contains a jerrycan, tow ropes and jump leads. There is also an auxiliary battery in the rear, with external connectors front and rear for instant jump starts – plus the rear is kitted out with an ingenious bit of carpentry from Pete that includes a sleeping space and lockers for tools and camping gear. To go travelling, all he needs is a mattress, sleeping bag and pillow to turn it into a comfortable sleeping space. It is also simple to remove if Pete decides to use the 110 as a commodious van.
Under the bonnet, everything is pretty standard apart from the uprated Alisport intercooler. It is a non-standard item, of course, but it could come in useful if some tweaks Pete has planned for the 300Tdi engine come to fruition.
“The engine has now done 4000 miles and I’m thinking of getting a bit more power out of it,” Pete reveals. “I’ve got some ideas, but I can’t say too much about it at the moment.”
Pete, who lives in Flitwick, Bedfordshire, is a modest man, happy to work on all Land Rovers, old and new. “People who know how I love older Land Rovers are sometimes surprised, but you have to move with the times,” he says. “There are only so many rusty Disco Is out there to weld up.”
But there can’t be many with a fraction of the history of this stunning 300Tdi Defender. Well done, Pete.