Ex-MOD 2.5 diesel 90

[EndlessEarth4WD]

After having received so many thoughtful answers to my post about 300TDI powered Defenders, I bring unto you another question that has popped up during my quest to replace my 1994 D90.

I have found for sale an early 1990s vintage ex-MOD 90 with a 2.5 diesel. Zero mods since release. Clean and tidy but no show winner. The asking price is $20k. Does that seem to you fellow D90 folks like a very, very high price for this truck? Other than the (albeit wheezy) diesel, the stouter frame and axles, and the fact that it is in the USA what would drive that kind of price? Especially when 1994 NAS D90s are selling in the mid to high teens.


Anyone here actually driven a 2.5 diesel D90? Whatcha think?

Thanks in advance!

[Mike Hippert]

Dave B can tell you about the 2.5, and I would expect a price in the $10,000 range not $20,000. From what I hear the N/A diesels are a bit slow with their earth shattering 80 or so hp :) And I am pretty sure you can't put a turbo on that engine without blowing the head up (just what I hear). If you could get it cheap I think it might be a good deal, but 20k seems a bit high to me. Are you stealing away Robison's new project truck? :)

[EndlessEarth4WD]

Dave B can tell you about the 2.5, and I would expect a price in the $10,000 range not $20,000. From what I hear the N/A diesels are a bit slow with their earth shattering 80 or so hp :) And I am pretty sure you can't put a turbo on that engine without blowing the head up (just what I hear). If you could get it cheap I think it might be a good deal, but 20k seems a bit high to me. Are you stealing away Robison's new project truck? :)

Ha Ha. Nope. John is picking up his D90 this week. $10k is what felt right to me also. I just wanted to make sure I was not missing something. Its not like the opportunity comes up every day.

[Buckon37s]

After having received so many thoughtful answers to my post about 300TDI powered Defenders, I bring unto you another question that has popped up during my quest to replace my 1994 D90.

I have found for sale an early 1990s vintage ex-MOD 90 with a 2.5 diesel. Zero mods since release. Clean and tidy but no show winner. The asking price is $20k. Does that seem to you fellow D90 folks like a very, very high price for this truck? Other than the (albeit wheezy) diesel, the stouter frame and axles, and the fact that it is in the USA what would drive that kind of price? Especially when 1994 NAS D90s are selling in the mid to high teens.


Anyone here actually driven a 2.5 diesel D90? Whatcha think?

Thanks in advance!

You are a man after my own heart. I bought a 1990 2.5 N.A. RHD Military Communications rig and turned it into the mess I own now. The engine will drive you up the wall. 65 BHP, it can get going 70 on a flat road with a tail wind, but any faster and you have to drop it out of a plane. Back 3 years ago (hight of the Defender prices) I paid $16000. Now, that was with dents on just about every panel and worst green paint job I had ever seen. It was sprayed OVER the brushed on NATO camo. It was mostly rust fee though. I still think 20K is way to high. I would expect about 12k and that is with a guarantee it can be registered. Also, just for your info, the frame is stronger like you said, but the axles are not. They have 10 spline axles and itsy bitsy tiny little CV's and stars. The motor can not be turbo'd, but it does get good gas milage. I guess thats about it. If you keep it military and restor it, and get a good price, I think it is worth it. But, if it is a 90, which you said, then it was most likely a communications vehicle and that means that it has nests of wires everywhere. No joke, when I gutted mine I removed and threw away about 40 POUNDS of wire, and that was not even all of them!

[Ragland]

What sort of electrical power do these ex-communication trucks generate. I assume all the equipment was dismantled, but seems the set-up would allow for an interesting mobile office (or anything else using lots of amps)

[whistler110]

$20k is way too high. I have an ex-mod 110 that I paid $11k cdn for 2 years ago, and the prices have come down since then. The 2.5NA is a slow but reliable engine that can't be modified to anything resembling North American SUV power.

The wiring should still be in place for the 24volt system but I doubt the 24volt alternator or even the brackets to hold it will be there. Do a check on landroverexchange.com in Canada or some of the other Canadian suppliers sites to get an idea on price.

[Buckon37s]

My 24 Volt Generator was still hooked up and fully functional. The isolator was still hooked up on the rear bulkhead. There were wires everywhere! Plugs everywhere too. You could hook up anything and everything you wanted. BTW, I still have a 24v to 12v converter, if anybody needs one.

[whistler110]

I guess that's what I get for not paying the extra $5000. :lol

[Buckon37s]

I guess that's what I get for not paying the extra $5000. :lol

No, thats what you get for not knowing what you are talking about. I paid that much because it was registered in the US with a current registration and title. At the time, it was the cheapest Defender in the US that I found. If I wanted one that had no chance of being registered, then I could have gotten a running one for $5000. Or, if I wanted a 110 like yours, $6,500. Don't worry, I don't expect you to know these things being from Canada and all.

Edit: Not to mention, it came with a brand new AL top from RN and AR Wheels and new 32in BFG. All of which I sold for $3500.

[whistler110]

No, thats what you get for not knowing what you are talking about. I paid that much because it was registered in the US with a current registration and title. At the time, it was the cheapest Defender in the US that I found. If I wanted one that had no chance of being registered, then I could have gotten a running one for $5000. Or, if I wanted a 110 like yours, $6,500. Don't worry, I don't expect you to know these things being from Canada and all.

Edit: Not to mention, it came with a brand new AL top from RN and AR Wheels and new 32in BFG. All of which I sold for $3500.

Fair enough, but just so you know I was refering to the fact that you obviously got a truck that was in nicer condition then mine.

[Buckon37s]

Fair enough, but just so you know I was refering to the fact that you obviously got a truck that was in nicer condition then mine.

Oh, well in that case, sorry to jump on you. But, the truck was in very poor shape other than rust. So far I have replaced every moving part on the truck minus the original speedometer and heater core (which does not work). Of course, some of it I replaced just cause I wanted too :).

[whistler110]

It's all good. :)

I'm in the process of replacing everything on mine now, though I don't think I will ever get to where you seem to be with yours. It looks good.

[robisonservice]

I’d like to offer some comments about the 2.5 diesel Defenders:

Driving – on road:

The 2.5 engine has about the power of an old 1967 VW bug, for those of you who remember driving the old 60s bugs. So you’ll be shifting back one or two gears on hills And driving foot on the floor a lot of the time. But you can maintain normal speeds on the highway.

But diesels are made to do this, unlike a gas motor which will fry in short order if held at full throttle.

Fuel mileage is far better than the American V8 – high 20s most of the time.

The glow plug system is slow. On a 20 degree morning you hold the glow plugs on for 40-60 seconds and it cranks right up. There is some smoking on startup but it settles down and idles within a few seconds.

And the vehicle is very sluggish until the fuel heats up. Those of you who drove a Mercedes 240 diesel will remember this well.

Driving – off road:

The diesel trucks are geared lower, and have much better engine braking. As a result they are a lot better on descents and they are hard to stall on climbs. In low range you can just let the clutch out at idle and it will crawl up a fairly good grade with no throttle.

The diesel military vehicles are lighter than the American V8 trucks and as a result they pitch less on bumps. This means that their ground clearance is effectively better than the American units.

Although you can park one of these military trucks side by side with a V8 truck and measure similar ground clearances the military truck pitches less because of its lesser mass, and so more suspension is available to keep you off rocks.

The manual steering is a workout off road but the simplicity is a comfort. There is a lot less on these trucks to strand you on the trail.

The military XZL tires are very good, despite or maybe because of their skinny appearance. Run flat inserts are available for these tires for those who don’t want to carry a spare.

My friend Dave and I bought two of these trucks recently and we are in the process of going through them. Look for them at club events in New England beginning in 2006.

I will try and put up more info as I have time.

[smenzel]

I have about 3k miles on my 2.5 diesel (+LT77 5spd) and can confirm what John says. The engine is bullet-proof. The vehicle is very good about telling me every time I encounter an up hill. :)

Fuel economy is low to mid-twenties. Then again, I'm running b99 and, until I can con some friends to help me remove it, a honking heavy roof rack.

Seventy is about as high as you'll hit. The vehicle has just a little more power than most of the big rigs but not enough to pass them. You'll live in the right lane.

[DaveG]

Would an overdrive help with the hills and speed issues. Not that you would want to travelat more then 70, but it would be nice to climb a hill with ease. Just curious.

[smenzel]

Would an overdrive help with the hills and speed issues.

Pardon my lack of understanding, but I don't see how an overdrive would help going up hills. I do understand how it would help going down. :)

If it's any help, my tranny (LT77) is the same as the ones that came in the early US Defenders (reverse to the left).

[Buckon37s]

Would an overdrive help with the hills and speed issues. Not that you would want to travelat more then 70, but it would be nice to climb a hill with ease. Just curious.

No. You run out of horsepower as well as gears. You will never climb a hill with ease with this engine.

[DaveG]

An overdrive would help if it was an gearing issue, no?

Thanks "Buckon37s".... I wasn't sure if it was both gearing and HP or just gearing.

[smenzel]

I've been giving some thought to my 2.5l recommendation while driving mine around the past few days.

Pros:
- mid-twenties fuel economy
- rock solid engine (extre long life)
- hand fuel pump (for when you run out of fuel)
- no extra stuff (like turbos) to go wrong

Cons:
- every hill tests your patience
- the right lane is your friend
- acceleration? What's acceleration?

The engine just goes and goes. Stick it in gear, take your foot off the clutch and watch the truck go.

If you're used to a V8, then you'll want to think seriously before committing to the 2.5l. The power difference is significant. Here in the US, we live in a society where power is important. I re-realize this every time I drive my 2.5l and watch people fight each other for to see who can pass me quickest. If, on the other hand, you're coming from a Series truck with a petrol engine, the 2.5l is a great upgrade. It all depends on your perspective. :)