By Jeffrey B. Aronson
Photo: Calef Letorney

So you want to buy a Defender? Join the club – it’s a rare Land Rover enthusiast who does not covet one of the NAS Land Rovers. You don’t have a lot of choice. Officially, only two models made it into the North American market. The Defender 110 made a huge splash in 1993 when the uniquely numbered and specially-kitted-out examples were imported into the US and Canada. With their “safari” cages and stark white paint, they were instantly identifiable and helped reestablish the Land Rover image for new enthusiasts. The Defender 90 that followed between 1994 –1997, whether in unique soft top or station wagon mode, became the off-roader’s car of choice.

Regardless of the engine [3.9 or 4.0 liters] or transmission [LT77 or R380, or ZF automatic] choice, the brilliant drivetrain and suspension design assured you of extraordinary off road capability and safe interstate driving. Whether you score a Defender 110, of which only 500 were officially imported in 1993, or the Defender 90, of which about 7,000 came into the North American market, you had a car that absolutely, positively everyone knows is a Land Rover. What should you look for in searching out a Defender?

Mark Letorney of Rovers North says that “corrosion is the greatest problem. Look at the rear frame member of the chassis. Just like in a Series Rover, if it’s rusty, you can suspect rust elsewhere on the frame. The second place is the doors, where Rover used dissimilar metals. Pull up the carpets and look at floors – you might find corrosion there, too.”

“Once you’ve looked over the car, take it for a test drive. The great thing about the Defender is that it hides nothing. You’ll hear everything that’s going on as you drive it. When you shift, you’ll hear and feel if the transmission is working correctly, the clutch is operating properly and the suspension components need work. If you hear whining or clunking, crawl underneath to shake the propshaft or the suspension bushings. Check the fluid levels, too. They’ll tell you whether the car has been properly maintained.”

“The V-8 might have high mileage on it so you’ll want to do a compression test and cylinder leak down test. Also, check whether the engine has been overhauled or replaced. Make certain the job was done right and that the engine was properly maintained. The cooling system works hard on Defenders; check the radiator for fresh antifreeze and little corrosion on the cooling fins.” “Lastly, beware of a car that’s been over-accessorized. Make certain that all components work with the suspension geometry of the car. You don’t want an off-road giant that becomes unsafe on the highway. For example, if you see a car with a lift kit, check the sway bars. If they’ve been removed, what would the car be like on the open road in daily use?”

Mike Smith of East Coast Rover, Rockland, ME, has maintained, refurbished and restored many Defenders. First off, he notes that “Defenders are Series III’s on steroids. The love of a Defender is a love of things antique. You need to love to maintain. It requires antique car-type maintenance. He says that evidence of knowledgeable maintenance and the right parts are critical to determining the likely condition of a Defender.”

“For example, the fuel injection relays are located in a seat locker where over time, they’ll get corroded and/or fail. If you know to look for this, you’ll save yourself unnecessary replacement of fuel pumps and injectors. But you need to get the right replacement, the Genuine Land Rover Parts 5-pin relay. Using the generic 4-pin one means that the oxygen sensors will not send out the correct information to a diagnostic system. So your car might start fine but then stall out when it warms up. The missing pin is making all the difference.”

“Oil changes are important for several reasons. Most importantly the Rover V-8 is inherently an older design that counted on 3,000 mile changes for long life. If you’re used to oil and filter changes at 10,000 or 25,000 miles, don’t assume that you can wait that long on your Defender, too.”

“There’s an old saw about Land Rovers that if they don’t leak, they’re out of something. But you shouldn’t see copious leaks from transfer case seals or driveshaft pinion seals – that’s a sign of neglect. Off roading tends to push dirt into the seals and that causes the leaks. The conscientious owner will replace damaged seals so they stop grit and water from entering, not wait for them to leak out. “ “You won’t believe how much bad wiring we have to undo, so be careful of cars with lots of accessories and demand evidence that they were installed to professional standards. Look at the core of Defender, not the brightwork or off-road equipment. Unfortunately, the small number of Defenders sold in the US means that the dealer network doesn’t always have that knowledge base on staff.” Above all else, remember that all Land Rovers love maintenance. Mike Smith notes he just purchased a Discovery Series II with 260,000 miles. It has a service stamp for every service interval. Except where a dog chewed the seat and the failure of a subwoofer, everything works on the Rover. That’s a cautionary tale for the Defender buyer. Check that maintenance work shows evidence of knowledge, high standards of repair and/or installation, and Genuine Parts or tested accessories. Then you’ll have a Defender for the ages.

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