• £28,000 spent in 2016! 

• Galvanised chassis

• Rebuilt to owner’s specification by well-known specialist

• Two-inch lift with Polybushes

• Forward-facing rear seats
• In current ownership since 2003 

The Land Rover scene is booming at the moment – five years since the last original Defender rolled off the Birmingham production line. And with good quality defenders in demand more than ever, it's no surprise that those that are on the market I'm making strong money.

This example was built from the ground up in 2016 to the current owners chosen specification. It's a striking and distinctive thing.

Registered in 1999, this Land Rover started life as a metallic green TD5 short wheelbase Station Wagon.

The owner is a regular visitor to Cornwall and used to regularly visit Buryas Bridge Garage in Penzance look at the various Land Rovers they had for sale. The garage is a well-known Defender specialist that makes bespoke builds on behalf of customers.

In 2016, the vendor decided it was time to bite the bullet and sourced a 1999 Land Rover Defender 90, which he took it to Buryas Bridge to build up to his own specifications, including distinctive Estoril Blue paint, a two-inch lift kit, a bespoke Recaro trimmed interior and a complete mechanical overhaul.

The 90 was built up on a brand new galvanised chassis and the cost of the rebuild ran to well over £28,000.

Included with the Land Rover is a file stacked full of bills covering the build process from start to finish from which it is clear that no expense was spared as the Land Rover was rebuilt.

As well as the galvanised chassis, it was fitted with a near-perfect used bulkhead and was then reassembled pretty much from scratch with every component being renewed where necessary.

The receipt documents everything, from the brand new chassis to every nut, bolt or grommet, and runs into 12 pages in total.

Since the build was completed in 2016, the Defender has been looked after for the owner by a 4x4 specialist local to his home in Essex who has also maintained his family’s Range Rover and is a well-respected expert in the area.

The specialist has serviced the 90 every year, also taking care of any MOT repairs. The Land Rover comes with an MOT valid until December 2021. It has a UK registration document in the vendor’s name and a selection of further bills and receipts from during his ownership.

The registration number on the vehicle is not included in the sale but is available via separate negotiation.

The Estoril Blue colour scheme was chosen by the owner and is, essentially, the same colour as that used on the Range Rover Sport SVR. 

Although the bodywork restoration was carried out over five years ago, it still looks absolutely fabulous today with no notable dents marks or damage. The paint finish is still superb and there's no signs of any rust in the usual Defender areas - notably the bulkhead upper and lower corners. lower B-pillars and rear door.

As it was reassembled onto a brand new galvanised chassis in 2016, the underside is pretty much flawless and will present the future owner with no corrosion issues.

Personalised touches include LED headlights, an SVX-style front grille, black alloys, chequer plate wing tops and knobbly BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres. Along with the two-inch suspension lift, it all gives the Defender a distinctive and characterful appearance.

This is the perfect Defender for a family of four as it features the desirable swing-down, forward-facing rear seats with three-point seat belts.

The front seats, Meanwhile, have been replaced with bespoke green Alcantara Recaro offerings, which are extremely comfortable and much better suited to long distance driving then the original Land Rover seats.

The dashboard has been upgraded to that of a post-2005 facelift Defender with updated air conditioning and a more modern centre console and radio combination, white the headlining has also been redone.

The cabin is in superb condition overall with only minor signs of wear.

Under the bonnet you'll find the original Land Rover TD5 five-cylinder turbo diesel, which is one of the most characterful and unusual engines of its era.

Developing 137bhp, the TD5 is quite a lively unit and also makes a distinctive sound.

This example has covered 91,000 miles and is still in fine health. It starts on the button and it sounds absolutely terrific, helped by a stainless steel exhaust system.

The transmission works well in both high and low ratios and the brakes suspension and steering were all overhauled as part of the Land Rover’s rebuild, so it's in fine mechanical condition and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner.

The popularity of Land Rover Defenders shows no signs of slowing down, which makes this example a very desirable thing.

As a 90 Station Wagon it's one of the most desirable variants and it has been professionally built-up to a very high and great looking standard.

It is sold ready to go and in need of nothing, making it the perfect off-the-shelf Defender 90 adventure vehicle to enjoy right away. And you certainly won’t be disappointed!