Project "Urban Defense" a Land Rover DEFENDER 110 build log

EIGHTLUG

EIGHTLUG

New member
Yes, You have read the title correctly. It's not just a Rover, it's a DEFENDER 110. This is going to be a long, arduous, and creative build. Nothing is "set in stone" per say. Phase one of this build is complete. That was getting a suitable and affordable D 110 shipped to Denver from across the pond. What arrived last November was a 1984 DEFENDER 110 Right Hand Drive TDi.

Plans as of today are:

Paint- BMW Urban Green (pretty rare color found on the M Powered Z cars.) I'll toss a pic of an example into this build log.
Power- I'm 50/50 right now. Either a 3.5L Eco Boost or a 430 HP LS3 Crate.
Axles- Dana 60 F/R
Tires- 37" Nitto Trail Grapplers

There is A LOT that is still up in the air. I spoke with Mel from Off Road Evolution last week. The rig being shipped to him to have (whichever engine it is) the engine fitted, suspension blown apart for a new more capable setup, sliders, and custom bumpers.

Where I'm at right now, is getting the drivetrain nailed down. Here are my thoughts and I welcome yours. I'd like to go Eco Boost. Prices to get this in and working "correctly" is going to be spendy. Will it be cool, heck yeah it'd be cool. Super complex, no turnkey option is on the market yet. I plan on using this rig to pull some of my other rigs and toys up and down the mountains, so having a power adder is a huge plus. The other option I'm I'm kicking around is the 430 horse LS3. N/A @ 5000' I'm looking at 355 horse at the crank. That's a rough 3.5% HP loss per 1000'. So right there I'd be in the same ballpark as the Eco Boost. The higher I go, the more I lose.

Once the motor is set in decided, from there naturally comes the trans and X-fer case. Weight isn't an issue. Being dependable and strong is. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.

That's it for now. I wanted to get his log started, get a few pics up, and get some thoughts going.

This is my starting point.
IMAG0024_1.jpg
I'm not a "render guy" I see it in my minds eye and the finished product looks similar to this.
Int RC.jpg
An example of BMW Urban Green
Urban.JPG
 
Very cool! I can't offer you any advice, but I'm definitely interested to see this build as it progresses.
 
Looks like a cool project:) If you plan on towing with it why not consider a diesel? You could look at the Cummings 4bt or a 6bt, both would be good for towing and give you a few different options for transmissions.
 
TheStick said:
X2!

How much work goes into converting from RHD?
Click to expand...

Well, Rovers North produces almost every part for the DEFENDERS for NAS (North American Spec). So, I basically need to call them and get any pieces that don't crossover, literally. The firewall appears to be siamese. All things considered, since it's getting totally blown apart the transition shouldn't mechanically be a problem. I'll dig a little deeper to see if there are any legal implications to the swap.

Internet Photo:
firewall.jpg
 
Very cool. Looks like you are a Land Rover man, through and through. Jeep runs though my blood so I can't lend technical advice, but looks like you're going to have a bad ass rig.

I'd like to see photos of your other Land Rovers.
 
This build should be epic. I have always loved Defenders, but never owned one. Good luck, sounds like your finished product with whichever engine you choose will be awesome. The green color you have chosen definitely mates well with that vehicle. I will be looking forward to seeing how this progresses!
 
Really like the Defender.

My thoughts on your motor choices.

The EcoBoost is a very complicated V6 twin turbo setup with almost zero aftermarket engine swap type of help and I don't see it as a good choice for a overland/offroad vehicle.

The LS3 is a pretty straight forward big block motor with a lot of aftermarket installation help and parts. Big power and torque for a very heavy vehicle,

I can't wait to see your progress.

.
 
Damn, your starting point is what I would call done. Can't wait to see where it goes from here. That green will be awesome.
 
Very nice

EIGHTLUG, I am definitely following your build. I am a huge Land Rover fan, owned several of them over the years. Really nice plan you have for the 110. Good luck with the progress :thumb:
 
Sharkey said:
I thought an LS was a small block. :thinking:
Click to expand...

The new generation LS series are all small blocks, there is ONE old exception......the 1970 LS7 454 Big Block

bluewave said:
View attachment 40109

the ls7 is a big block 7.0 liter!
Click to expand...

That LS7 in the photo is not a big block. Here are the two differences between LS7 big block and LS7 7.0L small block simply based on chronological details:

1- The LS7 can refer to a 454ci (7.44L) over the counter 460+ hp high compression Chevrolet Big-Block engine of the 1970s. Mostly found in Chevelles. These are rare motors and even rarer car/motor combos. see photo below.

LS7Drivers-2.jpg

2- The LS7 small block used in C6 Z06 Corvettes, and is also a crate engine available for purchase to install into anything you want to build around it, is an awesome motor! This new 7.0L (427ci) Small Block Chevy, is just an engine with the bore and stroke to acheive that particular displacement figure. But, it is still a small block motor. There is one other exception to the 7.0L (not LS7) "big block" category, the 7.0L (427ci) that was produced by GM from 1966-1977(?). A big block yes, but an LS7 no.

The motor in your photo is an all aluminum LS series motor, is it not?? Just looking at the size difference in the valve covers between the small block and big block photos, you can see that your motor is a small block. A true LS7 (454ci ) big block engine dimensions alone would not fit in a JK's engine bay, at least not without a HUGE amount of frame and body fabrication and modifying. I am not saying it can't be done, anything is possible, just saying that juice would not be worth the squeeze.


LETS GET BACK TO LAND ROVERS NOW ;)
 
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From a price and feasibility standpoint, the LS3 wins hands down. From a "cool to do" standpoint, it would be the Eco Boost. It's not a common swap...yet. And, as we all know, the S in "custom" should naturally be a dollar sign.

I thought about tossing a bigger diesel in there, like a Cummins for about 30 seconds. In all honesty that engine bay is remarkably small. A 2.5L 4 cyl Diesel currently lives in there. There isn't much room to go, as in adding two more cylinders and still being able to run a proper sized rad and an aftercooler. So the Cummins idea is out.

Here's a pic of a guy's build in the UK. He's shoehorning a Cummins 5.9L 6BT into a 110.
cummins 110.jpg
 
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