Truck Thursday – Land Rover Defender 2.5 Td5 keeps on trucking

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Our own Kamil has oftentimes mentioned how he’d really like a sturdy Land Rover Defender for himself, so when I happened upon this green example on a Helsinki side street, I really had to document it for him.

Most of the Defenders or older Land Rovers you see here are the short wheelbase 90:s or long wheelbase 110:s, so seeing a Defender with a truck bed and a tarp was quite refreshing. And this one is even quite new, as it’s registered in 2005.

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It’s in surprisingly nice shape for a truck that’s clearly gotten for hauling. It’s a work vehicle, and nothing to be cherished, but I didn’t see any noticeable dents except for the front plate. And it was just dirty, nothing else: the green paint was still shiny.

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The engine here is the 2.5 turbodiesel five, with 120 hp. I’ve driven a 110 wagon with that engine, and I didn’t really like how every gearchange dropped the engine way off the turbo boil, kicking any acceleration attempt in the vegetables.

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But for semi-relaxed transport duties, the truck and the engine are a reasonable pair. And I do think this will be doing service for decades still. From this photo, you can somewhat see the 2000s interior, which is still some way from being modern.

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Note the unripped tarp, note the intact taillights. Someone does care about how his work truck looks.

[Images: Copyright 2013 Hooniverse/Antti Kautonen]

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5 responses to “Truck Thursday – Land Rover Defender 2.5 Td5 keeps on trucking”

  1. FuzzyPlushroom Avatar
    FuzzyPlushroom

    Oh, I love it. Simple, practical, durable. I'd settle for an Australian Land Cruiser 70, but this is even better, in that it throws up the tongs at every rapper in his Range Rover and trophy wife in her Evoque.
    I'd settle for an F-150 with more conservative styling (say, the previous generation front end) and this rear box, honestly.

  2. Slow_Joe_Crow Avatar
    Slow_Joe_Crow

    That one looks like a Defender 130, extra long for more hauling, although the doors look like they may be starting to rust at the bottom. Yes, i know the outer panels are aluminum but the door frames are steel and often rust from water leaking past the seals which in turn starts to galvanically corrode the aluminum door skin.

  3. Kamil_K Avatar

    Love it. I would kiss it and hug it everyday.
    Thanks Antii!

  4. wunno sev Avatar
    wunno sev

    how long can they keep making these?
    i don't know how safety and pedestrian safety regulations haven't rendered them unsellable

    1. stickmanonymous Avatar
      stickmanonymous

      Because they're awesome, and even the faceless, mindless bureaucrats in offices everywhere know it.
      If I were stupid enough to be hit by a motorised vehicle while pedestrianing about, I'd be honoured to be taken out by one of these.