How-To: Maintain the Land Rover Defender 90

J.E. Robison of Robison Service in Massachusetts  provides an interesting article / review guide about maintaining and preserving the Land Rover Defender 90.   It begins:

Preserving the Defender 90 - Tech Talk

by John Robison

My favorite Land Rover is the Defender 90. Ninety refers to wheelbase— the ninety inches between the front and rear wheels. Land Rover makes Defenders in 90-, 110-, and 130-inch wheelbases, but most of them are not sold in North America. In 1993, 500 110’s were sold here. In 1994, 1995, and 1997, a somewhat larger number of 90’s were sold here. None before, none after. Yet the Defender remains the most recognized and desired Land Rover model. It’s the vehicle people picture when they think of “Tomb Raider” adventures, scientists doing research in the jungle, Army troops in the desert.

The Defender figures in more imaginations than any other Land Rover, past or present. The Defender’s predecessors, the Series vehicles,made the Land Rover name known all over world. Kids like me grew up reading about safaris in the Kalahari and convoys to Ulan Bator at the school library. It’s no wonder we grew up and wanted one for our very own. That’s why clean Defenders sell for more today than they did when new and why it’s important to preserve these unique rigs.

The Defender’s weakest point has to do with corrosion. Even with aluminum bodywork, deterioration of the frame and body are a big problem. In salty places this problem is particularly acute. For some reason, Defenders seem more prone to corrosion than other Land Rover models.

Read the full article here.