V8 Defender?

Is it just me or are factory V8 defenders becoming a protected species nowdays, every one I see for sale seems to be a weasel.
As an aside, did the alleged extra 20bhp output from '86 on make a any real world difference to on-road performance & did early versions still have restrictor plates in the manifold, as per the Stage One?

There was/is something about driving those 80's Factory 90 / 110's . They were not defenders. The extra hp was nice but it was the way the 8 delivered it's torque that made it fun. Can't remember for sure but I think there were no restrictor plates as the 90/110 had better brakes than the series.

Drop the ubiquitous Buick/Rover/TVR V8 into most cars and over time they become the Holy Grail of the model ranges...MG's, Jensens, Fords, Austins, Land Rovers, Range Rovers et al. Yesterday was looking at a friends crusty old 109. He also has two P38's, one in great condition, the other a spares car. Naturally, he's thinking of transferring the spare v8 engine and running gear into the 109.

As @tottot , it's the way a v8 delivers its power and torque...they're simply great engines and bring big smiles when the loud pedal is pressed. If you're into v8's it's worth taking a look at the v8forum.co.uk. Some of the v8 conversions are mind blowing...

Plus there's always Jensen International with their wild 6.2L 560bhp LS engine transplants

https://www.jensen-sales.com/the-cars/#supercharged

and their new Chieftan Range Rover with a very handy 430bhp

https://chieftainrangerover.com/the-chieftain/

The holy grail were the 90 V8 Count Station Wagons with the 4 pin rear diff.
Like most Land Rovers, they just rotted away.
Lovely engine off road, deep mud, flat-out low box 3rd, those were the days.

I'm not sure what the 20HP extra is from 86.

As far as I can recall, the V8 was always the low CR variant of the engine, as fitted to earlier V8 Range Rover's and MGB's, approx 137hbhp and something like 180'ish ft-lb of torque.

Earlier examples used Twin Stromberg carbs while I think latter models used Twin SU's, but the power output remained the same.

The V8's used the LT-85 gearbox and at least in earlier examples they also use a tall 1.2'ish :1 transfer box (not the same as a Disco, but close).

TBH the 3.5 carb is not all that torquey and is a bit strangled on twin carbs, so they don't rev very well either. They are significantly faster than a 2.5TD, but they are smooth in their power delivery. A good Tdi however due to the long gearing on the V8's would give them a real run for their money, although the V8 will run at higher speeds more easily. And the V8 is more refined.

The V8 was offered in the UK along side the Tdi's for a while, badged as a Defender. But I'm not sure when they became no longer available. Certainly not many of that age and most are earlier examples. Best thing to do with them for performance would be to fit a 3.9/4.0/4.6 EFI engine.

The one you want is a 1998 50th (well, unless it's an off road toy)... awesome colour (Atlantis Blue) 4L V8, ZF auto. It also has a/c, though that is pretty heath robinson

Or better yet a NAS as you could get those with a manual.

Or do the right thing and make your own V8 conversion, 4.0 to 4.6ltr TVR engine with correct compression, no power/speed restriction, correct power output bolted to an R380 with uprated breaks and suspension. I would love a Stage One/Series body on a Defender chassis with this great mix of period body and more modern mechanicals.

eta: didn't realise they'd reached these heady squidlet heights https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/list/28/stage+1+v8/

Thanks for all the replies guys.
To clarify, I'm not into conversions, but would consider a factory V8 110 CSW if the price was right.
I'm well familiar with the RV8 having owned four RRC's.
Prior to '86 the RV8 application in the 110 was rated at 114bhp rising to 134 until the option was discontinued in '90 with the intro. of the Defender (sorry, I should have said 110 in my post, not Defender)

norseman said:

Prior to '86 the RV8 application in the 110 was rated at 114bhp rising to 134 until the option was discontinued in '90 with the intro. of the Defender

Click to expand...

Unless swap engine from non-LR source. I have a TVR Griffith V8 in my MGB...it gives plenty of low down power and especially torque [257bhp/423Nm].

I've had a factory V8 90 (1985) and 110 (1990). They were fun and drove far nicer than any diesel but not a patch on my current 90 conversion which is a 1986 90 with a Disco 1 3.5 high comp EFI ~165bhp and a RRC ZF 4speed autobox. Plenty of torque and speed when needed.
The original 90 had it's Stromberged engine replaced by a rebuilt and gently ported 3.9 which then went into the 110; my current set up is as good as that one.