This 1997 Land Rover Defender 90 is #140 of a limited number of North American-specification examples that were first delivered to Japan. Imported to the US in 2013, it was retrofitted with a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 before it was acquired in 2024 by its current owner, who tells us that more than $160k was spent on subsequent refurbishments. The truck is refinished in Tuxedo Black over a black interior, and it has a Puma-style hood, a heated windshield, LED lighting, central locking, a rearview camera, Kahn Crosshair exhaust outlets, 16″ wheels with 35″ Toyos, and Old Man Emu suspension components. Its drivetrain is equipped with a 4L80E four-speed automatic and an Ashcroft LT230 transfer case with an ATB limited-slip center differential. Its cabin features Chelsea Truck Co. heated front seats, power windows, Speedhut gauges, air conditioning, a Mt. Mansfield heater, a Sony touchscreen, and inward-facing rear benches. This Defender 90 is offered on consignment by the selling dealer, a BaT Local Partner, with records from current ownership and a Colorado title in the owner’s name.
In 2026, the body was refinished in Ford-specification Tuxedo Black, per the seller, and the truck has a Puma-style bonnet, powder-coated checker plate, LED lighting, step bars, rear mudflaps, a rear ladder, and a Plumb front bumper, grille, headlight bezels, and door handles. In 2025, the hood cable, door lock cylinders and latch components, and glass, seals, and weatherstripping were replaced.
In April 2024, an Old Man Emu steering damper, shocks, heavy-duty front springs, and medium-duty rear springs were installed, at which time wheel bearings were repacked, and the front swivel balls were replaced along with the tie rods and track rod ends, rear brake rotors and pads, and rear A-frame ball joint.
The 16″ wheels are mounted with 315/75 Toyo Open Country A/T3 tires. The four-wheel disc brakes are equipped with an LOF Powerboost servo kit and braided stainless-steel lines.
Overhauled in 2024 and 2025, the air-conditioned black interior features heated Chelsea Truck Company front seats, power windows and locks, USB ports, Gladen speakers, a microfiber headliner, a sunroof, a Mt. Mansfield high-output heater assembly, a heated windshield, a Sony touchscreen with a rearview camera, and inward-facing rear jump seats.
A MOMO steering wheel fronts Speedhut instruments, and the digital odometer shows 206 miles since it was put in service. Mileage inconsistencies are listed in 2019 and 2026 entries on the Carfax report, and total mileage is unknown.
Installed under previous ownership, the 6.2-liter LS3 V8 is said to have been tuned by Altitude Speed of Brighton, Colorado. Its exhaust system has a Borla muffler and Kahn Crosshair tailpipes. Work in July 2025 included rotating the intake manifold 180°, replacing intake manifold and valley pan gaskets, wiring an aftermarket oil pressure sender into a dual-port billet oil pan adapter, and rerouting fuel lines, injector/coil wiring, breather pipes, and air filter ducting. An Allisport custom radiator with twin electric fans was also fitted, as were a replacement water pump and associated components, and the cooling system was bled and pressure-tested.
Power is sent to all four wheels through a 4L80E four-speed automatic transmission, which was mated in 2025 to an Ashcroft-sourced LT230 dual-range transfer case with an automatic torque biasing (ATB) limited-slip center differential. Some seepage is noted underneath at the front differential, steering gearbox, and oil pan.
A summary of services between 2024 and 2026 was provided by the seller, who reports $164k was spent on the work, and 19 pages of records from current ownership are shown at the end of the gallery below.
The Carfax report lists history beginning in 2013. It shows the aforementioned mileage entries and is free of accidents or other reported damage.
The odometer entry on the Colorado title is “Exempt”. The vehicle has not passed a Colorado emissions test since 2018, and prospective buyers should check local emissions regulations before bidding.
