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Off-Road-Ready 1995 Defender 130 Is a France Import, Hides a Nasty V8 Secret

While Land Rover is hard at work trying to make the reinvented L663 Defender a common sight in the United States, its L316 predecessor is not exactly the perfect material for the American pickup truck lifestyle.
1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM 28 photos
Photo: Garage Kept Motors
1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM1995 Land Rover Defender 130 pickup truck LS Swap for sale by GKM
Alas, there is one unit – imported from France and clear of pesky U.S. Customs intrusion – that may seek to change that. Dressed in Army Green over a black leather interior and with beefy looks that seem to make it ready for anything (including an unintentional off-road roll-over – hence the protruding roll cage!), this Defender 130 pickup truck is now more American than its British parent ever imagined.

Proudly tucked in the inventory of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Garage Kept Motors, it now has an LS swap on board – a nasty little V8 secret that beats under the hood with the blunt force of a 2015 Chevy Camaro SS 6.2-liter V8 engine. The paintjob is also unique according to the description, and we can only say the semi-matte green shade bodes extremely well for the black details seen on a lot of exterior parts (including the bedliner).

The Landy is just as serious inside, where it is all black vinyl leather business – complete with a few hints that something is amiss. Those include the aftermarket instrument cluster with the odometer indicating a mere 40 miles (64 km) – though we can all bet those are of the nasty TMU (total mileage unknown) variety. Plus, there is also an aftermarket center console with a modern shift lever for the automatic transmission, the black roll bar system, and whatnot.

As for the rest of the highlights, those certainly include the beefy all-terrain tires, 6.2-liter ‘LS’ V8 connected to a custom exhaust system with MagnaFlow muffler, and a functional Lo and Hi 4x4 range selector, among others. And last, but not least, comes the asking price – the dealership wants no less than $119,900 to be parted with this rare whip!

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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
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Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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