Look! 1990 Range Rover restomod with 430 horsepower LS3 V8

The Range Rover is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year but the model did not start out as a big luxury SUV as it is known today. Sure, it was more upscale and advanced than the Defender, but it was still quite a rugged vehicle.

The first-generation was produced between 1970 and 1996 and are often customized by tuners but Legacy Overland, a company that specialises in restoring and/or modernising old 4x4s such as the old FJ, the G-Wagen, Defenders and indeed ‘classic’ Range Rovers has worked its magic on this 1990 two-door.

It is a desirable model on the classic car scene; the two-door has the advantage of a shorter wheelbase and better off-road capability but this restomod would give most modern day off-road vehicles a scare...

It has been given a full restoration and modernization which the company says took thousands of man-hours to complete. At the heart of it all is a GM LS3 6.2-litre V8 engine making 430 horsepower mated to a four-speed automatic. The original motor, a 3.9-litre V8, made 178 horses.

The new motor gives this Range Rover increased power but its agility has also been improved. It features high-grade steel front and rear shafts, CV joints, stub axles, and flanges, the differentials have been swapped out to automatic torque biasing limited slip centres with pegging and the LT230 transfer case has been rebuilt with heavy duty cross pin and sleeved casing upgrade.

It rides on the original but restored five-spoke Range Rover alloys, behind which sit Britpart performance disc brakes to improve stopping power. The heavy-duty coils give the car a 1.0in lift.

The interior has been redone by hand in saddle coloured leatherette with black edge piping for the front seats, rear bench, door cards, as well as kick panels and sidewall surfaces. The floor is trimmed in black fibre carpet, while the centre console and cubby box are dressed in black leatherette.

The dash has been kept mostly stock, but the original Blaupunkt radio is now assisted by a modern Sony Bluetooth media receiver which plays back through four speakers.