2003 Land Rover Defender 110 TD5

Highlights

  • Expensive works recently completed
  • Full body respray
  • Commercial classification – great for work and recreation


The Appeal

Who doesn’t love a Defender, the simple and iconic lines are known the world over for rugged performance that will always get you where you need to be. 

This example has been looked after well by the current owner and it is now your time to own an incredible truck that will never fail to put a smile on your face. 

The History and Paperwork

  • First registered for road use in July of 2003 this 110 Defender has seen a few owners who have no doubt had a lot of fun owning this vehicle.
  • With the help of the service book, we can see that in 2005 it found itself in the stunning surroundings of Scotland.
  • It would move down to the south coast of England in 2007 
  • In 2013 the previous owner acquired the car and would keep it for 4 years
  • During their time they would turn it into a proper go anywhere Defender with a large lift and several other modifications
  • One of the jobs that was undertaken was a full respray of the body to the lovely two-tone finish it sits in today
  • A week or so after the respray it gains two new doors for nearly £1,000
  • The truck gets a new starter motor in 2018, it still starts swiftly to this day 
  • There is a large invoice from Gigglepin, who are off-road specialists, the work completed includes
  • A replacement of all shocks/springs to bring it back to the original height, new front and rear pads/discs, some work to the transfer box, some front radius arms, and an MOT.
  • Within the paperwork folder, there are also quite a few MOT certificates along with smaller assorted invoices 
  • Interestingly you will not only find the current V5 but also the previous V5 along with a lot of green ‘new keeper’ slips
  • With the major works recently completed to take it back to standard, it means that this 110 is ready to go anywhere
  • As it is the 110 commercial there is tons of space in the rear, this is perfect for any trades people, or if you are looking to create an adventure camper.
  • Whatever you wish to do with this Defender, you will be doing it with a huge smile on your face.

The Interior

  • Immobiliser & central locking
  • Big boot space 
  • Pedal box lock for added security
Original Defenders have a proper no-nonsense cabin, with only the essentials fitted because who needs ten screens and gesture control. 

This Defender is built for one thing and that is to get you in and out of any situation you find yourself in.

As such the interior of this 110 commercial is very meat and two veg, the two seats fitted in the front are currently adorned with seat covers. These make it much easier to wash out the interior if you are working/adventuring in adverse conditions. 

There are a few areas within the interior that you may wish to address, but these do not affect the use of this Defender. We are talking about very small details, however, such as door handle surrounds, and the rear door stay. Very small details indeed. 

Sticking in the front, for the time being, there are a few details that are important to the security of this 110. 

Firstly, you may spot the blue light present on top of the dash, this is for the immobiliser, it arms itself swiftly, and should someone try to start the vehicle without disarming the system you will know about it for sure. 

Working in tandem with the immobiliser is the central locking on the front doors another nice security feature. The biggest deterrent is the pedal box lock, once put in place it is virtually impossible to remove this making the truck even more secure. 

With this being the commercial hard-top version of the Defender, it means that you have a vast work bed behind the rear seats. You can fill the bed with tools, work wear, or any other equipment you should ever need. If you want to get picky there are a few scratches to the paint on the floor, but importantly no rust. 

Instead of turning it into a work truck you can instead turn the rear into a fairly large camper, there are lots of examples online of people doing this and once it is complete you have a go anywhere camper that is filled with character. 

Overall, the interior condition of this Defender is good, the seats are more than comfortable and with the window rolled down and elbow out the window it is a very relaxing position. 

The Exterior 

  • Recent respray
  • The chassis looks in good condition
  • Big chunky off-road tyres
The exterior of the Defender is an iconic shape and with a few tasteful modifications to the appearance of this example, it now looks mega. 

When this Defender rolled off the production line in 2003 it was red, but the current owner decided that it was time for a change, so they set about getting it ready for a full body respray. 

It has since received a proper makeover, the black with white roof finish looks amazing. When you also factor in the big off-road tyres and snorkel this Defender has some proper curb appeal. 

As you might expect there are a few marks here and there to the paint of this Defender, but these are more part of the truck's character and shows that it has been used properly.

The most important part of any Land Rover product of this age is the chassis. Upon a quick visual inspection, it appears to be in very good condition with no obvious areas of corrosion. 

The MOT history would appear to back this up too, with no failures due to corrosion. There are images of the chassis condition, so you can see the condition for yourself.

Overall, the exterior is in very good condition. 

The re-spray has made this truck stand out from the crowd for sure and with its large off-road tyres there is no way you are losing this in a car park any time soon. 

This truck will look amazing on your drive so don’t miss out on it.

The Mechanics 

  • Fitted with the 2.5l TD5 
  • Starts easily and pulls nicely 
  • Possible remap to make it more responsive
Since the very first Land Rover in 1948 it is the rugged, go anywhere, mechanical elements that have set these types of vehicles apart from the competition. 

This Defender is fitted with possibly the best engine, the mighty TD5, with great reliability, better emissions, and lots of scope for tuning the TD5 is loved within Land Rover circles.

The service book only has a few stamps in it, but these trucks are so easy to work on that it is probable that previous owners have serviced this vehicle
themselves. 

But with only 130,000 miles on the clock, this TD5 is barely run in, with regular maintenance these engines will troop on for donkeys’ years. 

Thanks to its new starter motor in 2018 this truck starts easily and ticks over nicely. On the day of the photos, it behaved impeccably. It started first time every time and manoeuvred into position easily with no crunching into first or reverse. 

The current owner did say that it may have had a remap in the past as it feels a bit more pokey than previous ones they have owned. This is common on TD5 engines though and many people have had them re-mapped to great effect to help with towing or other tough jobs.

You should have lots of fun driving this truck both on and off-road. 

A truly engaging and manual driving experience it is unlike any other vehicle you can buy today.

Summary

The Defender platform has so much to offer you from day one. 

With a big boot space, it is incredibly practical, and thanks to the simple styling it is instantly recognisable. So, whether you wish to use this truck for business or pure pleasure then be sure you are doing it is a great example.

As we all know Defender prices have skyrocketed over the previous few years and they are a great asset to put your money into. 

You can't lose with a Defender. 


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Vehicle specification
  • Year 2003
  • Make Land Rover
  • Model Defender 110 TD5
  • Colour Black
  • Odometer 136,361 Miles
  • Engine size 2495
Auction Details
  • Seller Type Private
  • Town Tonbridge
  • Location Kent
  • Country United Kingdom
Bidding history
14 bids from 9 bidders
  • fw•••• £9,000 08/08/22
  • Ma•••• £8,900 08/08/22
  • wi•••• £8,700 08/08/22
  • Ma•••• £8,500 08/08/22
  • ma•••• £8,000 08/08/22
  • ja•••• £7,000 06/08/22
  • Ja•••• £6,500 06/08/22
  • ja•••• £6,000 04/08/22
  • Mi•••• £4,400 04/08/22
  • ja•••• £3,000 02/08/22
Message C&C Auction Team

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