“Til rust do us part!”

First of all, it is a never ending story. But if you fell in love with a Defender it will be a never ending love story. No matter what will happen, you will stay together. “Til rust do us part!” 🙂

18 things to know before falling in love:

• It feels like driving a tractor
• Passions for car mechanic and electric are essential, the smell of motor oil and diesel must be perfume for your nose
• Either you are a Td5 or a Td4-Fan. You cannot stand on both sides.
• Production has been stopped beginning of 2017 mainly due to the new European emission law. No new vehicles available anymore.
• No airbags or impact protection
• Almost everything could be somehow repaired on the road.
• Especially in summer time you get grilled as the transmission is getting very hot.
• There is no luxus, you need to love driving and it could be exhausting.
• Driving “fast” is getting loud, especially in summer with open windows.
• Air condition let your knees freeze but leaving your head hot.
• It is a rusty washing machine – as the Defenders are not galvanized they start to rust immediately after your first winter ride over salty roads, so better to stay offroad. Moreover it starts to rust when different material collaterate and condensate. For example aluminium and steel/stainless steel starts with contact corrosion. So, don’t use stainless steel screw without protecting material as the chassis is made from aluminum.
• Driving in rain might give you a shower. No Defender is waterproofed. Always have a towel next to you.
• You need to have humour as a Defender owner, otherwise you’ll get a heart attack. Don’t take everything too serious.
• It’s not a car for your daily use in cities or your way to work.
• Don’t drive in a parking garage, even when it’s high enough. The turning radius is very big, so you might not be able to turn and need to leave the garage backwards.
• Arriving back in the civilized world with a dusty and dirty Defender let people stare at you.
• Children will finger point and wave.

• For all ladies out there:

  It’s a man’s world. If you start a discussion with a man about Defender, you can be sure that he will talk to you in a didactic manner. On the other hand they could be very shy when you arrive on a camp site. Imagine: Driving through a row of luxurious campers, with a hot and loud tractor while sitting behind the steering wheel with a large smile on your face – men are not prepared for a solo female Land Rover Defender driver. You will get asked: where is your husband? 😉 As soon as you start to open your roof tent, it’s over for them. They go inside their luxurious camper to hide. 🙂

Safe and happy driving to all like-minded people out there! 🙂