1997 NAS Defender 90 Soft Top
This low mileage '97 D90 has come to us from California for a nice list of upgrades. The big upgrade will be the install of the Interceptor 5.2 V8!! (for more info. on the 5.2 click here) This will give this D90 roughly 340 hp and gobs of torque. Along with our other 5.2 installs this D90 will takes its place as one of the fastest and most powerful D90 in North America.
In this image you can see that the weak stock 4.0 has been stripped down. The long block will be removed next and the 5.2, breathing through its carbon fiber enlarged and ported intake will be installed! Want to never worry about your Rover's power needs again?? The 5.2 is the answer. Serious horsepower for those who desire serious performance.
This '97 D90 will also be getting a Safari Gard Stage II suspension, ARB air lockers front and rear, ECR ROX sliders, Warn winch, front bumper and much more. Here you can see the Safari Gard Stage II suspension installed in the rear of this D90. The new springs and Fox racing shocks, as well as the corrected trailing arms and new bushings will all add up to great trail performance and excellent road manners.
The front of the Stage II suspension works just as well. Here the springs, Fox racing shocks, and the ECR corrected radius arms have been installed. Also notice the Earls plumbing extended stainless steel brake line to deal with the added extension that the Stage II system gives.
Another item that the customer requested was easy on and off side steps. We remanufacture the factory side steps so that they come off with just a few quick turns of the wrench. This means you can leave them on until you reach the trial if need be, and in about the time it takes to air your tires down you can have both removed until your finished off road.
Notice that in this image the side sills have been removed so that we can fit the ECR ROX frame mounted rock sliders.
As the rest of the off road upgrades are set up, the 5.2 install is going along nicely. in this image you can see the 5.2 tastefully hidden under the GEMS engine system. The only thing missing is the lack of power and that 4.0 logo that used to be on the intake plenum! We have also upgraded the GEMS computer to run better and put out tons of torque and horsepower with the 5.2. The great thing about the 5.2 is that your local dealer or mechanic can install and work on all the ancillary parts and keep you 5.2 running great. The initial install has to be done at ECR, but for routine service needs your local dealer can handle all aspect of the 5.2 as it is a Rover engine. This D90 will also be getting a full NRP stainless exhaust system to help it breath better with those 340 horses under the hood.
This image shows the completed ECR ROX sliders. They are frame mounted so they are ultra tough. We've tested them on everything, and that means a lot. We run them on ECR 4 (our 1995 project Defender 90) and they have stood up to worlds of abuse without any sign of failure. They are the toughest sliders available for your D90, and they are quite stylish too! Shown here with the removable side step in place. Notice that 5.2 Interceptor logo on the fender. If you see an ECR 5.2 logo on a Rover, you shouldn't try to out run it... No matter what you have under the hood, a Dakar 4.5, a supercharged engine, or even a supercharged Dakar 4.5, it can't help you. They have about 70 horsepower LESS than the Interceptor.
Here you can see some details of the finished project. We have installed the Safari Gard front skid plate as well as a front diff. guard and front and rear ARB air lockers. Notice the small attention to details that ECR Rovers get. Take a look at the blue ARB air line. Unlike the typical install we have found that if installed as per the manufactures instructions that the air line points up and can get caught on sticks and brush. We have our own way of installing the ARB lockers that eliminate this problem in favor of a right angle fitting in the top of the differential case, not in the body of the diff. This means the air line is always tight to the top of the axle, out of the way of hot catalytic convertors and really hard to snag on off road obstacles. Just a small reason why you can't afford not to have ECR work on your upgrades!
In this image you can see the newly installed Safari Gard front bumper and Warn XD9000 winch. The original Hella lights were retained and switched over to the SG bumper system,
So here it is, the completed '97 D90 with a nice list of upgrades, from true 4x4 traction with its ARB air lockers, to true performance with 340 horsepower on tap from the 5.2 V8 and numerous other tricks. If your D90 needs some "pumping up" or some routine service work, ECR is you one and only Defender source. Weekly we work on more Defenders that most shops see in a year. The choice is simple... ECR.