There’s a company down in Orlando, Florida that’s churning out custom Land Rover Defenders for sale in the United States.
The company is East Coast Defender, and it’s offering everything from standard Defenders right up to serious off-roaders packing V-8 power.
ECD starts with stock Defenders either originally sold here or privately imported. In the case of the latter, ECD handles all the pesky paperwork so there’s no risk to the customer of the vehicle being seized by customs.
Virtually every element is replaced or refurbished by ECD, resulting in a vehicle that looks as though it’s come straight from the factory. Of course, the Defenders churned out by ECD are nothing like those that originally left Land Rover’s plant in Solihull, United Kingdom.
ECD’s latest Defender is the sinister Project Blackout. It features a 5.3-liter V-8 sourced from General Motors and tuned to deliver 326 horsepower. The engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic and powers all four wheels.
Other mods include a Borla exhaust system, EBC brakes, and 18-inch wheels with BF Goodrich All-Terrain KO2 tires. To dress up the vehicle, ECD added a Ron Davis aluminum radiator, Classic Instruments’ Moal Bomber Series gauges, and leather trim for the heated seats. Finally, the company added a roof rack with LED spotlights.
The starting price for ECD’s Project Blackout is $169,000.
