1996 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90

This Defender is stored in our Aiken, SC climate-controlled showroom. The inventory shown is owned, maintained, and driven by us here at Car Cave USA. For more pictures, information, financing, video and to view our large inventory of left hand drive Defenders please visit www.carcaveusa.com. Video can be seen on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/Yl4Ayggo6k8.

Highlights:

300 TDI Diesel Engine

5 Speed R380 Manual Transmission

235/85R16 Goodyear Wrangler MT

Documented Service History

Shown here is a Defender 90 factory-built 300TDI sourced from a dry region of France near the Italy border. The Defender is shown in Land Rover Alpine White (Paint Code 456) paint and graphics which both appear to be original upon inspection. The previous owner made several nice upgrades and updated features including a complete center switch distribution panel. We appreciate the 4 lights on the traditional style 4 lights on the front mixed with KBX vents and silver chequere plate. Interior seating upholstery has been updated to black from the factory original cloth with the addition of a center console. We found this beautiful spec in the dry climate warm climate of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Originally sold on July 9, 1996 and purchased by Car Cave in late 2023 from a Monsieur Antonie. Monsieur Antonie provided extensive service records available for the buyer’s review. The records include a clean French technical inspection from June of 2023. French technical inspections can be notoriously difficult and extremely thorough.

Factory built with the solid and reliable 300TDI 2.5L Turbo Diesel engine and R380 5 Speed manual transmission. The 300TDI diesel engine runs properly and 5-Speed manual transmission shifts correctly through the gears. The previous owner did plenty of upgrades including adding a boost pressure gauge and tach to the factory gauge cluster. He also relocated most of the vehicle switched functions to a center dash mounted panel. In addition to the factory options a switch for the 4 Cibie lights, rear work light, and an interior mounted rear fan are found on the panel. Exterior upgrades that are both aesthetically and functionally appealing are the use of silver chequere plate, windscreen sunvisor, light bar, mud flaps, KBX Hi Force vents, and a windscreen visor. A set of 235/85R16 (our favorite tire size on a Defender) Goodyear Wrangler MT tires mounted to factory alloy wheels fully complete the look. The center dash panel has aftermarket gauges to keep the driver and co-pilot informed of all the vehicle vitals including oil pressure, oil temp, coolant temp, voltage, amp meter, and analog clock. Interior floor panels have been sound deadened for a quieter ride in the cab.

We completed a mechanical review and found the Defender to be proper and well sorted. Recent maintenance and upgrades performed by Car Cave include front u-joints, rear u-joints, oil pan gasket, vacuum pump gasket, valve cover gasket, valve adjustment, repair hood support, glow plugs, rubber bushings for air filter box, front seat hardware, new rear seats, steering rod, alignment and the front seats reupholstered. Previous owner replace the starter, clutch master cylinder, and serpentine belt in 2022 on top of routine maintenance.

Upgrades and Features:

5 Spoke Factory Alloy Wheels

4 Cibie “Oscar” Lights

Light Bar

KBX Hi Force Vents

Wingtop Silver Chequere Plate

Rocker Silver Chequere Plate

Rear Corner Silver Chequere Plate

New Interior Seating

Windscreen Visor

Mud Flaps

Climair Wind Deflectors

Original Paint and Graphics

Pro Turbo Bar Pressure Gauge

VDO Tachometer

Oil Pressure Gauge

Oil Temp Gauge

Coolant Temp Gauge

Voltmeter

Amp Meter

Trailer Hitch

Rear Fan

Rear Work Light

Sound Deadened Interior

Here at Car Cave, we regularly drive our inventory and clock an average of several hundred test miles (sometimes even several thousand) on each Defender. This unit is well sorted mechanically and has been taken care of by the previous owner. The rear washer fluid lines have been removed by previous ownership so the rear sprayer will not work.

No other 4x4 vehicle has the pedigree and a track record like Land Rover. Not only was it one of the first, it remains the world’s pre-eminent on and off-road vehicle, exhilarating to drive, highly reliable, and easy to maintain. The Defender 90 features the high performance 300TDI 2.5L Turbo Diesel mated to the bulletproof 5 Speed Manual R380 Transmission. Direct injection technology coupled with a turbocharger gives improved diesel economy with even greater power, torque, longevity, and reliability. It provides high performance on-road with the capability to tackle the worst off-road conditions, in nearly every driving environment in the world.