1998 Land Rover Defender, with a twist

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So this is my father-in-law's P&J.

She's a 1998 model Land Rover Defender 90 SWB, but powered by an M52 BMW motor, mated to an LT77 gearbox and an uprated transfer case and diffs.







Best thing about it, I get to drive her a couple of times a year

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Codswallop said:

Looks great Which version of the M52 does it have?

As far as I can tell these were only for the South African market, so pretty rare as they go. The M52 is straight out of an E36/E39/E38, and definitely has Vanos and the plastic intake. A 3.2 M-Power unit would bolt straight in though A stronger ZF 'box and you would be set.

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Andy665 said:

Very nice, transplant looks very neat

No transplant, it came from the factory in Coventry that way.

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The Wookie said:

shalmaneser said:

Wow, how odd! Guess it must have been built while BMW owned the company, do you know why they were produced for SA in this form?

<pedant mode>Actually Defenders are shipped out to a factory in SA in Knock Down Kit form (a bit like a Caterham kit) to be built. The M52 engine development was done with help of the factory in Solihull, but I'm led to believe the main thrust of the work was done in SA.

I'm also reasonably sure that the V8 wouldn't pass SA emissions or some other legal requirement, and there was demand for a petrol unit, so the 2.8 model was built.

You clearly know your Landies chap, I was only going with the manufacturers plate on the drivers seat box, which says made in Coventry, and as for the information on the t/c, gearbox and diffs I'm going with what's in the manual. I've only ever seen two others in KZN, a light blue 2.8i that had been heavily modified for bush work - snorkel, roof tent, winch and extended range fuel tank, and the aforementioned M-power beastie with a 3.2 out of an E36 M3 evo, that one was silver.

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@The Wookie -

If, out of interest, I wanted to buy a 2.8i in the UK - is there anyone that you could recommend that could source me one?