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1993 NAS Defender 110 Station Wagon #4/500 Restoration
How would you like to step back in time to the Fall of 1992 and be able to buy a new 1993 NAS Defender 110 Wagon? That might not be possible, but we have something even better!
Over and over we heard our customers ask,"I would like a Defender 110 with no apologies" (meaning no flaws, no issues, no rust, no corrosion), but as all 1993 NAS Defender 110s are all getting on in years (all built in mid to late 1992) that is hardly possible today. They all have flaws, or corrosion, or rust, or poor paint work, so it isn't possible to get a "no apologies" NAS Defender 110... or is it?
ECR can build you a "No Apologies Defender 110" and make it better, not just a repeat of the original. Our specifications out do the stock NAS 110. Items like the air condition systems are better. The stock system was basically a joke, so we have updated it to the better, newer system. The rear drum brakes have also gone in favor of new 4 wheel power disc brakes, the new style hinges are used and so on and so on.
The 110 will be stripped down completely. Every nut, bolt and washer will be removed restored and/or replaced. Every bearing and every seal will be replaced with new. The ratty old HVAC system (Heating Ventilation and Air Cond.) will be removed in favor of all new parts and so much more. Every part will be replaced or restored to better than new and we'll even update all the door hinges and upgrade the audio system... the list is too long to detail. Basically everything we have learned about Defender 110s in the last 17 years is applied to make these ECR 110s better than any stock NAS 110 out there. The restoration of #4 will be even more exciting as this 110 will not be white. It will be Arles Blue with a black safari cage and lots of upgrades, making it another great looking 1993 ECR Defender 110.
Here you can see the starting point for the restoration, NAS Defender 110 #4/500. It isn't a bad truck, it has just lived out its useful life and now needs to be fully restored. Unlike some shops that give things a new coat of paint, fix the obvious items and then slap on some new tires, we fully strip these vehicles and rebuild them with all new Genuine Land Rover parts.
Here you can see the 110 being stripped down. It will be completely stripped prior to evaluation of each part for the restoration. If it is a steel body panel, it is replaced, not matter what its condition. We cut no corners in these vehicles and only 100% new steel pieces will do. The bulkhead rust in this 110 is only minor, but it is not patched or repaired in our work, the entire bulkhead will be replaced with new because "good enough" for other shops is not good enough for an ECR restoration. This isn't a refurbishment or a patch job, this is a full restoration to ECR standards, and that means like new or better.
Speaking of new bulkheads. Here is a shot of the brand new, not rebuilt, bulkhead that will go into 110 #4. It has been epoxy primed and then painted inside and out with numerous coats of the customer's color choice of Arles Blue. Yes, we said "customer". Once again the ECR restoration of NAS Defender 110 #4 was sold before the project was even started this time.
The doors on a Defender 110 have steel frames in them as well, so all the doors are replaced with new door shells. Here you can see new 4 side door shells have been primed and painted as well. Next up these doors will be assembled with all new guts and made ready for when the body structure comes together.
Here you can see we have the rolling chassis pretty far along. All the fuel system parts have been installed along with a good bit of the suspension and brakes.
Here you can see the new version R380 gearbox mated to the 1.4 ratio transfer case. Once we get the new mounts installed on it we will mate it to the engine and then installed the entire drive-line into...
the completed rolling chassis, set up on some spare alloy wheels. The next step will be to install the new bulkhead and then start to get everything wired and plumbed up.
This image shows the Arles Blue 110 #4/500 starting to look like a 110 again. All the body work as been done and everything has been epoxy primed and then painted and is now starting to be assembled onto the chassis. The difference here is that we take a number of extra steps,. far beyond what the factory in England does, to make sure that the body lines, door gaps and the way to doors open and close work correctly. This helps the ECR 110s work better (no door slamming required) and it helps to prevent water leaks and keep the truck sealed up nicely
Here again you can see what we mean by "no rust". The T supports and the bulkhead in this restoration are clean enough to eat off, as they should be in any true restoration. Next up we will get the new, and correctly sealed white roof panel installed as well as the new doors with the updated hinges and stainless steel hardware.
Along with the unique blue color for this NAS 110 it is also getting some Boost alloy wheels and a number of ROX upgrades.
Inside the 110, dyna-mat has been fitted to reduce any road noise and all the additional stereo wiring has been run and installed. This ECR Defender will be getting a touch screen audio/video/GPS system in the dash as well as killer speakers and twin 8" subwoofers out back for excellent sound reproduction. Next up we will install the AC system and then get all the carpets and trims in the interior.
Here you can see the NAS 110 really coming together. The wiring is all in place and the drive-train has been test run. The safari cage has been zinc and powder coated and installed as well as the roof basket. The rear seats are in place and soon the rest of the interior will go into place.
To aid in any off roading that the 110 gets into we have added a ROX front bumper with a Warn 9000 winch, 3x Hella 4000 lights, recovery points and a steering guard skid plate. This front end set up not only looks great but also is fully functional.
We also added a set of running boards for ease of entry into the Rover and at this stage, other than some cleaning up, the exterior of the 110 is complete, so now it is time to turn our attention to the interior and its upgrades.
As small upgrade, but one that makes a big difference, is the updating of the interior lamps. Unlike the stock single unit that is blocked by the roll bar, we have installed 2 updated lamps in the new headliners and ties them into all the doors. This sounds like a simple thing, but it makes a big difference when you open the rear door at night looking for something. In a stock NAS 110 you have to go to the driver's area and turn on the single interior lamp manually. In an ECR updated 110 no matter what door you open you get both interior lights.
Here you can see the updated rear door and rear door interior panel. This set up is much stronger and longer lasting than the original 1993 parts, and looks better as well. You can also see the new jump seats and the cargo area tie downs that we have installed in the rear as well.
The middle seats are now installed and also have been topped off with upgraded seat covers and heavy duty floor mats.
Here you can see the new upgraded seat covers installed on the front seats. These units are top notch and still allow for access to the battery box and tool locker without having to mess with the seat covers.
This image shows the updated dash and AC systems all in place. The 110 now has working vent flaps and modern switch gear to control all the systems. It all needs a good cleaning, but the truck will go to the detailer to have all the dust removed prior to delivery. We take these images in progress so you can see the build up of the Rover.
Along with the upgraded dash we have installed 2 pairs of Boston Acoustic speaker in the doors and in the rear body to give excellent sound reproduction throughout the Rover.
We have also installed two 8" subwoofers in the cargo area, can you see them?? We have them in custom built boxes that are painted body color so that they hide in plain sight. Our way of doing things is "clean and subtle". We don't want you to see the subwoofers, we just want you to hear them.
Up front we have made a new center dash section that allows for the use of a double DIN Alpine head unit that does it all. The custom panel looks factory, but the factory never offered anything as cool as this touch screen system.
A few touches of the screen and you can listen to the radio or even your iPod (while your iPod stays safely tucked in the center cubby box out of view).
A few more touches and you have access to a full Navigation system with all the bells and whistles.
Then insert your favorite DVD and you can watch movies in DVD quality on your dash if you are stuck in traffic.
This images shows the dash and the Alpine unit fully assembled and ready for the customer. This is the first time we have put a double DIN head unit into a Defender and we think it came out pretty stock looking.
Here you can see NAS 110 #4/500 has been cleaned up and is now ready to head off to its new home.
The truck has everything in the book, from sound deadening materials to a high end sound system, DVD system to mud flaps, upgraded seat covers to alloy wheels and even a 300 Tdi turbo diesel engine! Could anything be better?
You can search for one of the 13 year old models out there, and hope you find one without problems, or you can buy one of our as new, restored 110s. Our restored versions being far superior in many ways to a stock NAS Defender, even if that stock Defender had only 5 miles on the clock, the ECR 110 has all the updates and is built better in all respects.