Over the last few months, I’ve become enthralled with the world of Land Rovers. It’s a wonderful community of people who, for the most part, truly use these vehicles as intended. The modern ones that are more or less overpriced suburban appliances not so much, but a vintage Land Rover is a machine built for traversing rough terrain and being repaired with some fishing line and some ingenuity, hence why events like the Camel Trophy exist. This 1994 Land Rover Defender 90 (listed as a 1980 model due to eBay not recognizing the VIN) listed here on eBay is a right-hand drive European import offered with no reserve.
Bidding sits at just over $5,000 at the moment. The reason for no reserve, I suspect, is due to it being a bit of a project at the moment. The truck has certainly received several improvements in the seller’s care, including new tires, a recent timing belt replacement, a brake job, and some tasteful upgrades. Modifications include a lift kit, LED headlights, rear bench seats, and a center cubby box, all popular tweaks within the Defender community. These trucks are still very much in demand, with clean examples routinely selling for $50,000 or more. This one may get dinged slightly for being RHD.
The truck is in Georgia, which is one of the more popular states for importing European-market or JDM vehicles owing to an easier titling process. In addition to being a RHD model, it also sports a 300TDI engine. This diesel mill chugs along with 111 b.h.p. and 195 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s a highly dependable engine and one that is virtually unkillable. There are plenty of these trucks in the U.S. and parts are wildly available so it should be a fairly easy truck to maintain despite its British-market origins.
The trouble is one detail the seller mentions but doesn’t provide any photos of: “The auto is drivable, but the steering damper and front bushings needed to be repairs with corrosion issues dealt with as part of the repair.” This is a warning sign to anyone who has dealt with a vintage Land Rover, as frame issues are not uncommon. Many trucks, including everyday rigs like the first and second generation Discoveries and the U.S.-market Defender 90, undergo frame replacement if the owner is committed enough. This is a potential deal in the making if the repairs aren’t too significant, but you’ll definitely want to peek underneath first.
Leave A Comment