Any Military Land Rover Defender 90 experts out there?

[Austringer]

Just picked up a military Land rover defender 90 with a V8. Need some help/advice.

Thanks
jason

[pc1075]

Jason,
You may want to try: http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/forumdisplay. ... h-Vehicles

This section has a lot of British Land Rover Owners who would be delighted to help you.
Happy New Year 2014

[Dave M38A1]

You find the neatest toys. We need pics.
Known some people with the civilian version, wonder what's different on the Mil spec. version?

Dave

[Austringer]

It was used in a movie recently and the front was "scortch" and painted to make it look burned out or at least like the engine burned. They removed the engine/tranny prior to this. They did a good job with the paint and damage work, but you can tell not much heat was ever applied as the tires are good and the paint on the other side of the firewall is perfect. I'll have to put the engine back in it but for what I paid, I'm not complaining. Plus, it's a LHD V8 version.

Jason

[Dave M38A1]

Thanks for the pictures. That is cool.
Good luck on getting it back together.

Dave

[artificer]

The Landrover Defender numbers indicate the wheel base & the pictured vehicle looks like a Defender 110 unless I'm mis-interpreting the length. A Defender 90 is a shorter vehicle.

The Australian military used these Defenders BUT they were all Isuzu diesel never a gas V8.
It is my understanding the UK military used diesel also, but not Isuzu.

The one you have Jason, is probably a civilian export job doctored to look like military for the film.

[Austringer]

It has MOD plates on it, wish I had taken some pics last time I was down. It was one of the deals that were just too good to pass up. The engine/transmission/transfer is worth more than I paid for the entire vehicle. LHD Defenders (civ) in the states are big bucks and restored can bring 30-50K. Just very hard to import the 80s and later versions due to DOT and NTSB rules and regs.

Jason

[artificer]

The Brits sold cheaper Military varieties to some tin pot nations, where fuel costs were not critical....possibly that is where this LHD V8 came from?

[Buggy Man]

British MOD issued Landies usually came with a 2.25 n/a diesel power plant. I'm not 100% on this but I think all of the defender series taken into service were diesels maybe a few petrol powered units were taken on for base admin use?
The Aussie built Defenders featured some rather unique mods (upgrades) such as the Izusu diesel engine , larger tail lights, extra on board storage & a rear bumperette/jerry can rack. Not to mention a snappy looking camo paint job.

The quickest way to tell a D90 from the 110 (for me anyway) is that the D110s have storage lockers right behind the cab doors forward of the rear wheels. Civilian D110s do not have this. Looking at those pics again I'd have to agree with Artificer as to weather it's a D90 or 110. Looks a bit long to be a 90 but maybe it's the angle of the truck in the pic? I wonder if someone didn't take MOD data plates and apply them to a civi defender? Or maybe that is their version of a CUCV?

Military LRs are supposed to have heavier frames & suspensions compared to their civilian counter parts. The MOD also uses both 12 & 24 volt electrics depending on the vehicle's mission (commo or what not). The MOD also specs both LH & RH drive. Again depending on where they are sent, I guess the Brit's taylor their vehicles to the Country they're sent rather then the other way around .

If you're considering importing one into the USA make sure it's at least 25 yrs old (exempt from EPA, DOT regs). If it's newer, you'll risk customs confiscating & crushing it (see video link below).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzBFwFos-o0

Jason you may be interested to know that during the first Gulf War the British SAS converted some D90s into heavily armed "gunships" for desert fighting (potential resto idea). here's some links to some sites that may be of help/use to you.
http://www.lro.com/
http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/forum.php
http://www.emlra.org/

I do have a few parts supplies' websites book marked so if you need any help or more info just let me know.
Matt

[lssah2025]

From what I see you do not have a D110, that is a Series III 109 LWB with some Defender bits and bobs, probably to make it look more modern, from you dash pics that I saw, (very small) it is a Series, they were produced up until 1984/85 I recollect, look under the chassis, is it leaf springs or coils. Plus you have the two piece windshield not the single piece. LHD series IIIs depending on condition etc. can be several thousand USD overseas, the nice restored LHD series III's that you see in the states do bring good money if restored, depending on modifications etc., plus it is always a buyers/sellers market, but I can pretty much guarantee that is not a Defender. They did use the 2.5 NA diesel, petrol and V8's in MOD vehicles, so it if it is a true Series with a V8 then you can have some fun towing etc, they will go anywhere, get some additional pictures of the interior, chassis, engine compartment and put them on here and I will help you out.

This is my Defender 90, just after a new respray and snorkel.

WP_20131129_003.jpg

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[Rickv100_nj]

It could be a Stage One Land Rover 109.

Rick

[lssah2025]

Rick, it could be, but for sure it is not a 110, he also needs to look into the transmission, transfer case and see if it has free wheeling hubs, still depending on the price he might have got a decent little vehicle, and it is not an issue to import anything over 25 years old, people have issues when they start modifying components, upgrading engines, dashes, drive trains and bodies. It is amazing seeing what some of the Titonous 110's are being advertised for. I just did a complete respray on mine, power steering, brand new MOD refurb engine, new 0 MPH speedo, since my new engine has 0 miles on it, upgraded seats, wolf rear seats etc. Mine is an XMOD 1986 D90 and was out of Cyprus and spent its entire life there, so no rust what so ever, I am the second owner after the MOD, I have had it for close to 2 years and will be shipping it back to the states later this year. I did a 13 country trip across Europe in mine, from the UK to Romania, and I will drive back again but will go a different route. Mine had an original 50K miles on the speedo, but since I am doing all the work, I decided to drop in a 0 hour engine and have everything rebuilt or replaced so it is almost like new before it ships.

[Rickv100_nj]

I own a series 3 109 xMOD. It needs a new chassis though.

Rick

[Buggy Man]

They are available...
Matt

[Rickv100_nj]

About $5k for a new Richards 1 ton chassis delivered from RoversNorth

Rick