1986 Land Rover Defender LHD, A/C, Diesel + VHO, Clear Nevada Title

1986 Land Rover Defender Description

This 1986 Land Rover Defender is a MOD (Ministry of Defense) vehicle that was rebuilt for me in the UK by P.A. Blanchard who is the largest reseller of military equipment in the UK. The engine is a 4 cylinder 2.5 liter NA (normally aspirated / no turbo) Diesel that was rebuilt by the British Military in the early 90's. The downside of not having a turbo is less power. The upside is that there's less to break and is less picky about the grade of fuel it consumes. For those that like to get far from civilization, an NA engine is the way to go.
The rebuild by P.A. Blanchard included this:
Left Hand Drive ConversionFresh PaintNew SeatsNew WindowsNew Rubber Door and Window SurroundsExtra Fuel TankTrailer hitch setupNew tiresTire Rack (so the tire is mounted to the frame instead of the rear door)New GrillNew Headlight SurroundsNew HeadlightsNew Clear Indicators and Tail LightsNew Steel Tree Rail (black bar under door for scraping againsttrees or rocks)New Fan and BeltsNew Fuel and Oil HosesNew Fluids and Grease Throughout
I've owned this for two years and have used it to do off roading in the Pacific Northwest and parts of Nevada. This rig keeps up with silly looking lifted jeeps with giant tires and light bars when rock crawling. I was completely blown away by how well this truck crawls over crazy terrain.
VHOTo increase its range and go a bit more eco-friendly I had the crew at Green Drop Garage in Portland, Oregon add a VHO (Veggie oil) kit. With a flip of a switch you can be running on recycled vegetable oil after it's warmed up (5 min). Even if you don't care about VHO it's still great having a spare tank. You can safely put either vegetable oil or diesel or both in the spare VHO tank.
A/CAfter experiencing summer heat in Nevada with the Defender it was obvious it needed A/C. The A/C is an aftermarket kit with a custom bracket holding the compressor on the engine. The bracket is solid and lets you adjust the tension of the belt. It was professionally vacuumed and charged and has worked without issue since installation.
CURRENT CONDITIONI have done my best to get this prepped for the next adventurer. The vehicle has been cleaned as best as I can. The most common things to wear out have been replaced. This includes a new fuel injection pump, fuel riser pump, injectors, head gasket, clutch master and slave cylinders, and clutch arm (located between engine and transmission), beefy steel diff guards from Africa, a new battery, thermostat, and a freshly rebuilt head (professionally honed last week). The engine is now the smoothest I've ever seen it. There is no smoke at idle. Although, there is a bit of black smoke under load. I'm guessing this is how all Defenders are. This passed smog in Nevada when I first registered it and I assume it still would as it runs significantly better than when I first received it. All that being said it drips a small amount of oil. I've never been able to find the source.
RUSTThe only signs of rust are tiny bit on the four door bolts. Other than that there is no rust whatsoever. The frame and undercarriage were steam cleaned and coated with waxol before being exported to the US. The body panels are aluminum so there's less to rust on one of these than most vehicles.
PAINTThe exterior paint is pretty good except for the window vents which you can see in the photos. The trunk of the interior is a bit rough as you can see in the photos. The crew in London went all out on the exterior but the interior looks like they sprayed over whatever was there before. There is a small dent in the passenger door and a slight indentation on the driver's side door from pushing the door closed. I did have one run-in with a tree and had to replace the door. If you stare at it enough you can tell the passenger door paint is slightly newer than the rest of the body. I'm including two cans of custom matching single-stage automotive paint if you'd like to redo anything. The original color code for the vehicle is in the cans so it's pretty spot-on.
MISCJust a few last things. I added 12v plugs to the dash so that you can charge your phone or use an air compressor. They are always live so you don't have to run the engine to use them. The A/C fan is always live as well so you need to turn it off before leaving the vehicle unattended. The tow ball is 2" and is adjustable height. The trailer electrical hookup works with a flat or round hookup. The gauge lights are rather dim. I'm not sure if they were designed that way so that the driver wouldn't be spotted at night or what but that's how they are. The tires originally had a gray stripe that the crew in London painted black. The black paint is now starting to rub off. There is no stripe on the other side of the tire so a rotation of the tire would hide the stripe if you prefer.
DELIVERYI am happy to drive this anywhere on the West Coast or 300 miles from Las Vegas where the truck and I currently reside. For delivery further away the buyer is responsible for pickup. I would suggest usingan auto transport company. There are many reputable ones to be found online.
INSPECTIONI am happy to geek out on defender stuff and let you take a test drive. The truck and I are in Old Downtown Las Vegas and are available any time.
PRICING$22,000 is a crazy good price considering this vehicle hasleft handdrive, has already been imported, has a clear Nevada title, and has had thebugsworked out of it. Most people importing Defenders have done little other than paint to prep their vehicles for sale much less pay to get the steering installed on the left by a professional.
PAYMENT$500 immediate deposit required. Remaining balance due within 7 days. No checks or cashiers checks accepted. Only Paypal, cash, or wire transfer payments will be accepted as these are the most scam-free methods of paying for large-ticket items on eBay. I prefer wire transfer as it's the safest but leave it up to you.
HELPIf you have any questions or need clarity on anything I'm happy to help. -Ben