1990 Land Rover Defender 110 Country

Meet “Polynesia.” This awesome beast is a great addition to our Rad Rovers compound.

I purchased it in South Africa at the same time as our 1961 (green) 109 Series 2a 4-door, which was the predecessor for this Defender 110 5-door (also in our inventory).

Upon arrival to Rad Rovers, we gave it a good looking-over.

Our work list:

• First, hunt for rust… NO RUST. The arid, dry desert climate of central South Africa was very good to this rover. Big relief.
• Removed all carpeting, insulation, sublayers, headliners, and seats.
• Replaced with indoor/outdoor carpeting without insulation, so when and if you get it sandy or muddy, don’t worry — it won’t get damp and funky and smell like a wet dog.
• The seats were in great shape, so they got a bath, a paint touch-up, and 100% waterproof seat covers made specifically for these seats so they fit nice and tight.
• Both rear sliding-glass window assemblies leaked a ton, so we removed them, resealed with silicone to fill every void nicely, and re-riveted them back in.
• The wiring was a basket case. We removed the gauge cluster and went through it one wire at a time until we had the basics back and nothing exposed or dangerous.
• Replaced the key ignition switch, the indicator/headlight high-beams wand, and the emergency-lights on/off switch.
• SU carburetors fully overhauled — it’s purring like an African lion, also thanks to a huge air-intake filter.

Additions:

• 225W Cree LED spot/flood lights on the front bumper.
• Interior LEDs with loads of light.
• All 3 rear seats have brand-new seatbelts.
• USB ×2 charging station on dash — also doubles as your battery digital voltage readout, so even when the engine is off you can see where your voltage is at.
• Battery total disconnect switch for safety.
• Music: we custom installed a big amp, 2× 6″ and 2× 6×9″ speakers, and a deck with Bluetooth, voice command, call sync, ×2 USB docks, and an AUX. Sound is kickin’.
• Defender LED marker and driving-light package all the way around.
• Trailer tow-hitch receiver — 2″ sleeve, custom, with 4-prong USA-style wiring plug. Yes, it works — no, you don’t need an adapter for the English 7-prong original plug. My electrician is awesome.
• Engine received new spark plugs, plug wires, coil, cap, and rotor.
• A brake-light switch and emergency-light/hazards switch.
• We designed a neat feature on the roof, fashioned after the Land Rover Series tropical tops: when the baking sun hits your car, this panel heats up but disperses the heat, so the truck’s roof is always in the shade and kept cool. Powder-coated, all-aluminum plating.
• Front-windshield rubber gasket replaced new.
• Three or four custom ceiling panels made out of aluminum, all covered with carpet, to make everything look really tidy, clean, and smart.
• Tires: rims all sandblasted and powder-coated. Tires are the biggest you can get for these rims at 265/70-16 General Grabber AT2.

The Land Rover V8 petrol can do any job. This body style is most sought-after for its versatility and functionality. It is right-hand drive, but I see no difference in driveability on or off the road.

The plan to wrap her body — as a Polynesian tribe might do to their own body in tattoos, in only black and white — was, I think, the greatest touch. We used a vinyl wrap print of authentic Polynesian tribal art to tell a story of lineage exactly how one would do it in the islands of the south seas.

Of course, we will do anything you like. We can present a multitude of artistic and innovative creations to make your ride your ride. If this body wrap isn’t to your interest, don’t worry — it’s just a sticker. We will take it off and set you up with any color and style you like. The great thing about vinyl-wrap body art is, you can always take it off and give it a different look altogether if you tire of it.

And the great thing about these iconic Land Rovers is that you can mix and match parts until you have the look and ride that fits you. We present to you a finished, functioning product — but we can still go further.

UPDATE — “Polynesia” just got some upgrades. There have been a few nice additions:

• An aftermarket heater installed — just awesome amounts of blasting heat in the front and back of the truck. All parts supplied by Summit Racing. (If you know about the Land Rover heaters from the factory, they were totally rubbish — even Land Rover says so, lol.)
• The body wrap was also “finished” — we should have, but didn’t until now, added the wrap to the top section above the back door on the roof.
• LED headlights.
• Both clutch cylinders replaced.
• Rebuilt the steering pump and made a better mounting bracket for accessibility.
• Brand-new clutch throw-out bearing.
• Emergency / handbrake totally overhauled with new shoes and lip seals.
• Transfer-case spider gear replaced with all brand-new gears and shims.
• Forward pinion lip seal brand new.
• All engine and transmission chassis rubber mounts brand new.
• All transmission gaskets new.
• Rear axle ball-joint top link brand new.
• New speedo cable.