Former-RAF “proper” full-size Land Rover, completely rebuilt by specialists in 2017 including reshell and mechanical overhaul, just serviced, long MoT, valeted, with huge specification including air conditioning, twin battery conversion, TigerShark TS11500 5-tonne front winch, leisure battery, aftermarket satellite navigation and radio system, heated seats, comfort Exmoor Trim interior seating, full FrontRunner roofrack and ladder, Safari Snorkel, uprated 175amp Alternator, tinted glass, LED headlamps etc etc… Specced and built to be a long-distance go-anywhere tourer. Only 20k miles completed in last eight years and now in great condition throughout!
In the details below, you’ll find full details of the specification, vehicle history, and a thoroughly detailed condition report.
Twenty-five large-format photos also below!
The Back Story
This Land Rover 110 Defender Station Wagon has been owned for the last eight years by Greg and Karen – good friends of the family. Finding that their use for the Landie has diminished in recent years, it is now offered for sale.
Greg had always wanted a “properly specced” Land Rover Defender – both for navigating round the back roads and greenlanes near him here in the Cotswolds, and for longer distance family camping expeditions into Continental Europe. A serial Land Rover fanatic, for many years Greg also had a short-wheelbase 90 Defender! But in order to get a Defender 110 to the specification that he wanted, Greg found the only real answer was to have it built for him. So he went to renowned Land Rover specialists Astwood 4×4 in Birmingham, and agreed a build specification with them.
Astwoods sourced an ex-RAF Defender, in White – believed to have been used on airfield duty in the UK – and previously registered as PT 12 AA. An early photograph shows it with “Security” marked on the rear of it. Astwoods then commenced a complete strip down – right down to the chassis and bulkhead – and rebuild with a new shell, interior overhaul with Exmoor Trim touring seats, and complete mechanical overhaul, whilst retaining the original engine, gearbox, chassis and bulkhead – the RAF looked after their kit! The Defender was re-sprayed in British Racing Green, and a long list of detailed specification choices were made to meet Greg’s exacting standards! The total build cost came to around £40,000 and Astwoods then provided an insurance replacement valuation of £40,000 for the car.
Once home, Greg and Karen christened her “Nessie” and started to use her in earnest. To help with this, they fitted a roof-top tent (no longer with the car), and toured Europe. Nessie performed strongly – an excellent tow car, comfortable on long journeys, quick enough to keep up with the traffic, and with plenty of room for the dogs in the back.
Eight years later, and Greg and Karen are finding that they are just not using Nessie very much any more, only covering a few thousand miles at most each year now. So the time has come for Nessie to move on and find new adventures with a new owner.
I’ve not driven the car far, but even on a short journey its pulling power and comfort impressed me. It truly feels like it can go anywhere – well, it probably can – and yet you could sit in the very comfortable seats for many hours when touring without ruining your back!
Land Rover Defender Ownership in General
There aren’t many icons of British Motor History – the Mini, the E-Type Jaguar, and this, the Land Rover Defender. It can, of course, trace its roots back to 1948, and continued in production until finally ceasing in 2016.
The 110 Defender is the five-door long-wheelbase version. It has legendary off-road ability, and a hugely loyal fan base. Ownership of a Defender is more than just owning a car – you are the custodian of a slice of automotive history. On the road, they are a bit of an art form to drive – the steering is a bit vague compared to modern cars, the long-travel suspension is bouncy, and there is plenty of wind, road and engine noise – and yet where this might be wearing or undesirable in most cars, in the Defender it just adds to the charm and road presence. It’s a drive like nothing else – but hey, you can continue that drive wayyyy beyond where almost every other vehicle will come to a halt. In this example, that is further buoyed up by modifications such as the Safari Snorkel and sump guard, enabling deep-water fording (although apparently it has never done that!). Equally, the 5-tonne winch has never been used… although they specified it, Greg and Karen sensibly took the decision afterwards that if they needed the winch to get them out of trouble, then they probably shouldn’t have been there in the first place!
This version uses the 300 Tdi engine – 4-cylinder, direct injection, turbocharged diesel. That diesel engine produces 111bhp and develops 265 NM torque. Performance stats are a bit arbitrary here – it’ll cruise happily at 70mph on the motorway, and it develops its torque low down to enable it to climb mountains. That’s probably all you need to know tbh! I did find one online source that suggested a maximum speed of 85mph, a time of 18.6 secs to 60 mph, and around 28mpg – but take that lot with a pinch of salt. The official trade sites don’t make any claims for the cars, hardly surprisingly. And if it’s not fast enough for you, then two seconds spent on google will find a myriad of performance upgrades that you can explore.
Out on the road, this Defender drives very well – according to my mechanic (who is also a Land Rover fan) this one is much, much better than they normally are!! It pulls strongly, goes through the gears cleanly, and the seats are comfortable and supportive.
There are stories of these engines going to legendary mileages – over 1 million miles – and 300,000 miles is commonplace. So at less than 114k, this one has bags of life left in it.
Bear in mind, though, that despite its appearances, this vehicle is more than 25 years old. Personally, I have a number of classic cars, and so I’m well used to the concept of there always being something that can be fiddled with, or fettled, or replaced, or repaired – you probably never get to the end of the list… but that’s not what it’s about. It’s about the whole ownership experience, of knowing that you’re the custodian of this one for a period, before it goes to someone else – because it will probably never ever die.
Specification of this example
Any references to the original specification of this car are probably pretty arbitrary, since Astwoods rebuilt almost every aspect of it in 2017.
It’s also hard to try and capture all the specification of this example, but I’ll have a go:-
The 300TDI engine, 5-speed manual transmission, and four-wheel drive train is largely “stock” specification, but supported by twin-main battery conversion. It also has power steering, and an updated 175 Amp alternator and an intercooler.
The interior is fitted with Exmoor Trim half-leather seats front and rear, giving high-backs and head restraints. The front seats have pump-up lumbar control, and are heated too. All seats recline.
The interior also benefits from supplementary air conditioning, a separate leisure battery which powers numerous 12v charging points, a double-DIN radio unit with integrated colour satellite navigation, Bluetooth and USB inputs. The boot area is fully carpeted, but then fitted with an ultra-heavy duty rubber mat on top, and a dog guard/parcel guard. Under the boot floor is a lockable multi-compartment pull-out security drawer.
The long-wheelbase 5-door body is supplemented by a huge, heavy duty FrontRunner roofrack (frankly, it’s the mother of all roofracks!). The front is fitted with a TigerShark TS11500 5-tonne winch with wire rope and remote operating handset, and a heavy duty bull bar, and the rear with a FrontRunner access ladder, and a tow-bar with seven-pin electrics. A Safari snorkel air intake is fitted.
This car’s condition
I normally pass a comment here that the car’s condition is commensurate with its age and mileage. That doesn’t really apply to this Land Rover!! At twenty-six years old and with 114k miles on the clock, you would be expecting it to be pretty tired – but obviously that’s not the case here following its rebuild in 2017.
The British Racing Green paintwork remains smart and glossy, set off by the black-painted checkerplate to the sides of the bonnet and along the sills. Inevitably, there are some light scratches and a couple of minor dents – but nothing of any significance. Both rear doors are showing some signs of corrosion – or maybe it’s a reaction of the aluminium to steel framing beneath it? But it wouldn’t be difficult or expensive to rectify this if you felt it necessary to do so.
The interior is in very good condition – the seats are all fine, and very comfortable! The underbonnet area is clean and tidy.
The recorded mileage of just over 113,000 is believed to be correct – but there are never any records passed across from the MoD, so there is nothing to evidence its first 93k. Since taking ownership, Greg has had the Land Rover regularly serviced and well maintained, and there are invoices present to evidence this. In preparing it for sale, I asked my mechanics to check through the vehicle thoroughly – this resulted in a fair bit of work, including replacing a sluggish starter motor, completing a full service and lubrication/greasing, and replacing the temperature sender unit.
There is no record of the cambelt having been replaced; whilst I strongly suspect that Astwoods would have completed that as part of their refurbishment work in 2017, this cannot be confirmed.
The MoT is due to expire in September 2025.
The Defender has also been fully valeted and Experian Data Checked (like HPI) and is clear other than noting that Greg had previously run the car on a private numberplate.
In preparing the vehicle for sale, however, a discrepancy was noted on the chassis number recorded on the v5 – two digits had been reversed. This has now been corrected, and a new v5 issued with the correct chassis number. However, this has led to some repeated discrepancies on MoT issue – some with the correct chassis number and some with the two digits reversed – however all the certificates are present with the car, as detailed below.
Equipment and Features
> Finished in British Racing Green paintwork, with black half-leather Exmoor interior trim> 2,500cc 4-cylinder turbocharged fuel-injection diesel engine, producing 111bhp and 265Nm torque
> 5-speed manual gearbox, with high/low range and differential lock for effective 4wd off-road driving
> Power Assisted Steering (PAS)
> Aftermarket air conditioning
> Double-DIN radio unit, with integrated colour satellite navigation, Bluetooth, and USB input
> TS TigerShark11500 SuperWinch with 5 tonne (11500lb) capacity, fitted with wire rope and remote operating controls
> Two keys
> Tinted windows
> Exmoor Trim half-leather front seats, with pump-up lumbar control and heated front seats
> Three individual Exmoor Trim half-leather reclining and folding rear seats, all with head restraints, the outer two fitted with 3-point seat belts and the centre seat with a lap belt
> LED Front Headlamps
> Front spot lights
> Rear fog lamp
> Uprated 175amp Alternator
> Heated rear window
> Rear wash/wipe system
> Heavy duty FrontRunner roof rack
> Safari Snorkel air intake
> Front “bull bar”
> Rear steps and FrontRunner roof ladder
> Rear mounted spare wheel with Swing wheel carrier
> Rear tow ball with 7-pin electrics
> Full carpeting throughout, with fitted tailored front rubber overmat, and ultra heavy duty mat to load compartment
> Lockable multi-drawer pull-out tray under boot floor
> Multiple 12v charging points
> Dog/Parcel guard
> Twin main battery conversion
> Separate vehicle leisure battery powering rear-mounted 12v charging points
> Integrated vehicle immobiliser
History and Documentation
> The current mileage is showing as 113,800 miles which is believed to be correct, but cannot be warranted due to the lack of documentation from the RAF. The 20k miles completed since 2017 is warranted, and supported by MoT and servicing documentation
> The Defender comes with its V5 registration document. It was declared manufactured in June 1999, and first registered to Astwood 4×4 on 3rd March 2017. Greg then took ownership of it on 15th March 2017 and has owned it since.
> The current MoT expires 22nd September 2025. It was issued 22nd September 2024 at 113,678 miles with no advisory items.
> The MoTs since 2017 are all present with the car and show as follows:-
93,269 miles; 02/03/2017 – No advisory items
100,358 miles; 23/03/2018 – No advisory items
104,613 miles; 21/03/2019 – One advisory for a slight engine oil leak
107,000 miles; 23/03/2020 – Advisories for corrosion to coil springs, wear to brake discs, slight play in the rear wheel bearings, and a slight oil leak
107,939 miles; 01/04/2021 – Advisories as above, plus some corrosion inside front wheel arches
109,844 miles; 07/04/2022 – Advisories for slight oil leaks, corrosion to coil springs and underside of vehicle
111,641 miles; 19/04/2023 – No advisory items
113,678 miles; 23/09/2024 – No advisory items
> Every MoT certificate is present with the car
> The car has been Experian Data Checked (similar to HPI), and the buyer will receive a copy of the report – which shows no problems, and notes that is has been held on a private registration plate during Greg’s ownership
> There is no servicing book, and no service records relating to the time when the Land Rover was with the RAF. Since its recommissioning by Astwood 4×4, Greg has kept all the servicing receipts, the main items of which are as follows:-
104,612 miles; 28/02/2019 – Service
109,000 miles; undated but end 2021 – Full service`
111,635 miles; 13/04/2023 – Service
113,718 miles; 17/02/2025 – Full service
Bodywork and Interior Condition
> As you can see from the photos, the bodywork is in very good condition. There are no nasty scuffs or rusty patches. There are a few touched-in stone chips, and a couple of shallow dents, and some corrosion in the bottom of each of the rear doors – but the whole car presents very well – especially for one that is 26 years old!
> The interior is equally in very good condition throughout. It’s utilitarian, of course – so not much by way of luxury – but the Exmoor Trim seats and carpeting are all in good condition.
Mechanical Condition and Wheels/Tyres
> The Land Rover has covered just under 114,000 miles. It goes very well indeed – and runs, steers, stops and goes round corners just as you would expect.
> All the interior warning lights come on and go off as they should.
> The road wheels are 17” “Wolf” steel wheels, with no kerbing damage or scuffing.
> The road tyres are a matched set of chunky top quality BF Goodriich All-Terrain T/A tyres, in 265/75 x16 size. “Normal” tyres come with about 7mm of tread when new – but judging by the spare, these come with twice that!
One front tyre has about 10mm of tread, and the other about 11mm of tread. The rears each have 12mm of tread, and the rear-door mounted spare looks unused and has 14mm of tread.
> The jack and tools are all present
Summary
All in all – this is a great opportunity to acquire one of these iconic go-anywhere 4×4 “proper” Land Rovers, with a specification designed to facilitate either local work or long-distance touring. It’s been well maintained, and the bodywork and interior are all in very good condition. The Exmoor Trim seating is much more comfortable than the standard Land Rover offering, and the addition of creature comforts such as air conditioning makes all the difference.
For anyone looking for a well-specced, good historied classic LWB Land Rover, this has to be on your short-list – especially given the huge saving over its cost when rebuilt 7years ago! Those “in the know” will recognise the benefits of the FrontRunner roof rack, TigerShark winch, Safari Snorkel, the uprated Alternator, and the rest of this carefully selected kit list!
If you have any questions, please mail me or call me on 07917-234897. Any inspection or accompanied test drive is welcomed by appointment.
A note about Warranties
We go to exceptional lengths to assure the mechanical condition of any car that we sell. Whilst we are agents for WarrantyWise, they will not offer a standard policy to cover a vehicle of the age of this Land Rover.
A classic vehicle warranty is available on individual tear– please ask for details.
