23 minute read
Restifi ed 90 SV Rare Defender reimagined as a Mahker masterpiece
Where it all began
The history of the Land Rover Defender goes back a lot further than just to 1993. But that was the year when Solihull dipped its toe in the lifestyle water with the 90 SV – and things have never been quite the same since. This example of what is one of the rarest Defenders has just been thoroughly restored – and given a unique range of updates at the same time
For somebody who owns Fast’n’Funded, a finance company which helps enthusiasts fast-forward their purchase of a dream classic or supercar, Kurt Bradbury had to cultivate a great deal of patience before finally being able to buy his own dream vehicle – this incredibly rare 1993 Land Rover Defender 90 SV.
Finance wasn’t the issue; it was availability. As the first model produced by Land Rover’s new Special Vehicles (SV) department, this toe-dipping exercise into the emerging lifestyle market was granted a modest production run of just 90 units. Nevertheless, the model was deemed a commercial success, which encouraged Land Rover to produce subsequent projects by the thousand. This means that the 90 SV is widely recognised as one of the rarest of all Defenders – and it marks the start of a works tradition that recently served up the latest Defender V8 Bond Edition.
The original owner was an old friend of Kurt’s who had served in the Army and was a confirmed Land Rover enthusiast – as indeed many ex-service personnel tend to become in civilian life. Known to many as either ’Hutch’ or Jimmy, he bought the Defender brand new back in 1993 and appeared to have specified every optional extra, from front driving lights for the A-frame nudge bar to the distinctive Range Rover five-spoke 16” alloys. Jimmy was well aware that his limited edition 90 SV (in case you were wondering, it’s #23) was special and he had no intention of parting company with it.
After moving into Jimmy’s neighbourhood in the early Noughties, Kurt coveted his friend’s Land Rover for the best part of 20 years. He watched it take on all those idyllic brochure activities: days out at the beach, ferrying members of the local football club to away matches and so on. But he also saw it beginning to look worse for wear. So every now and again, Kurt would gently remind Jimmy that he’d be delighted to take the Defender off his hands if ever he wanted to sell it.
Jimmy never did relinquish ownership of his prized Landy. However, following his death at the age of 82 in January 2020, his widow Tina recognised that one of the best ways to honour her late husband’s memory was to pass responsibility of this now rather sorry-looking vehicle to somebody who had always shown a fondness for it. Naturally, this wasn’t the route to ownership that Kurt had anticipated, but he willingly took on the task of restoring the 90 SV on behalf of his friend.
Having examined its MOT history, Kurt initially thought the Defender’s condition issues were fairly superficial and that a couple of days with a Land Rover specialist was all it would need to become a half-decent daily driver once again. However, the deeper he delved into it the more Kurt realised that it needed some much more
The original 200Tdi engine has been comprehensively reconditioned – with a variety of trick bits warming it up to the tune of an extra 50bhp or so. The mods include uprated Bosch injectors, a performance turbo from Turbo Technics, a 2.5” bore turbo-back exhaust, an LOF clutch and various goodies from AlliSport , among them a header tank and fullwidth radiator/intercooler
serious, investment-level help – the sort of expenditure that can only be justified by man-maths and rarity.
Talking of figures, Kurt was wise to recognise that his skill lies in financial services rather than mechanical nous. So he commissioned Land Rover expert Dave Lea and his highly regarded team at Mahker/4x4Fabrication in Shropshire to handle the restoration. This left Mr Fast’n’Funded to take care of the resulting invoices, the bottom line of which has not been disclosed as it remains an issue of matrimonial security.
Mahker started by removing the body from the chassis and reported that the underlying structure was in such poor condition that there was nothing to be done other than for it to be condemned. This meant that one of the first major outlays was to source a new, fully galvanised Marsland Chassis and OEM bulkhead, both of which were triple-coated for posterity. As well as renewing every single nut, bolt and bush, the suspension arms, A-frame fulcrum and drivetrain were thoroughly refreshed. This included rebuilding the front and rear axles and replacing the Defender’s original open differentials with torque-sensing Quaife LSDs to maximise traction.
Translating that torque to the ground is the task of some outsize 265/75R16 General Grabber all-terrains (believe it or not, when the SV was new Defender 90s still came as standard on 205s) which keep a stranglehold on the original but freshly restored alloy wheels. But now things are going to get controversial. A 90 doesn’t need a suspension lift to go on 265s, but many people combine them – however Kurt’s choice was to gently negate the extra height of the tyres’ sidewall with a 1” drop in ride height, courtesy of Mahker’s own lowering springs.
These are allied to a set of Fox Performance Series 2.0 shock absorbers which, together with a heavy-duty rear anti-roll bar and 1” spacers, give the Defender greater on-road composure and endow it with something of a Tomcat vibe in its silhouette. We’ve seen modded 90 SVs on big lifts and 35s, and jolly good they look too, but here’s a reminder that the comp safari image is a cool one too.
Talking of image, every panel of the body was either replaced or restored and meticulously repainted in the original Caprice Blue Metallic, a shade which according to Land Rover lore is unique to the 90 SV. Similarly, to maintain the model’s aesthetic, the contrasting wheelarch ‘eyebrows’ were repainted and the full exterior cage was sandblasted and powder coated. The twotone look is further enhanced with black chequer plate wing tops, a swing-away spare wheel carrier and boxy stainless steel side rails instead of the original twin tube runners.
Purists may also tut at Kurt’s decision to fit a non-standard Puma bonnet. But that small (and reversible) aftermarket indulgence is balanced out by the fact that he managed to track down a new old stock OEM soft-top, another component that is bespoke to the 90 SV. The original brochure informs us that the top is a two-tone cotton weave but its rarity makes us think it’s actually fabricated from unobtanium.
The desire to create a restomod-style Defender is also seen under the bonnet. Importantly, the original 2.5-litre 200TDi engine block has been retained so its serial number matches that shown on the VIN. But its internals and ancillaries have been thoroughly updated and breathed upon to extract a little extra performance – about 50bhp, in Dave’s experience.
Apart from having the block honed and decked and the crank ground, every other engine internal is new. The head, meanwhile, was similarly treat-
Kurt’s choice was to negate the extra height of the tyres with a 1” drop in ride height, courtesy of Mahker’s own lowering springs allied to a set of Fox shocks
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JOB REF DESCRIPTION
22922 Bendi
RUSKINDESIGN ABESPOKEDESIGNHOUSE FORYOURVEHICLEINTERIOR
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22922 Bendi DREAMYOURRUSKININSIDE®
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The 90’s seats were fully restored, stuffed with memory foam and retrimmed in leather. The dash-top, centre console and steering column have all had the same treatment too, and the original wheel has made way for a Momo unit sitting on an Optimill quick-release boss. Wooden flooring has become all the rage on high-end Defender rebuilds, and this 90 SV gets a classy looking hardwood treatment finished off by its creator’s logo
ed to an all-new valve train after having been ported and re-faced. That additional flow capacity is put to excellent use by the inclusion of an uprated Turbo Technics blower with variable geometry to increase the engine’s response and broaden its torque curve. It breathes through beautifully TIG-welded boost lines, with the charged air being managed by an oversized AlliSport radiator/intercooler combination spanning the full width of the grille area. Additional cooling is provided by an integrated electric fan instead of the original viscous set-up, primarily because this solution doesn’t draw its drive power from the crank.
Further AlliSport products create attractive bright spots within the neatly arranged engine bay. Beneath the surface, a set of oversized Bosch injectors were plumbed in to ensure there’s plenty of juice to maintain the optimal combustion ratio, while spent gases are efficiently evacuated through an aftermarket turbo-back exhaust system with a 2.5” diameter. And to ensure the engine’s pent-up energy is efficiently transferred, an uprated LOF clutch provides the mediation between flywheel and transmission.
Inside is arguably where the greatest change has taken place. And you can forgive Kurt for wanting to exchange the 90 SV’s tired cloth seats and pragmatic waterproof covers for upholstery that is more reflective of the vehicle’s neo-classic status – especially when the roof is detached and passers-by can get a good look-in.
So the original metal frames of the front seats and rear benches were restored, stuffed with memory foam padding and trimmed in a dusky shade of Sandhurst blue leather. Tasteful fluting gives them additional structure and a luxurious visual flair. Even the centre console, the top of the dashboard and the steering column surround have been tastefully covered in hide. The steering wheel itself is a Momo Prototipo unit, and it is connected by an Optimill quick-release boss for extra security.
After approximately 18 months with the Mahker crew, Kurt finally took delivery of his 30-year-old yet ostensibly brand new Defender. Having been instrumental in helping many other enthusiasts get into their dream cars through Fast’n’Funded, he was finally able to experience that same rush for himself. He is as delighted with his 90 SV as Jimmy no doubt was back in 1993.
But in a delightful turn of events, it turned out that Jimmy was able to enjoy one last ride in his Defender 90 SV. Tina had arranged for members of the Cheshire regiment to join her in a modest procession to honour her late husband when his ashes were interned in Sandbach Cemetery, and Kurt was privileged to escort the urn to that final resting place. It was a touching moment, one that reminded the family of the good times they had enjoyed together. Yet it also provided comfort in the assurance that new motoring memories are now going to be created aboard Jimmy’s muchloved and now fully restored Defender.
