OUR MISSION
We at COIL SPRUNG believe in bringing good value Defenders to the Canadian market. If you want a Defender in Canada you only have 1 real choice, and that is to buy it blind on the internet from either ebay or a garage claiming to be specialist Defender exporters. The vehicle you want has to be either 15 years or older or be a “ringed vehicle” that is younger but has had an older chassis number stamped on it. We have seen on Kijiji 2012 Defenders with the TDCi engine in them up for sale as 1996 or similar vehicles. Not only is it illegal, but when you insure it and you ever go to make a claim if you have to you are going to find yourself in a very difficult situation, having knowingly falsified documents to get the vehicle imported. There is no need to buy these “ringed” vehicles, its illegal and if we are to be honest the TDCi is just about the worst Defender Land Rover ever built. Just ask any specialist in the UK! The best Defender ever built was the TD5 and production began in 1999, just over 15 years ago! The TD5 Defender is now importable into Canada.
But this comes with a problem, the same problem Canadians have always had, the vehicle is 15 years old at best! Dealers in the UK who claim to be specialist exporters will either replace the chassis and bulkhead and charge you an astronomical price to do so, or will tell you that it has a perfect chassis. If it is a right hand drive car from pre 2000 it WILL NOT have a good chassis. We ran a company in the UK that specialised in chassis replacements. We know how bad UK vehicles are. If they are offering a left hand drive, it may have come from Spain and be near perfect (they often are) but more than likely because of the proximity to the UK it has come from France and will be as rotten as a pear.
So why do you see so many really expensive, “restored” Defenders for sale on the Canadian market? The reason is they have to. What they are doing is hiding the true history of the vehicle. Speedo changed to mph on a left hand drive…. there goes your genuine mileage. New interior… gone are dog eaten damp seats that would show the signs of poor maintenance. Full respray, under which are the signs of abuse of dented panels and corrosion. Fully wax oiled and protected chassis is something to stay well clear of! Get that done when you get it in Canada and you will know exactly what you are getting, don’t let them hide anything.
So what is the best thing to do? We at Defender Imports believe we have the answer. We provide either rust free Defenders that are left hand drive from Southern European climates, supplied to you as they were straight from use. We are not in the business of hiding its history. With us you know what you are buying. We are truly unique. We are Defender specialists from the UK who are opening a workshop just outside Toronto. The car we will sell you will be one you can test drive and then decide if you want it done up! You don’t need to spend $100,000 on a Defender, but you can buy it from $40,000 and then spend $30,000 if you want for what is undoubtedly a better product, one you can have confidence in as you drove it and used it as it was BEFORE restoration.
But this comes with a problem, the same problem Canadians have always had, the vehicle is 15 years old at best! Dealers in the UK who claim to be specialist exporters will either replace the chassis and bulkhead and charge you an astronomical price to do so, or will tell you that it has a perfect chassis. If it is a right hand drive car from pre 2000 it WILL NOT have a good chassis. We ran a company in the UK that specialised in chassis replacements. We know how bad UK vehicles are. If they are offering a left hand drive, it may have come from Spain and be near perfect (they often are) but more than likely because of the proximity to the UK it has come from France and will be as rotten as a pear.
So why do you see so many really expensive, “restored” Defenders for sale on the Canadian market? The reason is they have to. What they are doing is hiding the true history of the vehicle. Speedo changed to mph on a left hand drive…. there goes your genuine mileage. New interior… gone are dog eaten damp seats that would show the signs of poor maintenance. Full respray, under which are the signs of abuse of dented panels and corrosion. Fully wax oiled and protected chassis is something to stay well clear of! Get that done when you get it in Canada and you will know exactly what you are getting, don’t let them hide anything.
So what is the best thing to do? We at Defender Imports believe we have the answer. We provide either rust free Defenders that are left hand drive from Southern European climates, supplied to you as they were straight from use. We are not in the business of hiding its history. With us you know what you are buying. We are truly unique. We are Defender specialists from the UK who are opening a workshop just outside Toronto. The car we will sell you will be one you can test drive and then decide if you want it done up! You don’t need to spend $100,000 on a Defender, but you can buy it from $40,000 and then spend $30,000 if you want for what is undoubtedly a better product, one you can have confidence in as you drove it and used it as it was BEFORE restoration.
