SOLD.... Modified NAS 1994 Land Rover Defender-Cummins R2.8 Turbo Diesel & Alu Cab Icarus rooftop conversion.

Rover brit

Member
Let me start with a little background. I was born and raised in the UK and I have been a Land Rover aficionado my entire life. I have owned and travelled extensively in many Land Rovers but the Defender platform is my favorite for overland travel. I am an avid outdoorsman, from mountain biking, hiking, camping and remote backcountry travel. These experiences helped create the dream for building my ultimate Overland / Off-road vehicle. I have logged thousands upon thousands of backcountry miles from the Rocky Mountains to the beaches of Baja. My goal was to build a capable four-season vehicle for overland travel that will accommodate 2 people, a dog and all the gear necessary to enjoy short trips of just a few days, up too longer multi week of off the grid travel.

I was fortunate to come across a 1994 NAS Defender 90 for sale that had been in an accident which worked out perfectly since I already had a super clean rust free Defender 110 frame and body available to utilize on this new project. Defenders have been modified and adapted for many uses over the years including having a strong military pedigree, everything is so modular it was easy to plan the reconfiguration to combine the best bits and build the foundation for my dream Defender. Not only did I want to have a self-sufficient vehicle, it had to be reliable, comfortable (as a Defender can be) and have the power to get where I NEED to go. I began the build on the Spring of 2018, I rented space in a local Land Rover shop, rolled up my sleeves and got to work. I would consider this to be a high-level enthusiast quality restoration. My decision for a drivetrain was easy, take out the underpowered and unreliable stock 3.9 V8 gas engine and go with the newly launched Cummins R2.8 Turbo Diesel. Combined with a Chevrolet 6L80e automatic, I was now able to drive 75-80 mph fully loaded on the highway and achieve 22 to 27 MPG. I had the Land Rover LT230 rebuilt transfer case with center diff lock, Detroit rear locker and an off road capable ‘Challenge’ suspension from Gwyn Lewis. This project was built with mostly new parts and in some situations used parts were utilized after being reconditioned and repainted. Below I provided a list of parts and prices only that amounts to approximately $83,000 and this does not include the purchase of the original vehicle or the cost of any labor. It can cruise along at 80-85 MPH but is the most enjoyable on backroads and the trail. Even after its restoration with the Cummins R2.8 engine, automatic 6 speed transmission and new air conditioning this is not your modern day Toyota 4Runner. This 27 year old Land Rover is still a little hot and dusty in the summer and cold and drafty in winter, an adventurous spirit helps you enjoy the experience… you have been warned.. Its no garage queen and shows a little wear from the 17k+ miles since the rebuild and amazing adventures! The paint job is about 7/10, perfect for the trail and cleans up well when you want it to but does show a few small defects. The rust free super clean frame was media blasted and painted with POR15 (no repairs or welding required) the underside body panels and interior surfaces were painted with color tinted raptor liner. The interior is fitted with Engel 45 Qt fridge that’s about 5 years old, a Dometic brand sink / burner combo and a water pump that supplies water from the 12 Gallon Front runner water storage on the passenger side storage locker. The Webasto diesel cabin heater is located in the custom built in cabinets with the thermostat switch located at the rear of the vehicle near the Blue sea switch panel that operates the interior and exterior lights along with the water pump for the sink. I have a 100W solar panel mounted on the roof and a solar charger that manages the power to the dedicated (house) Optima blue top deep cycle battery, that can be manually connected to the start battery and charged from the alternator as a backup. I included a new in the box porta potti that can be stored on the driver’s side external locker. This provides a perfect outside of the vehicle waste storage for those longer backcountry adventures.

I will include several links to several photo albums with lots of detailed pics that include its current condition, the rebuild process and adventures along with a build sheet and approximate prices. This is registered in New Mexico with a Salvage title which has been updated to indicate the recent Diesel engine conversion.

My current to do list includes: replace inoperable horn, re-route the winch power cables to the battery box and do a fluid and filter service, all of which will be completed for the new owner.

I’m sure there are some things I have forgotten so I’d be happy to talk to any serious prospective buyers and the vehicle is available to for viewing and inspection in New Mexico. Please give me a call if you have any questions @ 505-553-3689 or message me and I will return calls / texts / messages ASAP!

Year:1994

Make: Land Rover

Model: Defender

Wheelbase 110”

Miles Indicated 115322 / 17000 miles since restoration.

Title: New Mexico (Salvage Branded)



ASKING PRICE $115,000 USD or best offer!

Updated Price 8-9-21 Asking $110,000 USD or best offer, Thank you.



Thank you, Chris.


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Lots more Photos in the links below.

Icarus 1


https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VY96NNmCKrvhlZxgf2gDYNkZPX5PpxFr?usp=sharing

Icarus2

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1X5tYNNnfj2Q-QY4qOqV7YtAl_PV7WWdB?usp=sharing

Icarus Adventures

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ecj27aXi4bzu_5AKGWZ6UQubZyjk_fqN?usp=sharing

Icarus Build

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UJn-WNqejK6XT4Fd3Mt68YQenr4IgcXM?usp=sharing


Check out the 4Wheeler magazine feature from Harry Wagner (EJS-Spring 2019).

https://www.fourwheeler.com/news/features/1908-can-sprinter-van-do-this-didnt-think-so/

If you like the look but don’t need the whole vehicle, maybe a T-shirt from my friends at Sackwear.com is what you want!

https://www.sackwear.com/products/southwest-sherpa-defender-110



Some product links:


Alu-Cab Icarus details www.alu-cab.com/product/icarus-roof-conversion/

Cummins R2.8 repower crate engine www.cummins.com/engines/repower
 

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Rover brit

Member
Modified 1994 NAS Land Rover Defender parts list:
ALU-CAB ICARUS roof conversion https://www.alu-cab.com/product/icarus-roof-conversion/
10,000​
Cummins R2.8 crate engine- https://www.cummins.com/engines/repower
8995​
Trans 6L80E
3000​
Transmission Control Module
750​
Shifter Lokar with E-Tap capability
495​
Intercooler Allisport
500​
Custom Aluminum Radiator (triple Pass)
800​
Transmission tune
300​
Intercooler silicone hoses / clamps
500​
Safari Snorkel
500​
Masia Panoramic tinted full length window- Defender
1000​
Puma Style doors X2 Front and x1 rear (new take off)
5000​
Seats & Rails (Exmoor)
1000​
Wolf Wheels x5
1200​
Tires Goodyear Dura Trac 285/75/16 33"
1200​
Suspension Glynn Lewis challenge Log travel kit
800​
Bilstien Shocks
800​
Exhaust 300 Tdi Center / rear sections
700​
Fab works exhaust, turbo back crossover to center
370​
Webasto diesel powered cabin heater- The Webasto Air Top 2000 STC
895​
Awning- ALU-CAB 270 Shadow awn
1895​
Windshield
350​
Superwinch 12000
1450​
Front Bumper-Rockware fabrications
1000​
Rear tires carrier- Rockware fabrications
850​
ARB air locker front differential installed in front axle 3.54 gears
1000​
Detroit Truetrac rear differential 3.54 Gears
1000​
Ashcroft axles w/Heavy Duty CV joints
1500​
Rebuild Transfer case
1500​
Tom Wood driveshaft
500​
Sink / burner combo (Dometic).
500​
Puma style Radiator Panel Plastic Defender w/A.C
420​
Puma style vented light surrounds (Land Rover)
220​
LED headlights- JB Speaker
800​
Lights / turn signals.
500​
Trans tunnel Parts.
395​
Trans tunnel fab work
300​
Exmoor front rubber soundproof carpet kit
795​
Battery, Blue Top, Marine, 12 V, Deep Cycleual Battery / Battery, Red Top, 12 V, Starting
600​
Paint work (Exterior)
4000​
Axis Industries-R2.8 To Chevy LS (Gen III & IV) Adapter Kit
1500​
Wing tops protection
400​
Bonnet protection
250​
Fridge- Engel 45 Qt ( 5 years old )
895​
Cabinets / Interior build
5500​
Solar Panel 100W
250​
Led marker lights
25​
Blue sea battery switch
40​
Weather proof solar cable
20​
Dyna mat for seat box, rear tub, floor boards
200​
Raptor liner- color matched for inside and underside of body panels
600​
Solar charger
120​
Skid plate
400​
Door seals.
550​
Power steering box RHD
500​
WeBoost- Cell phone signal booster
500​
Led light kit
250​
AC kit / install- New Rovers North factory style AC kit
5400​
Axis Industries Fan
1236​
Trans cooler-Derale Hyper-Cool Remote Fluid Coolers W/Fan Kit / lines
450​
Solar panel / charge controller
380​
Rear ATV storage on swing out tire carrier
295​
OME Heavy duty springs 1.5"-2.0" Lift
420​
Extended (braided) brake lines
169​
Trailing arms. Gwynn Lewis
200​
Extended bump stops
80​
Tuffy console
339​
Modified NAS rear bumer
500​
Porta Potti
100​
Rock sliders- Custom Built
500​
Used Defender Ex-MOD 110- Rust free frame Blasted and Painted w/POR15 & Rear body tub
2500​
Total approximate cost of parts only.
82,949​
 

MEUSOC

Observer
This is an incredible rig!
(This is how you write a for sale ad by the way!)
What's next?
Cheers!
 

ionyota

Active member
Out of curiosity (no judgement implied), why did you select a NAS truck as the base to build from?
 

Rover brit

Member
Out of curiosity (no judgement implied), why did you select a NAS truck as the base to build from?
Mostly coincidental, I had the opportunity to buy this NAS D90 equipped with LHD, Factory AC with rust free panels but with some damage, which in my mind was much nicer than the majority of the rusty imported ROW vehicles available in the US. Secondly, I already had the replacement parts to modify to better meet my requirements and as a result I have used and enjoyed the vehicle way more than any of my previous NAS models. I have owned 5 really nice original NAS Defenders (Hard and soft tops) and I have always appreciated them in their unmodified original configurations, this one however was never going to be as nice with accident history and replacement parts so I made the decision to completely restore and rebuild to my specifications .
Thank you.
 

Msand

Importer
Have you checked for cracking on the top of the A-pillars and top of the windshield housing, also did you add thicker rubber around the Alu-cab top and internal bed frame? Or is it all just how Alu-cab installed it?
 

kellen302

New member
Not to come off like a jerk here, but you're selling a salvage titled NAS D90 that is really just the D90 VIN plate on a 110 body/chassis of indeterminate origin? It looks like a fantastic truck and I have huge respect for the amount of work this takes as I go through my own Series truck, but this seems like it could be a huge paperwork hassle down the line.
 

ionyota

Active member
Not to come off like a jerk here, but you're selling a salvage titled NAS D90 that is really just the D90 VIN plate on a 110 body/chassis of indeterminate origin? It looks like a fantastic truck and I have huge respect for the amount of work this takes as I go through my own Series truck, but this seems like it could be a huge paperwork hassle down the line.
Could be a paperwork hassle (more so based on where you register it…CA, for example), but what’s he’s built here has been done many times.

Taking a NAS 90 VIN and converting the truck to a 110 was more common 10-20 years before you could legally import a decent 110 (b/c of 25 yr rule).
 

zimm

Expedition Leader
That would be the “SheZimm is leaving, Zimm is done with SheZimms, and Zimm is checking out”, old man bachelor pad. Unfortunately, there appears to be something wrong with this one, as she’s not leaving. No sale.
 

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