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1993 NAS Defender 110 Station Wagon #312/500
Full restoration (galvanized frame, custom paint and many upgrades)
This 1993 Defender 110 has come to us via a customer in CA for a complete restoration. The donor truck has been well used and previously lived in Vermont. Take those factors and add in roughly 17 years since the truck was built and you get the sort of sad looking NAS 110 you see above. The good news is that nearly any Defender can be saved and made into something great because of the rebuild-able nature of the Defenders construction.
The bottoms of the T supports show some pretty nasty rust issues and the interior seating is starting to sag due to its age and use. The good news here is that we will be taking out all the carpets and replacing them with new and getting the seat frames restored and then topping them off with new seat upholstery in a nice black leather. The rusted T support is also history and will be replaced with all new steel before it is epoxy primed and painted in Willow Green for a really cool and one of a kind NAS 110.
The frame on the 110 has seen better days as well. It has quite a few swiss cheese areas and suffers from the scale and rust that most NAS 110s that were used in New England year round do.
There is some good news on the body because the tub and a number of other panels we need are well used, but are very straight and will only need to be stripped and refinished because they are all alloy. All the rusted capping pieces you see here will be removed and replaced with brand new ones that are epoxy primed and painted on all sides with Willow Green PPG paint so that this type of rust will not happen again anytime soon. The safari cage will also be removed, blasted back to white metal and then zinc and powder coated in satin black for a great finished look that will look a lot like a 1997 NAS Defender 90 LE Wagon (minus all the diamond plate).
As the 110 continues to get stripped down the new backbone for the project is brought in and made ready for the project, as you can see above. This brand new galvanized frame will cure all the rust issues of the old frame and is already set up for the body mounts of the stock NAS 110.
While the work getting rolling chassis assembled continues, the paint department is going strong getting the brand new door shells primed and painted in the customers color choice of Willow Green. Once the paint has cured the guts from the old doors will be reconditioned and installed into these brand new shells. Doing it this way assures that there is no rust or corrosion in the doors once the 110 starts going back together.
The safari cage also gets a full restoration. Any damaged areas are repaired with new metal to be factory correct. These pieces will now be loaded up to get blasted to white metal and then zinc and powder coated in a satin black.
As you can imagine, the bulkhead on the 110 was way too far gone to save, so instead of trying to repair the rust we will be replacing the bulkhead with a new unit from our inventory, as you can see above. The new bulkhead will not only cure the rust issues it will allow us to easily install the upgraded dash system that the customer wants for NAS 110 #312/500.
Here you can see the rolling chassis coming along nicely. The axles have been installed and the rear axle has been upgraded to disc brakes and the drive-train has been assembled and installed into the chassis. We try to get as much as we can installed on the motor before the body parts go on so that there is less chance of scratching the new Willow Green paint.
Along with getting completely rebuilt, the 110 will also be getting some nice additions, such as ARB air lockers front and rear. This image shows one of the ARB lockers being installed. Once the locker is set up and bench tested it will go into the axle case and then we can install the rest of the suspension and the wheels and tires.
Here you can see the new alloy wheels and G/Y MTR radials that will be on the 110. Its a nice departure from the factory steel wheels and skinny 7.50x16 tires that came stock on the NAS 110 and with the new color these alloys will make a for a great overall look.
The cargo area of this 110 will not be getting jump seats, it will be a cargo only area. So to help all that cargo stay in place and not damage the interior we have Rhino-Lined the interior of the rear tub. Once we get the tub installed on the frame we will add some secure tie down points and this will make a great place for all the gear that the 110 may want to carry.
Now that the tub is in place we have started to add the rest of the bodywork from the bulkhead to the tub. All the parts that have to do with the straightness of the body are installed at this stage and everything is lined up perfectly. Doing this ensures that the door gaps will be correct and that the doors will open and close easily. Once everything is lined up and locked into place we will start to add the rest of the body panels. You will also see that we have started to install all the new wiring harness parts.
Here you can see the body a little further along. The roof is on, as are the front doors. All new updated hinges have been used along with stainless steel hardware to attach those hinges so the, all too common, door hinge rust bleeds will not be a factor in this NAS 110.
This images shows the 110 Wagon a little further along. The fenders have now been painted and installed and all the wiring run in them. The AC parts have gone into place as well as the safari cage. Next up the rear step, roof basket and rear ladder will go on to dress up the exterior and then we will start to install the black leather seats and get the sound system and other options wired in and ready to hook up.
Here you can see the new ROX front bumper going into place with the Warn 9000 winch and the customer's Light-Force HID lamps. Up next for the front end will be to install the composite fairlead and the new winch rope and then we will install the bumper's skid plate the RoverTracks HD drag link and the ROX tie rod guard to make the steering set up near bulletproof.
This shot shows the 110 coming along nicely. The body is nearly complete and all the body lines have been set so that the doors open and close easily. As work is being done to get the front bumper combination installed, the ECR ROX sliders are being fabricated to protect the sills. Once they are completed they will be epoxy primed and painted in satin black for a great overall look to this custom NAS Defender 110.
In the cargo area of this 110 we have now installed the custom subwoofer boxes (one 8" subwoofer on each side of the truck) that have been Rhino-Lined for the ultimate in protection. The subs and the custom made stainless steel grills have been installed, as well as 6 cargo tie down points so that all types of gear can be carried and strapped down without any problems at all, and if something spills... just hose it out, that is the beauty of the truck bed-liner.
Out back we have started to get things finished up as well. The new style rear door has been assembled and installed, the lights have been hooked up and the freshly powder coated rear ladder has been installed on the step and tow bumper. A simple, but functional, rear recovery point has also been installed in the Class III hitch, just in case the 110 has to give anyone a tug on the trail.
Here you can see the rest of the interior coming together. The headliners and side trims have now been installed along with the rear seats and all the small interior parts.
This image shows the ECR ROX sliders just out of the paint booth. As you can see they are frame mounted in 3 locations with multiple bolts so that they will not bend or pivot. They are tough as nails and we have tested them on everything. You can also see the Hi-Lift jacking points, so that if the 110 gets a flat on the trail you don't have to worry about using the tiny factory jack in the mud, just use your Hi-Lift and jack up the entire side of the truck.
Here you can see the sliders have been installed and the customers choice of the Euro style side steps have been installed at all the side doors. These are great because they can be removed if a big off road trip is planned and they still allow for the kids to be able to get in and out of the Rover more easily.
While you are out camping you may need to charge a battery or power something and this truck has you covered. We have mounted a 115v inverter under the cubby box (the trim around it is yet to be done). It is out of the way but still easy to access and will run just about anything you need that plugs in.
The middle row of seats have now been installed as well. The entire interior has been updated from the old worn out clothe to new black leather, along with black door panels to make everything match nicely.
The front seats have been done in black leather as well to match the middle row and all new foams have been installed underneath the leather, along with seat heaters for the front seats, for the ultimate in comfort on those cold mornings.
To protect the leather seats we have installed a set of seat covers so that the dogs or the kids can do as they please in the back and the seats will stay protected.
The black and silver covers match the new interior nicely and not only look good, but are functional as well and have no advertising logos for a clean look to your interior.
Here you can see the 110 a little further along. The winch rope and recovery points have been added to the front bumper and everything is starting to look ready to hit the road.
The back of the truck is also looking nearly complete and ready for the road or trail. Next up we will turn our attention to getting the new Alpine audio/video system installed and getting the dash wiring finalized.
Here you can see the interior coming together. We did a little custom touch on the center dash on this one. Inspired by the "Black" 110s in the UK that had silver accents to the interior, we have done the center dash up in the base coat that makes up the Willow Green color, but not the clear coat like the exterior, so it gives the interior a hint of the exterior color, but it is subtle and breaks up all the black in the interior. The Alpine flip out touch screen head unit has been installed along with all the switch gear for the lockers and additional lights. As you can see, in an ECR restoration everything blends in and looks factory. All the controls for the ARB lockers and the Lightforce lights can be seen in this image, but because we install all those systems tastefully and integrate them into factory switches the interior does scream "add-ons". It all looks like it was meant to be there. The truck still has dust from the assembly process on it, but it will have a trip to the detailer before it is made ready for the customer.
This image shows the stainless steel limb risers have been installed. These will help direct tree limbs up and over the roof, as this 110 will be used as it should be. This will not be a garage queen.
Here you can see the often copied, but never duplicated, ROX roof rack has come back from the powder coater after a layer of zinc and satin black powder coat. We have installed it and set it up with a Work/Reverse lamp that can be used for light to help set up camp at night, or just for added light as you shift into reverse. The lamp is wired so it will do both jobs depending on what you need at the time.
The front of the ROX rack has a custom bar that protects the four Lightforce lamps on the roof and has numerous tie down points for carrying all kinds of gear. The Hi-Lift mounts and CB antenna mounts are all built right in, so if the customer wants to add equipment down the road there will be no addition equipment to buy. The ROX racks are set up from the get-go to do just about everything.
Here is the nearly completed 110. We just need to get a few more test miles under its belt and then get it all cleaned up and it will be ready to head out to the customer.
Here are some interior shots now that we have the truck cleaned up a little:
AM/FM/CD and MP3...
iPod...
and your favorite DVD (our favorite: Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls as we built all the Land Rovers for the movie.)
Here you can see the completed ECR 110 ready to head off to its new owner for years of faithful service and fun both on and off road. This NAS 110 is now far superior to anything the factory ever produced because of its rust resistant galvanized frame and upgrades that are too numerous to list in detail. This 110 boasts it all: custom Willow Green paint, a host of ECR ROX protection equipment, upgraded interior and so much more. The truck has been built to last and looks great from every angle. It doesn't get any better than this.
If you have Defender needs, anything from a new set of door hinges to a complete restoration of your 110, contact ECR. We'll be happy to make your Defender world class... just like this one.