 | Home > My Defender > Keswick V8 90 Soft top |
 
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| CY88 Member Since: 05 Jan 2016 Location: Offshore Posts: 255  
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Back in 2014 I bought a 1986 Land Rover 90 from a mechanic friend of mine. Right from the start, the main appeal was that it was a V8, but it had also formerly been owned by an airport fuel depot and was therefore mechanically well looked after, plus it already had a canvas top to boot.
The main downside though was the multiple layers of paint - original blue, then yellow, then orange, topped off in a horrible brush applied pea-green coat of house paint, clearly done by a former owner in a hurry who’d managed to overpaint all the rubbers, light fixtures and fittings. These spillages had then, to a limited extent, been touched up with black gloss paint 
Here it is on the day I viewed it:  Click image to enlarge We struck a deal which included my friend replacing the two rusty bulkhead corners (the only obvious corrosion) and, much to the delight of my kids, I took possession of the car just in time for summer. Using what I had lying around in the garage, I did my best to tidy it up by bolting on a set of old Range Rover alloys, a replacement bumper and KBX grill, and a new set of shocks all round. Click image to enlarge Over the next year it dutifully took us on family outings, with artsy photos hiding the true extent of the paint fail  From an appropriate distance, all was good!
However, whilst I was able to digitally touch up the paintwork in the pictures, in real life the urge to attack the green monstrosity quickly became overwhelming. When Land Rover announced the run-out models for the Defender last year, I immediately thought the Heritage one was best, and hatched a plan to give the 90 a new lease of life, combining some elements of the new Heritage and some older NAS models. There’s a Dutch outfit called Riverhouse who do up 1980s Land rovers to export to the US, and their projects have provided some inspiration http://miniobsession.com/category/defender-2/. So over a number of months I started amassing a stash of bits in preparation for the project, including a puma bonnet from Masai, a series-style two piece door conversion from SP4x4, and classic style led lights all round. Probably the most difficult part was choosing a colour. Original blue, heritage green, black?? Eventually I settled on Keswick  More to follow!Last edited by CY88 on 22nd Jan 2016 9:48am. Edited 2 times in total |
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13th Jan 2016 7:58pm |
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| Mash Member Since: 09 Feb 2015 Location: Guernsey Posts: 1674  
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I spy a 4 digit Number plate, could it be that this is from a little island I know very well?? 90 wolf - Jasmin http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic39408.html
90 V8 - Maggie http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic42564.html 110 TD5 - Buggsy http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic59029.html 52HG25 lightweight https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic72342.html D3 Hse - Fiona Capri 2l S - Anna Think I might have a problem............ |
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13th Jan 2016 8:04pm |
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| CY88 Member Since: 05 Jan 2016 Location: Offshore Posts: 255
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Hi Mash. It's the sister Isle I'm afraid!  |
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13th Jan 2016 8:10pm |
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| Mash Member Since: 09 Feb 2015 Location: Guernsey Posts: 1674
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Yea guessed that looking at the pics, still always good to see C.I people on here
 just means I have a crapaud to abuse 90 wolf - Jasmin http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic39408.html
90 V8 - Maggie http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic42564.html 110 TD5 - Buggsy http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic59029.html 52HG25 lightweight https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic72342.html D3 Hse - Fiona Capri 2l S - Anna Think I might have a problem............ |
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13th Jan 2016 8:17pm |
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| CY88 Member Since: 05 Jan 2016 Location: Offshore Posts: 255
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^^ ha ha bring it on!
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13th Jan 2016 8:53pm |
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| CY88 Member Since: 05 Jan 2016 Location: Offshore Posts: 255
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Before sending it off I fitted a new radiator with twin kenlowe fans:
then, in June the stripping of bits began... Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge et voila... the land rover superleggera 
It was sunny on the day it was stripped. I don't have photos of the day after when I took it to the paintshop, but it poured with rain ... I got soaked. The car got soaked. It was a baptism. Last edited by CY88 on 10th Jan 2018 12:19pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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13th Jan 2016 9:04pm |
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| GREENI Member Since: 22 Aug 2010 Location: staffs Posts: 10381 
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Love this thing, as I mentioned in your first post.
( I won't mention the word 'b**ker )  but wow. |
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13th Jan 2016 9:15pm |
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| CY88 Member Since: 05 Jan 2016 Location: Offshore Posts: 255
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Now because I entrusted the bodywork to Tony and Alex, I didn't manage to keep a full record of photos. What I can say is that they were optimistic in the time and effort that would be required to remove the gloss house paint. Bearing in mind they had other jobs on the go, by September last year a combination of power blasting, paint remover and brushing had taken prepping to this stage - I think they'd have rather given this job to someone else!
Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge But by November (with a break in their workload) things were starting to take shape: Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge December and the Keswick was applied: Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge (it was me who asked them to colour the rear cross member) then things really pick up the pace Galvanised bumper, aircon slam panel, LED headlights & side lights Click image to enlarge Galvanised rear bumperettes, LED tail lights and LED number plate lamp Click image to enlarge Stainless steel fittings from YRM Metal Solutions, and galvanised dual action hinges from Purely Metal (and old hood frame back in action for now as I wanted it back in time for Christmas)
Click image to enlarge Polished stainless steel bonnet and door hinges from ox4x4 (you must know these guys, Mash?) Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Before and after comparison .... Click image to enlarge Anti-burst door handles took a little adjustment
and brunel grey accessories, including standard defender grill. Click image to enlarge Temporary wheels were beginning to spoil the look. I wanted to keep the P38 alloys I already had for now, as I liked the fact that compared to boosts they had a deeper lip, so having scratched my head lots over what tyres to get, and pored over the tyre thread on this site, I plumped for General Grabber AT2s 265/75 R16s Click image to enlarge Last edited by CY88 on 13th Jan 2016 9:43pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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13th Jan 2016 9:39pm |
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| CY88 Member Since: 05 Jan 2016 Location: Offshore Posts: 255
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Cheers GREENI! What b**ker? |
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13th Jan 2016 9:41pm |
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| GREENI Member Since: 22 Aug 2010 Location: staffs Posts: 10381
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You've built what I'm building, though mine won't turn out so shiny!! Keep the pics coming. |
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13th Jan 2016 9:45pm |
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| CY88 Member Since: 05 Jan 2016 Location: Offshore Posts: 255
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In fact it was New Year's Eve 2015 that I drove her away from the paint shop (albeit with the old seats and hood).
Massive thanks to Alex and Tony for all of their hard work, and for putting it all back together for me.... Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge And then within an hour it rained again - hard - and I discovered that the new doors leaked badly - cue lots of work on the seals. |
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13th Jan 2016 10:01pm |
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| CY88 Member Since: 05 Jan 2016 Location: Offshore Posts: 255
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And now that I'm up to date on posts, hopefully the rest of this thread can chart the remainder of the build - the various bits and pieces on the outside, the interior, and the engine
Happy New Year everyone! Last edited by CY88 on 13th Jan 2016 10:09pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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13th Jan 2016 10:07pm |
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| Peter Td4 Member Since: 23 Oct 2010 Location: Antwerp, Belgium Posts: 227  
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I love this
Peter,
Defender 110 StaWa - Td5 Defender 110 HCPU - Puma Defender 90 Soft Top - Td5 |
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13th Jan 2016 10:08pm |
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| JAY BOY Member Since: 04 May 2010 Location: Not here Posts: 1706 
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Stunning Defender i bet your proud as punch.
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13th Jan 2016 10:13pm |
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