1997 Land Rover Defender 90 Incredible Service History Low Miles Rust Free!!! on 2040-cars

The Great Planes of Africa.  The Jungles of Southeast Asia.  From the collections of royalty, to dutiful service with the military, global humanitarian relief workers and most especially, perhaps, within the garages turned “Temple of the Outdoor Enthusiasts,” the Land Rover Defender is matchless in its legendary history and peerless in versatility.

This vehicle, NAS #1985 from 1997 to be exact, is everything that you would expect it to be as a representative of this pedigree.  It is now available after years of beloved ownership and will no doubt be acquired by someone ready to carry the torch of its proud history.

The listing for this vehicle is positively thorough, so please take a moment to appreciate all that is represented here:

Service History:

As a Land Rover Master technician, this vehicle has been 100% evaluated to ensure a seamless transition into new ownership.  In addition to this vehicle having passed a Dealership Caliber Certified Pre-Owned inspection, the current owner elected to do the 90K mile service ahead of schedule so that reliability would be ensured across the board for its new owner.  The commitment here to service totals nearly $12,000 over the last few years – with a folder of receipts and service notes guaranteed to make any enthusiast proud:

-          90K mile service (NEW STI Spark plug wires fitted, NEW Champion Copper Spark Plugs Fitted, NEW MANN Air Cleaner Element Fitted, New Genuine Drive Belt Fitted, New MANN Fuel Filter Fitted, New Genuine Oil Filter Fitted with 20/50 Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil renewal, Differential Oil renewed with Redline fluid, Transfer Case Oil Renewed with Redline Fluid, Transmission Oil Renewed with Redline Fluid & Swivel Hub service with Genuine swivel grease).

-          Brand New Set of BFG All Terrain Tires Fitted and Balanced

-          Genuine Bull Bar and Hella Fog Lights Fitted

-          Cooling System Service Including New Genuine upper, lower, & circulatory hoses.

-          Valve Covers and Intake Valley Cover Resealed and EGR hoses Renewed.

-          Swivel Hubs rebuilt, resealed and preload reset within factory spec.

-          Brand New Bikini Top Fitted (Original Soft Top in EXCELLENT condition included).

-          Brand New Steering Wheel Center Cap Fitted.

-          Premium Alpine Stereo fitted with Polk Audio Marine speakers, subwoofer and amplifier.

-          Integrated Back up Camera Fitted with Reverse screen in center Rear-view mirror.

-          Integrated Clifford Anti-Theft System Fitted.

-          Front Seat Base Recovered, Front Seats Recovered and Floor Mats replaced with OE quality parts furnished by Rovers North.

-          Brand New Interstate Battery Fitted

-          Comes with Stringent California Smog/Registration and Clean California Title.

Driveability & Performance:

This truck is an absolute pleasure to drive.  Throttle response is immediate and the truck surges off the line with enough verve to leave lesser vehicles in your dust.  This vehicle does not overheat, hesitate, stumble or pressurize.  Steering input from the wheel is equally as responsive.  There is no slack time from your hands to the vehicle actually making the turn!  What this means is you have a steering gearbox you can depend on, as well as a front end which is obedient as it is confident.  That said, its performance on the motorways is equally as stout.  There are no shimmies, shakes, or wanderings of ANY kind from this vehicle.  The shift quality from the transmission is velvety smooth and there is no whine from the gearbox, differentials, or transfer case whilst under power.  The exhaust is quiet and powerful rumble from the V8 is only heard when driving this vehicle is, how should we say; at its most spirited! Remember, this is an NAS 1997 Defender 90.  This is the last year of this vehicles availability here in the USA.  It is the penultimate representative of nearly 50 years of Land Rover heritage and development. All of that, on top of its production number, put it in the final matriculating class of vehicles to roll out of England, and onto these shores – making it truly a special vehicle.

Body, Chassis, & Coachwork:

Perhaps the most important quality of this fine truck is that its roots are based here, in Southern California.  I probably don’t need to go any further, but for the 1^st time buyer out there, this means that this vehicle is AS CLOSE TO NEW as you would hope to get as it has been sheltered from weather variance experienced by the rest of the country.

This is a ROT-FREE example, and the pictures displayed showcase its integrity.  The rear tub, cab, bulkhead and wings are all in excellent condition.   Trouble spots on other vehicles are also featured here to highlight this vehicles quality.  Note the rain rails below the front windscreen, pay close attention to how IMMACULATE the seam sealer is on the bulkhead, the floor pans are in astonishingly clean condition, look at the featured pictures of the swivel hubs, axel casings and frame seams.  You typically find this kind of pristine order on vehicles hidden in garage collections.  This vehicle has always been under cover, and a fair weather truck.  The only time it has ever been off the pavement was for the purposes of its photo shoot!

The Alpine White paint is in excellent condition – always hand waxed – and its proof you can feel.  The paint is touchably smooth and I dare you to rest your coffee on the bonnet as it will assuredly slide off!  The paint is SO clean in fact... that you can actually see the reflection of the engine in the underside of the bonnet!!! The seating upholstery is rip and tear free and all inner pan/tub/cab liners are in excellent shape.  The center console is completely sturdy and all dash/instrumentation/door card panels are tight and rattle free.  As previously stated, the bikini top is BRAND NEW and the full factory soft top is in excellent condition with all stitches, seamlocks and zippers in pristine order. The same goes for the spare tire cover.  Equally, the roll cage and pads are tight and sturdy with no knicks, wear, or fade.

Purchasing, Perspective, and Why Buy From Me:

Make no mistake about it, this is an investment class vehicle.  It is fully prepared to be enjoyed by its new owner and as I’m sure your own experience and research will show, not only will enjoyment increase over time, so will this vehicle’s value.

All too common are sales from the brokerage houses where a vehicle will receive a detail service and nothing else.  Leaving maintenance work for the pleasure of the new owner.  That IS NOT what happens here.  I am not a Land Rover tech that drives a Honda Civic.  I come from a long line of British Car technicians and Live, Breathe and even RACE the green oval.  I understand ALL of your concerns and needs and do my best to ensure that you will be happy based on a simple, yet powerful concept:  DOES THIS VEHICLE MAKE ME HAPPY?  WOULD I PUT MY WIFE AND BABY IN IT? WOULD I LOVE TO HAVE IT?  The answer is always yes.  And that’s when I know they are ready.

Vehicles that I see off not only have domestic endpoints, they go to the farthest reaches of the planet.  They go to Europe, Asia, The South Pacific, Central America and currently, a client recently purchased a trail-ready 88 RRC and is en route to Tierra Del Fuego after I picked him up in the vehicle at LAX when he flew in to receive it!  The point here is, I believe in each and every vehicle that I usher in to new ownership.  PERIOD. 

While these vehicles are all totally looked after, they are not immune to future service needs and flaws.  They are used vehicles and normal flaws and wear should be expected as the vast majority of them are pushing 15+ years old.  I invite you to ask ANY AND ALL QUESTIONS NOW!  There are no queries too obscure, your satisfaction is the goal here.  Additionally, eBay offers a 3^rd party inspection service to verify ALL of your acquisition needs IN PERSON.  Purchase of the vehicle = SATISFACTION.  Once this auction is over, the winning bid and purchase imply that satisfaction has been achieved and will be understood as such.  There are no warranties offered here, but that said, there is always an unspoken “hand-shake” warranty meaning that should something fail within a reasonable amount of time – say a hose, a coilpack, an alternator, a switch, etc – we will be happy to send you what we have available at that time.

This is a NO RESERVE AUCTION so you are bidding to win!  Please make sure that you bid ONLY what you are prepared to pay.  This means, when the auction is over, and the winning bid is placed, this becomes THE SALE PRICE of the vehicle.  Under no circumstances does it open the door to negotiate or back out of your commitment.  Yes, everyone joins eBay at some point, and there is no prejudice against lower transaction numbers here – HOWEVER – if I suspect and/or become aware of any insincerity on the part of said bidder, I reserve the right to cancel all bids from and block that insincere bidder from this auction.

Completion of this transaction is fairly straight forward.  Once the auction is over, I will be contacting the winner immediately and we can discuss the easiest way to finalize the transition.

Finally, people always ask me who I think a particular vehicle is for.  Given its history, service, and amazing condition, it’s truly for the person looking to enjoy Land Rover heritage with distinction.  This vehicle has not been beaten upon, so you have the opportunity to have an unmolested unit, ready to be enjoyed as it left England – yet for the off-road enthusiast, you have an unbelievable platform upon which to build the overland vehicle of your dreams.  Purchase of this truck puts you in the company of the highest social and political orders.  We have all heard the stories about what these vehicles have done for and with others yet the most important question remains – What will the vehicle do with you?

 

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