Defender and series III

[DEF110]

I am in the US Air Force stationed at RAF Mildenhall. I have fallen in love with the Land Rover Defender. I have a defender 110 with a 3.9 and auto box out of a range rover that I want to take back to the states with me.  
The thing is, it needs to be 25 years old to get it thru US customs. So what I am thinking of is to make one out of two taking my 110 and a donor series to make it 25 years old.
I need to find out if a stage 1 v8 chasse will hold the defender 110 body or what kind of series 3 I could use?
I am going to keep the coil spring suspension system. I will have a new chasse made for the series but with coils and the proper mounts for engine and box.
Any and all information would be very helpful.

Vern

[Sooty]

Hi Vern
I am glad to here there are some of you from across the pond that understand how good we build 4x4s in the midlands
Joking apart I think you are going to struggle to get this project past the customs guys, the age of a car in this country is determined on a point system.
Every time you replace a part on a car that is 25 years old or more you loose a number of points depending on what it is.
The engine, the gearbox, the suspension system and the chassis, carry the bulk of the points and therefore if you take a 25 year old S3 and fit all these off a 110 then it will no longer be classified at 25 years old.
There are plenty of people on here that know much more about this than me and may be able to tell you a way round it but I think you have 2 options open to you.
1)Buy a 25 year old S3 and take it to the states as it is, then import from this country all the bits you want to change and change them over there, (very expensive I would guess).
2)Buy a Land Rover over there (it will then be left hand drive) and then you will have the best of both worlds, a real 4x4 and sitting on the proper side of the motor.
Maybe someone will come up with another way for you, we will have to wait and see.
Don't forget to keep in touch with us when you go home and let us know how you are getting on.
Best of luck with the project, keep us posted.

[Bush Tucker Man]

Vern,
Talk to these people they do a lot of exprting & rstoring prior to export.
If you can get up here they have Range Rover number 1 in the showroom - it's absolutely gorgeous

http://www.landrovercentre.com/welcome2.htm

(there's a link regarding exporting at the page bottom)

[DEF110]

Thanks for your help. I still have 2 1/2 years here in the UK before I go back home. I am just trying to get a head start on my options.
I have had 4x4 all my life. I use for hunting and fishing in Arizona.
The land rover is THE BEST 4X4 BY FAR I have had. Apart from the corrosion you can not beat them.
 So should I find a stage 1 and rebuild it with coil springs?
Thanks Vern

[V8MoneyPit]

Hi Vern

We are just up the road from you at Attleborough. We sell parts for Minis and have many customers on the Mildenhall and Lakenheath bases.

There is a slightly dubious way of shipping newer vehicles that makes use of a loophole in import regulations. Now, I don't know the exact requirements, but you have to partially strip the vehicle and it can then go into the country as spares. When you reasemble it, you have to get it approved in the relevant State. I understand some States are more difficult than others.

It might be worth talking to a specialist car shipper like Phoenix Air Cargo. They are always very helpful and will give you good, accurate advice. They are on 01425 673336.

Hope this is of help.