My first ever Defender 90

Thanks greyhair!

Naylz said:

Great looking Ninety, just a word of warning be wary about any item in blue packaging with britpart written on, too many people learn the lesson the hard way. Chassis looks mint, what's the rear crossmember like?

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Can you share a little more about this? Avoid everything britpart or do they have a few bits in particular that are notoriously dodgy ??

Just every part in their catalogue.

In seriousness, I suppose some of it could be ok, but you get what you pay for. Mine came with britpart mud flaps that I replaced not due to them being bad, just my own embarrassment. Was afraid people would laugh at me .....

fireball05 said:

Can you share a little more about this? Avoid everything britpart or do they have a few bits in particular that are notoriously dodgy ??

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I always weigh up the price saving vs how easy the job is. Personally I've got britpart mudflaps, but they don't say it on so I doubt anyone would know Also I've replace the light filters with britpart, as again there's not much can go wrong, and if they do melt or something it's only a quick change. Shocks I went for armstrong, as I believe they're OEM.

Other bits, there's a good chance you'd need to redo so just consider the cost saving you're making, as well as factoring in your time if all the britpart parts you fit suddenly break....(quite likely..)

reiny said:

Zeaphod, a pre-December 1987 model is known as a Ninety not a 90

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Told ya! ound:

Hmm... Defender badges, Defender doors, black bumpers, painted cappings, unusually good condition.. :scratching_chin:

blackstrat said:

Hmm... Defender badges, Defender doors, black bumpers, painted cappings, unusually good condition.. :scratching_chin:

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She's not as good as she looks. Doors are rusted through in the bottom. And the rear cross member.

She was also sat up in a barn for 3 years from 2010 to 2013.

Pictures to follow.

Blackstrat - bar the defender and land rover sticker on the front its exactly the same as my 87.

Same doors , same painted tub cappings, same black bumper....

I know mines is original as i know the one previous owner well and have every reciept back to purchase.....

top drive said:

Blackstrat - bar the defender and land rover sticker on the front its exactly the same as my 87.

Same doors , same painted tub cappings, same black bumper....

I know mines is original as i know the one previous owner well and have every reciept back to purchase.....

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Fair enough.. it's just my first Ninety was on a C reg and had galv'd cappings, flush handles and a galv'd bumper, as did the B reg one I have now.. until the previous owner (my mate) rolled it and replaced the bodywork with Defender panels and fitted a winch bumper.. I guess the later ones were as per Defender.. live & learn etc..

Looks a great base start vehicle, and yes not a defender, what actual motor foes it have? for the year should be a non turbo, which incidentally have in my 110 and has proved to be slow but absolutely fantastic! reliable and just as fast as any flash git off road.
Enjoy ya motor these are just great vehicles!

Nah the 2.5 turbo (19j)was 1986-1989 and incidently was the first land rover capible of the british 70mph speed limit....mines still did 75 before i pulled it out.... It was much happier at 55 though.

blackstrat said:

Fair enough.. it's just my first Ninety was on a C reg and had galv'd cappings, flush handles and a galv'd bumper, as did the B reg one I have now.. until the previous owner (my mate) rolled it and replaced the bodywork with Defender panels and fitted a winch bumper.. I guess the later ones were as per Defender.. live & learn etc..

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The later ones are much more like a Def. Mine has the roof with the ribs inside, the earlier years seem to have the external ribs, which I much prefer. And painted bumper and cappings, Def doors etc.

Apart from the engine, my late 90 hard top is near on identical to Martyn110s early 200 Def. hard top.

Always a bit hard to say what was original, though, after 25 or more years some later bits have often crept in

Chedgy said:

She's not as good as she looks. Doors are rusted through in the bottom. And the rear cross member.

She was also sat up in a barn for 3 years from 2010 to 2013.

Pictures to follow.

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Would be a miracle if the doors and xmember were ok on a landy that age,mate!

A lot of them have been laid up for a while in their lifetimes, did they move it occasionally?

top drive said:

are you too be carrying heavy heavy loads in your 90?

HD springs are not generally a great move for most folks.

Your spine wont like you

mines on worn stock springs and its still jarring. i went with soft soft springs in my rebuild.

so yeah in short unless your carrying heavy loads id return the HD springs and get some normal or even soft ones if your to be offroading unloaded.

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It's not a hijack, just one curious question... which springs did you use in your rebuild to be soft? Need to soften mine up and I'm leaning to red and white rrc police spec

190lb front and 200lb rears - with 2 inch lift.

stock is 175lb front 225 rears.

wanted softer rear - but wanted front to be able to cope with a winch and bumper.

Thanks for that, what's your brand? Ome by any chance?

bearmach and ****part for now. till i see how they fare. didnt want to drop big coin on good springs till im happy with set up.

Right then folks! A very productive day on the drive today!



First up, we got the old (I assume original) rock sliders out.

They were a bit stubborn to say the least!

Then on to rear suspension and here we made some great improvements 👍

Old vs the new springs


Old vs new washers


And finally that all important before and after shot haha

So thats the visual improvements so far. Got the electrics sorted a bit more. We now know the rear lights are knackered causing most of my issues.

Front suspension tomorrow and more electrical work for CB radio

Your belt looks quite long laid out like that..

We did run out of drive way so doubled it up