Friday 27 March 2015

Land Rover Defender 130 1998 Quadtec van catering trailer camper project 110 90 ONE owner/driver! NEW MOT. Can be be viewed in BATH.


Land Rover Defender 130 1998 Quadtec van catering trailer camper project 110 90


ONE owner/driver! NEW MOT. Can be be viewed in BATH.



Year:1998
Transmission:ManualManufacturer:Land Rover
Fuel:DieselModel:Defender 130 2.5 Tdi
Seats:3Type:Quadtec 3
Drive Side:Right-hand driveDoors:2
Previous Owners:0Colour:White
Safety Features:4-Wheel Drive, ImmobiliserReg. Date:22/05/1998
Exterior:Tow BarMileage:267,700
Interior/Comfort Options:Power-assisted Steering (PAS)Engine Size:2,495
In-Car Audio:AM/FM StereoMOT Expiry:03/2016
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Sellers Comments
I have owned and been the only driver of this Defender 130 Tdi Quadtec 3 from new, and had expected to keep it for around another 5 years but circumstances have changed.
This is a large and imposing Land Rover, made by Land Rover Special Vehicles. It's on a 130 chassis with an additional overhang at the rear, and if it's next to a 90 or even a 110 it makes them look relatively small.
The mileage is high but it has always been driven with care and never abused. To quote the MOT tester a couple of  weeks ago (11th March) the emissions are 'spot on' and are 'nowhere near to failing', and the engine 'runs really sweet'. He commented that when he saw the mileage on the clock he assumed that the engine must have been replaced. But it hasn't, it's just been driven and serviced properly, and it ought to have lots of life left in it yet. Additionally the vehicle was often used with a small trailer behind, so the maximum speed by law was 60mph, and it wasn't used for lots of short start-stop trips but mainly for longer journeys on 'A' roads and motorways. It has had virtually no off-road use, except for access across a few fields or similar each year.
The rear 'Quadtec 3' box is what makes this vehicle special, plus the positioning of the doors which make the space very accessible. The Quadtec range produced by Land Rover Special Vehicles consists of 4 combinations of single-cab and crew-cab with either a high or low rear box (they called it a body), and a range of doors and roller shutters can be chosen. The rear box is fully boarded and painted on the sides and floor, and the interior measures 2380mm long by 1800mm wide by 1160mm high.
The 2.5 Tdi was the last Land Rover to have the option of the bonnet-mounted spare wheel, the bonnets on the later TD5 etc. are simply too flimsy. Having the spare wheel on the bonnet (which you soon get used to in terms of visibility) rather than in the rear box is a considerable space saving.
Bought from Hartwells in Bristol, and serviced by them during the 3-year extended warranty including replacing the members supporting the rear box which had rusted (and I had the new support members galvanised at my expense before they were fitted). Then serviced and maintained by Dunsford Land Rovers in Bath until they closed a year or so ago, with some work done by Henrietta Mews Garage, also in Bath. Then for the last year or so most work has been done by W J Joyce Land Rovers in Trowbridge.
This Land Rover has always had money spent on it to keep it working well and looking good, for example last summer the entire windscreen wiper mechanism including the wheelboxes and motor was replaced as the wipers were becoming noisy and losing power. Over the years it has had 2 full re-sprays, and when the second re-spray was done in 2010 I asked the workshop to provide me with additional paint from the same batch to keep. Then a couple of weeks ago I took it back to the same workshop to spray just the sides and back of the rear box and the passenger door, and as the paint is the same as used in the full re-spray there is no detectable colour difference. The final two photos are from when the vehicle was new in May 1998, still with the plastic covering on the front bumper, and it looks virtually the same now as it did then.
The wheels were replaced last year and the new ones have been grit-blasted and powder-coated, which lasts a lot longer than the standard painted finish (but still shows wear and tear over time). The tyres are Michelin XZL 7.50 x 16, also fitted last year with plenty of tread left. The wheel nuts are stainless steel from Wrington Engineering, and look a lot better than the standard rusty nuts and sticking-out threaded studs.
The front bumper is new, as is the headlining in the cab. An unintended 'bonus' is that the windscreen is also brand new, on one of the last times the vehicle was used a couple of weeks ago it was damaged by a stone and has been replace by Autoglass. The small middle seat has a tiny cut in it on the back, about 10mm long. I have a set of Land Rover seat covers, but they are getting a bit old and the rubberised inside face of the material is deteriorating. The drivers door mirror glass is a little scratched. The mounting plates for the rear lights could do with replacing, they are simple bent metal plates which I intended to replace with stainless steel but never got round to doing.
There is a tow hitch which is a  Defender 110 hitch, with both the standard electrics and a charging circuit (fitted but not used). The 110 hitch fits snugly in beneath the rear box and was perfect for the small trailer I used, there is a much more bulky 130 hitch available which protrudes the towball to behind the rear box.
The cab has been extensively soundproofed, initially by 'Noise Killers' who fitted a standard kit and later I bought more of their materials and added quite a lot extra to areas which the standard kit didn't cover.
The wheel arches of the rear box above the rear wheels have custom-made stainless steel liners. Like the support members for the box which were replace under warranty, the wheel arches started to rust within a few years of purchase, so I paid a sheet metal specialist in Frome to fabricate precisely-fitting inner arches to entirely cover the original arches.
None of the current paintwork has had lettering or logos on it. The vehicle has never been involved in any type of accident.
Minor updates - the black trim in the photo of the interior along the top of the 'lower dash, which is shown partially cut out for a mobile phone hands-free, has now been replaced with an uncut strip, and any remaining screw holes now have small black caps over them. Overall the cab interior looks superb. Additionally for anyone who spotted the green tyre valve caps, which were to indicate that the tyres were inflated with nitrogen, these have now been replaced with black. Nitrogen was something offered by ATS Euromaster as a 'freebie' to keep you going back, but the going back bit wasn't so easy in practice. 
This would make an excellent towing/support vehicle for a range of uses, such as an exhibition trailer or catering trailer. Apart from being 4-wheel drive the 'low-ratio' ability on the gearbox provides great power and manoeuvrability. It would also make a good mobile workshop.
Please bear in mind that this Land Rover is nearly 17 years old, and however good it looks it has not escaped the effects of time. Land Rovers may be tough and most parts are replaceable, but it takes time and effort to keep them looking good and the older they get the more input is required. If you don't understand this then please don't bid! Due to its age the vehicle is 'sold as seen'.
The vehicle can be viewed in Bath, and I can take potential buyers out for a test drive. If you would like to arrange a viewing of have any questions then please message me.
Payment by bank transfer or cheque preferred, and must have cleared before collection. Buyer to collect from Bath, or I could deliver in the local area by arrangement.