1986 Land Rover Defender 90 V8 Petrol Engine with New Frame, Wiring, Interior
1986 Land Rover Defender
This 1986 Land Rover 90 is a right-hand-drive example that was imported to the US before being acquired by the seller in January 2016. Work has since included a repaint along with the installation of a replacement Richards Chassis galvanized frame, new front/rear, LED lights, wiring harness, Puma-style front doors, aftermarket bumpers, new rock sliders, SpeedHut gauges, and black leather Sparco bucket seats. The 3.5-liter V8 was fitted with an electronic fuel injection system, and a four-speed automatic transmission was also installed, along with a replacement wiring harness, front brake pads and rotors, and springs and shocks. The truck is finished in blue with a white roof and equipped with a dual-range transfer case, a locking center differential, Nato 16″ steel wheels, a front brush guard, rock sliders, a roof rack and rear ladder, LED lighting, and inward-facing rear bench seats. This Land Rover 90 is now offered with service manuals, parts receipts, and a New Jersey title in the seller’s name listing it as a 1986 model year.
Puma-style front doors were installed and the body was repainted blue with a white roof under current ownership. Additional work included installing an aftermarket front bumper with a brush guard and rear bumperettes, along with LED lighting, Hella driving lights, and a billet machined grille with a magnetic classic Land Rover emblem. Further equipment includes a roof basket, a rear ladder, rock sliders, checker-plate trim on the tops of the front fenders, and Alpine windows.
Black-finished 16″ Nato steel wheels were fitted in 2023 and mounted with 235/85 BFGoodrich Baja Campion All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires. A matching spare is affixed to the rear door. The front brake pads, rotors, and inner hub seals were replaced in 2023. The springs and shocks were replaced at the time of the frame swap in 2018.
A bedliner material was applied to the floors under current ownership, and the seller notes that the upper portion of the dashboard and the headliner were also replaced. Black leather Sparco bucket front seats were fitted, and additional appointments include manual-crank windows, a VDO analog clock, Blaupunkt speakers beneath the dashboard, a billet transfer case shift knob, cupholders, and black rubber floor mats. Corrosion on the front floor pans is pictured in the gallery below.
The replacement four-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of SpeedHut instrumentation, which consists of a 120-mph speedometer and gauges for fuel level, coolant temperature, and voltage. The digital odometer shows 121k miles, approximately 1,500 of which were added by the seller. Total mileage is unknown.
The rear of the cabin features two inward-facing bench seats trimmed in black vinyl, along with a black rubber floor covering.
The 3.5-liter V8 is equipped with an open element air filter and an electronic fuel injection system, which was reportedly sourced from a Land Rover Discovery. The wiring harness was replaced by Red Door Off-Road of Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania in May 2023, and additional work at that time included installing a Walbro electric fuel pump, replacing the power steering hoses, and cleaning the fuel system. Corrosion is visible on the firewall.
A Richards Chassis galvanized frame was installed by DCRovers of Hedgesville, West Virginia in 2018, at which time a four-speed automatic transmission reportedly sourced from a Discovery was installed, the dual-range transfer case was resealed, and the axles were repainted.
The New Jersey title carries a “mileage exceeds the mechanical limits” notation.
- Make: Land Rover
- Model: Defender
- Doors: 3
- Year: 1986
- Mileage: 121000
- VIN: SALLDVBV7AA250069
- Color: Blue
- Number of cylinders: 8
- Fuel: Gasoline
- Transmission: Automatic
- Drive type: 4WD
- Interior color: Black
- Drive side: Right-Hand Drive
- Vehicle Title: Clean Want to buy? Contact seller!
