1985 Land Rover 90

First registered in 1985, ‘C723 KAM’ is a Marine Blue and Chawton White Land Rover 90 that’s been updated with a more modern TDi turbodiesel engine as well as much recent work to the gearbox.

Known affectionately as Camilla, it boasts seating for six which is handy because the seller’s been using it for family fun at the weekend with his four children and two large dogs.

They’ve been to the beach in it, and she’s kept them mobile in all weathers. She’s not above taking his hedge clippings to the tip either, and has generally enjoyed the sort of middle-class life Land Rovers aspire to as they ease themselves into semi-retirement.
 

The 90’s panels fit pretty well, and while no-one at Audi is going to lose any sleep over the shutlines, it all hangs together pretty well for a working vehicle.

And that’s not to damn with faint praise because it looks good, and the two-tone colour scheme of Marine Blue for the main body and Chawton White for the roof and wheels looks smart.

The chequerplate was applied to the top of the front wings only a few years ago. As you can see, it looks good AND provides a useful place to put your mug of tea – and there are few greater pleasures in life than drinking tea in the wild with your faithful Landy beside you.

There’s more chequerplate to the lower section of the rear wings and along the sills, and further protection comes via a pair of rear light protectors and front and rear mudflaps.

The galvanized front bumper runs straight, and if it has a couple of extra holes drilled on either end, then that simply means you’ve already got places to bolt recovery points or extra lights.

Speaking of lights, the lamp lenses are all free of cracks and sun damage.

A towbar is fitted, and this can be easily adjusted for height depending on what you’re towing. Single electrics are also fitted, and there is a no nonsense padlock to secure the fuel filler cap.

The Chawton White steel wheels are in good order, with only a few scuffs and scrapes. They’re fitted with 7.5R16 Michelin Latitude Cross tyres, although the most recent MoT picked up damaged/cracking or perished tyres to both nearside wheels.

As for its flaws, the 90 wears the sort of honest patina that actually makes the model better, not worse.

This includes the rusty fasteners that almost every example suffers from, which means the choice of ways to resolve it covers every budget and taste too.

The arms of the Britax door mirrors are also a little tarnished, a couple of the wheelarch extensions and the radiator grille have faded, and some of the glazing is scratched.

More pressing is the rust that’s started to break out on the rear outrigger. This was picked up during the last Mot as an advisory, along with other underbody and chassis corrosion. We also spotted rust bubbles on the bulkhead and the frames of all three doors and the bonnet.

The interior is in much the same condition as the exterior; clearly cared for but more of a working vehicle than a trailer queen.

New front door cards were fitted in December 2020, with the rear door card and grab handle, passenger seat back, carpets trim, instrument binnacle, and pedal rubbers also having been replaced between 2020 and 2021.

Soundproofing has also been fitted, the driver’s seat has been recovered, and a central cubbybox replaces the central seat. This is a useful addition but we note there are gaps around it.

The front seats are in good shape, both literally and figuratively. More comfortable than you’d expect, they also have headrests, decent lateral support, and good covers with the exception of the base of the passenger’s seat, which is ripped.

The rear seats will accommodate four close friends, and because the seat bases don’t stick out too far you can juggle passengers and loads to meet whatever challenges that day presents.

Vents have also been fitted to the rear of the roof, and a full-length headlining will help insulate and therefore cut down on both noise and condensation.

The handbrake and gearlever gaiters are in good order, as are the pedal rubbers. The front floor covering isn’t bad either, and while that in the rear is a little more worn, it is still very usable.

A sticker on the dashboard and in a rear window proclaims the presence of a Tracker, although we have no more information than that.

As for stuff you might like to take a look at, apart from some general tidying up and cleaning, the driver’s footwell has light surface rust (there is a welded patch repair in front of the accelerator already) and the top of the dashboard has a split in it.
 

Handwritten notes record the 90’s maintenance between 2020 and 2021, and the work includes a starter motor, repairs to the gearbox, a new throttle cable, replacement rear halfshafts, new lamp lenses, four Britpart drive flanges, and new brake lines

The notes also say the chassis was rustproofed with Corroless primer and glass-reinforced paint within the same timeframe.

There are also receipts on file for other mechanical work, and it would be worth going through them to see how well it’s been looked after in recent years, including services in January and September 2022, cylinder head repairs in May 2023, fettling of the braking system in October 2023, work to the transmission in May 2024, and repairs to the wipers in May 2025.

We are told that the engine is now a TDi and note the V5 registration document has been updated to reflect the change.

The diesel engine starts well but idles with a fair bit of vibration although this goes away when it is revved.

As for the cosmetics, the engine and underbonnet area are a little crusty with plenty of alloy tarnishing plus rusty brackets and fasteners. Room for improvement then if you fancy a job but it could equally be left well alone if you don’t. #thatsthejoyofowningalandrover

As for the underside, while the rear of the chassis has the rust we mentioned earlier, the front section doesn’t look too bad; sure, there’s some work to be done there too but this looks like it might be just a case of halting and preventing the little rust is has.

There are some perished bushes too, plus a leaking steering box and rusty coil springs.

The MoT is valid until May 2026.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the history file includes a bunch of invoices and notes on its maintenance in recent years.
 

Everyone loves a Land Rover, but the run on prices in recent years have lifted them out of the reach of many enthusiasts – unless, that is, you’re prepared to take risk on buying a couple of boxes of bits and an old chassis plate, aka, “the barn find”.

Which is a step too far for most of us, which is why we’re so thrilled to be able to offer this example, a turbodiesel-powered 90 that sits firmly in the middle ground: Usable now, there’s plenty of scope to build in reliability and value as and when money and motivation coincide.

Being offered with an estimate of between £10,000 and £15,000, the seller’s agreed to let it run with no reserve, so it’s going to sell from the very first bid.

Just think; it could be in your garage by Christmas, giving you the excuse you need to dodge the usual re-runs on TV – and those relatives that have outstayed their festive welcome…

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