1987 Land Rover Defender 90 TDI LDH

1987 Land Rover Defender Additional Info:

I am selling my 1987 Defender 90 outfitted with the original 19J TDI motor with 67,650 original miles. This truck was made in the UK and sold in Italy. A friend of mine bought it used in Italy to use for transportation when he is over there for work. Before my friend bought it, it was owned by a local butcher shop. My friend then sold it to me in 2023 and I imported it into Seattle. I have a clean WA state title and WA plates for the vehicle.
I currently have it stored in indoor storage and do not have the time to restore it like I had planned. I’m hoping it goes to a new owner that will appreciate the classic look and spend the time to restore it.
- 2.5L 19J TDI – It idles great and is comfortable from 0-70MPH
- LT77 gear box
- LT230 transfer case
- Gray paint is in 5/10 condition – This truck was resprayed in Italy and its starting to peel on the hood. I’m not sure when it was painted, but it was before me or my friend owned the vehicle. Most of the car looks great at 10’ but it will need to be repainted at some point in its life.
- Interior is in great shape minus the transmission tunnel cover. The vinyl seats are tear free. It would look amazing with a new carpet kit.
- Original crack free dash
- No power steering
Here are some areas of concern:
- The paint has issues as previously described (see pictures for more details)
- The coolant temp gauge on the dash doesn’t work.
- It has whirling noise from 50-54 km/h – Not sure what it is but it goes away above and below that speed. It doesn’t affect drivability- I have the original manual and some documentation of the first few services in 1987. I also have a British Motor Museum certificate of authenticity for this truck.
It’s a really fun car to drive and has that classic Land Rover look. I personally like the fact it doesn’t have power steering, you always feel in control. The 19J engine gets criticized but I’ll tell you first hand it has plenty of power. I can cruise at 70MPH on i5 very comfortably. The truck isn’t perfect and hasn’t been restored but its incredibly rust free and has very low miles. I’m sure this truck will run for another 10+ years without anything but basic maintenance, but it sure is a great candidate for a restoration!