Current inventory · Body-off rebuild in progress

2001 Defender 130 Td5

This vehicle begins with a donor. What follows is a complete River House restoration programme, developed from the chassis upward.

Engine: Td5
Gearbox: R380 5-speed
Mileage: 135,000 km
Final colour: RAF Blue

PriceOn request

Discuss this build

This Defender 130

The work has begun.

The 130 is already being dismantled, giving the workshop direct access to its structure and mechanical systems.

Defender 130 front body panels removed during strip-down — This vehicle · front strip-down

Defender 130 rear body panels removed during strip-down — This vehicle · body disassembly

Defender 130 on a workshop lift with chassis exposed — This vehicle · chassis access

The River House body-off journey

Why the work goes this deep.

A body-off rebuild is not a paint and trim exercise. The Defender is taken apart so structure, mechanical systems, body, cabin and final assembly can be treated as one coherent vehicle.

Follow the work from first assessment to final road testing.

River House assessment inside a Defender

Define the vehicle before touching it.

Condition, identity and intended use establish the brief. Decisions made here determine what is preserved, what must be renewed and how the finished Defender should feel.

Assessment and brief

This Defender 130 dismantled in the River House workshop

Strip until assumptions disappear.

Disassembly exposes structure, previous repairs and wear that cannot be judged from a complete vehicle. Each removed component turns a guess into evidence.

Strip-down and assessment

Restore the foundation first.

Chassis, bulkhead, mounting points and body structure are addressed before surface work begins. Protection and alignment matter more here than decorative finish.

Structure and foundation

Defender mechanical systems being restored

Rebuild the systems that make it drive.

Axles, hubs, swivels, brakes, suspension, engine ancillaries and drivetrain components are treated as connected parts of the same vehicle.

Mechanical restoration

Recover the shape, then finish the surface.

Panel repair, alignment and preparation come before colour. Paint is the visible result of work that begins much earlier beneath it.

Body preparation and finish

Build the cabin around the whole vehicle.

Seating, trim, controls, sound insulation and equipment are resolved together so the interior belongs to the Defender rather than feeling added afterward.

Cabin and trim

Defenders undergoing final workshop inspection

Assemble, inspect and prove it on the road.

Final assembly is followed by quality control checks and extended road testing. The vehicle is allowed to settle, reveal issues and be refined before handover.

Inspection and road testing

Planned for this Defender