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1993 NAS Defender 110 Station Wagon Restorations
From this: (NAS 110 #132 shown during tear down process)
To this: (NAS 110 #132 after ECR restoration)
How would you like to have been able to step back in time to the Fall of 1992 and buy a new 1993 NAS Defender 110 Wagon? That is not possible, but we did something even better! Here is the story of how the ECR 110 restoration program came to be.
Some time ago our friends at Copley Motor Cars called us with a challenge that was based on what their customers routinely ask for. "I would like a Defender 110 with no apologies" (meaning no flaws, no issues, no rust, no corrosion), their customers would say, 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?
Copley laid down the challenge to ECR, build a "No Apologies Defender 110". That sounded pretty interesting to us, but if we were going to do this, we wanted to make it better, not just a repeat of the original. Some things would have to out do the stock NAS 110. Items like the air condition system would have to be better. The stock system was basically a joke, so we would want to update it to the better, newer system. The rear drum brakes would also have to go in favor of new 4 wheel power disc brakes, the new style hinges would have to be used and so on and so on.
Copley agreed and gave us the ability to create the 110 with only one limitation, "keep it looking stock". We completed the first Rover of this new restoration program in the Fall of 2005 on NAS Defender 110 #132/500.
Here are some photos of the finished product, a truly "like new" ECR restored Defender 110 #132/500:
Front view
Rear view.
Rear view, other side.
Updated rear door and rear door panel.
3.9 EFI V8 removed, and a new 300 Tdi (turbo diesel) installed. All mechanical parts are new, not rebuilt.
Note: Diamond plate wing top guards are for fender protection while we work in the engine bay, to protect the new paint. They will not be on the completed Rover.
Underneath is as nice as the top.
Updated Air Conditioning and center radio mount.
All new wring and gauges and seating with new R380 5 speed gearbox and LT230Q transfer case.
New interior with updated interior lighting.
What made this restoration process different than the typical repairs we do here was that ECR was in complete control of the restoration. In all our other projects we are always working for a customer. That customer has things he/she wants done, and things they don't mind leaving "as was". As nice as some of the 110s that have left ECR have been, some parts of them are always left untouched, or are as used original parts, as per the owners request. In these "No Apologies" projects that was not the case. Everything was new... "No Apologies". To that end 1993 Defender 110, #132/500, was purchased, and then taken apart to its smallest piece. Each piece was restored to new factory specs, and if it couldn't meet those specs, it was replaced with a brand new Genuine Land Rover part. A true restoration, with nothing left untouched. This 110 has truly been restored to new condition, from wheel bearings to wiring, paint to tires.
These 2 images are ones we took so you can compare the typical 110 that arrives at ECR, or that you see for sale, with this 110. As you can see here on our reborn #132/500 there is no rust, no corrosion anywhere.
Sills are rust free as are the doors. Compare these images with other NAS 110 we have worked on in the Defender 110 work section.
No aspect of the restoration was overlooked. The old LT77 gearbox was ditched in favor of a new R380 unit. The troublesome old AC system was removed and a new AC system installed along with a new updated dash. 4 wheel disc brakes were added to replace the disc/drum combination of the original. New Michelin tires were installed on new Defender 130 rims, updated door hinges were added and more. The tired old 3.9 liter V8s are removed and replaced with either efficient 300 Tdi (turbo diesel) engines or powerful 4.6 liter Electronic Fuel Injected Rover V8s. The frames were replaced, new door shells utilized, new headliners, new paint and we even powder coat the safari cage in satin black (just because we like that look better than the white cage) with an under coat of zinc primer so it won't bleed rust like the original. We even went as far as to think about all the small aspects of 110 ownership and we installed cup holders (something a stock 1993 NAS 110 does not even have) that actually work.
After all that work, Defender 110 #132/500, and the ones that have followed it, have emerged as a far better than new 1993 Defender 110s as the vehicle has been completely reborn to factory specifications superior to that of the build specs in 1992. The ECR restored 110s are by far the best 1993 NAS 110s in the USA. They have "No Apologies" and are far nicer than even the lowest mileage stock 110 in many, many ways.
As #132/500 was announced on our web site it was almost immediately sold and is now in the hands of loving owners in Montana. Before it left they had us make the 110 even better with options and upgrades that you see in the photo below.
1993 Defender 110 #132
(Shown here completed, with optional equipment installed. Ready to head to MT)
Go here for details of the upgrades to #132.
Due to the demand for a truly like new "No Apologies" Defender 110 Wagons, we are restoring a very limited number of these vehicles and they were all sold through our sales agents at Copley Motor Cars in Needham, MA.
.
Since #132 was completed we have also put new life back into:
1993 Defender 110 #313
(Shown here completed, with optional equipment installed. Ready to head to MT)
1993 Defender 110 #157
(shown here complete, with optional equipment installed. Ready to head to CO)
1993 Defender 110 #403
(shown here complete, with some optional equipment installed. Ready to head to WA)
and
1993 Defender 110 #151 with a 4.6 EFI V8 and an Automatic
1993 Defender 110 #4 is next with a 300 Tdi 5 speed
This is a very limited production schedule, so contact Copley Motor Cars so that you can enjoy your "new" NAS Defender 110 soon.
If you are looking for a "No Apologies" Defender 110 of your own, there is only one way to get one... contact Copley Motor Cars to purchase what ECR might restore next.
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about these vehicles to help you:
How are these vehicles titled?
They are titled as the 1993 NAS Defender 110s that they are. We are restoring the vehicles that Land Rover North America imported back in 1992 and they all have clean and valid USA titles as issued by Land Rover North America.
How many miles do they have?
Because we install all new engines, tires, bearings and such they in essence have only test miles on them, maybe 10 or 15 miles. However the donor vehicle that we started with will typically have had somewhere between 80,000 and 100,000 miles. So the title and resale documents will indicate those original miles, as it is not legal for us to "roll back" the odometer paperwork, but all mechanical systems are brought back to as new condition.
Is there a warranty?
We offer a 12 month unlimited miles warranty. All warranty work is handled by ECR at the ECR facility.
What is the standard equipment?
The standard equipment in the restored 110s is much the same as the stock 1993 NAS 110 other than changes we have made for the better.
Standard Equipment:
4.6 liter Electronic Fuel Injected Rover V8
R380 5 speed manual gearbox
LT230Q 1.4 ratio Transfer Case, Full Time 4x4 with Hi and Lo range and center diff lock
4 wheel power disc brakes
7.50x16 Michelin steel belted radial tires (5)
AM/FM tape with 2 speakers
Air Conditioning
Heavy Duty Floor mats
Gauges: Speedo, coolant temp, fuel gauge and tachometer
Rear window defrost
Rear window wiper/washer
2 speed intermittent front wipers
Vinyl seats with seating and seat belts for 9
Center cubby box with 2 cup holders
Auto-dimming rear view mirror
Battery cut off switch
Full exterior safari cage (Satin Black) with rear ladder and roof basket
12v power point
Owners Manual and tire changing tool kit
Changes from a stock NAS 110s build list are:
Full interior carpet delete: We think a 110 should be used hard, so therefore, no carpets to hold sand and mud. Carpets are not offered.
Heated Windscreen delete: Numerous customers complained about seeing through the electronic elements at night, so we are leaving it as an option to be installed later if desired.
Amp meter, Oil pressure gauges delete: The new style dash does not allow for the install of these.
Clock delete: (same reason as above) The radio now has a clock.
Running board delete: These things rusted out about 3 weeks after delivery. We won't install them unless you request them as an option.
Rear bench jump seats instead of 4x jump seats: The seating capacity is the same and seat belts are still located at all seating locations, but as the individual jump seats had issues that ranged from easily damaged retainer straps to easily broken fiber-board bases, we install the more rugged and easier to operate rear bench jump seats for longer life and better functionality.
What if I want a different color?
Because we basically set up a mini assembly line to handle these specific vehicles you could have any color, as long as it was white.
East Coast Rover Co.
21 Tolman Road
Warren, ME 04864
email: ecrover@midcoast.com