Anyone replaced a Defender body?

The place which services my Defender reckons corrosion has set into the bodywork. I really like the thing, so would like to look at options to keep it running rather than buy a new one. I probably couldn’t afford a new one anyhow – cars seem to be really expensive nowadays, and I dread to think what a replacement Defender would cost.

Mine doesn’t ‘look’ too bad at the minute, but there’s definitely rot setting into the body caps, and there’s white furry aluminium along the door openings etc. The chassis shouldn’t be too bad as I’ve had it Waxoyled most years. Apparently the roof is also corroding. I’m not sure what the bulkhead is like – there is rust on the bolts by the windscreen (visible when the doors are open).

It was suggested I buy an almost new ‘body tub’ from a breakers, then give it a good few coats of paint, and isolate aluminium from any steel. However, it sounds like it will need a good few other body parts as well, such as a roof.

I’m curious about how much a new body will cost. Also, I’m not sure how much of the preparation/dismantling/rebuild I’d be able to do myself.

Any experience of where to get the bits, how much they’re likely to cost, and what would be involved?

By the way, it’s a 90 Hard Top with ‘XS’ spec, 11 years old and 200,000 miles on the clock. I’ve owned it since new.

Unless you have got holes in the alloy it should be save-able.
as you have said, isolating the steel from the ally is a good start.
Etch primmer will help seal the alloy once it has been cleaned down.
Changing the capping isn’t a really hard job, it just taking the roof off, need at least 3 strong tall lads to do it easily.

But i’d start at the chassic and bulkhead, if these are shot then it might break the job.

Tubs from breakers can be got for not too much. I salvaged a tub (been rolled, so not all of it was usable) for cappings and floor.

Get galv cappings from YRM

http://www.yrmlandrover.com/epages/BT3575.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/BT3575/Categories/Defender_parts/Land_Rover_Defender_90/Body

(rear corner cappings, and tub top cappings)

They also do a reasonably priced galv door as well, although I went with a GRP plastic door from somewhere else. Cant really recommend the GRP doors, but equally I dont have experience of the galv doors.

I refurbished all my ally panels – random orbital sander to get all the oxide out – but not all the paint off, then off to the sprayers for new coat.

rebuilt tub:
Original side panels refurb’d, new LH quarter panel, refurbd right. Floor taken from salvage at breakers and cappings.

Bulkhead always needs the closest look and it’s the heart of the vehicle and one of the longest jobs to do.

check out http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/i-am-man-defender-provider-mechanic/ for how to take a long time over it 😳

if your paying some one to do that it will likely cost most of the way towardsa new defender….

we needs photosof what you have ….. the resolve depends if you want a show room defender or a solid dependable workhorse….

rotty mc rotterson.

and before you know it you end up here …

how it looks now.

Thanks for the info and pics! Some great projects there!

I’ll need to see about taking some photos. Mine looks a lot better than that last example, at least it does on first inspection, although I haven’t really examined it closely. I would prefer the end result to be showroom condition, so perhaps that’s not really feasible.

I’ll need to think about it and see what options there are. I can see that once the work started it could be off the road for months/years, and, being realistic, there’s a good chance it might not ever hit the road again!

Not quite showroom, but tidy is doable with patience.

” I would prefer the end result to be showroom condition, so perhaps that’s not really feasible.”

If your paying someone , youll be needing almost new defender money to make it near show room….. The only bonus is that even show room wasnt that close ….. +- 15 mm was door tollerance at the factory…

Mines staying ratty as its gonna be an off roader. Solid mechanicals ratty body work is my aim.

That Ebay badge would be a good addition over that built by me sticker stoner. Its lazer cut in the style of the series badges but is the exact replica of the original sticker and is pure class 🙂

St stickers a nice touch.

I need to get another tail gate , the chequer plates holding that one together 🙁

You’ll never beat electrolytic corrosion in a a landy, its a design fault.

It seems a bit odd that the garage mentioned body corrosion tbh, unless its incredibly bad it’s only cosmetic.

Any pics?

edit: dont think I’ve ever heard of a roof needing replaced due to corrosion!

Is suspicious.

Good point , roof and tub yet doesnt need a bulkhead or rear cross member….

Also suspicious.

Sounds odd , td5 s don’t have a great rep for cross members or bulkheads but a roof very odd is the place used to landrovers or have they just seen bubbling paint and panicked

Thread needs pics

the chequer plates holding that one together

i thought it was the “turbo” sticker that was structural 😉

nothing says 1980s like an inch high turbo sticker!

I’ll have to see about taking some pictures. I think the issue is that the rot has set in – it’s not an eyesore at present, but it will only get worse. It’s just the way Land Rovers are, and although you see some which don’t look bad, my one has suffered, although not as badly as some. It’s better built and more resilient to rust than my previous Defenders, but they don’t last forever. Mine had two doors replaced under the LR anti-perforation warranty when they started to bubble, but even the replacements are going the same way.

The owner of the garage knows Land Rovers inside-out, and they specialise in Land Rovers. They’ve serviced mine for years, and I’d say he was very trustworthy. He wouldn’t do the restoration, so he’s not out to make any money from it, and he’s unable to recommend anywhere locally that would do a good job of the bodywork. I know a lot of Landy places don’t have a great reputation, and there are some pretty shoddy restorations out there.

By the way I’m in the north of Scotland, so the roads are aggressively salted in winter, which won’t help.

Obviously not in Aberdeen then as the cooncil seem to avoid this task in winter

im also in the north east…. the pictures of the rot are 27 years of neglect of previous 2 owners.

What Stoner said is true – Tidy is doable with patience, but ‘showroom’ a bit more difficult to achieve.
I’ve done a chassis-up rebuild of a 110 Hardtop, however we refurbished and reused most of the bodywork.
The end result was ‘tidy’ but in no way ‘as new’

Don’t underestimate how much space you need to strip one down, outside is fine, but you’ll need to put it all somewhere!

I’d do another one, but would only try and achieve ‘tidy’ and would probably hand paint with a matt finish.

“I’d do another one, but would only try and achieve ‘tidy’ and would probably hand paint with a matt finish.”

which is where ive ended up …. and knowing what i know now – i wont be doing it again without a new chassis and bulkhead sitting waiting – its been a challenge :d

I had a mate from a body shop round last week , he said the number of jobs he gets from town and county under LR anti perforation is unreal , he did add that many owners up here seem to forget what the land rover was built for and that they expect a show room perfect show pony after 2 years of tearing round the salted roads from their house to the office without so much as a wash.

As much as xs spec adds to value is it worth the cost or effort to make it shiny esp with 200k
Could you live with work worn looking truck

Lrm for repair panels