About the Land Rover
This beautiful AA Yellow 1995 Land Rover Defender is badge number 3025 and has only 66,540 original miles. It is an excellent example of a D90 and is one of only 1190 soft top D90s sold in the North American market in 1995. It has its original 3.9 liter v8, R380 5 speed transmission and is equipped with factory AC. This vehicle has undergone a revamp at North America Overland in 2020 including a full 60,000 mile service, preventative maintenance and a bare metal repaint.

Engine
The engine runs great as would be expected of an engine with such low mileage. As part of the 60,000 mile service we have done a full tune up using genuine Land Rover parts. We have also taken some preventative measures by replacing the oil cooler lines. A new NRP high flow exhaust system was installed which is stainless steel and sounds great.

Fuel System
We have also taken preventative measures with the fuel system by installing a new fuel pump, fuel cap and fuel injectors.

Transmission and Transfer Case
The transmission and transfer case have had their oils changed, we used Redline MTL in the transmission which provides a slight improvement in shifting. The transmission shifts perfectly with no grinding in any gear and the transfer case shifts smoothly between high and low and in and out of diff lock. For preventative maintenance, we have replaced the entire clutch hydraulic system using genuine Land Rover parts.

Cooling and Heating
The radiator was showing signs of corrosion on the cooling fins so it was replaced with a new unit. The heater works great and the AC has been recharged and blows cold.

Frame
The frame is original and has matching numbers. It has absolutely no rot and only small amounts of normal surface rust here and there. The very front of the frame horns were trimmed in the past to fit a Safari Gard bumper which has since been replaced with a stock bumper. The rear crossmember and outriggers are original with no rust as is the frame near the right catalytic converter. We have installed a new heavy duty galvanized steel fuel tank skid plate.

Axles
The front and rear axles have had their oil changed. In addition, the wheel bearings were cleaned and repacked with Mobil One synthetic grease and new hub seals installed. The chrome swivel balls are in great shape with no pitting or leaks.

Steering
All tie rod ends were replaced for preventative maintenance and a steering alignment was done.

Brakes
The four piston brake calipers are prone to pistons seizing, so for preventative maintenance, all the calipers were replaced with new units from AP, the OE caliper manufacturer for Land Rover. The pads, rotors and brake hoses were also replaced.

Suspension
The suspension was revamped with genuine Land Rover springs and Bilstein shocks. The control arm bushing are still in serviceable shape and did not need to be changed.

Body
Not only did we address the D90’s mechanicals but we also made some improvement to the body. Most D90s suffer from rust forming on the floor boards between the two layers of steel where paint was not applied from the factory. We took care of this problem by cutting out the floor boards and welding in new galvanized units. We also made a repair to a large dent on the top left side of the bulkhead. Another part prone to rust on D90s are the cappings. These were not painted inside from the factory so we removed them, had them sand blasted and then painted them inside and out. The fenders, hood, grille, vent flaps, windshield frame, doors, rear tub and tailgate we all removed, stripped to bare metal and painted in AA Yellow Glasurit, which is a high quality single stage paint with good durability and a deep luster. New rust resistant door hinges were used front and rear to cure another common D90 issue: rust streaks from the hinges staining the body. After the body panels were painted they were reassembled using all new hardware, rivets, weatherstripping and rubber seals. The glossy yellow body was then accented with genuine Land Rover fender flares, headlight surrounds and grille. The windshield was also replaced at this time. The front roll cage hoop, rear step bumper and 3rd brake light bar were all repainted in semi gloss black. Finally all original badging was adhered in its proper location even including the “unleaded fuel only” sticker below the fuel filler. The original Land Rover soft top has had some small repairs but is in good shape with crystal clear windows.

Interior
Mid 90s Defenders are lacking in seating comfort so we installed some like-new Genuine Land Rover Puma seats in Mondus cloth. These have taller, more comfortable seat backs and much improved materials over the originals. Another splurge for driving comfort is the new genuine Land Rover leather wrapped steering wheel. However we did retain the utilitarian nature of the interior by installing genuine Land Rover rubber floor matting. The rear bench seat is in nearly perfect condition and has shoulder harness seat belts. Lockable storage is a must in a soft top D90 so we installed a Tuffy locking center console which also houses the new Alpine head unit. There are new Alpine speakers front and rear. The upper and lower dash is in very good condition with no unsightly modifications or extra holes drilled in it. The AC ducting did have a crack that has been repaired and the plastic dash cowl, which is known to get brittle, has been replaced. The jack, jack handle, lug wrench and wheel chocks are all present. Amazingly the D90 still has its original factory tool kit and the individual tools have not even been taken out of their factory wrapping!

Electrical
Everything electrical on the vehicle works even including the clock. The battery had been replaced with a new unit.

Tires and wheels
The tires have been replaced with five new 265 75 16 BF Goodrich KO2 tires which are the modern version of the original equipment tires and the exact same size. The tires are mounted to the original 1995 Freestyle aluminum wheels in excellent shape.

Conclusion
After we finished our work on the vehicle we completed a 150 point Defender specific inspection to make sure nothing was overlooked, a copy of this inspection is available on request. Not only does this D90 look perfect but it is also a pleasure to drive. It is a great example of a low mileage D90. All preventative maintenance has been done to ensure a pleasurable ownership experience for years to come.

Specs:

Vehicle:

• Land Rover Series Defender 90
• #3025 of only 1190 softs tops produced in 1995
• 3.9 fuel injected V8
• 5 speed manual transmission
• 66,540 miles
• Currently registered in Connecticut

Positives:

• The 1995 D90 soft top is the most desirable of the NAS D90s
• Low miles 66,540 miles
• Body stripped to bare metal and repainted AA Yellow Glasurit
• 1995 was the only year with the R380 5 speed which is an improvement over the previous LT77
• Runs and drives great!
• Excellent condition dash
• New Puma seats and Tuffy center console
• Fully serviced and ready to drive and enjoy!
• Frame is rust free, has original rear crossmember and outriggers

Engine:

• New genuine Land Rover oil cooler lines
• New genuine Land Rover belts
• New air filter
• New spark plugs
• New spark plug wires
• New Bosch coil
• Oil and filter change
• Throttle body cleaned

Fuel System:

• New fuel pump
• New fuel cap
• New fuel filter
• New injectors

Exhaust System:

• New NRP stainless steel exhaust system

Transmission and Transfer Case:

• Oil changed in transfer case
• Oil changed in transmission with Redline MTL
• Transmission shifts smooth with no synchro issues
• New genuine Land Rover clutch master cylinder
• New genuine Land Rover clutch slave cylinder
• New genuine Land Rover clutch hose

Cooling and Heating:

• New genuine Land Rover upper and lower radiator hoses
• Coolant change
• New radiator
• AC recharged
• New AC condenser fan

Frame:

• Original matching numbers frame
• Frame is rust free
• New heavy duty galvanized steel fuel tank skid plate

Axles:

• New hub seals
• Wheel bearing cleaned and repacked
• Original swivel balls in perfect shape
• Front and rear differential oil changed

Steering:

• New tie rod ends
• New steering stabilizer bushings
• Steering alignment

Brakes:

• New AP front and rear calipers
• New front and rear brake rotors
• New front and rear brake pads
• New brake hoses
• Castrol GTML brake fluid

Suspension:

• New Genuine Land Rover front and rear springs
• New Bilstein shocks
• Galvanized spring seats
• Galvanized shock towers

Body:

• New corrosion resistant front door hinges
• New corrosion resistant rear door hinges
• Stainless front door hinge hardware
• New genuine Land Rover headlamp bezels
• New genuine Land Rover grille
• New fender top grilles
• New side view mirrors
• Front roll cage repainted
• 3rd brake light bar repainted
• Tire carrier repainted
• New genuine Land Rover windshield
• New genuine Land Rover windshield gasket
• Original soft top in good shape
• New galvanized floor panels welded into bulkhead
• Cappings removed, sandblasted and painted both sides
• New genuine Land Rover fender flares
• New genuine Land Rover grille decal and V8 decals
• New Bosch wiper blades
• New front and rear door weatherstripping

Interior:

• Genuine Land Rover Puma seats in Mondus cloth
• New genuine Land Rover leather wrapped steering wheel
• New genuine Land Rover rear load bay mat
• New dash cowl
• New Rovers North door panels
• Original rear seat in excellent condition
• Original upper and lower dash in good shape
• New Tuffy locking center console
• Original jack, wheel chocks and lug wrench
• Original tool kit

Electrical:

• New battery
• New Alpine head unit
• New Alpine speakers front and rear
• New turn signal, brake, reverse and parking lights
• New license plate light

Tires and Wheels:

• Five new 265 75 16 BF Goodrich KO2 tires (the modern version of the original equipment tires)
• New valve stems
• Original 1995 Freestyle aluminum wheels in excellent shape