Our Land Rover Defender import is finally ready! After a major Defender restoration project, this British beauty is ready to drive – again. Carry on for a bit of our Defender journey with before and after pictures of York. (Yes, our Defender’s name is York.)
Full disclaimer that I’m no mechanic or expert in this field, but here to share first-hand experience importing a Defender 90 from the UK and being a part of the restoration process.
Deciding to import a Defender into the US involves a fair amount of risk, patience, and let’s be honest, money.
Purchasing a Defender blind, in the trust of a complete stranger, takes a whole lot of faith. You have to trust that everything will work out and be incredibly PATIENT.
You also have to accept the risk that the Defender you import doesn’t have more issues than what’s documented. The engine working is the most important!
Despite the risks, we jumped right in as soon as we met Kyle at Warren Defender in Houston Texas. We knew how to import a Defender from the UK into the US but needed an expert to facilitate the purchase. With our luck, Kyle took on the import process and the entire restoration project.
I thought my husband was insane when he said we were going all in. The idea of importing a 1987 Defender we’ve never seen, heard, or driven can make anyone sound downright crazy. I didn’t even know it was blue. A bit like putting all your money on number 7 at a craps table in Vegas and covering your eyes. Yup, that’s precisely what it feels like.
Nevertheless, I said YES.
I wanted an old Land Rover Defender when we lived in England. Moving back to America made my desire for one even more so. After all, Katy Texas could use a touch of Fishpool Street (what started it all for me – a street in St Albans City sprinkled with old Defenders).
From Solihull England to Houston Texas, here are before and after pictures of our D90 restoration.
Our blue 1987 D90 arrives in the US
Rear view before leaving the UK
Our Defender restoration project begins at Warren Defender
Driver side and steering wheel before the conversion
Rear view seats and interior (including hard top) before restoration
How Chalky got its name from Kyle…it’s new paint color
Kyle and team at work!
New steering wheel on the left!
Our D90 rear view interior after restoration
The Harris Tweed seats are my favorite
York AFTER
Defender Restoration Phase 1
First and foremost every old Defender deserves its own name for a rebuild project. Kyle named our Defender “Chalky”. We later renamed our D90 to York, after one of our favorite places in both England and Maine. Dover was a close second!
- Right-hand conversion
- Chassis is symmetric so it allows you to bolt on steering according to the country. However, you can reuse the steering but have to move the steering box, so this ultimately meant buying new in order to fit.
- AC after-market installation
- Bulkhead. This had to be replaced entirely due to rust.
- Middle bulkhead removal because my family is too tall to fit otherwise. Note that if you’re taller than 5’11” you won’t fit.
- Rear door
- Soft top conversion
- Headlights
- Windshield
- Side door glass windows
- Harris Tweed heated seats
- Steering wheel
- Windshield wipers
- Soundbar install
- New electrical for nearly everything…
- Land Rover decals
- Original UK tag
The restoration project took 1 year. We started in May 2021. We drove York home in May 2022.
The longest delays to receive parts were the steering wheel and Harris Tweed seats. The steering wheel took 5 months to arrive from England. The Harris Tweed seats took 6. The actual LR import only took 2 months.
York’s first Christmas appearance 2022
Defender Restoration Phase 2
In May 2023, the timing belt went. Add engine replacement to York’s restoration list.
The D90 engine was original, as required to import from the UK. Losing the engine so fast after restoring the rest of our Defender was our biggest fear turned reality. It was a known risk but how quickly it happened was what shocked us the most.
Through collaborative solutions, York went back to Warren Defender for restoration phase 2.
York’s engine replacement October 2023
One replaced engine later, our Defender restoration project will be fully complete in October 2023.
The actual work to replace the engine didn’t start until August. My husband and I took a couple of months to research options and consult with experts in the UK and New England before making a decision on what to do. Kyle helped significantly with this decision.
One of the best things about Warren Defender in Houston is that they do everything in-house. They don’t sub anything out so every little or big decision is a conversation with Kyle and only Kyle. It’s a boutique shop, run by Kyle and his talented crew, who have an incredible passion for nothing but Land Rover Defenders. And dogs.
Warren Defender Houston Texas
Final Thoughts On Our Defender Restoration Project
It goes without saying that this project could have gone terribly wrong. But we chose the right trusted partner to help us fulfill our dream. We love our restored Defender! The ride has been lengthy and totally wild, but I wouldn’t change my mind about investing in the first place.
Hopefully sharing our experience helps you with your own Land Rover Defender import decision. I would love to know what you think about how we restored ours. The Harris Tweed seats are my fav!
If you have any questions about any of our Defender restorations I left out, post a comment below or send me a note on Instagram. You can see more of our Defender story in Instagram Highlights.