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buydefender

New Member

• Feb 19, 2020

• #1

Cars has been swappin' LS3 engines into Land Rover Defenders Both of the 1992 Land Rover Defenders I am interested with , have 6.2L LS3 V-8s (480hp/485lb-ft of torque) how much cost ?ı want to buy 1993 110 defender and this is my first defender

 

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rob1miles

Well-Known Member

• Feb 19, 2020

• #2

I would expect these to be quite horrible to drive. '92 means these are clsoe to 30 year old vehicles designed for 150 (or so) hp. That's not just the transmission but also the suspension, ride hight, steering. Yes you can make a Defender (or Series) "Special" with 400+ hp but it will not be for normal driving. If you look at a car designed for 400hp is has a much lower centre of gravity, is wider and has more complex suspension. Why were these conversions done? Out of interest what is your cost of fuel per litre?

 

ifloochies

Well-Known Member

• Feb 19, 2020

• #3

Just took all the air out of the man's balloon there...now we won't get to see build pictures.

 

Henry_b

Think outside, no box required.

• Feb 19, 2020

• #4

I've seen slammed defenders running an SR20 Nissan 4 pot with a tuba!!

There are plenty of 400+hp defenders, i believe the "death wish" and the general irreconcilability is part of the appeal

 

norseman

Well-Known Member

• Feb 19, 2020

• #5

Seek a sympathetic insurer first I should think.
That amount of power in a Defender borders on the suicidal if intended for road use
Still, each to his own I guess.

 

mick 1986

Well-Known Member

• Feb 20, 2020

• #6

I’m quite sure that all the Twisted builds leave with that sort of power, certainly everyone I viewed at their factory had over 400bhp on their spec sheets. They were mostly running LS3 motors, but some had other V8s, I’m not sure what they were as the place didn’t interest me one bit really. When you consider their “standard” build is a normal defender, stripped down and painted, with an LS3 motor, line X rear end, and almost standard interior, I fail to see how £80K is an acceptable price tag?

 

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rob1miles

Well-Known Member

• Feb 20, 2020

• #7

The LS3 is a massive lump:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/223785216487
I don't see this ending well, my predictition is that the bottom will fall out the market for this type of vehicle. This is as they say, the last bounce of a dead cat. No way 400+hp conversions are going to be either on-message (climate change) or socially acceptable and expect some form of massive tax hike in any "developed" country. I'm expecting the same for all those 500hp Merc AMGs - running costs on those are already over £2.50 / mile. Those of us were around for the first oil crisis watched tastes change very fast. 40years on and the big engines came back, but I don't that in 40 years time, it will be electric.
These things will drag on for a while in 3rd world countries that aspire to be first world but don't get it (think Saudi etc).

 

ifloochies

Well-Known Member

• Feb 21, 2020

• #8

rob1miles said:

The LS3 is a massive lump:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/223785216487
I don't see this ending well, my predictition is that the bottom will fall out the market for this type of vehicle. This is as they say, the last bounce of a dead cat. No way 400+hp conversions are going to be either on-message (climate change) or socially acceptable and expect some form of massive tax hike in any "developed" country. I'm expecting the same for all those 500hp Merc AMGs - running costs on those are already over £2.50 / mile. Those of us were around for the first oil crisis watched tastes change very fast. 40years on and the big engines came back, but I don't that in 40 years time, it will be electric.
These things will drag on for a while in 3rd world countries that aspire to be first world but don't get it (think Saudi etc).

Click to expand...

I was with you on your narrative all the way till you mentioned the Saudis and "3rd World" in the same sentence.......

 

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rob1miles

Well-Known Member

• Feb 21, 2020

• #9

Perhaps language intemperate, but I work in oil and gas and see the safety practices. The recent Saudi Aramco listing took so long to sort out because there is is essentially little or no governance, its run on mediaval patronage, "low cast" accidents don't count. Just google "London supercars anti-social behaviour" and see which countries come up. I was in coveration with a guy from one of the major oil producing countries in that region and I mentioned oil and the concept of finite resources, his reply was that Allah had made the last lot and he'd make more, so burn as much as you like. Not everyone buys the concept of a "climate emergency"