Street Legal Diesel Defender in the States

Oh Deer · Oct 6, 2012

I got bored and had a scroll through craigslist, holy **** what did I find.

1987 Land Rover DEFENDER 90

Apparently its got a 2.5 diesel, 5 speed manual, and its titled & inspected. I need to find out how they got it over here and street legal. I'd love to get a 110 over here across the pond.

Someone down the road from me in a ritzy area on the bay has a 110, but I've never seen on the road. I've been trying to figure out who owns its, as of yet I've been unsuccessful.

Thor1950 · Oct 6, 2012

Oh Deer said:
I got bored and had a scroll through craigslist, holy **** what did I find.

1987 Land Rover DEFENDER 90

Apparently its got a 2.5 diesel, 5 speed manual, and its titled & inspected. I need to find out how they got it over here and street legal. I'd love to get a 110 over hear across the pond.

Someone down the road from me has a 110, but I've never seen on the road. I've been trying to figure out who owns its, as of yet I've been unsuccessful.

Can you import land rover defender into the US

Start here but do a good search on google the answers are there. Some have been brought down from canada. but don't get caught it is a crushing experience

bencorkill · Oct 6, 2012

What part of it does america disprove of?

Thor1950 · Oct 6, 2012

bencorkill said:
What part of it does america disprove of?

Road safety they roll over to easy at the highway speeds. Nas had a roll bar/cage for the us market factory installed. They when new safety standards came in they needed air bags,,,,, that was when lr quit shipping defenders.

Oh Deer · Oct 6, 2012

bencorkill said:
What part of it does america disprove of?

It doesn't meet the DOT safety requirements. Then the regulations for small diesels here are stupid from what I understand.

...

I wonder how many Defenders were sold in Mexico? Bit suicidal going across the border, but its a lot closer than Canada.

bencorkill · Oct 6, 2012

So a v8 would be fine? But not a better on fuel 2.5tdi?

Oh Deer · Oct 6, 2012

Looking on another site,

When you see a Defender on Ebay or on the internet with no roll cage or it is Ex-military, you can bet that it is illegal, most often it was brought into the united states by a foreign national and attached to their passport, these vehicles MUST Leave the United States each year and then be re-imported,

Here is the answer to the "Can I import a...Defender?" question. - Land Rover Forums - Land Rover Enthusiast Forum

Going give that dealership a call Monday and find out just how legal that defender is.

bencorkill said:
So a v8 would be fine? But not a better on fuel 2.5tdi?

My v8 disco is killing me on fuel, I don't want another brick shaped SUV with a gas engine.

bencorkill · Oct 6, 2012

I though fuel was cheaper in the us of a?

Thor1950 · Oct 6, 2012

Deer: there are legal defenders in the US at silly prices lots of series just buy one that needs work and do a engine swap

Ryder · Oct 6, 2012

Highway Speeds? 55 does not qualify as speed!

Thor1950 · Oct 6, 2012

Ryder said:
Highway Speeds? 55 does not qualify as speed!

That is old speed limit Texas has 70 mph,some 80 mph Most motor ways are 70mph posted and let you do 80mph, and will look at you when you reach 85mph

Speed Limit Hits 85 MPH on Texas Highway - WSJ.com
online.wsj.com/.../SB1000087239639044358930457763596221860...Sep 6, 2012 – Texas will soon have the nation's highest speed limit—85 miles per hour—on a stretch of road running between Austin and San Antonio.

Ryder · Oct 6, 2012

Thor1950 said:
That is old speed limit Texas has 70 mph,some 80 mph and think one motor way has a 100mph Most motor ways are 70mph posted and let you do 80mph, and will look at you when you reach 85mph

yeah... but you can't fall sideways when the freeway is a straight line!

Thor1950 · Oct 6, 2012

Ryder said:
yeah... but you can't fall sideways when the freeway is a straight line!

I don't make the laws

Oh Deer · Oct 6, 2012

bencorkill said:
I though fuel was cheaper in the us of a?

Its only ~2.17GPB($3.50USD) per gallon where I'm at, but when you've got a long ways to drive and a gallon only gets you 12 miles it gets expensive.

Thor1950 said:
Deer: there are legal defenders in the US at silly prices lots of series just buy one that needs work and do a engine swap

I'm thinking about sticking RR classic or disco running gear underneath a Defender frame(LAND ROVER PARTS - CHASSIS DEFENDER 110 NAS GALVANIZED), ordering a body out of the UK, and trying to register it as a kit car.

Thor1950 said:
That is old speed limit Texas has 70 mph,some 80 mph Most motor ways are 70mph posted and let you do 80mph, and will look at you when you reach 85mph

Pfft, speed limits, its not unusual to run 95 or more around here on some roads.

The Mad Hat Man · Oct 6, 2012

look at a Sahara.

Thor1950 · Oct 6, 2012

Oh Deer said:
Its only ~2.17GPB($3.50USD) per gallon where I'm at, but when you've got a long ways to drive and a gallon only gets you 12 miles it gets expensive.

I'm thinking about sticking RR classic or disco running gear underneath a Defender frame(LAND ROVER PARTS - CHASSIS DEFENDER 110 NAS GALVANIZED), ordering a body out of the UK, and trying to register it as a kit car.

s-10 and ranger parts or small blazer might fit, to defender frame with a little work.

jamesmartin · Oct 6, 2012

if you convert gear box theres no issues with fitting rrc or dico running gear to def chassis

The Mad Hat Man · Oct 6, 2012

jamesmartin · Oct 6, 2012

ooh nasty

Thor1950 · Oct 6, 2012

The Mad Hat Man said:

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Street Legal Diesel Defender in the States

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