You ask that assuming I didn’t also do that.
Agreed. I have no desire to make life unnecessarily burdened by car problems with what is intended to be pure, unadulterated FUN!
Looks fit for the Sheik of Araby.
I still think that’s a bit much.
LOL. $35k for an LS3? Were you high or something? An LS3 crate engine is well under $10k
https://www.gmperformancemotor.com/category/ERODE.html
No sir, The Defender was available in the U.S. from 1993 until 1997.
That’s a very, very nice Defender, but I don’t see $200k there. Unless it was a conversion done by East Coast Defenders, in which case it will cost $200k, but that’s parts + labor+ profit for the outfitter. In my opinion, it’s like ICON Bronco, I’m sure the work is done to a high standard, but if you ran the numbers of the part list, you can see where they make their money. If someone had the expertise to do the work in their garage over the course of several years, the cost would be much, much less. I’m not saying paying to have it done is bad thing, if you’ve got the money for it, and it makes you happy, that’s great, it’s an awesome truck. But when you claim that an LS3 costs $35k, either you didn’t shop around at all, or you accepted that the price they charged was the actual value of the engine.
1 Like
None of you know underpowered. I owned 2 of the most underpowered cars of the post Korean war era.
! 1971 VW bus with a 60 hp engine that we drove from Western NY to Florida an back with 4 adults and 4 children (7 to 15) a dog and all our luggage for a 3 week vacation. Yes, it was a 7 pass., the kids had to take turns on the floor. recommended top speed was 68 mph but you could only obtain that on the level or downhill. Could get 75 behind a fast truck.
The other was a 59 Studebaker Lark wagon with an 85 gross hp flathead six and three on the tree. Same engine as the 1939 Champion.
We were on vacation in the finger lakes for a weeks worth of camping and had all our food and gear. I tried to go over the hill from Nunda to Dundee and it shuddered to a stop well short of the top. Had to make everyone get out of the car, drive to the top, unload car, go down and pick them up drive to top and reload car.
Drove a lot of trucks over the years with similar power problems. I remember a 47international roadliner with a top speed of 45 mph. I drove for a major class 1 national carrier in the early 90s with a lot of GMC Brigadeers that had a top speed of 55 mph on the speedo. Trouble was the speedos were optimistic. They were actually only doing 53. A lot of hills they were only doing 15.
Pretty miserable when you are being paid by the mile.
1 Like
No sir, that is incorrect…tho I understand why there could be confusion. The 1993 Defender 110 was a legal import. The 1997 Defender 90 was a legal import. They were not both imported (nor was either imported) for the duration of that span.
For my part – and thanks everyone who jumped down my throat over this – I was wrong about the cost of the LS3. I mentioned that number off the cuff from a long list of expenses from detailed receipts and for some reason that number popped into my head. My deepest apologies for all the sleepless nights I seem to have caused. 
So, to flesh the story out a bit, the original restoration did not include the LS3, but rather a hand built 4.6L high performance fuel injection V8 paired with the rebuilt R380 5-speed manual transmission.
Add in new Puma hood; new rear door; 3 rows x 2 Captain’s Exmoor Elite seats (First two rows heated) covered in hand stiched leather with matching leather dash and lockbox tops (x2, also custom made); custom double-sided alcantara headliner; Momo steering wheel; FatBoy arches; KBX surrounds; KBX vents; 18" Twisted Performance wheels x5; air conditioning system and vents/controls added; Twisted stainless steel steering guard; custom LED downlights; full vehicle soundproofing; and a few other goodies. With that, along with the full reconditioning, rust-proofing, and repainting…you’ve got a picture of “Phase 1”.
“Phase 2” got the custom built performance powertrain, including LS3 motor and all of the other fun stuff I think I mentioned previously.
Now that I’m aware of how much some of you enjoy pointing out what they would or would not have done, or how much they would or would not have paid – let me be the first to say that I realize this was not the most cost effective way of doing things. I was trying for a slightly more authentic feel to the drive, and when the first phase was being planned I didn’t feel comfortable spending the money to get everything done that I mentioned in Phase 2. However, while Phase 1 was being completed (and because I was not the one spending time in the garage), I had a pretty great couple of months doing what I do—and the resulting millions I added to my bank account were both cause for celebration and the means to do so in the form of “Phase 2”.
So while I understand why the confusion at the seemingly high end-cost, there was in fact a reason for it. At the end of the day, I can rest knowing I’ve done my part to “trickle-down” that the GOP seems so keen on, as well as having added quite a large barrel to the US Gov’s stock-pile of cash on hand.
@cdaquila flamebait ^
3 Likes
As someone else already said, we’ve been driving underpowered cars for so long, that anything which can make it from 0 to 60 in less than a minute seems like a rocket.
I do not feel that comment applies to any vehicle I have ever owned, Sure applies to a Volkswagen bus though. Do not know 0 to 60 time, but not feeling the under powered pain.
The most “under-powered” car I ever owned was my 94 Saturn Sedan (stick shift), and I certainly never thought that it was under-powered…the only other car I ever had that might have been under-powered was my early 2000s Corolla, and I didn’t think that was under-powered either. I don’t think we’ve been driving under-powered cars for so long…have you compared the specs on American cars vs European cars???
I drive a 2008 Yaris, and every time I get back on my motorcycle, it feels like a rocket ship. It’s all relative and when I have to use the car, it resets my perspective.
A lot cheaper than trying to make the motorcycle faster too.
Did you ever drive a '60s vintage Falcon or VW?
Those cars were so vastly underpowered that they were hazardous when trying to accelerate onto an expressway!
Nah I’m only 30 and haven’t driven anything older than 1994 model year. My next door neighbor growing up still has his first car (a Chevelle, don’t remember what year offhand) and a 2 or 3 other circa 60-70s era cars. For some reason he didn’t trust any of the neighborhood teenagers with his beauties 
My main premise is that when looking at the last 20-30 years, there are very few under-powered cars on the road. Certainly there were in the eras before, especially when we finally started to crack down on emissions
yes, I did, a 60 falcon. And a 63 Renault Dauphine. Found them both adequate. Newer cars are way overpowered.
How about a diesel VW Rabbit? That was a real speed-demon! Smelled so good, too!
But we have really digressed.
2 Likes
You haven’t experienced underpowered unless you owned one of those 1960’s era 50 to 80cc motorcycles. One step above a moped. Throttle pinned wide open and the rider crawling under the paint on the gas tank might have you going 50 mph or so, with a tail wind and a down grade to help.
About the only thing these bikes could pass was a gas pump.
A few years ago, Honda started selling a small 125cc street bike called the “Grom”. It had that old horizontal single air cooled engine familiar to people who rode vintage Hondas except with electric start and EFI.
2 Likes
Vehicles in general are WAY WAY faster then they were in the 60’s through 80’s. Most took a major drop in the 80’s, but performance has been steadily increasing ever since. Not only are today’s vehicles performing better, but they get better gas mileage, pollute several magnitudes less and are several magnitudes safer.
You mean those 1960’s vehicles were slow, spewed air pollution, and were DANGEROUS?
The one I had would miss a shift every once in a while too.
Yep, when someone says they don’t build 'em like they used to, my response is, “Thank goodness for that!”
2 Likes
Why make a truck faster when they get progressively more dangerous to handle as their speed goes up and acceleration times go down. Even though my truck has silmilar power numbers as my wife’s car, it is much harder to drive safely when using it for anything but towing and handling heavy weight at lower speeds. This is one vehicle type where it’s often better not to make it faster.