Skye III

1995 Land Rover Defender 110 – 300Tdi (RHD)

This Land Rover Defender 110 was recently adopted (sold), but we frequently have similar projects coming to the workshop.  While most of our projects are custom builds, we do come across great survivors like this who just need a bit of refresh before they are ready for another life of adventure.  Reach out via the form below if you’re interested in learning more.

ABOUT THIS DEFENDER

We acquired this Land Rover Defender 110 from a Hot Air Balloon pilot who was retiring after years of service flying passengers around the world.  The company he owned used a pair of Defenders as support vehicles to track down the balloons where they landed across the countryside – giving passengers a first-class return trip back to the base.  One could argue that the return trip might have been better than the main event.  We recently completed a Preservation Series restoration, with the goal of returning this Defender back to the original beauty she had when first put into service.

The Final Preservation Series Skye III

Testing a set of Sawtooth Wheels on Skye III

Skye III before Paint + Bodywork

Skye III The Way We Found Her

Skye II and Skye III Side-by-Side

This was not the first time we’ve acquired a Land Rover Defender from a balloon pilot, actually.  We can’t help ourselves when we find a working Defender in such good condition.  There are some obvious marks and dings from the years of service across the Bristol area of England, but that’s part of the charm.  We may repair some of them, or keep them as they are for the next person to enjoy.

This Land Rover Defender has recently completed a Preservation Series refresh.  This included a complete exterior strip and respray in Merlot Red.  Due to the unique history of the vehicle, we love to keep as much of the original style of the Defender in place for the new keepers.  In this case, we are doing our best to maintain the original factory correct interior, while completing an extensive mechanical certification and refurbishment process.

Skye II Hard At Work

THE BUILD PLAN

We are currently taking this Land Rover Defender 110 County Wagon through the Bishop+Rook certification process – which includes an extensive service and overhaul of mechanical elements of the vehicle. It includes an evaluation and refurbishment of all critical elements: engine, gearbox, transfer case, axles, cooling, electrical, fuel, chassis, wheels, etc.  Once we clear this process, the vehicle is officially certified and ready for many years of maintenance-free service to you and your family.  We’ve begun the mechanical aspects of our Preservation Series process at the workshop already – as we continue, the price will be adjusted to represent the work completed.

The current build plan includes:

New Wheels
New Tyres
New Battery
Timing Belt
Water Pump
Alternator
Coolant Flush
Head Gasket
Injector Pump Tune
New Radiator
New Intercooler
New Clutch Master
New Clutch Slave
New Brake Pads
New Brake Rotors
LED Light Upgrades
Electrical Refresh
Oil Filter + Change
New Fuel Filter
New Fuel Lifter Pump
Fuses + Relays Checked
Power Steering System Checked

The difference between a Bishop+Rook Defender and a regular imported Defender on the market comes down to the hundreds of hours we will spend to make this a reliable daily driver. Should you adopt this Defender before we’ve completed our work and wish to add your own personal touch, we would be happy to add those elements.

 

INSTANT QUOTE

SAMPLE PRICING

Bishop+Rook Certified – Price Before Preservation (Completed)

This is the price based on our level one mechanical service – timing belt, water pump, alternator, starter, radiator, brakes, bearings, etc.  Basically, a really nice running and driving Land Rover Defender that will take you on plenty of adventures without fear of being abandoned on the side of the road.  Cosmetically, the vehicle will be clean and tidy, with no major issues hidden.  This will be a state that you can enjoy forever, or use as a foundation for future upgrades, enhancements, or refurbishments.

Bishop+Rook Preservation Class – $55,000 (Current Price)

This will include more extensive mechanical and cosmetic preservation of the vehicle.  We will go through both the interior and exterior of the Defender to ensure everything is properly sorted. This will include all the tier one mechanical elements above, but also include a deeper dive into chassis re-conditioning, interior trimming (headliner, dash trim, door card refurbishment, seat trimming as needed), replacement of seals, tyres, upgraded battery, and repairs to body panels that might need addressing (door bottoms, bulkhead, etc.).  Mechanically, we will pull the engine to replace the rear main seal and clutch, whilst doing a more extensive mechanical refurbishment.

Bishop+Rook Preservation Class Plus – $65,000

This level of restoration will include all the elements above, but also a partial disassembly of the vehicle to respray in a similar (or close to) paint color.  This oftentimes includes replacing the doors and other body panels that may show signs of wear.  All interior elements will be stripped out and refurbished to like-new condition. The headliner will be re-trimmed, interior panels replaced, new floor coverings (carpet or sound deadening mats), Tier III sound deadening system put in place, chassis treated (inside and out) for corrosion, axles refurbished, gearbox renewed, transfer case renewed, and additional options for wheels/tryes, The vehicle will feel like a time capsule when you sit in her – with just enough character preserved.

Bishop+Rook Heritage Class Restoration – $78,500 (estimated)

This restoration level is much more extensive than above, which starts with a complete disassembly of the vehicle (every panel, every nut-and-bolt, and every fastener.  This process includes stripping the chassis bare and putting it through media blasting to bring it back to bare metal.  Any rust or corrosion issues will be rectified before the chassis is sealed and painted to your specification (raptor, satin, high gloss, etc.).  All axles will be media blasted and painted to suit.  All mechanical components will be restored: engine rebuild, gearbox, transfer case, differentials, etc.  The Interior will be retrimmed, including seats, headliner, and door cards.  New/refreshed window glass, seals, and other trim panels will be replaced with new.

Bishop+Rook Bespoke Class Restoration – $98,500+ (based on features)

Our Bespoke class of builds allows for more customization options for each build.  Customers have the choice of interior retrimming styles, a deeper level of restoration, and more external paint options – including upgrades like air conditioning, roof racks, offroad accessories, and more.  This class of vehicles includes more performance upgrade options to tune the vehicle to your ultimate use (daily driving, offroad, hybrid, etc.).  The vehicle will be better than new once it completes this process and will become an investment-grade restoration.

COMMISSIONS + BUILDS

Each build begins with a donor vehicle that has been sourced and supplied by Bishop+Rook to fit the needs of each commissioned build based on customer requirements – ensuring eligibility for import into the American market and suitable level of quality as a base vehicle for restoration. On occasion, we also welcome the opportunity to preserve and restore our customer’s own classic Land Rover as part of the same refurbishment and enhancement process.

TAILORED TO YOUR EXPERIENCE

We offer each individual the opportunity to collaboratively put their stamp on a Land Rover build – from color and style to accessories and performance features. We aim to build a one-of-a-kind Defender that is not only reliable, but even more capable, stylish, and versatile than the day it was born. We provide a fully bespoke build process, in the spirit of 17th-century tailors of Savile Row, where we mold your donor vehicle into a Defender to fit your needs, budget, lifestyle, and taste.

STARTING THE PROCESS

For those of you just starting your research on Defenders, there are a few areas you will want to learn about (maintenance, driving experience, and budget).  For the last part – budget – we’ve recently launched a “Defender Budget Pricing Calculator” to help folks understand the different levels of pricing you should expect to see on the market.

INSTANT QUOTE

A DEFENDER FOR EVERYONE

Whether you’re looking for a unique low-mileage Defender survivor or a complete nut-and-bolt bespoke restoration, we want to be the team that provides you with your dream vehicle. When other companies focus on cheap mechanical nightmares, or Defenders costing the same price as a house, we focus instead on – Defenders for the regular person. All of our Defenders undergo an extensive mechanical refresh to ensure years of reliable adventures.  From there, you can decide how much further you want to go with a restoration.

ABOUT BISHOP+ROOK

Bishop+Rook is a Minneapolis-based importer and restorer of classic Land Rover Defenders. We are passionate about film, photography, travel, adventures, and vintage cars. We finally found a way to combine our life’s passion into helping others find their dream car. We restore the vehicles to an adventure-tested stage – not over-restored and not over-priced. We simply want to share our love and passion for these amazing vehicles with like-minded people.

We price our vehicles fairly. Any profit we make is turned back into our creative projects or seeking out our next restoration. Any work we do is to ensure people can enjoy the vehicles right away – we make sure they are adventure-ready on day one.

We typically have about a dozen or so Defenders in stock, but for those looking for something truly unique we offer a service to find and import cars with specific requirements.  Drop us a note and let us know what you would like.

We’re sure you have many questions. We try our best to answer anything and everything that comes our way, even if you decide not to do business with us.  We simply love these vehicles.  If you’re just starting your search, we wrote a little piece that may help you sort through the many models, conditions, and prices you may see on the marketplace.  There are a lot of people importing Defenders these days, some really good guys, and a few others that might not have your best interest in mind.

Read our Guide: The Unicorn Hunt

CONTACT US

For more information, feel free to call or text us at +1 612.424.1642 or email us at mike@bishoprook.com