Defender 90?

[flyingwil]

Any one have any experience with Defender 90's? A buddy of mine wants one, and asked me about their reliability and stock capabilities. Whats your input?

[Scott Brady]

Capability is exceptional. They are long travel and have good torque. They also have 32" tires from the factory, and a 3.31:1 T/Case gearing.

Reliability is better than most Land Rover products due to the simplicity of the design and years of refinement. They will have reliability similar to a Jeep Wrangler, which is not too bad IMO.

But, you don't buy a D90 for reliability, you buy them because they are SAFARI! Nothing says adventure like a D90 kitted out.

http://www.safarigard.com/D-90/jackhammer.jpg

http://www.azlro.org/gallery/albums/2004-04-03/IMG_3852.sized.jpg
This white D90 is owned by an Arizonan, Leo. Beyond impressive on the trail.

[datrupr]

I love the 90's, but my all time favorite has got to be the 110. I may make one of those my next adventure vehicle........ If I can find one. :D

[gjackson]

110s are the best. And I say that because I took one 30,000 miles through Africa. Exceptional vehicle, only matched by the 78 series TLC.

As for a D90, capabilities are very good out of the box as has been mentioned. Only drawback I know of is the cost of parts and maintanence. Can get pretty expensive unless you do all the work yourself, and even then, the parts are pricey.

cheers

Graham

[flyingwil]

Cool. I have been drooling over the 90's since i first saw one in Europe, covered in mud. I never saw one growing up in Wisconsin, and still have yet to see one out on the trails. My friend is pretty well off (lucky bastard!) and the price is not an issue. He just wants one as a play vehicle, and he thinks I know all about off road, while in all actuallity I am learning and will be learning for the rest of my life. I will have to direct him to this thread and show him what you all think! Thanks for your input.

[gjackson]

You're welcome to point him my way. I don't know everything, but I do know enough to get me in trouble. ;-) Which is why I have a 110 and drive it to strange places on the planet whenever I can find the money.

cheers

Graham
www.africaoverland.org

[Scott Brady]

110s are the best. And I say that because I took one 30,000 miles through Africa. Exceptional vehicle, only matched by the 78 series TLC.


The 110 is my all time favorite Land Rover. They can bring a smile to a kids face, and stop a grown man in his tracks.

Your 110 is just awesome!

Maybe when you have a few spare minutes, please post some pictures and a little information about your truck for us.

[Scott Brady]

Graham,

I just looked at your site... You are climbing Kilimanjaro too :arabia:

Oh man... That is on my short list.

[flyingwil]

You're welcome to point him my way. I don't know everything, but I do know enough to get me in trouble. ;-) Which is why I have a 110 and drive it to strange places on the planet whenever I can find the money.

cheers

Graham
www.africaoverland.org


Cool will do! Thanks and great site!

[datrupr]

Glad to know that I am not the only here that drools over the 110. I have been wanting one for years and years now. I will have one one of these days. :D

[pangaea]

I've owned a few different Land Rovers over the years, with my current vehicle being a 95 Discovery. I've always loved the D90s (my first rover was an AAYellow D90 soft top), and think that they're amazingly capable. But I would caution your friend about a couple of things before he picks up a 90.

1. I think they're somewhat over priced. Since they were imported for only a few years in the mid 90's, people tend to ask silly money for 10 year old vehicles. There are bargains to be had, but he should definitely shop around.

2. They're probably one of the most capable factory vehicles ever made. A lot of fun to wheel and fairly easy to modify. But, the NAS trucks live and die by their service schedules, which are pretty rigorous for a typical vehicle. Almost every time my truck broken, it was because of something that was past its service interval and I meant to get to it eventually. Keep up with it, and it'll be a reliable workhorse

3. Don't know where your friend lives, but the factory soft top sucks. Usually by the time its cold enough to put the top on, its shrunk to the point that it's a major battle to put it on. Don't know why they're so difficult, since they're made by Besttop who makes a decent top for the Jeep Wranglers. When you do get the top on, there are usually sizeable gaps between doors and the top etc. Not that bad if you live in an area where the temperatures are mild or predictable, but here in CO it can be a huge pain (not uncommon to have snow fall and temps in the 70s or 80s in the same month). On the other hand, the hard top is a pretty decent vehicle to go with.

When it came down to it, I figured a Discovery would meet my needs better since its lockable, has more load carrying capacity, greater cruising range, and is more comfortable. But I still think frequently about what a fun truck the 90 was....

I'm not trying to talk your friend out of the truck, it's just that I'd like for them to go in eyes wide open. It takes a certain personality to tolerate a Land Rover. ;-)

my 2 cents (and a little more)

Nathan Hindman

[Scott Brady]

Nathan,

Great advice. I just wish all of us could purchase a 300tdi Discovery like yours...

Thanks for stopping in :ylsmoke:

[pangaea]

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on perspective) I actually don't have a Tdi under the hood on my Discovery. When it was engine swap time, I stumbled on a deal that was too good to pass up for a 4.6L engine. So although my fuel economy still sucks, at least I've got about 275 hp under the hood.

[pangaea]

One more thing that I forgot to mention the other day about the Defender. If your friend gets a soft top Defender, and has the cash and the patience a Badge Coachworks soft top is a GREAT investment. Its a high quality top made of german twill canvas if I remember correctly, that will actually make owning a soft top Defender a pleasant experience.

They are about $2k, and take a few months to get, but its money well spent.

www.badgercoachworks.com/

[Scott Brady]

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on perspective) I actually don't have a Tdi under the hood on my Discovery. When it was engine swap time, I stumbled on a deal that was too good to pass up for a 4.6L engine. So although my fuel economy still sucks, at least I've got about 275 hp under the hood.

Ooops, I thought yours had been swaped to diesel.

[pangaea]

Just couldn't justify it with the crappy conversion rate from the UK. A Tdi swap right now is about $8K out of pocket before you get into the labor.

The 4.6 long block that I picked up was out of a totaled '04 Disco with less than 5K miles on it. I had it in the truck with an uprated cam, some minor head massaging, a bit of custom fabrication to make it work and all new gaskets, etc for under $2K... Not bad considering its typically about a $6-10K conversion.

[gjackson]

Okay, Scott asked for it, so here is a quick rundown and some pics of my truck. (This is long!)

It is a 300tdi Land Rover Defender 110 with extensive mods for expedition work. It has A/C and an uprated R380 transmission. The mods include:

K&N Air filter and oil filter
Hannibal awning
Custom Axe mount
Safari Gard bull bars and skid plate with an X9 Superwinch and 2 Hella 4000s.
Tuffy Center console
Viair compressor and 10gal air tank
Curtains
Diff Guard
Hellroaring dual battery system with Optima red top for the car and Optima yellow top for the accessories.
Engle 42quart fridge/freezer
Custom mount for my Garmin GPSMap 176.
Various interior lights including large fluorescent in the load bay and extra lights in the passenger compartment.
Coleman 800w inverter in a custom mount with 2 extra fans to keep it cool under load.
Lap Top stand custom made for my iBook. There is a serial connection on the Tuffy box to link the iBook to the GPS with no cables getting in the way. Also have a 12v powersupply for the iBook so it can run from the dash, not the inverter.
Limb risers.
37 gal long range fuel tank. Fully loaded on expeditions I average about 19mpg so that's 700 miles on one tank. Usually carry 3 jerry cans of diesel which extends the nominal range to 988 miles.
Map light for the co pilot.
Oil storage box attached to the frame that holds a complete oil change for the engine as well as back-up for the transmission, axles, power steering etc.
Rewired the cigarette lighter on the dash to run from the Optima yellow top. Also installed 2 power points under the back seat next to the inverter, one next to the rear door and one on the roof rack.
Rear bumper ends from Safari Gard
RoverTracks high clearence, heavy duty tie rod
Rock sliders from Safari Gard modified to support the roll cage and with extra connections to the frame.
Custom external roll cage that mounts to the sliders and bull bar. Has an integrated rear ladder, limb riser mounts, GPS antenna mount, and mounts for the awning.
Roof rack that attaches to the roll cage. Has mounts for the roof top tent, 2 Hella FF300 facing forward and 2 facing rear. Mount for the High Lift on one side and the axe on the rear. Usually carry 2 jerry cans on the roof rack and a storage case for bulky, light equipment (like extra bedding, ground tent etc.) Have a mount for a large drink cooler on the rack that we use for a washing machine.
Roof Top tent from Technitop in South Africa. By far the most comfortable way to camp. The tent opens over the hood of the truck with a ladder dropping to the bull bars.
Safari Gard rear tire rack with mounts for a shovel and 2 jerry cans.
Custom storage system in the load bay made out of a 4 drawer heavy duty filing cabinet. The 2 lower drawers house tools and spares. The 2 upper drawers house food and camping gear. We have a box down each side next to the drawer system. One side has camp chairs and a small table. The other side has our clothes etc. We have a custom folding table that lays flat on top of the drawers.
Safari Gard/OME suspension using custom progressive rate front springs and OME heavy duty rear springs. All corners have 10in Fox emulsion shocks.
10gal stainless steel water tank mounted in the left rear wing. Also have storage inside the car for 2 7 gal carboys.
Steel Safari window protection art.
Wing top protectors.
6 Land Rover Wolf military steel wheels.

The truck works very well for long trips. We spent 9 months with it in Africa. It is not a rock crawler by any means! And I have to put a word in for Nathan at Pangaea who supplied a bunch of the equipment in the above list.

I have attached some pics of the truck in action in various places.

cheers

Graham
www.africaoverland.org

[Scott Brady]

Graham,

Thanks so much for the details. When I have a few spare minutes, I will add your truck to the main website and include links to your overland site.

I really love that 110!

[kcowyo]

Having a 110 was cool enough...

But having a picture of your vehicle with a wild giraffe....?


:clapsmile

[Scott Brady]

Yeah, I have decided that Graham is the October "super cool" dude of the month.

And from what I hear, we have just seen a fraction of his life experiences... :box:

[gjackson]

Scott,

Thanks for the accolades. It was a lot of effort and cost to get a 110 and to outfit it like that, but hey, when you want the best you can spare no expense! ;-)

I plan on re-working my web site in the next couple of months to include maps, movies and more pics. As well as more info on the truck. So stay tuned.

cheers

Graham
www.africaoverland.org

[gjackson]

. . .and unfortunately I didn't get any pics of my truck with a lion or leopard! Eventhough we saw plenty of cats I didn't want to be away from the truck taking pics at that point!

cheers

Graham

[flyingwil]

. . .and unfortunately I didn't get any pics of my truck with a lion or leopard! Eventhough we saw plenty of cats I didn't want to be away from the truck taking pics at that point!

cheers

Graham


Wow! That has to be a great sight to see. I am still hoping to come across a jaguar (no, not the car) in Southern Arizona.

[Scott Brady]

. . .and unfortunately I didn't get any pics of my truck with a lion or leopard! Eventhough we saw plenty of cats I didn't want to be away from the truck taking pics at that point!

cheers

Graham

Graham,

I have a completely non-technical, philosophical question for you...

After having spent months exploring Africa, and seeing some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, how have you adjusted back to a daily routine?

I find that the further I explore the great my desire to push further becomes, and the more comfortable I become with the uncertainties and risks (and sleeping on a cot under the stars). And the more uncomfortable I become with living in a quiet subdivision, having a typical routine, etc.

So are you just saving and planning for the next BIG one, or have you found a happy medium between living in the world of the "pale and pasties" and the great beyond... :camping:

[BajaTaco]

Hello Nathan and Graham

Sweet Rovers!

Nathan, I have always enjoyed your website - the latest version of it is just top-notch. Well done pal ;)

Graham, those pics and that 110 are something else... 30,000 miles in Africa... life is good. :ylsmoke: I haven't clicked on that link to your website yet, I know what I will be doing during lunch today :lurk:

[pangaea]

After having spent months exploring Africa, and seeing some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, how have you adjusted back to a daily routine?

So are you just saving and planning for the next BIG one, or have you found a happy medium between living in the world of the "pale and pasties" and the great beyond... :camping:

I can't speak for Graham, but a mutual friend of our jokes that Graham is like a caged lion that you see at the zoo. He's acclimated into city life, but he still has that wild look in his and you'd swear he's yearning for the savanna.

[pangaea]

Nathan, I have always enjoyed your website - the latest version of it is just top-notch. Well done pal ;)


Aw shucks... Thanks. Scott turned me on to your site a couple of months ago, and I've been slowly going through it as well... quite nice. Looks like you've had some great trips.

[gjackson]

Scott,

That's a very valid non-technical question! And the answer is -- I would leave tomorrow for somewhere else if I could. And if it was Africa, I'd leave in 20 minutes. It took a good 6 months of being back at work before I stopped sitting at my desk daydreaming of what was and what could be. And by that I mean every second of sitting at my desk. Now it's only 4 to 6 hours a day. I have redesigned my truck from the ground up at least a dozen times, I have modified the route we took countless times and I have extended our stay by months if not years -- all in my head.

The 'real' world is very hard to get back into after that long doing what you love. The travel was not that easy, but it was different and exciting every day even on the boreing days.

Some people like to stay put, others yearn to travel and see new things. I guess I ended up in the latter group. And I suspect the rest of you are there as well!!! Don't know if any of you check out the HUBB newsgroup, but there has been a pretty long thread on this very subject going on there for a while.

Bajataco,

Glad you like my truck, most people who see it do too. Sorry I can't make it to AZ next month to meet all you guys, but I don't have much vacation left, otherwise you could all see it. Your Tacoma looks pretty cool as well, and I love some of the pics on your site. Excellent stuff, and very informative.

cheers

Graham
www.africaoverland.org

[Scott Brady]

Thanks for the reply Graham,

I find my desire to explore grows stronger and stronger with each trip, and now that the truck is nearly finished (and I am also debt free), I am really struggling staying put. I have a plan to sell the software company in the next few years and then, I'm GONE... I will patch into the forum via satellite :camping:

I think my strongest pull is to South America. Argentina and Chile principally. That will be the epic, where I am gone for 4-6 months or so. The Baja and Arctic Circle trips are just good testing runs, though they will be no less of a joy to undertake.

So, where to next? You must have something brewing...

[flyingwil]

...now that the truck is nearly finished (and I am also debt free)...

:bowdown: I must bow down to you sir :exclaim: :bowdown:

[gjackson]

Yes indeed! Being debt free is a very good place to be. Unfortunately my trip through Africa ended up costing a bunch more than planned. Something to do with having to buy 2 Defender 110s to get 1, having to replace a transmission in the middle of the desert, etc. I am desperately trying to hold off planning until the debt is reduced, but I think there is a bunch closer to home to explore. I would love to do Central America and Baja. Heck, there are parts of Wyoming that could be very cool.

Patagonia would rock!

And by the way, you guys are NOT helping. . .

cheers

Graham

[flyingwil]

This post has exploded! My friend is looking into the TDI swap too. He is a huge fan of biodiesel. Thanks for all the info.

[pangaea]

This post has exploded! My friend is looking into the TDI swap too. He is a huge fan of biodiesel.

Sorry, we Land Rover guys tend to be a bunch of Chatty Kathy's :camping:

If your friend is looking to go crazy with biodiesel, and even maybe an SVO conversion, he should drop Craig Reece at Neoteric a line.

http://www.plantdrive.com/

He's a great guy and a fellow Roverphile. In fact he's got a Defender 100" (yes, 100, it's a Defender 90 stretched by 7") with a 300 Tdi that runs biodiesel and SVO.

[Scott Brady]

Patagonia would rock!

cheers

Graham

Well my friend... It sounds like we both have something to shoot for. It WILL happen. :arabia:

[gjackson]

Well my friend... It sounds like we both have something to shoot for. It WILL happen.

I'm in! Is tomorrow too soon to leave? Oh wait, I have debt and a truck that needs a timing belt change. . .RATS!!!

Graham
www.africaoverland.org

[BajaTaco]

Aw shucks... Thanks. Scott turned me on to your site a couple of months ago, and I've been slowly going through it as well... quite nice. Looks like you've had some great trips.



Bajataco,

... Your Tacoma looks pretty cool as well, and I love some of the pics on your site. Excellent stuff, and very informative.


Thanks so much guys. Here's to you :beer: Well, I started going through Graham's site and there are a lot of road logs to read and photos to look at :lurk: This will take awhile. Graham, did you ever weigh your 110 while it was loaded for the big Africa trip?

[kcowyo]

Heck, there are parts of Wyoming that could be very cool.

Graham

Oh, indeed there are! (http://cod4x4.com/club.cfm?clubID=10056)

An informed and observant traveler could go on a pseudo-North American safari in Wyoming. Mountain Lions, Bighorn Sheep, Gray Wolves, Grizzly Bear, wild Horses, Bison, Desert Elk, Pronghorns (Antelope), Moose, Eagles, etc. are all on hand and can be seen more often than one might think.

....sadly, no giraffes....:(

[pangaea]

....sadly, no giraffes....:(

Well... not yet anyway.

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7862

:Wow1:

[kcowyo]

If there are ever giraffes and camels in Wyoming, I swear to all that is Holy, that I will sell every Toyota I own and buy "Nanook" (http://www.skytoprover.com/nanook.htm) and do a Dormobile conversion.

I've had my eye on her for almost 2 years - :cool:

http://www.skytoprover.com/images/nanook/nan1.jpg

[gjackson]

Graham, did you ever weigh your 110 while it was loaded for the big Africa trip?

No, I chickened out. I know I was *heavy*. Spent a lot of the trip trying to get rid of things we didn't need and also trying to stop my wife from collecting rocks!!

Maybe on the way to AZ I'll stop at a truck stop and get a weight.

cheers

Graham
www.africaoverland.org

[Scott Brady]

Spent a lot of the trip trying to get rid of things we didn't need and also trying to stop my wife from collecting rocks!!


Will you be bringing her to AZ? Stephanie and your wife would get along great. Steph loves to collect rocks (she even has a rock polisher) and other ponderous items to bring back from distant lands...

[gjackson]

Will you be bringing her to AZ?

Sadly not. She will be on a business trip in TN at that time so won't make it. And she is bummed about that. . .she loves the 110 as much as I do!

cheers

Graham
www.africaoverland.org

[flyingwil]

Well, my buddy the one that propted me to start this thread is looking into the TDI conversions from East coast rover co.

I was looking into the website... and now have a huge puddle of drool on my desk! Most of the conversions are ground up, including galvanized frames, lockers, and anything you could ever want.

http://www.eastcoastrover.com/Tdiconversions.html

http://www.eastcoastrover.com/99/99Final.jpg

[pangaea]

ECR definitely does great work, but they're a bit pricey and tend to be scheduled WAY out. Last I heard the soonest they could work on a big job was a year and a half out.

You can always check with Jim Pendelton of Pendy Imports/ soon to be Frontier Rovers. He's probably done more diesel conversions than anyone else in the states.

[BajaTaco]

Spent a lot of the trip... trying to stop my wife from collecting rocks!!

:xxrotflma

I have done the same thing. The worst is when we are out on a backpack, miles and miles from the truck... and she asks me to carry rocks back for her! Big ones!

Too bad Connie can't make it. We'd love to meet her.

[gjackson]

Yep, business getting in the way again. Damn that making a living thing!

;-)


Graham

[flyingwil]

Hmmm these sure are interesting 110's, and it looks like in Africa they have the 130's:

http://www.africachats.com/images/Defender130DC.JPG

I Like the 2.5 Turbo Diesel though!

[bluerunner]

http://fenster-us.com/albums/GreenPaint/normal_green_rover.jpg Here was my first one...http://fenster-us.com/albums/GreenPaint/normal_green_with_top.jpghttp://fenster-us.com/albums/Snow/normal_DSCN0300.jpg This is how she sits now. :coffee:

[pangaea]

...and it looks like in Africa they have the 130's:

They also have the coveted Defender 147... Factory conversion that we spotted outside Chobe NP a couple of years ago.

http://www.pangaea-expeditions.com/images/productimages/tuffy/defender147.jpg

[Aubrey]

Found the site today via a long detour ...... from Africa so miss large trucks but have Defenders ...images of current 3 .....

The 110

http://mysite.mweb.co.za/residents/moorea/images/ruby%20019.jpg

and two 90's

http://mysite.mweb.co.za/residents/moorea/images/grizzly%20001.jpg
http://mysite.mweb.co.za/residents/moorea/images/zulub.jpg

[Aubrey]

They also have the coveted Defender 147... Factory conversion that we spotted outside Chobe NP a couple of years ago.


Very few of the 147's around. Basis is a 130 that is stretched and a third row of seats added. All powered by a 2500cc turbo diesel 5 cyl (Td5)

Break over angle is horrible and not much good off-road cause of that.

[Scott Brady]

Aubrey,

Your 110 is fantastic! I passed a 2.5 110 two days ago in Prescott, AZ. For us in the USA, seeing a diesel (or any) Defender is like spotting a rare orchid. We get all excitted, fumble for our cameras, and dream of days not spent staring at a computer...

[datrupr]

Aubrey, That is a very nice 90, but I love the 110! that is one beautiful truck. Pretty much all the 110's you see here in AZ are white. It looks good in color. Beautiful!

[Aubrey]

Thanx for the kind words ...... full specs on them here .... Aubrey Home (http://mysite.mweb.co.za/residents/moorea/)

All prepared for either off road or the 110 for expedition ...not in the same mould

The one little 90 runs a 300bhp supercharger ..... not diesel. We had them for a while in SA with the BMW 328i motor as standard. Would have replaced the V8 but then Ford bought LR :p