Land Rover’s East Coast Defender 90 and 110 Models
East Coast Defender sources Land Rover D90s and D110s worldwide, rebuilds them in meticulous detail to your affordable specifications, and can install anything from an LS3 V8 to a 2.8-liter Cummins below the flat hood. However a new Bentley Bentayga could price less.
Raised in the Midlands, the heart of British car country, brothers Tom and Elliot Humble grew up with Land Rovers made close. They both studied sports exercise but left school to follow their enthusiast calling and currently manage the ECD custom-resto Defender shop simply a stone’s throw from Disney World in Florida.
Their approach is somewhat analogous to what Singer does with the Porsche 911. ECD contends with other Land Rover importers and restorers (including LA-based West Coast Defender) to find Defenders of a certain age – including North American models originally sold here – import and document them as required to be registered street-legal in Florida, and then build them to spec.
East Coast Defender Models — Specifications
Having one built to fulfill standards in a specific state outside Florida is not a problem, although due diligence on your part about regulations like those concerning lighting could be a good idea. We poked and prodded a pair of them: one an original North American ninety that did not need too much rehab effort and the other a wide-body 110. Both were provided with a GM LS3 small-block swap, air conditioning, and modern conveniences like USB ports, navigation, and LED lighting.
The engine installation is sanitary, and while the corvette cover appearance out of place there is nothing really exceptional about a pushrod GM V8 below a Land Rover hood. Replacing a 3.9-liter V-8 with a 6.2 – backed by a 4L80E (a GM E-Rod combo) on the ninety and a six-speed auto on the 110 – moves the LT230 transfer case back about 3 inches.
Which means the gear light for the B&M bash shifter in the ninety shows “n” when in reverse and the 110’s is next to your waist. (That electronic shifter has been moved forward in newer builds to resolve the difficulty.) Proof that these trucks are not designed primarily for low-speed wheeling: they lose their lockup center differential action and use an open-filament air cleaner located on the firewall that pulls warm air from underhood.
East Coast Defender Models — Price
An extra 248 Horsepower and double the torsion do wonders for acceleration – matting the throttle from rest generates a hint of torsion steer despite driving all four, and you legitimately worry about what kind of speed the tires will take.
There is little hesitation in on-demand downshifts since fuel economy isn’t really a concern, although at twelve to fourteen mpg claimed it’s down only a few from original. Brake choices include stock, Alcon, and others, however with this aero profile and engine braking all you have to do is lift off the gas to slow down.
If you are not one for attracting attention, consider obtaining your corvette engine in a corvette. but if you want one in a Defender, bring at least $150,000. It can be more (they’ve done $225k rigs) or less relying what you begin with and power choice – Rover gas V8 or diesel, Cummins’ new RePower 2.8 when it’s available, the rare BMW petrol-power units, or something else. just be aware that exclusivity is not low cost.
