Custom 1995 Land Rover Defender 110 Is Hella Rugged and Luxurious, Packs Suspect Engine

Land Rover didn’t start using the Defender moniker on its LR 90 and 110 models until in late 1990, after the introduction of the Discovery, which also lent the Defender its 200Tdi turbo-diesel unit, with its 107 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque.

A few years later, in 1994 to be precise, Land Rover introduced the 300Tdi engine, offering both the Defender and the Discovery a total of 111 horsepower and the same 195 lb-ft of torque. Not a big difference by any stretch of the imagination, but this was actually a brand-new engine, with modern-day components.

Now, we’ll come back to the 300Tdi unit because it’s relevant to our story, but for the time being, allow me to introduce you to this custom 1995 Defender 110, getting auctioned off to the highest bidder as a factory-standard left-hand drive example.

The exterior is wearing a delightful shade called Tuscan Blue, and is fitted with a six-point roll cage, galvanized upper trim panels, a black soft top, Puma-style hood, LED headlights and taillights, front tow hooks, an X-Lander grille, tubular rear bumper, plus side steps.

Meanwhile, the black 16-inch beadlock-capable wheels are wearing 315/75 BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 light truck tires, and there’s a 3” suspension lift kit with Fox springs and shocks, for good measure. This Defender also comes with four-wheel disc brakes, and red-finished calipers at every corner.

The interior has been heavily modified and now features aftermarket front bucket seats and inward-facing rear benches, all of which have been re-trimmed with brown leather upholstery – this extends all the way to the door panels, center console and even the dashboard. It’s quite a stunning setup from a visual standpoint.

Other highlights include a working air conditioning system, heated front seats, USB charging outlets, a Smiths analog clock, additional storage spaces (including cupholders), billet shifter knobs, a wood-rimmed Moto-Lita steering wheel, and a Sony touchscreen infotainment system to which you can pair your smartphone.

With the visuals out of the way, we can finally return to that 300Tdi inline-4 unit, which has a displacement of 2.5-liters. It’s been fitted with an AlliSport aluminum coolant tank, and it’s got red silicone hoses, which does make for a good contrast. As for how those 111 horses reach the wheels, it is via a five-speed R380 manual gearbox with a two-speed transfer case and a locking center differential.

Now, as amazing as this Defender is, if you’re going to work this hard on it, why not swap out that old turbo-diesel for something with a lot more pulling power? The truck even comes with an aftermarket exhaust system, which is sort of pointless in this configuration, isn’t it?

Anyway, if you want suggestions with regards to the types of engines that would fit inside the engine bay of a classic Defender, I would simply point you towards either a 6.2L LS3 V8, a 6.2L supercharged LT4 V8, a 5.3L Vortec V8, or a 2.8L Cummins turbo-diesel.

Heck, you can even carve out the entire floor and install a fully electric drive, although that seems a little excessive and we’ve not yet reached the point where we should trust BEVs when it comes to self-reliant overland travel to remote destinations.