1998 Land Rover Defender 90 Convertible

The seller of this stunning 1998 Land rover Defender 90 Convertible is a company called Landroid. They have built the Defender to showcase the high quality workmanship and build quality that the company can carry out. The build took around 12 weeks to complete and has been given a full rebuild from the new wheels up.

Okay, so this Defender is a totally one off bespoke build using the highest quality products available. The brief that Landroid had was to achieve a unique and complete 90, that would offer the perfect 4x4 driving experience with a serious amount of luxury inside, together with high performance and a look that would turn heads wherever it goes.

The land rover arrived with around 144,000 miles on the odometer, which is still showing as the current mileage. However, in reality it's irrelevant as the whole thing has been stripped back to the chassis. The engine, gearbox and transfer box have all been rebuilt with an ‘if you're going to build it you build it right’ approach. Since the completion of the build, the defender has covered just 2,500 miles

As mentioned, the build was to demonstrate the company’s ability to build something as special as possible to showcase and draw in more business. We’re sure you'll agree, they've certainly achieved their goal.

As soon as you see the 1998 Land Rover Defender 90 Convertible, you can't help but notice its presence. Higher, wider and generally more aggressive was the order of the day when Landroid were planning the build. It has been finished inside and out in the lovely Mercedes Olive Green metallic, a stunning colour in itself, and then topped off with a full external satin black roll-cage.

Starting at the front we have a Startech grille and light surrounds. The grille has been finished in gloss black which is a nice contrast against the Olive Green. The light surrounds have been painted to match the body, and bright LED headlights, sidelights and indicators have been used to achieve better lighting. The front bumper has been powder coated in gloss black to match the grille. It's worth pointing out that the number plate D19 OLR shown in the photos is not included with the sale of the 90. The bonnet has had a Masai bonnet scoop fitted and vents fitted to the top of the wings. Moving a little further up, for your convenience, a heated windscreen along with uprated washers and wipers have been fitted and just above is the full width LED light bar finished in black. As you would expect, the bonnet aligns well with the wings and grille.

Around to the sides of the 90 and the arch extensions provide the wider looks. There are gloss black wing vents fitted to allow in some extra air around the engine bay. You will notice the full length rock sliders, there to protect and assist getting in, have been powder coated to match the bumpers. The doors have sliding windows fitted and have a Optimill billet aluminium mirror kit fitted which is finished in gloss black. These are also heated and include puddle LED lights. The hinges on the doors and bonnet are also Optimill billet aluminium and coated in black. A new black canvas cover has been fitted with side windows that unfasten and roll up should you need some extra ventilation.

To the rear, the canvas door again like the sides unfastens and lifts up for easy access to the rear. The door holds the 18” Overfinch spare alloy wheel and to either side are the LED lights that complete the full LED light kit. The bumper again like the front is powder coated gloss black.

The wheels on the defender are 18” Overfinch gloss black alloys, fitted with Maxxis 771 Bravo All Terrain tyres which are like new, having only covered 2,500 miles. Helping the wheels fill those wide arches, some 50mm billet aluminium spacers have been used.

Inside the Defender is 100% not like any other Defender you will have ever sat in before. As you open the door the first thing you notice are the sports seats. These have been supplied by Exmoor Trim and they are the Heritage Sports Seats which offer excellent comfort whilst still hugging you nicely for the sporting feel, and also heated for those cold mornings. Nestled between the front seats is a leather covered arm rest and large storage area. The floor is covered in rubber matting, which is illuminated obviously with LED’s.

The Dashboard in the D90 has been fully trimmed in black leather, with white stitching to match the seats. The instruments are the original items and show 144,577 miles, but as mentioned this is pretty irrelevant considering the work carried out on the rebirth of the Land Rover. Moving further across and mounted to the top of the dash is a clock, altitude meter and compass unit should you need it. The door cards have received the same leather treatment with white stitching.

For your in car entertainment a lot of thought and planning has taken place to get this just right. As we know, a sound system in a convertible can be quite difficult to get right, but the team at Landroid have successfully achieved this. To start, the whole of the inside of the body has been covered in Dynamat to reduce any road noise and stop any resonance and vibration. Then a JVC double din DAB head unit which supports Apple Play and Android Car, and is obviously Bluetooth enabled for hands free use, was fitted. This was then connected to a Focal six speaker system, followed by a JL Audio amp and Subwoofer. There is also a reversing camera to assist you.

Into the rear of the Defender, the bulkhead has been removed and the tub has been coated with the highly durable Line-X bed liner. There are four inward facing leather seats complete with seatbelts, which do fold up to give more space should you need it.

As mentioned at the beginning, the Defender was completely stripped and this included the chassis, which has been sandblasted and then powder coated to give an excellent finish and protection. The inside of the chassis has been treated to add further protection. With the chassis ready the attention was drawn to the reconditioning of the differentials and hubs. The axles were also blasted and powder coated.

The suspension side of things have had uprated radius and trailing arms. The suspension has been given a 2” lift and to accompany this some Fox racing shocks have been used to keep things nice and smooth. To help with the extra height, Landroid opted for some uprated anti-roll bars and a comfort performance full poly bush kit to keep things nice and tight. There has been a steering guard fitted for protection of the steering.

The powerhouse in the 90 is a 300 Tdi engine that has been rebuilt, along with the automatic gearbox and a Discovery transfer box. Since the rebuild the vehicle has covered just 500 miles. It had the turbo uprated with a Turbo Technics Hybrid turbo and to help feed in the cool air is an uprated intercooler and a full silicone hose kit to finish it off. Getting rid of those gasses is a full stainless steel exhaust system exiting just under the nearside quarter.

Extra power means extra stopping is needed and this has been carried out with a complete new braking system using uprated hoses, discs and pads making it come to a halt quickly.

The Defender came into Landroid with 142,000 miles on it, slightly tired and ready for a refresh. It’s past history doesn’t really count anymore as it is a complete rebirth of this Defender 90. So, instead of paperwork, this vehicle comes with a QR code (displayed in the photo gallery). Simply scan it and your device will display the history digitally.

There was a fresh MoT carried out on 25th March 2021 at 144,301 miles. However, these are the original instruments and the vehicle has only completed around 2,500 miles since the build was completed.

As mentioned earlier the registration number in the photographs has been removed and the new one is now R938 BYG.

Defenders have a huge following and definitely seem to be increasing in popularity as time goes on. With such gained interest, this has also led to more and more parts becoming available to enable them to be modified and make them a more enjoyable 4x4 to use on a daily basis.

Companies such as Landroid who build bespoke vehicles exactly to your vision have taken this to the next level, as I'm sure you will agree from the spec on this Defender. And WOW, the attention to detail everywhere, makes this definitely one for the 4x4 lovers not to miss.

We estimate the Landroid Defender D90 to fetch in the region of £38,000 - £48,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course, and as stated this car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.