After a 2 year search, I found the Land Rover I always wanted, however a unique business opportunity I want to take advantage has me selling a few things I wish I didn't have to. Due to time sensitivity of this opportunity, my reserve is set very low for this truck.
If you know Land Rovers, you know what the Stage 1 is. If not, I will list why many believe this to be the best Land Rover ever made.
All Series 1, 2, 2a and 3 trucks are fantastic vehicles. While they differ slightly in lots of areas, the one common issue is lack of power. Many people would love to drive their Series trucks as daily drivers, but can't due to this problem. They go anywhere - slowly, and are the ultimate 4X4 iconic vehicles everyone loves and wishes they had, but they just aren't practical. But at the end of the Series life, as a test lab for the upcoming Defender, Land Rover put the Range Rover drive train in the Series Land Rover. It consisted of full time 4WD, the most robust transmission Land Rover ever built - the 4 speed LT95, and the Land Rover V8 engine. It was the best of all worlds. Legendary Land Rover simplicity and reliability, yet with power and a drive train from the luxury Range Rover.
Horse power in the most powerful 4 cylinder Land Rovers was approximately 70HP. The Stage 1 V8 had massive torque and was de-tuned because it had too much power. De-tuning consisted of restrictor plates in the carburetors, which were easily removed, and the Stage 1 then produced approximately 140HP.
While many people think old Land Rovers are rare, they are not. Many were imported to the US. This makes parts plentiful. But the Stage 1 was never imported to the US, making them extraordinarily unique. It is estimated that there are approximately 30-50 of these trucks in the US with most having had very hard lives as they were built to work. Also, most were made in the 109 3 door version since they were powerful work trucks, so the more desirable 5 door station wagons with a factory V8 in the US are perhaps the rarest of all Land Rovers.
Despite this trucks rarity, body components are all standard Series 3 Land Rover. Engine and drive train parts are primarily Range Rover and both of those vehicles were produced in large quantities, making parts availability very feasible. There are a few unique items to the Stage 1, like the bonnet, but that is the same as the Defender.
This particular vehicle is a 1983. After searching for 2 years for a Stage 1 (3 or 5 door) I found this one. I bought it in Utah and flew there so I could drive it home to Southern California. Used to my 4 cyl 3 door Land Rover, I could not believe the difference. 75mph is no problem and the gas pedal is barely depressed. The truck had not been abused, but it had many little issues. I'm a perfectionist which is a problem with Land Rovers as they are always wanting to be tinkered with. But I chipped away at many little things and adjusted, lubricated, repaired, cleaned and refreshed many, many things. It made the 800 mile trip home, but it is in far better shape now.
Overall condition is good, but it is not a show car. It is very presentable, yet has enough patina to look like it's been places. No major dents or accidents ever, but lots of little scratches and scrapes on one paint job over the original paint. It was a cheap paint job I'm sure, and it's many years old, but it looks appropriately weathered for an old Land Rover. The interior is nice, but not perfect either. It has the "County" trim with black and grey tweed. The previous owner put leather Discovery seats in the front, and being a purist I thought they would be the first to go. I grew to like them and while the original seats were included, I never changed them. It has the "Safari" roof with alpine windows, 4 vents and the extra aluminum skin. It does have a sunroof, which appears to have been dealer installed. I don't believe Land Rover ever offered these, but I've seen other Stage 1 trucks with the identical item. Perhaps a popular option at the time. Chassis is good and does not require any attention at this time, but like most Land Rovers, the outriggers rust and this will need attention some day.
If I were keeping the truck, I would do two things. I would either rebuild or replace the carburetors. These have twin SU carburetors which are fantastic for off road and extreme angles, yet they aren't the best for mileage and require balancing etc. Many people opt for the single Holley carburetor to get away from twins as well as increase fuel mileage. Personally, I like OEM original, so I'd keep the SU twins and rebuild them. Most owners opt for the Holley. The second thing I would do is change the leaf springs to Parabolic springs. This is another debated subject on Land Rovers and to each their own. I like Parabolics as they ride better to me, but some disagree. Neither of these must be done, but I would certainly do them for an overall smoother vehicle. I'm 51 and I like smooth.
Other misc. things I can think of:
1. Another unique aspect to the Stage 1 is turning radius. Series trucks do not have the best turning radius and I was pleasantly surprised how much tighter it is with the Range Rover set up.
2. I've read that some folks have had troubles with the Diff Lock working properly. This one works perfectly.
3. All Land Rovers leak oil. I've had 4 of them. This either does not leak or it leaks very little. Less than any Rover I've ever had.
4. All fluids in Trans, transfer case, diffs, engine, etc. have just been changed in the last 30 days.
5. On my drive home from Utah, it burned zero oil. I was amazed.
6. Truck is RIGHT hand drive. The VIN indicates Stage 1, V8, LT95 4speed, 5 door wagon, 109, but LEFT hand drive. Puzzled by this, I crawled underneath and looked around. Sure enough, someone at some point flipped it from LHD to RHD. They are made to be set up either way, but this was changed and could be changed back without issue if so desired. I've learned to really enjoy the RHD, so for me, I love it. Lots of "thumbs ups" from other motorists.
7. Truck came with a Defender grille set up. I prefer original everything, so I sourced a Stage 1 grille and installed it. Truck comes with either grille but not both. It takes about 3 minutes to swap them out and I'm showing photos with both versions. Your choice.
8. Bonnet is set up to accommodate a spare tire. Currently spare is mounted on the rear door. For fun I took some photos with a spare from another vehicle on the bonnet. Truck will come with one spare, not two as shown in a few photos.
I love this truck and wish I were keeping it. With that said, I'm happy to help the new owner with advice, parts sources, opinions, etc. This is a unique vehicle which deserves a good home. Without neglect, it will do nothing but appreciate, so it deserves to be taken care of. Defenders are nice trucks, but they are expensive and they're everywhere. Series trucks are nice, but they are underpowered. This is the best of all with the classic looks, split windscreen, lack of fender flares, yet the benefit of power. With the V8 you can even run an air conditioner if you desired. True old school safari looks, with enough comfort to be usable every day.
I would not hesitate driving this truck to Florida tomorrow. The ride would be nicer with the two items I suggested above, but single or twin carbs and standard or parabolic springs are individual choices the new owner can make if they so desire. I've priced this truck with those suggested improvements in mind.
International buyers can expect my assistance in delivering the truck to the Port of Long Beach if necessary.
Good luck and enjoy.
Note: VIN is not recognized by ebay but is SALLBCMV2AA101794
Truck is a 1983 model but I had to put 1980 in the ebay form or it kicked it out because it does not recognize the VIN.
Truck is a 1983 and VIN on the frame matches VIN on the engine bay tag, which matches VIN on the title. After fussing with the ad, my wife suggested putting 1980 and it accepted the ad as a 1980 Defender. This is not the Defender, it is the Series III Stage 1 V8.
Land Rover Defender for Sale
Auto Services in California
Auto Repair & Service
Address: 15 Auburn Ave, Baldwin-Park
Phone: (626) 355-2553
Auto Repair & Service
Address: 611 Galaxy Way, Salida
Phone: (209) 661-1017
Auto Repair & Service, Windshield Repair, Windows
Address: 7500 Folsom Blvd, Gold-River
Phone: (916) 381-8144
Automobile Body Repairing & Painting
Address: 709 N Gramercy Pl, Commerce
Phone: (323) 465-2100
Auto Repair & Service, Door & Window Screens, Window Tinting
Address: Dulzura
Phone: (760) 471-8939
Auto Repair & Service, Windshield Repair, Glass-Auto, Plate, Window, Etc
Address: 9157 W Sunset Blvd, Century-City
Phone: (323) 332-6015
Auto blog
Sat, Jun 29 2019
BMW isn't the only automobile company getting involved in Pride Week, as Jaguar Land Rover announced it also has cars that will participate. And yes, they're convertibles with rainbow stripes. On Sunday, June 30, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will participate in the NYC Pride March with several themed vehicles and employees walking next to them. JLR chose two of its most intriguing vehicles in the Jaguar F-Type SVR convertible and the Range Rover Evoque Convertible. Jaguar unveiled two different F-Type SVRs, one in a gorgeous blue and the other in white. Both cars have the same detailing, though, including rainbow stripes on the the sides, rear bumpers, and hoods. The F-Types also have rainbow stripes across the tops of their windshields, and "JAG YOU ARE" decals across the windshields and rear bumpers. The silver Evoque is only slightly different. It, too, has rainbow stripes across its doors, rear bumper, and windshield. Rather than a "JAG YOU ARE" decal, however, "EVOQUE" is spread across the front bumper in rainbow lettering. You can check out these unique models at the Pride parade in NYC.
Sun, 17 Aug 2014
It's only been a couple of months since Jaguar Land Rover announced the formation of its new Special Operations division, and we've already seen a number of vehicles to come out of it. But now the British automaker has announced a new facility that will house its elite skunkworks department.
Set to be built at Prologis Park in Ryton, England, on the outskirts of Coventry, the new Special Vehicle Operations Technical Centre will encompass dedicated production lines, F1-style flexible workshops, a dedicated paint studio and VIP suite for commissioning bespoke projects. JLR will spend some $33 million on the facility that will be home to 150 specialists - 100 of them being new hires.
The first project which the Special Operations division is working on is the F-Type Project 7, but we've already seen more projects in the pipeline - including the upcoming Range Rover Sport SVR - and you can bet there'll be more. The revival of the Lightweight E-Type also falls under Special Operations, but is undertaken by the Jaguar Heritage department located nearby at Browns Lane.
Fri, Sep 23 2022
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Byron Hurd. With the Detroit Auto Show now in the rearview, focus shifts to news that crept up outside of the North American spotlight. The two talk about the new Ferrari Purosangue SUV, then pivot to a discussion about the future of the Dodge Charger and Challenger based on rumors of a new assembly facility. Next, they discuss what they've been driving recently. Byron leads off with anecdotes from his trip to Spain to drive the 2023 Range Rover Sport and his weekend with the VW GTI SE. Next, Greg talks about the ups and downs of the BMW X3 M Competition and Mercedes-Benz GLE450 Coupe. After that, they spend your money; this week's is a whopper.  Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #748 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Ferrari Purosangue SUV revealed: V12 power, big price tag, surprisingly pretty Dodge Charger/Challenger production moving to Windsor? Cars we're driving 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport 2022 Volkswagen GTI SE 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 2022 BMW X3 M Competition Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Ferrari Purosangue revealed
Land rover defender diesel 110 1986 8-seater-price includes shipping
Land rover defender d 90 station wagon #307/500 1995 #307/500
1978 land rover series iii defender
Land rover: defender 90
1984 land rover defender 90 rebuild
1994 land rover defender 90