We send each chassis off to be sandblasted, treated/sealed inside, and returned in black epoxy primer to seal the raw metal from any flash rusting. Once we get it back into the workshop we can start to see every single flaw that was covered by paint, mud, and “chassis protection” treatments over the years.
With a team of master welders, there’s not much we’re afraid of when it comes to restoring a Land Rover Defender chassis. Some aspects are more difficult than others, but it’s all fairly straightforward. Because we’re exclusively dedicated to restoring Land Rover Defenders, we have built several custom welding jigs to ensure everything is properly aligned as it was when it left the factory.
Inspecting a Land Rover Defender 90 Chassis
There are a few areas on the chassis that almost always rust out, no matter how well it has been taken care of over the years. It’s simply part of the design – mud gets stuck in the hidden areas and creates moisture traps that create an environment for rust to thrive.
In the above photo, you can see some clear areas where the media blasting has cut through the chassis. This, to us, is a good thing. Well, at least a good way to make sure nothing is hidden. We would rather it be a perfect chassis, but since that’s not always possible, we’re always happy when the hidden damage is revealed. Before we send this off for blasting, there were no visible holes in the chassis rails. Once it’s exposed, it can be repaired.
The rear cross-member (bumper area for Americans) is generally the most common area that needs to be replaced. Fortunately, there are several after-market fabrication companies that provide pre-stamped and bent panels to help us with some of the difficult sections. Small holes and gaps can be cut out and replaced, but having complete sections not only saves time but ensures the best accuracy and durability with the final product.
We’ve seen a lot of folks try to hide this type of damage on a rear cross-member. Don’t be fooled by checker-plate protection or even bondo. If it’s not solid metal, it’s not going to support your vehicle.
The rear cross-member is easily replaced with a bit of skill and patience. Getting things lined up on the welding jig makes it a lot easier to support and ensure the chassis is aligned properly.
The metal on the overall chassis was in exceptional condition. It was mostly the outrigger and rear cross-member that had issues. Everything else was extremely solid and original – just the way we like it.
From the archives: This impromptu photos session was taken one day when we drove Sopris from our Minneapolis workshop to our Renville workshop (about 100 miles away) to deliver parts.
About 45 miles down the road, we started smelling overheating and burning.
She wasn`t driving as smoothly as she had the first part of the trip. We pulled over to investigate, but there were no apparent signs - just a feeling of something wrong.
We should note that this is our workshop truck, and we only sometimes look after them as we should. Seems like she had a transfer case leak, and nobody noticed, as we had only ever taken her on short trips for parts, lunch, or a random trip around the nearby lake for some fresh air.
On this day, the extra heat from the long trip caused the dry transfer case to fight with one of the bearings.
A testament to their durability, we were able to limp her back to the workshop via backroads (stopping every so often to let it cool down and take photos).
We made it all the way back to the workshop before the transfer case finally gave out. When we opened it up, a pile of shiny bearing parts fell onto the ground.
Two lessons here:
1. Perform essential maintenance on your Defenders 2. Even when broken, they won`t leave you stranded
Michael brought Fergus by to visit today. It’s fun when we get to see all the evolving changes and customizations come together over time - even after they leave the workshop. We still have a few more surprises to come on this one.
Our Defender sourcing approach introduces us to a variety of amazing people where we get to share in the history of their adventures with the Land Rover.
We prefer to source directly from the owners rather than through brokers, dealers, or other trade professionals. Not only does it eliminate unnecessary markup and incentives to hide things on the Defender, but it also gives us the chance to meet the people who took care of these vehicles before entrusting us with the preservation of its legacy.
Here are a few photos from our recent Land Rover Defender 110 2.8i (Petrol) we took in for preservation.
If you’re not familiar with this engine package in a Landy, you might be surprised. When BMW owned the company they discovered that their online 6-cylinder petrol engine fit nicely inside the engine bay. The result was a very smooth running, fuel efficient Defender am that performed just as well on the highways as it did in the bush.
She’s undergoing a much-needed refurbishment, but is currently available for sale/adoption for someone looking for a great Defender.
Working out the kinks in an automatic conversion. It’s never easy. That’s the thing about hand building cars - sometimes things go perfectly. Most times they don’t. But we stick with it to make sure it’s properly done.
The team has been putting in a lot of extra hours and days to get these builds out the door to enjoy the summer weather. Project Bertha took her first extended test drive from our Renville workshop to the finishing and QA center in Minneapolis. 120 miles so far. Minor tweaks and a few more to go before we put the final interior in and release her into the wild.
Special thanks to the team for working through the weekend.
We don`t often get around to posting some of our interiors - because we don`t often get a chance to photograph them. Once we get the projects finished up, we try to get them to the customers as fast as possible.
Interior trimming is an art form and there are few folks that can do it right. We happen to work with some incredibly talented people that can create just the right balance of heritage style, with a bit of personal touch.
Too much leather seems over-the-top for us in a Defender. But just the right amount, in the right places, and oh-la-la, does it look nice.
Combine that trimming with a custom automatic conversion, electric windows, air conditioning, and a touch screen stereo with front and rear cameras, and you have something that rivals some of the best cars off the production line.
We hand-build cars. It takes a lot of time, but it`s worth the wait.
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