$100,000.00 defender..who buys them?

supertreeman

Well-known member
Im seeing more and more of these $100k plus defenders for sale lately. Do people actually buy them? Some of them are so poorly done its laughable. Im not talking about rare NAS 110's either. Seems like the business model is to source a ROW 90 or 110, add a suspension lift, wheels, and a paint job...then wrap as much of the interior as you can with leather and BAM $100k plus truck.
 

leastonce

Well-known member
Callsign: w2eng
i understand the ultra low mileage red ST that sold for north of $200k with 80 miles is some LA celeb kids play thing ....
 

supertreeman

Well-known member
Theres a local guy that “builds” these expensive trucks. I went to his lot because someone told me there were a bunch of defenders there. I should go take some pics. Rear of the shop has some of the crustiest POS trucks I’ve ever seen that they use as the base for the builds. Went into the shop space were they were working on a few trucks and it’s was as if they had a deal with bondo. Such crappy body work. Then asked the tech about an engine and he told me that they don’t touch any mechanicals. Literally body and interior only. What a scam..

Id like to start a business where trucks are imported , mechanicals are sorted to make reliable trucks with the patina of the age. Then sold at reasonable prices. Wonder how that would fly?
 

rocky

NAS-ROW Addict
From what little I've seen, its Wall Street Money, High Tech money. I've also seen people who have dropped $250k on a truck only to be bored by it a year or two down the road when the build is finished. So it gets flipped before it ever turns a wheel in their driveway.
 

Red90

Well-known member
People with lots of money. They have lots of cars and aren't driving them. They just want them to look pretty.

You won't make any money just doing up the mechanicals.
 

FlyersFan76

Well-known member
Theres a local guy that “builds” these expensive trucks. I went to his lot because someone told me there were a bunch of defenders there. I should go take some pics. Rear of the shop has some of the crustiest POS trucks I’ve ever seen that they use as the base for the builds. Went into the shop space were they were working on a few trucks and it’s was as if they had a deal with bondo. Such crappy body work. Then asked the tech about an engine and he told me that they don’t touch any mechanicals. Literally body and interior only. What a scam..

Id like to start a business where trucks are imported , mechanicals are sorted to make reliable trucks with the patina of the age. Then sold at reasonable prices. Wonder how that would fly?

The place in Conshohocken? I thought he just imported completed trucks.


If I had the space and time it would be a fun business for sure.
 

supertreeman

Well-known member
Yep. Selden Motors. He had an import from “the landrovers” a while ago but for the most part they’re slapping paint and interior on rust buckets sand adding a hefty price tag. His mechanic actually laughed when I asked about the mechanicals..
 

WreckITFrank

Technical Excellence Contributor
Go to Neil's (RedDoorOffroad)and look at some real nice honest trucks. Saw an LS swap in an amazing 110 there the other week, which should have fetched good money but i dont what the total spend was aside from the engine. If you want to see some legit 100K trucks, stop up to Summit, NJ and see Rolf's showroom and lot. Nothing clearly in my range, but some really great trucks there.

Either of you get to Palita's in Kennett Square? They usually have a lot full of trucks too, but no nothing about the operation.
 

BarryO

Well-known member
From what little I've seen, its Wall Street Money, High Tech money. I've also seen people who have dropped $250k on a truck only to be bored by it a year or two down the road when the build is finished. So it gets flipped before it ever turns a wheel in their driveway.

I think for these type of beauty-is-skin-deep rigs it's mostly Entertainment Industry money (film, music, sports). As long as it's trendy and looks good for a while when they hit the hot spots. In their crowd, it's all about fashion, whether it be clothing or anything else they have. Fashion is the ultimate in unsustainability - throw-away goods that are intended to be used for a short time, and then discarded when they are no longer considered fashionable by the In Crowd. Why bother putting in the effort and funds for long-term reliability when their customer base wouldn't care?
 
Last edited:

galen216

Well-known member
Go to Neil's (RedDoorOffroad)and look at some real nice honest trucks. Saw an LS swap in an amazing 110 there the other week, which should have fetched good money but i dont what the total spend was aside from the engine. If you want to see some legit 100K trucks, stop up to Summit, NJ and see Rolf's showroom and lot. Nothing clearly in my range, but some really great trucks there.

Either of you get to Palita's in Kennett Square? They usually have a lot full of trucks too, but no nothing about the operation.

And yet Neil never charged $100k for his imports. I don't know what he's asking for the new trucks, that may be a different story.
 

FlyersFan76

Well-known member
Yep. Selden Motors. He had an import from “the landrovers” a while ago but for the most part they’re slapping paint and interior on rust buckets sand adding a hefty price tag. His mechanic actually laughed when I asked about the mechanicals..

Yeah I noticed The Land Rovers connection. Saw the same truck on both sites years back. Was never in the area or had enough time to stop in when they were open. Just saw that they recently moved to Willow Grove.
 

WreckITFrank

Technical Excellence Contributor
And yet Neil never charged $100k for his imports. I don't know what he's asking for the new trucks, that may be a different story.

Most that I've asked about (recently) are in the 20's and maybe $30's. He is doing some LS stuff these days and I have no idea what that charges, either way he is beyond reasonable and is great to chat with.
 
Top