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Looking for a wrecked D90 or D90 frame & body

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4K views 17 replies 7 participants last post by  Buckon37s 
#1 · (Edited)
Does anyone know of a wrecked D90 or just a bare frame and body for a reasonable price? I'm tossing around the idea of building my own SW with all of these parts I have compiled to build an offroad vehicle. I sold my 1995 D90 almost two years ago and I miss it! I bought $k's of parts to build a jeep, but I could adapt them all to build a D90. I'd like to find a frame and body, then build my own hardtop and exo, install my SBC with TPI, D60 front with coilovers, 14 bolt rear with coilovers, Sm465 tranny (possibly pony up for an NV4500), doubler NP205/NP203, cutout the fenders for a ~104"-107" wheelbase and 40-42" tires, and give it a nice, new paint job. The only person I know of that has done any type of similar conversion is Doug Marbough (sp?), but with a rover motor. I want something unique, yet wheelable AND streetable--hence the hardtop, well designed link suspension, swaybars, etc. I have attached a picture of my old D90 (which happens to be for sale now!). Too bad I can't afford to buy her back. Thanks in advance. -Mark Benton
 

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#2 ·
A lot of this sounds very familiar. If I were you I would go one of 2 ways. Either buy a Grey market 110 complete. They go for around $5-6k since you can not register them, and build off that. Or you can get a 110 frame from George at RDS and build off that. Both of these would be easy to register as a 72 year or so. It is MUCH easier to use a 110 frame and cut the back off it to get into your wheelbase. Stretching a 90 is possible too, just more work. Mine started as a grey market and now has coilovers, 9-60 hybrids, and a 95 in wheelbase, I know a big 1in stretch, and 37s. Now, a piece of advise. If I could do this again I would not go with a D90 frame at all. With what you want to do, starting with a factory frame is going to make things more difficult than it will easier. I would build a toob frame and then mock up some supports to clip on a D-90 bulkhead and front clip. Then just fab up a bobtailed rear. You could register it as whatever you wanted. BTW, 14 bolts are meant to be used as boat anchors, not on 4 wheelers :)

Here's the beast.
 

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#3 · (Edited)
David,
Thanks for the help. As fruity as it may sound, this vehicle will look GOOD, not ghetto-fied. That's one reason I want the D90 body instead of a Jeep. Stretching, etc. isn't a big deal; I've got pretty much a full shop... long control arms and some tube work will make short work of the WB extension. I want this vehicle to be streetable, register-able, look good, haul a$$, crawl slowly, and also haul gear. That's why I want to build a hard top and not dovetail it. Of course it will wheel wonderfully. I don't have time to build a tube frame; a D90 frame is pretty beefy. A 110 body won't work, as I am looking for wheelbase in that range. I can't fit 40's-42's on a 110 body if I don't stretch it.

Where can I find a grey market 90? Did you just buy the title/vin from an older series?

LOL @ the 14 bolt. Don't underestimate them... when you are running 350-400 lbs/ft on 40" tires, they are a screaming deal. Shave them and the clearance isn't that bad.

As a side note, there is a D90 pretty close to me with fire damage. I could probably get it for $7000, sell the tranny, block, t-case, roll cage, brush guard, wheels/tires, axles, and some other stuff and get it down to about $4000. for the body/frame and other misc. stuff. All I would really need to purchase would be a new dash... I could fab most everything else.

Thanks for the help. Love the D90!
 
#4 ·
Then you can do a 90 no problem. BTW, you can make a front clip with d90 fenders look very good. Anyway, there is a place on the east coast that has tons of grey market vehicles in the 5k range. I just can't remember the name, maybe somebody here has it. I will look for the site. I know the 14 bolt has the best beef to buck ratio out there, it is just a massive rock snagger. Oh, and this is very cool that you are doing this. The D90 deperately needs people that are going in different directions and making some very cool, truely capeable Rovers. So cheers on avoiding the bolt on mess.

Dave

P.S. When you stretch the front, you only need 1.5in forword to fit the 42in tires. Don't cut the whole front end off, I think that looks terrible.
 
#5 ·
David,
Sounds good. I appreciate the help. I love stock/stock mod D90s, but I can't afford one nor would it be capable enough. How much could I just get a front clip and bulkhead for? I could build a tube frame, but that would be a lot of additional work. Thanks again for the help, I hope I can find some more places to sourch a body/wrecked vehicle.

Hopefully I can scrounge up the money to do this. I will have to have it done by mid August, so I'd better get hopping.

About registering, did you just buy the vin/title from an old series?
 
#7 ·
I will look for the site again. I really don't know what a bulkhead and front panels are going for. I saw a 95 for sale on Pirate a while back. Can't remember the price. What I did to register was wierd, and can only work once. You def don't have to go the bulkhead way, I am just trying to think what would be the cheapest. If I were you, I would call up George at RDS and see if he has any 85-90 D-90's that he wants to part with. Nothing really has changed in that time and you could get a good platform, then you can register it as a 70 something, or even a Range Rover, as it will basically be a kit car at that point. You could even register it as the kind of car you pulled the engine out of.
 
#8 ·
Buckon37s said:
P.S. When you stretch the front, you only need 1.5in forword to fit the 42in tires. Don't cut the whole front end off, I think that looks terrible.
I would like to see that happen. I can see moving the front axle forward 1.5" for the 42’s to clear the out rigger, but how the hell are you going to stuff 42's w/o really cutting the front end like Doug's D90 or close to that? Now if you have really stiff front end or 6-7" lift with mild flex you "might” be able to make it work, but it's impossible with flexy front end and 2-3" of lift.
 
#9 ·
It works. You need 5in of lift. Why would you run 42's with 2in of lift? You have to trim the front and the rear and dump the inner skirt. If you do it properly you can make the front end look almost stock. Your suspension can be as fexible as you want since that has nothing to do with whether a tire fits or not, only uptravel. At 5in of lift the front would have a full 8in of uptravel with unrestricted lock to lock, assuming a cirtain wheel width and turning radius. You do NOT have to buggy-butcher the front end. If he sets the coilovers up properly it will work perfectly while giving him as much as 18in travel out of a 16in coilover.
 
#10 ·
Mark I have a disco frame with the axle housings and some other parts still on it. It is a 95 with a good title, you could always start with the 100 inch wheel base and build something. I will sell it to you with title for $250 when I am done parting the vehicle out. I should be done by the end of the month or 1st week of febuary if weather holds up.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for all of the help guys.

Aaron,
Is a disco frame the same width as a D90 frame? I don't have this info handy. What about the curvature at the bulkhead and over the rear axle? It may be more work than I would want to do, but it sounds like a good price.

I'm thinking around 6" of lift since it will be a hardtop w/ exo. Nothing below that number and not much above if any. Dumping the skirts is expected, as is trimming. I'd like to get about 2" from the front and at least 8 in the back. I don't want the rear to look disproportionate, but I don't want the wheelbase under 104".

BTW if this build does happen, the tire I will be shooting for is the new IROK 41x14.50x18 as long as they don't have the shallow tread and bubble look of the 39.5's. If they don't look like the current 42" bias IROKs, then I will go with those.

My axles are 62" WMS and trailready has an 18" beadlock with 4.5" backspacing. I'm thinking this will put me right at the width I want to be. I currently have 39.5" boggers on 15x10's with 3.5" backspacing... I don't think these would fit a D90 without the buggy cut.

Follow-up Post:

waveridin1959 said:
www.maxcar.net has a two wrecked 90's on there site.
Yep, that is the D90 that is close to me. I may go check it out, but I don't have the money to buy one right now. Money, come!
 
#13 ·
check out www.roverhybrids.com they did a buildup using a disco chassis, and here is another one.
http://www.worldoffroad.com/vehicles/tew.asp I would do it myself, it is just my welding skills are nonexistent. You can't beat the price to get started, not to mention a title on the truck. I am in southern NC, about an hour above Myrtle Beach so you could come trailer it home. For a little more I can leave some stuff on it depending on what you want to do exactly, If you want to make a deal give me a call. I still have the engine, with most ancillaries, the transfercase, brakes and calipers are on, sterring box is still on. Most stuff will be coming off in the next two weeks. If it is something you are interested in I will make you a hell of a deal. If you are interested give me an email and leave me your # and a time to call and we can talk. draaronr@aol.com
 
#14 · (Edited)
Eric Siepmann said:
Try www.rovercannibal.com I have never done business with them so I can't vouch for them. But they do advertize as having wrecked rovers. Might be able to work something out.
If it does not work out with Aaron or any other offers listed here, then give Rover Cannibal a call. I have used them numerous times and never had any issues. I also wheel with the owner. Let me know if you need any info about them. I might be slightly biased though because they are local as well as helpful when I need parts fast! :) Good Luck!

 
#15 ·
From www.lrx.com:



Advertisement to SELL; Product: PARTS; Price: MAKE OFFER; (Currency: US Dollars)
Defender 90 Chassis For Sale

1994 NAS D90 Chassis-No Damage-Parted-out to build D110.Comes with FREE clean title.Brake lines,fuel lines and rear wiring harness included.E-mail for more info.Taking best offer until the end of January.

Sean Fradenburg.
Durham, North Carolina, United States of America - 28 December 2004
 
#16 ·
Mark, why are you aiming for 104-107" wb?

Disco frame is a good way to go and cheap as long as you put the out riggers on right. The disco frame is shallower than a defender, which gives you more clearance between the frame and ground. I would go with Disco frame if $$ is a factor or 110 frame and cut the frame behind the spring mounts if you are willing to pay $1500-2500 for one.
 
#17 ·
David,
Awesome, Thanks. What would be a reasonable offer? That sounds like just what I'm looking for. I'll investigate further.

Mike,
Anything around 100" or below is too short for my liking. I want the additional stability and ledge climbing ability. Anything above 107" or so is too long for this project; the turning radius will suffer (especially since I will probably have to limit it to clear the fenders), and I don't really need the additional WB above that number. If I proceed with this project, it will probably end up around 104".
 
#18 ·
Glad I could help, I really don't know what these things are going for. I think 102 is the magic number for climbing ability vs manuverability. Good luck!
 
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