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My Defender 90 Build


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Hey Guys

Im new to the forum and relatively new to defenders. I recently purchased a 1992 Defender 90 project car from a friend. He just bought two 110's (for a new build project) and didn't have enough garage space.

Mine is pretty loaded and very well done. Not much left to do except upgrade some interior bits to make the interior feel more new/modern... Already looking for a new dashboard and a few other interior bits.

My wife fell in love with it. Thankfully, she can't drive stick or else i would have lost the car to her. She's already bugging me about changing the transmission to automatic, lol

Any advice would we welcome :)

 

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30 minutes ago, gerrymc123 said:

Very nice it is but must have cost an absolute fortune.

Ya, my buddy paid little over $100k all in (including the price of the car). Its a stunning machine. Driving it is a ton of fun. Although it leaves very little room for improvement as a project car. 

 

Ill snap some more pics of the interior as thats pretty much the only part of the car that can be upgraded further. I was thinking of retrofitting one of the new generation dashboards and instrument dials. Dunno if they would fit on this 1992 model. Im assuming the car hardly changed so it should be doable. Anyone who can give me a few pointers on what needs to be done to switch the full dash panel would be much appreciated.

 

1 hour ago, ukspike said:

First thing I would change would be the steering wheel, it's on the wrong side, Sorry could not resist, it looks very nice indeed.

Hahahaha...was waiting for that one :P

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Anything is possible, but fitting that Puma dash is a huge job and would require the new instruments, heater/AC and wiper systems to go with it.  The steering column and pedals wouldn't be affected, but it might foul the gear levers.  It gives a lot less leg room than the old dash.  A 2002-2007 dash would be a far easier task, just needing the wiper system tweaked and the switches wired into relays to power the various ancilliaries.  Very nice 90.

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1 hour ago, Snagger said:

Anything is possible, but fitting that Puma dash is a huge job and would require the new instruments, heater/AC and wiper systems to go with it.  The steering column and pedals wouldn't be affected, but it might foul the gear levers.  It gives a lot less leg room than the old dash.  A 2002-2007 dash would be a far easier task, just needing the wiper system tweaked and the switches wired into relays to power the various ancilliaries.  Very nice 90.

Is there a specific name for the (2002-2007) years dash? Just curious what i need to search for and how it looks.

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3 hours ago, Tupps11 said:

Is there a specific name for the (2002-2007) years dash? Just curious what i need to search for and how it looks.

Here's a link to an image: https://www.google.ae/search?q=td5+defender+dash&rlz=1CASMAE_enGB526GB526&tbm=isch&imgil=IHEcCzXtJv4uaM%3A%3Bkvajz1JsNiJUdM%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.aulro.com%252Fafvb%252Fgeneral-chat%252F31593-2002-defender-center-dash-2.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=IHEcCzXtJv4uaM%3A%2Ckvajz1JsNiJUdM%2C_&usg=__IQBPw-ADP_QpQGD0fZU0e742CVs%3D&biw=1366&bih=630&ved=0ahUKEwiQ8bKPj8XTAhWI5IMKHebXDIEQyjcIMA&ei=iCQCWZCNAojJjwTmr7OICA#imgrc=IHEcCzXtJv4uaM:

Just look up TD5 defender dash.  Note that it was 2002 that the dash was introduced, while the TD5 started in 1997 with the same dash as you have.  The lower part is the same, it's the top that changed.  The wiper motor was reorientated to fit, mounted vertically instead of diagonally, and it used different gauges, but I'm sure your existing instrument pod would fit this dash with your existing instruments.  You'd need the right connectors and perhaps the dash end of the harness/loom to connect all the centre switches.  I think the row of three switches above your left knee were deleted and moved to the centre of the new dash, and that includes the hazard light switch.  You could leave your existing switches wired up and use the new ones for something else, leave them disconnected or replace them with blanking plugs.  The heater and A/C units remain the same.

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Puma dash is from 2007 onwards to end of production, 

 

fitting to a earlier vehicle can be done BUT use the Td5 intruments/warning light panel, as the Puma bits will only work with the parent ecu which can't be retrofitted to a earlier vehicle.

 

this might be useful -- http://www.4x4community.co.za/forum/showthread.php/79646-Upgrade-Defender-tdi-to-Puma-dash

http://www.ministryofdefender.co.uk/land-rover-interior.html

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12 hours ago, Retroanaconda said:

Looks like he's already got the 2002-2007 dash to me.

You're right - I'd skimmed past those photos.  It's probably the best of the dash designs; the old style didn't have much space for extra switches or instruments, and the Puma type has almost no storage space and takes up too much leg room, as well as not fitting aesthetically with the round vents and curved binnacle.

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Tupps, one other thing about the late dash - you'll have to seal up the iconic flaps under the windscreen and remove their operating levers.  That seems a big step backwards to me.

 

The late dash has a powerful heater (too powerful, and the temperature control on it is terrible; full hot or cold, nothing in between) and a reasonable AC system if fitted, but no other advantages.  You already have aircon, so adding a Webasto or Eberspacher cab heater for the winter would bring you all the advantages of the late dash with none of the disadvantages, better heating (with no need to run the engine, too), better dash layout, more comfort, you keep the vents flaps which are great in summer, and it's a lot less work and less to go wrong...

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Thanks for all the replies gentlemen. Forgive my ignorance in these topics. I snapped a couple pics of my dash to make it easier to identify. 

As nice as the new puma dash looks, I'm starting to like mine the more i drive it. I like that the AC vents are on on the bottom and rectangular. Dunno if its the old generation, or the 2002 version though.

 

Also gonna have to check out that Wibbly Wobbly thread cause my speedo bounces around like crazy...

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16 hours ago, FridgeFreezer said:

4.6L on carbs? Some people are animals.

My 4L is running on carbs, and although I sometimes think there is a better way, when I read the forums with people having trouble I am happy mine is a simple setup.

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Forgive me but stunned that you're not satisfied as it is - looks superb! Leather stitched, full compliment switches, a/c, sat, clean, good condition!

It's a 100 times better than mine!  :o

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15 minutes ago, PaulN said:

Forgive me but stunned that you're not satisfied as it is - looks superb! Leather stitched, full compliment switches, a/c, sat, clean, good condition!

It's a 100 times better than mine!  :o

Haha! Always more work to be done...

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That existing dash looks very nice to me, tall people seem to be less comfortable in the newer vehicles, I'm 6 feet which in years gone by was considered tall but these days lots of people seem to tower over me and I couldn't live with the later dash setup... anyway, unless you are quite short I think you would find the puma type dash a backward step.

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Did a lot of online browsing over the long weekend. I think I'm starting to like the corvette engines mated to the automatic gearboxes. Not sure if that requires an ECU upgrade. If indeed it does, i might turn it into an interior upgrade as well. Will do a complete overhaul of the dash and electronics. I do love my existing dash, but still prefer the more modern look of today's defenders.

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Reading this makes me wonder what you're wanting to a chief in the end ?

Many big engines have been fitted to 90's & 110's with different result.. Fitting a V8 is possible - has been done many times, even bij te factory - and the auto box also is possible but you run into all kind of problems. Depending on where you are located you could end up with all kind of legal problems, too..

So have all the fun you want and cut away but remember that making it go is only part of the project : safe handling and stopping are way more important.. The were never build for speed or to pass the Elk test...

Have Fun !

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I don't see the point of huge engines in Defenders.  It costs a fortune, handles like sh** and then breaks, even more expensively.  They're great with any standard LR engine from Tdi onward, and are far better left with those engines for reliability of the transmission and suspension, let alone the engine and its cooling.  I don't understand taking a Land Rover, especially at top end US prices, to then turn it into a non-Land Rover.  I get the accessories, I understand a few mods and have done plenty myself, but they really ought to be in keeping with the nature of the vehicle, otherwise it just means you bought the wrong car...

Maybe it's just having too much money to burn, but in a land where everyone modifies their car hugely, and almost always in similar ways, surely the greates statement of individuality would be to keep it standard?

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