FS: 1988 LHD 110 300Tdi R380

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
If you have kids, you probably know that one day they will move out. And once that day gets more real and close at hand, you just hope it's not because of anger or a breakdown of the relationship, but because you are sending them off to college, or handing them over to their new family in marriage. With this 110, I'm doing the latter.

For many small reasons, I've decided it is time to hand off the patronage of this Rover to someone else. Since doing the engine swap, then getting the wrinkles ironed out, it has been my daily driver for 20k miles without any issues. This is not perfect. It is not restored; it is refurbished. Almost all of the work was done by me, for me. So maybe no one else will get it, but I tried to update it without overdoing it, adding too much weight, or in a way that was difficult to reverse.

Asking $40,000, and will certainly entertain offers.

"Features"
  1. Original LHD (Saudi Spec with 3.5 V8 and AC dash that was later copied for the NAS 110)
  2. Many records going back at least to 1990. Including work shown done in Greece, Turkey, UK, Germany, Russia, and maybe some other countries. One previous owner has been in contact, he is curator of Middle East Studies at the British Museum in London. He drove this truck across Europe three times in order to participate in digs in Iraq and Turkey.
  3. Galvanized frame. Not perfect, but no rust. The rear crossmember is not an add-on, it is also galvanized, just painted.
  4. The 300Tdi runs well. I regularly take it over the 4500 foot passes at 50 mph while loaded. It easily does 60. Will cruise at 65. Gets all angry when you ask it to go 70.
  5. The 5 speed box is quiet, but it does buzz you going into 2nd. I don't think it has gotten any worse in 20k miles.
  6. Transfer case shifts and locks like new.
  7. All other running gear is in good working order, but aged.
  8. Brakes work well. I have almost all the parts needed to do the rear disc swap. Easy upgrade.

20k miles on the following:
  1. 300Tdi from Disco, R380 swapped in.
  2. Bulkhead was acid dipped, then primed with urethane, the interior sprayed with Waxoil and CorrosionX, then finished with Advantage and Nason paint products to "match" the rest of the vehicle. The paint is what I call "Throw Away Blue". I believe Briggs called it "Respray Blue". Original color was Shire Blue. The current color was put on while in the UK in the early 2000s.
  3. The dash has been refurbished with parts that have as few blemishes as I could find.
  4. New VDO speedo, EGT, oil pressure, tach, fuel, volts, and water temp. I regularly cross-reference the water temp gauge with IR probing at the water pump and sender point, it shows only 3-4 degrees difference.
  5. I'm running a cheap electric fan that I thought would be an experiment just to see if it worked. But the engine runs very cool, and I rarely have to use it.
  6. The vents are a hybrid -- standard Defender style on engine side of bulkhead, AC dash style on inside. There is no AC. My estimates were that to rebuild the AC unit in this vehicle, I would have spent $3000-$6000, and some of the parts are unavailable. The heat is weak because the engine runs so cool. Vents and fan are mainly to keep windshield clear and provide fresh air to cabin, but it will not warm or cool you! My next upgrade was going to be a diesel heater like you see in campers or Mercedes GWagens.
  7. The seatbox was refurbished with LineX type paint.
  8. Front seats are near perfect. Rears are the stupid bench seats that are only good for young kids.
  9. Interior Safety Devices roll cage
  10. Refurbished alternator.
  11. I built my own glow plug circuit that is activated by the driver with a Carling momentary switch.
  12. Single battery with refurbished wiring with selector switch for OFF, ON, ON+Winch.
  13. Aux fuse panel for lights and stuff and USB power.
  14. Medium duty front winch bumper from Rovers North.
  15. 9000lbs Smittybuilt winch with rope.
  16. Other things I can't think of.

Since then:
  1. I've refurbished much of the passenger area back so that it has Home Depot carpeting.
  2. Gas strut rear door.
  3. Mantec spare carrier swings out with the rear door.
  4. Lots of sound deadening.
  5. Tie downs.
  6. Light weight, easy to remove camp bed and shelving.
  7. Some new door seals.
  8. New fuel tank, sender, and electric lift pump.
  9. Refurbished the sliding rear windows. Nothing fancy, but they actually work correctly.
  10. New standard starter about 16,000 miles ago.
  11. Stock Garrett turbo was put in about 16,000 miles ago.
  12. Full set of BFG MT KO2 with about 10k miles on them.
  13. Other things.

The bad:
  1. The paint is OK. But the bottoms of the doors show corrosion typical of these.
  2. None of the doors are perfect. Some I'm just waiting for to fail.
  3. Rear door is a miracle. It opens and closes perfectly, but I honestly don't know how. I have a very good replacement ready to go when it finally dies.
  4. Engine and fuel pump should probably be tuned
  5. Marks on some of the trim panels and doors.
  6. One of the rear cargo portal window trim pieces was cut by previous owner to accommodate some cargo boxes that were built in.
  7. Typical Defender water leaks, but not as many as some.
  8. Typical Defender oil leaks here and there. No puddles, but a drip or two when you actually get it warm.

The only thing I've done to the engine is that I timed it at 1.60 and turned up the fueling a fraction. I had been waiting for a chance to put the truck into the garage for a few weeks so I could pull the pump and have it rebuilt to factory specs, but never got the chance. I drive the vehicle every day (well, before COVID) and there isn't any reason why the new owner couldn't do so as well. However, if I were to buy it as it is now, I'd probably drop some cash on boosting engine performance with the typical upgrades you see people do.

If you frequent this site, you know how much help I've gotten from the experts in putting this truck together, and you can see the record of all that has happened. This is not a pretty truck. I always meant it to be a moderate off-roader and daily driver. Much better than a lot of them out there, not nearly as well equipped as others, and definately not an Arkonik polished #*@!.

Please don't buy it and hand it to someone to pull it apart and paint it pretty. Buy it to use it! I made the mistake of trying too hard to work on it before using it, and I missed out on a lot of time I could have had adventuring in this truck with my son while he was still young enough to pack in and go. Buy this truck and use it now!

I'll post more pics if people are interested. These were taken last week.

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LostChord

Well-known member
One of the best for-sale postings I've seen for a Defender. Great, honest write-up on a great, honest truck. Understandably, life takes twist and turns and it comes time to move on. Enjoyed living vicariously through, and at times with, you as you put all of your work into this Land Rover.

GLWTS, and hope you stick around!
 

broncoduecer

Technical Excellence Contributor
Excellent write up for sure! There are a number of people who know exactly what it takes to do that much work on your own. It’s not something everyone will understand but you have a good crowd behind you knowing what it took to get where you are. You’ve done a heck of a job sticking with it and getting it all sorted out. GLWTS!
 

Tbaumer

Technical Excellence Contributor
Someone is going to get a good deal on this one! Nice history of the upgrades & work done on it, right here on NAS-ROW. No hidden secrets waiting to ambush the buyer. GLWTS!
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
Thanks for the feedback!

Here are a few more pictures. And I also should say that I did convert the main fuse boxes from the glass to blade style. So much better. I'll take photos of details like that as I go. I was going to get one of the battery box, but it has much more dust in it than I realized from my last trip! I'll need to clean it out first.

The two covered points on the seatbox next to the battery switch are for battery power. I use a deep cell, so I like to hook up a solar panel there, or a smart charger at least once per month.

I'll get more of engine and anything I update before it sells.

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blueboy

Well-known member
So you made the decision. That is probably the hardest part before selling. Hopefully the Series will keep you in the Rover fold. GLWS!!
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
I've been going this direction for a little over three weeks now, and once I listed it, the thing became real. Psychologically, I'm prepared for this sale, so the $40k price doesn't apply to any of you or any of your friends that you're trying to get indoctrinated.
 

xplorutah

Well-known member
I have been Defender free for over a year now. It definitely helps to have a Series in the back pocket...GLWS. If I weren't committed to staying Defender free this would be very tempting.
 

aared2120

New member
Beautiful! Not too nice you're afraid to drive and definitely not rough...my kids would love this. Funny how in modern times they complain about the lack of legroom in my SWB..in the 90s this was luxurious!
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
Still for sale. If the current lookers take a pass, I'll go list it in a few other places to see what happens. Thanks for the feedback! If anyone wants to look at it, even if you are looking for someone else, let me know. Once we are out of evacuation orders, I should be able to show it most days!
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
And there she goes off on a new set of adventures! I had a few other buyers lined up, probably would have gone later this week if not to this Rover family, but I’m super happy to pass it on to them to use with the kids and to keep it local.

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Andrew

Well-known member
I just found this thread. I'm surprised you sold her. I saw her before when I was out for a run. Nice truck. Best of luck on your new adventures.
 
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