1997 Land Rover Defender

The 1997 Land Rover Devender 90 was powered by a 4-liter V8 engine developing 182 horsepower and 232 lb-ft of torque. The engine was mated to a 4-speed ZF automatic transmission and had a Land Rover 2-speed LT 230 Transfer Box with a manually lockable center differential. The chassis was comprised of a 14-gauge boxed steel ladder frame with ten rubber body mounts. The body was a steel bulkhead with aluminum body panels and a standard full safari cage. Upfront there is a solid axle with coil springs, a Panhard rod, radius arms, telescoping shocks, and an anti-sway bar. The rear had a similar setup, except an 'A-frame' unit replaced the Panhard rod. The steering was a power-assisted Worm and Roller with 3.75 turns lock-to-lock and a 40 feet turning circle radius.

In the front, there were vented disc brakes measuring 11.75 inches. The back had solid discs that were 11.42 inches. There was also a parking brake drum on the transfer box output shaft.

All the vehicles were sold with 'optional' 7 x 16 alloy wheels, B.F. Goodrich 265/75R16 all-terrain tires. The audio system was a cubby-box mounted 72-watt Clarion AM/FM stereo cassette with four weather-resistant speakers.

The Defender had a 92.9-inch wheelbase and a 15.6-gallon fuel tank.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2012