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Caterham

Member Since: 06 Nov 2008
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 6266

2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey

which way to go - an LS3

IF. I were contemplating an LS3 conversation which would be the best route.

I love the idea of a manual 6sp ls3 conversion but there's so many things to consider - not least the financials.
there's various options I'm considering and I'd really like to hear of pro's / con's from you all. basically my lines of thought are below;

1. the obvious and perhaps simplest option would be to pull my engine / box out and replace as necessary. sell on my engine and box. do a bit of a strip down and rebuilt and improve generally at the same time.

2. buy another defender do above and sell mine at the end of the build - don't car so much for this idea (like the idea of keeping mine).

3. buy a much old defender that's in great need of some work including engine / box and would really justify the strip down. If it's a pre 1985 (?) model it might well be worth some really good money in the states and therefore a bit of a money spinner creating some extra cash to help fund my own rebuild?

thoughts much appreciated.

31st Jan 2018 8:53am

LandRoverAnorak

Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11240

2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Orkney Grey

They're only worth some money in the States if they're in original condition. Replacement engine and gearbox will preclude it from being imported. Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia

31st Jan 2018 9:19am

grafty99

Member Since: 15 Aug 2012
Location: North Devon
Posts: 4784

Or buy a defender with a knackered engine and gearbox, fit your current engine and gearbox to said defender to use whilst the engine swap happens on yours. Then sell second defender for profit as it now works and be left with LS3 engined defender.

Also ask Ian about the Cyote

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31st Jan 2018 9:43am

Caterham

Member Since: 06 Nov 2008
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 6266

LandRoverAnorak wrote:
They're only worth some money in the States if they're in original condition. Replacement engine and gearbox will preclude it from being imported.

interesting. I assumed that so long as it was based on an old one it would be ok.

thanks Grafty. I think Ian mentioned the coyote but if I'm not mistaken it's a more complex engine and not necessarily anymore powerful and yet more expensive (assuming I'm not mixing it up with a different engine).

loving this;

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=top+h...ORM=VDRVRV

31st Jan 2018 9:19pm

Pickles

Member Since: 26 May 2013
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 3755

2013 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 CSW Keswick Green

The LS3 is the perfect engine, large capacity, lazy engine, capable of producing any amount of power you want.
Personally, I'd reckon around 450HP would be all you'd ever need, you'd also have around 600NM torque.
Transmission?...IMHO the GM 6 speed auto would be ideal, smooth, reliable, you can re program it to do anything you want. I don't know much about off roading, so I can't speak for that aspect.
Anyway, I reckon that if your Defender is a good one, & you don't want to sell it, then the combination of an LS3 & 6 speed auto would be perfect.
Of course it's not just the engine & trans,...there's brakes, suspension, exhaust, electrics,....the big secret is to find someone who knows what they're doing & can do the job right, otherwise you could end up with an undriveable pig.
Pickles.

31st Jan 2018 10:03pm

LandRoverAnorak

Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11240

Caterham wrote:
LandRoverAnorak wrote:
They're only worth some money in the States if they're in original condition. Replacement engine and gearbox will preclude it from being imported.

interesting. I assumed that so long as it was based on an old one it would be ok.

Unfortunately not. There were some well documented cases last year where US customs had some Defenders crushed on import as they contravened the originality rules. Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia

31st Jan 2018 10:57pm

LR90XS2011

Member Since: 05 Apr 2011
Location: bickenhill
Posts: 3618

2011 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Galway Green

dont bother buy a fast car for going fast, and keep them both DEFENDER 90 TDCI XS,

I hope everyone is well and your land rovers make you happy

31st Jan 2018 11:03pm

Grenadier

Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5765

2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Corris Grey

I think the Coyote is recommended if you go manual as it is higher/freer revving. I'm with Caterham, Not a fan of autos. My wife's Audi has all the paddles, and S-tronic gubbins and I just don't like it as much as a manual. It's her car, only 230bhp and she likes it, fine. But if I ever had a V8 my preferred option would be an uprated six speed box, loads of revs, loads of torque, loads of noise. Frankly where I live though I think it would spend most of its time in 3rd. That's where autos come unstuck, changing up or down too quickly. Come through a hairpin in third, bury the foot in the carpet, use the torque to surge up the 300m to the next bend, anchors, turn in, start again. Autos would be all over the place. Just my opinion. But I have been interested by the difference between the Coyote and LS3 if I go down this route. Wonder how JLR's V8 would fare? Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey

1st Feb 2018 7:33am

bankz5152

Member Since: 02 Feb 2017
Location: South London/North Kent
Posts: 2091

LR90XS2011 wrote:
dont bother buy a fast car for going fast, and keep them both

Exactly. Some of these LS swaps cost £20k+ theres are 1000s of fast cars to be had for less than the conversion. Plus unless you go for a full road biased set up (which in a fender is silly imo) then you wont be able to put the power down anywhere but a straight line.

1st Feb 2018 9:21am

Pickles

Member Since: 26 May 2013
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 3755

Grenadier wrote:
I think the Coyote is recommended if you go manual as it is higher/freer revving. I'm with Caterham, Not a fan of autos. My wife's Audi has all the paddles, and S-tronic gubbins and I just don't like it as much as a manual. It's her car, only 230bhp and she likes it, fine. But if I ever had a V8 my preferred option would be an uprated six speed box, loads of revs, loads of torque, loads of noise. Frankly where I live though I think it would spend most of its time in 3rd. That's where autos come unstuck, changing up or down too quickly. Come through a hairpin in third, bury the foot in the carpet, use the torque to surge up the 300m to the next bend, anchors, turn in, start again. Autos would be all over the place. Just my opinion. But I have been interested by the difference between the Coyote and LS3 if I go down this route. Wonder how JLR's V8 would fare?

The GM 6 speed auto can run in manual mode if you like, it can also use paddle shifters,...but good luck with the engineering of paddle shifters into a Defender.
There are a couple of GM 6 speed autos you can use, and they can both be used in manual mode, wanna leave ém in 2nd, 3rd, or whetever, ya can do that,...no gear changes unless you change ém,.....which you can do,.....manually,....wanna change up or down, when ya want to, manually, ya can do that too.
Just bought a supercharged HSV Commodore myself, went for an auto, like mostly everyone else, they accelerate quicker than a manual, change gears quicker, & ya can use ém in manual mode if you like. Can't see where a manual would be superior.
Pickles.

1st Feb 2018 9:53am

Grenadier

Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5765

Interesting Pickles, thanks for letting me know. The other issue, if I ever go down the V8 route, is the cost of the auto refit. Seems to be approx £5k more. Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey

1st Feb 2018 10:15pm

discomog

Member Since: 09 May 2015
Location: Notts/Lincs Border
Posts: 2499

2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Santorini Black

LR90XS2011 wrote:
dont bother buy a fast car for going fast, and keep them both

Couldn't agree more. If you want to go fast then a Defender doesn't really fit the bill. Get real. If you must have a V8 Defender or Series then go and buy an original, it'll keep its value a lot better than a butcher job.

Defender 90XS SW
Mini Countryman Cooper S
Morgan Plus 8

1st Feb 2018 10:38pm

Grouse

Member Since: 16 Apr 2012
Location: on the hill
Posts: 513

bankz5152 wrote:
LR90XS2011 wrote:
dont bother buy a fast car for going fast, and keep them both

Exactly. Some of these LS swaps cost £20k+ theres are 1000s of fast cars to be had for less than the conversion. Plus unless you go for a full road biased set up (which in a fender is silly imo) then you wont be able to put the power down anywhere but a straight line.

I had a quote in the region of £34k!

1st Feb 2018 10:50pm

GREENI

Member Since: 22 Aug 2010
Location: staffs
Posts: 10367

I like an auto, lazy if I want, or I shift it like a manual if I need to.

Even looking at Top Hats builds, I'd still go auto, but I don't want push buttons.

1st Feb 2018 11:16pm

SteveG

Member Since: 29 Nov 2011
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 657

LandRoverAnorak wrote:
Caterham wrote:
LandRoverAnorak wrote:
They're only worth some money in the States if they're in original condition. Replacement engine and gearbox will preclude it from being imported.

interesting. I assumed that so long as it was based on an old one it would be ok.

Unfortunately not. There were some well documented cases last year where US customs had some Defenders crushed on import as they contravened the originality rules.

The engine and transmission don’t have to be the original ones. As long as they were replaced with an engine/trans that was available for that model you’ll be fine on importing to US.

Rules out an LS3 for importing though, although I’m not sure why you’d convert it to an ls3 in the UK, and then import it to a place where you can easily pick up an ls3 and full install kit for $5-6K.

1st Feb 2018 11:22pm

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