100” Defender

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
A

abbrev8

Member
Posts
16
Location
West Midlands
For a long time I’ve wanted to build a defender on a 100” chassis. I think the RRC would be the easiest to obtain.
Is there a detailed description of the mods that need to be undertaken. I’m surprised that somebody hasent put together some sort of guide.
 
abbrev8 said:
For a long time I’ve wanted to build a defender on a 100” chassis. I think the RRC would be the easiest to obtain.
Is there a detailed description of the mods that need to be undertaken. I’m surprised that somebody hasn't put together some sort of guide.
Click to expand...

If you go on YouTube and watch a 4X4 is born, that Mark fella pretty much lays it out for you.

It's really quite easy but requires a lot of skill in welding and measuring to get it right.

The hardest part will be finding bulkheads and rear tubs that aren't rotted out or had more hits that Elvis!

Rotten old D1 is a good option for a chassis as still plentiful an RRCs are getting more expensive.
 
It's a dark art....
Cut down a 110 chassis as all mounts are there in the correct place
(Cut to be done behind gearbox mounts ;))
Then you have the body work to sort from doors back. & a roof.
This is achievable and the motor if done right will look standard.

Too much work on a range chassis as you have to chop bulkhead riggers off etc and put rear cross member in,
Good luck
 
RRC and Disco 1 chassis are the way forward, Disco will probably be the cheapest at the moment!

If you work out where the bulkhead outriggers need to be first, I.e the wings etc are correct in relation to from of chassis (front chassis rails have to be modded to fit defender bumper and slam panel), then once you have bulkhead in the right place work backwards. Usually use a cut down 109 or 110 tub. And outriggers and rear x member to suit!

I started doing exactly this, but then decided to cut the chassis (RRC) down to an 87" wheel base ( wheels in exact middle of 88" arches for a coiler), fitted bulkhead and front tub outriggers, fitted rear x member on cut down rear of chassis....then realised about all the iva and q plate palavour!!

Decided to stick with my 88" series 3 and get a galv chassis for it, but that's another story......:)

Good luck with it, but I would say in this day and age you'd be better off getting a 110 and modding it to exactly your specs...much more hassle free, better weelbase for towing, and modded right, exceptionally good off road, especially at speed!

Make sure you make your mind up before you start, as its a time consuming endeavour, especially if you have second thoughts half way through!! :)
 
Last edited:
Hicap phill said:
It's a dark art....
Cut down a 110 chassis as all mounts are there in the correct place
(Cut to be done behind gearbox mounts ;))
Then you have the body work to sort from doors back. & a roof.
This is achievable and the motor if done right will look standard.

Too much work on a range chassis as you have to chop bulkhead riggers off etc and put rear cross member in,
Good luck
Click to expand...
Suspect most people who have done this have done it because an RRC or D1 is cheaper to buy than a Defender. Starting with a 110 is probably an expensive way of doing this.

And chopping the chassis may have other implications to just putting a new body on. Ie a RRC or D1 could probably retain its ID and number plate a chopped 110 probably wouldn’t.
 
abbrev8 said:
For a long time I’ve wanted to build a defender on a 100” chassis. I think the RRC would be the easiest to obtain.
Is there a detailed description of the mods that need to be undertaken. I’m surprised that somebody hasent put together some sort of guide.
Click to expand...

There are guides and as mentioned there was a TV Series where this was done.

The main issue is there is no single formula for doing this and there are many different ways of making a 100” Defender. Depending on what you want it to look like, body config, intended use and origin Vehcile. As well as what engine and gearbox you wish to use.

These days a D1 is probably easier than an RRC to buy for doing this. And the chassis is virtually identical.

Although it has to be said that using a D2 as a base Vehcile has potential if you want factory TCS and ACE. Two technological advances that improve off and on road performance.

Depending on your goals you may find it easier and cheaper to make a pick up Disco or a Bobtailed one. Or a bobtailed pickup. It won’t look like a Defender, but would still be pretty cool.

And there are services such as Whitbread and similar where they can make a space frame roll cage and make it look like a Land Rover. Think similar to Bowler.

http://www.whitbread-offroad.co.uk/
 
Last edited:
If you have a RRC you can rebody
But this needs to be checked after and body type changing on V5.
Used to be easy. Unsure what this involves as last 1 I done was 20 years ago.
It's the alteration of the chassis DVLA don't like.
That's why I would be wary of hybrids on Ebay.

Why not tray back a disco 1?

Good luck with the build.
 
Gottschalk said:
RRC and Disco 1 chassis are the way forward, Disco will probably be the cheapest at the moment!

If you work out where the bulkhead outriggers need to be first, I.e the wings etc are correct in relation to from of chassis (front chassis rails have to be modded to fit defender bumper and slam panel), then once you have bulkhead in the right place work backwards. Usually use a cut down 109 or 110 tub. And outriggers and rear x member to suit!

I started doing exactly this, but then decided to cut the chassis (RRC) down to an 87" wheel base ( wheels in exact middle of 88" arches for a coiler), fitted bulkhead and front tub outriggers, fitted rear x member on cut down rear of chassis....then realised about all the iva and q plate palavour!!

Decided to stick with my 88" series 3 and get a galv chassis for it, but that's another story......:)

Latest IVA guides say that vehicles over 10yrs are exempt. These papers are always open to interpretation so I’ll be contacting them to be sure of requirements before I make my mind up.
Click to expand...
 
300bhp/ton said:
There are guides and as mentioned there was a TV Series where this was done.

The main issue is there is no single formula for doing this and there are many different ways of making a 100” Defender. Depending on what you want it to look like, body config, intended use and origin Vehcile. As well as what engine and gearbox you wish to use.

These days a D1 is probably easier than an RRC to buy for doing this. And the chassis is virtually identical.

Although it has to be said that using a D2 as a base Vehcile has potential if you want factory TCS and ACE. Two technological advances that improve off and on road performance.

Depending on your goals you may find it easier and cheaper to make a pick up Disco or a Bobtailed one. Or a bobtailed pickup. It won’t look like a Defender, but would still be pretty cool.

And there are services such as Whitbread and similar where they can make a space frame too cage and make it look like a Land Rover.

http://www.whitbread-offroad.co.uk/
Click to expand...
I have a v8 I intend to use. Will they drop straight into a d1?
 
This is very strange. I was thinking about this on the way to work this morning!

I was thinking D2 chassis & axles with a king cab body, kinda like the Bowler Bulldog.

Following with much interest!
 
Hicap phill said:
Cut down a 110 chassis
Click to expand...

:eek::eek::eek:

Besides, it will probably be cheaper in the future to build Tratters outta D1&2s with the availability of bulkheads etc Vs buying a decent one.

300bhp/ton said:
Although it has to be said that using a D2 as a base Vehcile has potential if you want factory TCS and ACE. Two technological advances that improve off and on road performance.

Depending on your goals you may find it easier and cheaper to make a pick up Disco or a Bobtailed one. Or a bobtailed pickup. It won’t look like a Defender, but would still be pretty cool.
Click to expand...

Great approach there with a high spec D2 as chassis donor and I actually lean towards the pick up conversion, if anything I would want to stretch the D2 chassis by 15" to enable a decent bed behind a double cab, something LR missed the boat on big style!

abbrev8 said:
I have a v8 I intend to use. Will they drop straight into a d1?
Click to expand...

Yes.

abbrev8 said:
4.6 so it’s a later one. That’s very much a work in progress. It’s easy to be ambitious but then you dial it back as the costs spiral.
Click to expand...

The four limiting factors of any project, time, money, imagination and skills, you will never have enough of any of them when you need them.
 
abbrev8 said:
I have a v8 I intend to use. Will they drop straight into a d1?
Click to expand...
Disco 1 was sold with the 3.5 and 3.9 V8’s in both auto and manual gearboxes.

A D1 especially the 200 Series are very much Range Rovers with a few different panels and interior. The biggest difference is a Disco uses the Lt230 transfer box (same as a Defender) albeit with the long bellhousing and different top plate on the gearbox. Range Rovers depending on year use the Borg Warner chain driven transfer box which was unique to Range Rovers only.

So yes a 4.6 is perfectly usable. What is your intended use and how much work are you wanting to do yourself.

If given the choice I’d probably go for a V8 manual D2 with ACE as my base vehicle. Swap in the 4.6 and add a centre diff lock if it didn’t have one (some D2’s some don’t). The. I’d strip the body down to a rolling chassis and take it to Whitbread and get them to fit a space frame roll cage and clad it and get it running. You’d need to check, but as this is a body change only (in essence the same as making a pickup a hard top type of thing) you shouldn’t need any sort of IVA/SVA.

At this stage it should be driveable. But will have no windscreen and be completely open. I’d then look at making it more habitable for road use. You’d end up with an almost Series one styling on a 100” platform with a Defender looking front end.

Tomcat motorsport and others can offer similar services.
 
why would you want to do this in first place ? Whats wrong with a 90 or a 110 ? Why 100 ? Am i missing something ?
 
windy81 said:
why would you want to do this in first place ? Whats wrong with a 90 or a 110 ? Why 100 ? Am i missing something ?
Click to expand...

To Quote Mark Evans...
'In the late 1970s, Land Rover built 15 very special vehicles for the Swiss Army. They were a hybrid of other vehicles being built or developed by Land Rover at the time, like the early Range Rover and the embryonic 110. They were called the 100 inch Land Rovers and they remain some of the rarest Land Rovers ever made. I am only aware of three that have survived.'

They were also pretty good!
 
300bhp/ton said:
Disco 1 was sold with the 3.5 and 3.9 V8’s in both auto and manual gearboxes.

A D1 especially the 200 Series are very much Range Rovers with a few different panels and interior. The biggest difference is a Disco uses the Lt230 transfer box (same as a Defender) albeit with the long bellhousing and different top plate on the gearbox. Range Rovers depending on year use the Borg Warner chain driven transfer box which was unique to Range Rovers only.

So yes a 4.6 is perfectly usable. What is your intended use and how much work are you wanting to do yourself.

If given the choice I’d probably go for a V8 manual D2 with ACE as my base vehicle. Swap in the 4.6 and add a centre diff lock if it didn’t have one (some D2’s some don’t). The. I’d strip the body down to a rolling chassis and take it to Whitbread and get them to fit a space frame roll cage and clad it and get it running. You’d need to check, but as this is a body change only (in essence the same as making a pickup a hard top type of thing) you shouldn’t need any sort of IVA/SVA.

At this stage it should be driveable. But will have no windscreen and be completely open. I’d then look at making it more habitable for road use. You’d end up with an almost Series one styling on a 100” platform with a Defender looking front end.

Tomcat motorsport and others can offer similar services.
Click to expand...

I'd like to say that 'when' its finished I will have something like a Dakar machine. But when were being serious I will end up with a high powered road/ off road vehicle. I'm not expecting it to climb quarries but Want something that's going to have zero trouble in sand/mud etc.
 
windy81 said:
why would you want to do this in first place ? Whats wrong with a 90 or a 110 ? Why 100 ? Am i missing something ?
Click to expand...
In past times it was done as it was cheaper than buying a 90. Also 100” tends to work very well off road. So much so that the ALRC banned them from competition as they would typically out perform a 90 off road and get a shunt.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Glow Plug Issues, some advice needed please
Replies
3
Views
689
Tommo1111
T
ryan_1993
The best 300 tdi coolant
Replies
9
Views
486
Anaconda
A
Big Walt
Defender 110 M57
Replies
12
Views
3K
KidYates
K
200tdi Land Rover 90
Defender TD5 2003 idle problems!
Replies
5
Views
496
Anaconda
A
R
Dating evidence
Replies
4
Views
1K
yfo866
yfo866
Back
Top