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1993 NAS Defender 110
Paint work, 4.6 upgrade and more!
This NAS 110 has come to us from New England, but is destine for a new owner in Texas. As this Rover was used year round in the northeast it had some rust and corrosion work that needed to be done, so the new owner sent it directly from the point of purchase to ECR, so that we could bring it up to his standards. The new owner also has a long list of upgrades he desires. That list includes such cool items as a new Generation 2 Pursuit 4.6 EFI V8, a rear disc brake conversion, vented front disc upgrade, conversion to R380 5 speed, complete rust and corrosion repair and a full paint job in the original Alpine White. In the image above you can also see that the 110 has had its external safari cage removed, as we are powder coating that satin black for a different look on the 110.
First step is to dig in and find all the rust and corrosion so we can stop it, epoxy prime it, and then re-coat it with a better quality paint, with a better than factory finish. One of the big problems with factory built Defenders is that the factory didn't paint behind anything, and in some cases that means almost bare steel is exposed. In the image above you can see that we have removed the body cappings from this 110 to reveal that no paint (other than what is called "shipping primer") exists under those steel pieces. This is why Defenders develop rust bleeds from the cappings. At ECR we remove the cappings, sand blast them back to white metal (or replace them in some cases) and then prime them with 2 coats of PPG epoxy primer, and 3 coats of top coat. (we can also galvanize these pieces if you like) We also do the same thing with the body, and then we install the cappings after the rest of the 110 is painted. This basically means no more rust from your body cappings.
Once all the rust and corrosion has been found we get the 110 ready for a full prime of epoxy primer and take care of any small body dings and replace any panels that need to be replaced. At this stage we usually find some repairs that have been made by other shops that are not up to our standards, and this 110 is no exception.
In this image you can see the large bare alloy section on the rear tub. This was some previous body damage that was not properly repaired. In fact the body shop that did this work just filled the damaged area with "Bondo" to cover it up, they did not remove the dents. This was done on the left and right side, and the right rear panel was replaced as well, but they didn't rivet or tig weld it in, they just allowed the body cappings to hold it in place, so that the panel just floated free, a very poor repair, and we are guessing not what the previous owner had in mind, or paid for.
We removed all the body filler and correctly installed the rear panel. We then used correct techniques to get the metal back in shape and then ground it flush. At this time we also ground all the rust from the T-supports and installed new seal trims (a part that ECR makes as it can not be purchased) and installed new lower door seals so that will be no more rust from the seal areas.
Another typical area of corrosion on a 110 are the seat box sides. In this image you can see that we have removed the left hand seat box side and replaced it with new. We also paint the new panel front and back before installing it, so that corrosion won't happen again. Here you can also see the freshly painted T-support (minus its seal and seal cover). So now when you open the door on this 110 it looks great with no rust, and is a long lasting repair to keep it looking good.
The fender skins on the 110 had to be discarded as the rust from the safari cage supports had corroded through them. Both the skins and the supports will be replaced, and properly painted and isolated so that it can't happen again. The driver's door also suffered from too much rust to save, it will be replaced with a new unit as well. The 110 is now ready to go back into our paint booth for a full prime (you can see the damaged areas have already been repaired and spot primed) with 2 coasts of epoxy primer. We remove as many parts as we can so that the paint job looks great and gets into those hard to reach areas, Nothing looks worse on a paint job than seeing tape lines, so we avoid them as much as possible.
This is the 110 after the primer and 3 coats of Alpine White top coat, looking great again. The masking has been removed and now it will start to be re-assembled in the paint prep. bay. Notice that the body cappings are still not installed. We paint the entire 110, and the cappings, then put them together afterwards, this is the only way to stop the rust bleeds from the body cappings. Once the basic 110 is together again we'll move it to the mechanical shop at ECR and start on things like the wing top guards, new 4.6 V8, and more.
In this image you can see the small details that make the ECR 110s look so good coming together. The small parts that were removed for paint work have been fitted, and the wing top guards have been installed as well.
Here you can see that the 110's rims have been painted in a dark gray color for a great look. This is the same color as the rims on ECR4 and is becoming quite popular. The freshly painted rims have been covered with new 265x75 BFG Mud Terrains for bite in the Texas dirt.
Speaking of Texas, this customer is a big fan of his football team, so he had us custom paint on the longhorn logo on the back of his new 110. When we say, "Our only limitation is your imagination" we mean it!
This image shows the paint work fully completed on the 110. The safari cage is still being coated in satin black, but the rest of the exterior of this 110 is ready to go. Next will be the install of the 275 HP Pursuit 4.6, conversion to R380 gearbox, rear disc brakes, vented front disc brake upgrade and much more.
Here you can see that we have yanked out the tired 3.9 V8 and have started to strip it down and clean the parts that we will need to re-use on the Pursuit 4.6. The Pursuit 4.6 is a direct bolt in into this 1993 NAS 110 with NO modifications needed. We will be upgrading the EFI computer to help us get out 275HP, but other than that it is a direct swap.
The engine bay will get a good cleaning and we will inspect all the parts that relate to the engine to make sure that the new Pursuit 4.6 will last a good long time. The LT77 gearbox will also be coming out in favor of a latest suffix R380 5 speed. The owner of this 110 wants true trouble free operation when the Defender arrives in Texas so we'll address everything, right down to the exhaust.
This image shows the new Pursuit 4.6 being built up for the 110. With 275HP this 110 will have no problem on those long Texas straight aways, or carrying 9 passengers on a safari. You can also see that our Pursuit 4.6s are fully set up to run in the 14CUX EFI system and are a direct bolt in with no needed modifications of any kind. You would not believe how many shops will tell you that a 4.6 can't be installed into a Defender or Discovery, but as you can see clearly above.. it can.
The Pursuit engine offers up its 275HP through a number of tricks. One of those tricks is the ability to get more air into the combustion chamber. In this image you can see one of the ways we do that. We fully machine and polish the intake and trumpets into what we call "velocity stacks" to allow more air into the engine. The stock air system is shown on the rights, and our Pursuit 4.6 air intake is on the left.
While we have the drivetrain out of the 110 we'll take this time to go over the LT230 1.4 ratio transfer case and install new output seals and gaskets in it. We'll also check the transfer case for wear and tear and make any needed repairs.
Along with engine upgrades for more power, we need to also give this 110 better stopping power as well. We'll do that by installing a new disc brake Salisbury axle in the rear, and heavy duty vented rotors up front. The image above shows the vented rotors in place, waiting for the new calipers that will give this NAs 110 updated stopping power.
This image shows the new rear axle assembly installed, giving this 110 4 wheel disc brakes.
Here you can see the new front calipers mounted with the new vented discs. These upgrades combined with the rear disc brakes give the 110 all the stopping power it needs, and it eliminates the rear drum brakes that need periodic adjustments.
Also installed was this full NRP stainless exhaust system. This will give added performance to the 4.6 engine and will last a good long time. NRP now polishes the tips on their systems for an even better look.
Here you can see the nearly completed 110. We've re-installed the safari cage that we powder coated in a satin black, and installed the Old Man Emu springs and Bilstein shocks giving the 110 a correct stance. We also installed a rear shock drop kit to keep all the rear axle articulation in tact. Next we'll move inside the 110 and sort the interior and add the new floor mats and seat covers.
One last addition to the outside of the 110 is a simple brush bar that we installed for a little added protection up front.
Here you can see the completed engine bay with the Pursuit 4.6 installed. As you can see all the Rover systems remain in tact, there is no strange parts in our upgrades. The Pursuit can also be serviced and diagnosed by any Rover mechanic, so any needed future repairs are simple and parts are easy to get. The engine bay looks stock, even the air intake says "3.9", but wait until you get behind the wheel! This 110 has the power that the factory should have installed, all in a bolt in, smooth running package.
Along with all the performance goodies on this 110, we are also making the older interior look better. We installed new headliners, floor mats and replaced some of the worn carpet pieces for a fresher, cleaner look to the inside of this 110. As soon as the 110 is completed we'll detail the inside so the owner takes delivery of a nice clean 110. Keep in mind the customer bought this 110 and then had it shipped directly to ECR for upgrades, he's never seen it or driven it. He wanted it fully sorted and upgraded prior to taking delivery.
One of the last jobs on the 110 was to replace the door hinges with new units and adjust all the doors to work easily. Yes, 110s can have doors that work perfectly, they just the ECR touch to adjust them correctly. We also used stainless steel door hinge bolts so that the hinge area will stay looking good for a long time. In this image you can also see the tell-tale 4.6 logo on this 110, that just lets you know this is no average NAS 110... its an ECR NAS 110.
Here you can see the completed 110 project. Pursuit 4.6, R380 gearbox, rear disc brakes, vented brakes up front, numerous repairs to bring it back to 100%, full paint job, stainless steel hardware , satin black safari cage and much much more. The 110 is now ready for shipping to is owner in Texas where it will be ready for whatever he can throw at it. Be sure to let ECR know if we can help you with any of your Defender needs, and help make your Defender world class... just like this one!