What we’ve got here on eBay in Solvang, California is a European delivery 1989 Land Rover 90 (better known here with the Defender name, added later) that is being sold as “a running and driving project.” And $6,600 is being asked.
The owner, who got it running and appears to be flipping it, says he’s driven the Land Rover only about 20 miles. It “runs great” but needs help in a number of areas. It can’t be driven home, and it’s not ready to span the continent unless it’s on a trailer.
“The car was an abandoned project that had had huge amounts of money spent on it. It has a fresh 300TDi engine that has never been run.” There’s a new turbo, too. Isn’t that something? Someone spent huge money on a powertrain rebuild and then never drove the thing? People are hard to figure sometimes. Also fresh are the transmission and clutch, and the current owners put in a new rear main seal and torqued the flywheel. The transfer case is another new part.
What apparently happened here is that ambition got ahead of ability. The aftermarket conversion stalled with a bunch of parts not hooked up, including the intake and brake servo. The power steering lines need to be made, and the gas gauge is inoperative. The body looks somewhat shabby, the interior a bit better. The owner claims original paint, which is believable. The chassis is said to be solid, and it needs to be on these rugged trucks. There’s some rust in the floors and in the rear door frame, and an outrigger needs replacing.
The owner says the car is overall “in good shape and fully usable,” but not before it gets all the work detailed above. Another thing worth knowing is that with this equipment, the car will fail California emissions testing.
These cars are objects of desire, but this one is a serious project. Unless it’s an owner doing the work, the custom fabrication is going to add up. Maybe there are kits for this particular conversion.
The coil-sprung 90 dates to 1984, when it joined the 110 in the lineup. It denoted a wheelbase of 92.9 inches. In 1989, a third model, the Discovery, was added, and in 1991 the 90 became the Defender 90.
The 90 was fairly primitive, with bare floorboards and wind-up windows. The 90 got a 68-horsepower diesel engine, a 2.5-liter turbo diesel with 85 horsepower, or a 135-horsepower 3.5-liter Rover V-8 that started life in a Buick. It’s unclear which power plant was originally in this one.
The car on offer has a clean Tennessee title, but as noted, it can’t be registered in California. These cars are highly sought-after by LR cultists. Are you willing to jump through some hoops for this one? High risk could lead to high reward, since the ask is modest and Classic.com says one of these in good condition is worth $42,627.
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