1997 Land Rover Defender

LE SUV

8 Cylinder 4.0 Liter

Automatic

SALDV3248VA124161

4 Wheel Drive

Gasoline

Cassette

For Sale at Auction 1997 Defender 90 LE I am a private seller/collector, not a dealer. I am an enthusiast that takes great pride in the marque and as such insure that my vehicles are properly maintained and taken care of. This particular Defender spends the majority of it's time in the garage. I have other vehicles I drive daily. To work it's legs I will occasionally drive it around town but save most of it driving time for back-country excursions finding out of the way trout streams and will occasionally take it over the pass to Breckenridge in the winter. For those that aren't familiar with the Defender 90, they are arguably the most versatile on and off road vehicle ever developed. Although they are not imported to the US, they are still manufactured today and the style has changed very little. No vehicle in my opinion articulates over difficult terrain like a 90. As the mainstay of the British military to this day, 90s continue to prove that they can take on the worst of conditions. Importation to the US stopped in 1997. In 1997 Land Rover introduced the LE (Limited Edition) series with a total of 300 vehicles. This is number 64 of 300. All LEs were the same exterior color, had diamond plating on the front wheel wells, sills and rear quarters, were outfitted with rear ladders, complete roof rack and cage. In addition they were outfitted with air conditioning and they all had automatic transmissions. I have recently relocated to south Texas and have my eyes on a soft top 90, that I think would make a better fit for my needs. Reluctantly, I'm listing this 90. To Preface, I know, the price is a little high for the mileage. Consider the following when determining it's value, I would consider a reduced sales price if the Rockware bumper, Warn winch, Raised Air Intake, and Snow Cover were removed. I would like to install them on the new 90 I'm considering, but am offering everything as a package: All Service Performed by Pikes Peak Rovers in Colorado Springs. PPR is known for performance modifications and participates in Rover events throughout the west. I am told repeatedly that this is the nicest, best maintained 90 they've seen.This 90 is stock with the exception of the following items: Rockware Winch Bumper, 9,000lb Warn Winch, Mantec Raised Air Intake, British Military Mod Snow Cover, Old Man Emu Suspension, Tom Woods Driveshaft, Flowmaster Exhaust, Blaupunkt CD/MP3 and Amplifier.The original A Push Bar/Bumper is included in the sale. I replaced it with the Rockware unit because it provided greater front-end protection as well as a seat for the Warn winch. The winch hook is concealed by a hinged license plate cover. The winch itself is protected by a cover. The winch itself has never been used. Bumper includes two Hella 500 driving lamps. The Rockware bumper and winch are valued at $2,000 by themselves. The raised air intake is a Mantec. Mantec outfits a lot of Defenders and many consider them to be stock. The raised air intake is valuable in that it draws air from a cooler, cleaner source... at roofline, rather than through the hot, dusty engine compartment. Cooler, cleaner and more air means more power and efficiency. This is a $500 value. Feeding into the system is a K&N air filter.The "Snow Cover" is a very hard to find item. It's a British Military Modification, stainless steel, zinc coated and painted black. The idea behind the snow cover is to protect the cabin air intake from snow, rain, dirt, debris that might otherwise fall into the air intake and suffocate the system. This is a $150 value.The Old Man Emu Suspension and Steering Stabilizer are considered a must by most enthusiasts. Included in the kit are springs, shocks and a 2 inch lift. Changing to this system over stock improves both on and off-road stability.With the suspension changed, there is increased pressure on the rear drive-shaft when articulating over difficult terrain. The Tom Woods drive-shaft is "telescoping" in nature which reduces this stress and insures power is distributed properly. A must when converting the suspension system. A $350 value.The stainless steel Flowmaster system sounds really nice.The original radio and amplifier were replaced because they were outdated. One can now listen to CDs, their MP3/iPod/iPhone.In addition, a 3/4 inch plywood decking has been treated and oil painted black and attached to the rack which makes it much more useable. BF Goodrich All-Terrains have about 70% life in them remaining. Again, all of these "modifications" are improvements over stock. Nothing else has been cut up and installed. No air-lockers, etc. This 90 is trail ready. I have taken it out and about but have never put it in a position that would damage it. As others are quick to test their vehicles capability, often times with abandon, I have preferred to "baby" this vehicle. Mechanically it is as sound as it was in 1997. Every oil service has been performed. There are no leaks and within the last two years all major service items have been dealt with. Rear Main Seal, Front Seal, Transmission, Transfer Case, Valve Covers, Power Steering, A/C are all solid. Again no leaks, no burning oil, no problems. Superficially, there are a few scratches here and there. There is one small dent on the hood (quarter size) from a falling tree limb. As the body is largely aluminum, and this is a Colorado vehicle (dry climate) and it isn't driven extensively, rust is not a problem. In the interest of disclosure, this 90, like all, will collect dirt, snow, debris in the rear frame, bumper area thrown up by the tires. If not cleaned out, this will cause corrosion issues. I have always done my best to insure these areas are cleaned and treated. That being said the fuel-take skid plate has a couple of spots on it, again it is treated regularly. On several occasions I have considered replacing the skid plate with a stainless model, but at this point it is very minor and not worth the change. The interior is outstanding. The front footwells are covered by stock rubber floor mats and the cavernous rear cargo area is also covered by a rubber mat. All carpet, although slightly sunfaded is free of stains and is in great condition. There are no tears or rips in the water-proof seating, the dash is complete, non-cracked, not drilled out and in perfect condition. All glass is original and not broken or cracked. The windscreen does have two small stars in the lower corners which have been present for four years. Again, this is perhaps the nicest 90 on the market. I have seen many and know of quite a few lower milage vehicles that are not in as good of condition as this one. Many of them are being sold because of issues that frequently arise between 70 and 90K... rear and front seals, transmission, etc. This 90 has had these issues corrected and will not turn into a maintenance nightmare. From one Defender owner and lover to another, this is a fine vehicle. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. In conclusion, I considered stripping off the above referenced items and selling the 90 as more stock. The sales price with these items included reflects the value of not only the items but also the known condition of the vehicle. I've listed the mileage at 108k, it's actually less than this, 107,883. I figured by the time it was sold, a few more miles might be added. Thank you for considering this 90. On Jul-03-10 at 19:38:58 PDT, seller added the following information: $30,000 "Buy it Now" Price With the Winch bumper, winch, raised air intake and snow cover removed... $27,500.On Jul-05-10 at 16:28:46 PDT, seller added the following information: Please do not bid if you are not prepared to purchase. Serious bids only please. Please contact me if you want the 90 WITHOUT the winch, bumper, raised air intake, and snow cover for $27,500. The original bumper and intake covers will be reinstalled. As advertised, the sales price is a firm $30,000 with a $500 immediate PayPal deposit, and full payment in 36 hours of auction close. If your feedback score is less than 15, please contact me ahead of time or I might cancel your bid. Thank you.