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DLK

New Member
Hi all,

I want to convert my Defender 90 200Tdi to a V8. Would it be best to try and source the parts and start the conversion or would it be better to try and find a donor car?

The 200Tdi engine and gearbox in my 90 are very good and i might be tempted to swap these for the right V8 engine.

Let me know what you guys might have available, any tips are welcome!

David
 
I have just done a 2.5 n/a to 3.9 efi conversion in my 90 check out my posts.
As I have found the best possible option is to buy a donor car complete as you can carefully remove everything you need from one to the other leaving only a couple of things to get elsewhere.
I went for a manual so needed to source a 90 v8 gearbox and mated to the v8 I got from a rrc. It's taken a while but well worth it.
Whereabouts are you in the country?
 
Thanks for the advice. I will be looking into buying a donor car than.

I might even be tempted to buy a good running defender V8 so everything I need will be available.

Turning the car into an automatic might be a good idea, but i want it to look as stock as possible. I think an LT85 gearbox and a 3.9 EFI combo would be best for me. I have a rebuild LT230 with discovery ratio's as a spare. Would that work with the LT85?!
 
I've got a full clutch set up, inlet and heads, spare resistor packs, water pump, starter and I think that's it
 
Im looking to do the same to mine some time next year but will look out for a donor car as I want to convert it to LHD at the same time.

Still not decided on auto or manual :confused:
 
Hi all,

My 1986 Defender was the courtesy car at Marcos Heritage and Spares (Pikes land rover) for a good many years. The car was fitted with the 200Tdi over there.

The car was sold to a customer of them that used to bring his marcos in for service over there. He always got to use the Defender in the mean time. He asked them to get first refusal if they ever considered selling it.

The Defender was kept in a garage in London and did not get very much use and he decided to sell it on and I bought it!

The engine runs very well, with the discovery transfer box I manage to get 10 kilometres out of one litre of fuel. Quite good I think!

The only reason for wanting to change the engine is that the Dutch law changed and the road tax will be much higher this year (last year EUR 0,00 and this year EUR 2.248,00) (Yes you read that correctly)

I hardly use the car and will either sell it, keep it and convert it or SORN it for the greatest part of the year and use it sparingly.

I might be tempted to sell or trade the 200Tdi
 
DLK said:
Hi all,

My 1986 Defender was the courtesy car at Marcos Heritage and Spares (Pikes land rover) for a good many years. The car was fitted with the 200Tdi over there.

The car was sold to a customer of them that used to bring his marcos in for service over there. He always got to use the Defender in the mean time. He asked them to get first refusal if they ever considered selling it.

The Defender was kept in a garage in London and did not get very much use and he decided to sell it on and I bought it!

The engine runs very well, with the discovery transfer box I manage to get 10 kilometres out of one litre of fuel. Quite good I think!

The only reason for wanting to change the engine is that the Dutch law changed and the road tax will be much higher this year (last year EUR 0,00 and this year EUR 2.248,00) (Yes you read that correctly)

I hardly use the car and will either sell it, keep it and convert it or SORN it for the greatest part of the year and use it sparingly.

I might be tempted to sell or trade the 200Tdi
Click to expand...

This is the same reason I am thinking of doing mine. Mine is cheaper €1848 :eek:
 
My 110 was professionally converted from 2.5D to V8 for the previous owner. They replaced the bulkead, seatbox, front wings, power steering, gearbox, transfer box, prop shafts, fuel tank and pipes, tubular manifolds, exhaust and more.
 
Sorry to hijack the thread, but I'm in a similar situation.
I've got a RRC with a great engine and power train - 4.6 high compression engine. Chassis and power train are a1, but body is falling to bits.
Thinking of either building a 100" hybrid, or dropping the RRC power train ( and probably axles too) into a 90 or 110.

How feasable is this?
I'm a good mechanic, so not really phased - just trying to see any major pitfalls.
For example, how would this modification be received by the DVLA, and the insurance companies?
 
jamesmartin said:
id build a 90 and cut chassis to fit
Click to expand...

+1

With the rrc 4.6 will be a right stonker

As for insurance companies just ring them up and enquire each one will want different stuff no doubt, engineers reports etc
Dvla just update the engine/capacity/fuel type/number etc on v5 for the vehicle your transplanting the engine into. Then scrap the rrc the normal way

You may want to read up on VOSA and their regulations etc, they may be the sticking point
 
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