| Location: | ENGLEWOOD, CO, USA |
| Joined: | 01/15/2008 |
"D90" 1995 Land Rover Defender
RoadSide Werx modified a 1995 Land Rover D-90 Defender to be the meanest off-road truck this side of the Rocky Mountains. The builder of the truck is also the owner of RoadSide Werx, Matt Gaum. When asked why he chose the Defender to modify, his response was that of a true off road kid from Canada. The Defender has the best platform to handle the trails that he wanted to accomplish, from the Midwest mud to the Rocky Mountains to the single tracks of New England; the upgrades to the D-90 enable the truck to climb and step over any rock and terrain that nature produces. This truck was built to be one badass ride and the D-90 Defender and Matt Gaum have the awards to prove it. The truck was the winner of the 2002 British Invasion in the D-90 class held in Burlington, VT. It was also the winner of multiple stages of the Lake Forrest, Il Rover in the Woods competition.
The D-90 features an all aluminum 3.9-liter V8 Buick engine with a 5 speed manual transmission. RoadSide Werx also added some custom features that enhance its off-road capabilities. Probably the most noticeable is the custom snorkel. There is also a snorkel cover and inside the cover there is a turbine blade to remove dirt and particles, which he uses as a pre-cleaner. On top of this Matt still runs the K&N washable filter, and also all of the intake areas have been waterproofed. All of these meticulous steps were taken so that when the truck was run in desert areas or across water it kept the air intake location away from the elements, which as any off-roadie knows is an essential part of the game!
The chassis on the Defender is most definitely what sets the truck apart from any other in its class. The front axle is stock, outfitted with ARB Air Lockers and a Safari Guard 4-link system. The rear axle is stock and outfitted with ARB air lockers with a stock 4-link rear system. The rear axle also features custom sway bar disconnects by RoadSide Werx. This is a favorable feature because it allows the off-roadie to drive to the site with the sway bars connected and once you arrive on site it allows you to quickly disconnect to get maximum flex of the rear axle. The D-90’s drive shafts are custom front and rear double cardigan joints with aluminum adaptors. For the suspension the front and rear are ARB Heavy Duty 2” springs. Matt also has lift springs on the truck with a RoadSide Werx custom 2” lift kit. The brakes are vented and slotted with stainless steal brake lines.
The tires and wheels on the Defender will always get the job done and help keep it on the trail. On the D-90 are BFG 285/75/R16 Mud Terrains. And the wheels are 5 spoke aluminum Rover wheels.
As you know this is a Land Rover 1995 D-90 Defender with an all aluminum body. It features a D-90 convertible with a hardtop, bikini top, truck top and full soft-top, and all of the windows on the hardtop are tinted. The paint color on the exterior is Beluga Black. The front bumper on the truck is a custom Safari guard bumper with a lower skid guard and Warn 9500 lb winch. The rear bumper was kept as the original stock D-90 bumper. The rear wheel holder was custom made with Hi-Jack mount and rear Hella Work lights. The truck also has custom rock sliders produced by RoadSide Werx.
Most off-road trucks have a lot of exterior modification, but most won’t take the extra step to make the interior as efficient and badass as the D-90, customized by RoadSide Werx. The interior modification includes a MOMO steering wheel, pedals, stick shift knob, and five point harnesses. There is a custom aluminum center console as well as a custom aluminum gauge pod which houses the VDO volt gauge and dual 12-volt accessories power outlet. The dash is also custom aluminum which is a pill shaped dash mount that houses a round clock, volt, and oil pressure VDO gauges. The upper dash was custom built by RoadSide Werx and is a fiberglass and aluminum panel housing the hazard lights (flasher), and two extra 12-volt sockets. Matt also added an English military winter headliner, and a RoadSide Werx custom radiator muff. For communication there is a CB radio with booster and a K40 antenna. For the rear interior part of the truck RoadSide Werx custom built ammo holders for truck supplies (I.E.: brake lines, u-joints, and of course first aide supplies). Another amenity is a RoadSide Werx custom net hammock for more storage.
