Heritage Restoration

Project Townsend

Heritage Series D90 - 300Tdi 5-Speed- LHD

Pre-Restoration

We acquired this Defender from the Carabinieri, which is the national military police of Italy.  While most of the Italian military Defenders came as the Rover 2.0L T16 DOHC Gasoline engine, this one is one of the rare 300Tdi Diesel engines.  The team didn’t waste any time stripping down the axles when the donor vehicle showed up at our Salisbury workshop.  While we had it in the air, we decided to start stripping it down.

Strip Down

Disassembly of a vintage Land Rover Defender in preparation for preservation is a meticulous undertaking that involves careful assessment of each part. Beginning with the exterior, the body panels, including the front fenders, doors, hood, are methodically removed, ensuring they are cataloged for future reference.  But for the most part, it’s two solid days of taking stuff apart.

Mechanical

There are a variety of mechanical components of a Land Rover Defender restoration.  The most essential elements are the engine, gearbox, transfer case, and axles.  These are all stripped down and taken to our machining workshop to assess what needs to be done for the next stage of the refurbishment.  The engine and gearbox are typically completely rebuilt, with the axles and transfer cases requiring extensive service.

Vehicle Details

Model Defender
Class 90
Body Type 3 door station wagon
Model Year 1998
Steering LHD
Engine 300Tdi, 2.5, 4 Cylinder, Diesel, with EGR/Cat, 23L
Gearbox 5 Speed, R380, Manual
Factory Solihull, UK
Sequential number 152868
Paint code Currently unknown.
Build date Monday 18th May 1998 ±1 days
Bishop+Rook Heritage Defenders