Who wants a nice hot take? Because I have one, fresh out of the air fryer, with only a bit of melted plastic stuck to it from where I left a chunk of wrapper still on it. It’s a hot take in the purest sense, an opinion felt fiercely and one that came into being surprisingly quickly, almost a visceral gut reaction – maybe realization – that was born when I read the subject line of an email I got just now. The email was from a company that makes restomodded Land Rover Defenders, and as I glanced at that email, one thought popped into my head:
Fuck restomodded Land Rover Defenders.
Okay, maybe that’s a bit harsh, and I don’t entirely mean it, but I don’t entirely not mean it, either. And I’m not just pulling this take ex recto, it comes from some experience with both restomodded and original Defenders and I think a pretty clear view of this whole market. Let’s get deeper into this by looking at the email I got that triggered all of this:
A company called ECD out of Florida sent this out, showing off one of their restomodded Defenders. It’s got a Chevy small-block LT V8, upgraded luxury interior, updated lighting and instruments and big fancy wheels and all that. If this is the first time you’ve seen a restomod Defender, you’ll likely think it’s reasonably cool, albeit in maybe a sort of dickhead way. But, you know, let people like what they like, it’s fun.
The problem here is that there seems to be, according to my estimates, a metric snacktillion of these companies making restomodded Defenders that are almost exactly like this. I’m not kidding; do a Google search of your own and you’ll see: if you have between $75,000 to $500,000 or so to throw around, you can have your pick of any number of unsettlingly similar restomodded Defenders.
It’s not so much about how many companies are out there transforming old, slow Defenders into new, faster, swankier versions of themselves, it’s more about how they’re all pretty much doing the same damn thing.
There’s absolutely a formula here: tear down an old Defender, replace all the corroded stuff, perhaps use a whole new frame, gut it and replace the interior with a lot of leather and Alcantara hides, slap in some aftermarket electronics to let you use CarPlay or Android Auto, lots of speakers, shove a GM LS or LT or similar V8 engine under the hood, give it a fancy paint job with paint sourced from some premium carmaker, stick it on some huge garish wheels, then sell it for about $200,000 to someone who likes to go fast but is indifferent to turning or braking.
Seriously, they’re all like this; I reviewed a couple of these from a local maker of such machines, and while they were fine, even fun in some ways, they’re not really all that different from so many other companies’ en-fancified Defenders. At all. I’ve seen so many uncannily similar ones from other companies that seem to use the same sources for instruments and interior fittings and major mechanical parts – everyone’s singing from the same, uh, playbook.
And, if you actually drive one of these, I suspect that you’ll find this basic formula that everyone uses is kind of, well, stupid. Original Defenders were incredible off-road, and have well-earned their iconic status, but for day-to-day driving, they’re quite gleefully miserable. I drove one when I was in Iceland a number of years ago, and while it handled the rugged terrain like a champ, doing any sort of normal driving in Reykjavik was a miserable chore.
On normal, paved roads, the ride is harsh, the handling skittish, it’s top-heavy and has a turning circle with a diameter that has ends in two different area codes, visibility isn’t great, it’s simultaneously slow and also too fast for its own handling limits – it’s just kind of a mess. A charming, wonderful mess to perverts like myself, but the idea that a Defender is a good or comfortable on-road car is just kind of delusional.
And you know how you don’t solve those problems? By shoving a Corvette motor in one.
And yet, that’s pretty much what all these companies do. Oh, maybe not specifically a Corvette LS3, but something equivalent. The Defender restomods I’ve driven have been way over-powered and under-braked. There’s so many, I’m sure there are some that are better than others, but overall, a Defender with 600 horsepower or so is just inane.
And it’s not like these restomods are great for off-roading, or used for that. Sure, there are some that are made more off-road capable, but who exactly is taking their leather-interior’d, ultra-luxury $200,000 SUV with a paintjob that costs as much as tuition to a respected university rock crawling? Nobody is doing that.
Look, if this is the kind of thing you like, fantastic, I hope someone just hands you the keys to one the moment you walk outside your door tomorrow morning, and I hope you enjoy the crap out of it. But I think even the biggest proponents of incredibly expensive, over-engined, over-done Defenders can admit that this is, really, a very solved problem.
There’s plenty of fancy restomod Defenders out there, and unless some company is going to start doing something radically different with these, I think we can call it. I don’t even know how many companies are cranking these things out, but I bet we can reduce that number down to something like, I don’t know, three or so? That seems plenty.
Is there really that much demand for these? How does the market support so many nearly identical expensive-as-hell, questionably-useful cars? I’m not the only one to notice this, of course. There’s multiple articles that are just lists of companies cranking these out.
I’m just saying I think we’re good on restomodded Defenders. I think we can call this one, declare some sort of victory, and move on. Congratulations, boutique car-modders, you did it. You won. Now let’s find something else to do, how about?
Nobody is restomodding Ford Tempos! Just saying!
Top graphic image: Jason Torchinsky; Google screenshot
I’m going to go against the grain here and say the hate against restomods is excessive. Certain vehicle restomods being too common? Sure, I can understand and get behind that. But in general? No, there’s nothing wrong with it, and frankly it’s pretty cool to have an old car with new underpinnings.
Counterpoint: nah.
99% of them do the exact same thing (LED headlights! paint from Bentley or whatever! Either diamond-quilted leather or alcantara, giant modern alloys). But I am a nerd for original or period-correct mods at most.
That’s a pretty sad counterpoint. LED headlights are objectively better than whatever dim-ass bulbs came stock. Don’t forget brakes and other important drivability bits. Now, without aggregating everything together to prove a point, like most here do, I’m going to take the sensible approach and half-agree with you. I like stylish restomods that keep the original character as much as possible. I’m not about the over-the-top builds with 28″ wheels and twin engines, or w/e nonsense. But to say they’re all the same and equally as lame? That’s disingenuous and unfair to the passionate people keeping these things alive.
Yeah I think people here just hate because they can’t afford it, in all honesty. The comment section is starting to look more and more like the cesspool at Jalopnik. Which is funny, because the reason this site was started to begin with was because of a rich guy.
Couldn’t agree more. Way too many keyboard warriors. When you try to protect car culture, you get attacked for not wanting to save the environment. LOL, what? I’m all about saving the environment. People love to move the goal posts for the sake of being “right”.
I’d love to start a company restomodding Jeep TJs… Or at least restomod the hell out of one, just for me.
It’s even harder to justify these companies existing when Ineos makes a modern approximation that is both better and less expensive by comparison.
They both drive terribly, unless you like how off-roaders drive. How these companies even exist is beyond me, considering the target clientele/demographic for the most part.
Completely agree. I would extend this evaluation to almost every single restomod ever produced.
I respectively disagree when it comes to Porsches. Make ’em cheap enough where I can afford one. Restomods are great for enthusiasts. You want a classic-looking car, but modern comforts – sign me up. Make ’em that way from the factory!
Restomods are rarely, if ever, the less expensive option. I also cringe at the idea of “ classic-looking car, but modern comforts.” I don’t want the experience of driving a classic car to mimic a soulless modern one. It is like saying sex would be better if it were more like internet porn. It misses the point by light-years.
“I don’t want the experience of driving a classic car to mimic a soulless modern one.”
Thank you! I’ve been saying this for years. The whole appeal to an old car is that it’s so completely different than what we have now. It tells you where we were. If you choose to turn it into something new, it now is no longer what it once was. It’s a bastard, and historically worthless.
I just had my ’66 Yamaha out yesterday. It’s a cantankerous sort of thing, imperfect in many ways. That’s exactly how I want it.
Exactly!
BTW, I have owned a handful of old 2-stroke bikes. A ’72 Suzuki T500, three ’72 Yamaha R5s, and a ’85 Yamaha RZ350. Amazingly fun bikes.
I modified one of the R5s with a punch of parts from a non-defunct shop in LA called Moto Carrera. One of the modifications included custom expansion chambers, rear-set controls, and a solo seat.
Plus, they all try so hard to be different but they all use the same, very limited playbook – they end up indistinguishable from each other, in the same way NFTs all look identical even though every single one is Unique and Special.
Excellent analogy with the NFTs.
Have you ever driven a good restomod(Or even just a modified classic)? Most old cars honestly drive like utter shit, long ass steering ratios, lack of rigidity, crappy suspension dynamics, poor brakes, etc. good restomods basically fix all this, albeit charging a premium to do the research for you. People on here love to have opinions without actually having experience. I personally would never buy a restomod Land Rover, but assuming it’s well done, I’d take one over an unmodified classic 10/10 times. Every era has shitty souless piles of crap, and amazing drivers machines. From 1950’s all the way to the 2020’s. To say otherwise is ignorant.
I have owned more than 30 cars from every decade, starting from the 60s. The reason I loved my time with a ’72 Olds 98, ’67 Plymouth, ’77 Ford F250 Highboy, ’84 VW Scirocco, ’87 325 Convertible, or ’92 M3 was because they each were compelling in their own way. Stripping out what made them interesting and homogenizing them with modern conveniences would completely ruin them.
If you want a modern car, buy a modern car. Making a modern car look like an old car is just shallow cosplay for people focused on making a fashion statement. They don’t really want an old car; they just want to look like they do.
Alright you know what, that’s fair. I personally enjoy modern/modern-ish cars a lot more. I don’t really drive anything pre 90’s.
I have an ND Miata and love it! I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But I would still buy back my old BMW 325 and M3 without hesitation as well. I just want the old BMW convertible to drive and ride as it did. It was a wonderful and unique driving experience, just like the ND is.
Because I’m in the midst of fighting with the carb on the old bike I just got back on the road, this is a bit top of mind, but if you want to actually drive a car, it’s pretty reasonable to deal with things that get in the way of you actually driving it, which is a sliding scale of owner tolerance. If there was a cheap EFI kit for my bike, I’d absolutely take it (it’s always been cranky when cold, even on choke)
I like the Jeremy Clarkson analogy that just because you might buy a centuries old house doesn’t mean you forego indoor plumbing.
I put an electronic ignition in an old bike I owned for that reason. But it didn’t impact the core experience of riding the bike. The issue with “resomods” is that they are purposely eliminating the experience of driving a classic and leaving only the superficial layer.
There are some changes that I 100% understand upgrading and can get on board with. Power brakes, AC, power steering (depending on the specific car), modern tires, adding seat belts, getting away from 6V systems on real old stuff, etc. Just because something is uncomfortable, unreliable, and unsafe doesn’t mean it has more soul.
Some safety and other items make sense since they often don’t really impact the way the car drives or performs much. However, a tipping point is crossed a long way when a complete modern drivetrain and running gear are used. I’m not saying there are any absolutes, but when it is called a “restomod” it often means it has crossed the line by a long way.
This logic falls apart if you start with a modern car and try to are it look old. What’s your complaint then? You really that against someone wanting something that looks old but may be safer, more efficient, better performing, more reliable…
“No no no. The endless sweat, lack of seat belts, and threat of being impaled by the steering column are what make this old car so great!”
I’m saying that if you just want a car that looks old, you are looking for a fashion statement, not the experience of owning, driving, or experiencing a classic car. If that is your thing, fine, but I don’t select cars as a fashion statement.
Yeah, a ’69 Camaro with a more modern transmission, fuel injection, AC, and some other accoutrements absolutely drives differently than a modern car.
So you still throw bias plus on your classic car?
It depends. Radial tires started to replace bias ply in the 60s in the US, and by the early 70s, had mostly become standard. Europe made the transition a bit more quickly.
I have never owned a car old enough that bias ply would have been the only option when the car was new. The other factor is that some original style parts are very hard or impossible to find so you just need to go with something more modern.
There are no absolutes in keeping old cars on the road. But the entire point of anything called a “restomod” is to produce a car that is as modern as possible while looking old. The point of it is to look like something it isn’t.
Again, if that is your thing, fine, but it contains nothing of interest to me because I like classic cars and I like new cars, so I am fine driving either based on my needs and desires. I put zero value on what I drive as a fashion statement, which is the only reason restomods exist.
I think there is a lot more experience in older cars that still manages to remain intact in a restomod beyond just reducing them to a fashion statement. Sure, they aren’t my thing either, but I get the appeal of them and more power to the people that want to do them. I have a truck that is over 55 years old, I know I’d drive it a lot more if it had some more modern comforts like AC, power brakes, modern drive train that was reliable, disc brakes let alone power brakes, etc.
Restomods still offer an experience not found in new cars, like take the mentioned Defender, it’s still got sideways seats in the back and my kids would go apeshit for that alone. All those Icon Broncos give you that true convertible experience, no roll bars in sight. And I’m sure neither of those ride as nice as a modern Bronco or Defender; it’s certainly still an older experience. Most of these restomods end up being used as ice cream cruisers and I’m sure you’re gonna get a lot of that classic car experience even if it’s been wildly modified and modernized.
If your only use of a classic car is an ice-cream cruiser, none of it really matters. A full restomod would be the definition of pointless overkill. The limitations of the original wouldn’t really matter. It would also be a massive amount to spend to have sideways seats or other such features.
No it’s not. It’s to modify the car while you restore it. You say there are no absolutes, and yet you keep using them. It’s a spectrum.
Plus, your entire holier than thou attitude about them is pretty off putting as well.
And besides, what even is a modern drivetrain? Something like an LS is based on a ~60 year old engine design. Does that mean you can’t even slap TBI on a 350, even though later 350s came with fuel injection?
It’s all grey and nothing is as cut and clear as you describe.
Everything can be fuzzy, but “restomod” needs to have some definition to have any meaning. Changing the wheels on a car doesn’t make it a “restomod.”
Here is a reasonable definition based on common usage.
A restomod is a classic or vintage vehicle that retains its original outward appearance but has undergone significant modernization. Typically, including at minimum a model engine, braking system, and substantial upgrades to the suspension along with other performance upgrades. The interior gauges and finishes are updated along with other safety or comfort improvements.
At no time did I say that I had an issue with all upgrades.
I don’t have any ownership experience, but a friend with an MGA still uses bias-plies on it. He says the chassis isn’t built to handle the grip and stiffness of radials. As for driving it, it’s really fun because it allows one to powerslide at low speeds and with low power. I wouldn’t use it to commute, but it’s insanely fun and they also let go very gradually.
You can upgrade a classic without slapping a new badge on it. In fact, I would guess the average classic has been modified in some way, whether it’s a bluetooth radio or an electric air-conditioning kit.
The term “restomod” has been twisted by companies who sell a branded package deal. It used to mean that, while fixing your old car, you took some liberties with non-original parts to make it suit your tastes, but now it’s generally understood to mean that a company took a classic car and reimagined it into a new vehicle by a new name.
The current definition largely appeals to 2 kinds of people, in my view: Those who like the looks of old cars but nothing else about them, which is their right, but is still lame, and those who view the likes of Singer as exclusive clubs they have an opportunity to join, with some extra “if you know, you know” hipster points.
Amen brother.
They get tired of slowing down for all the poors that get in their way.
It’s not like I can buy a new one.
I think that’s part of it. You could always buy a new CJ or Wrangler from Jeep, you can buy a new Bronco from Ford (Torch knows a guy), if you have commercial restomod money you can buy a new G-Wagen from Mercedes, but Land Rover made the new Defender look too much like a default SUV.
But you can, it’s called an INEOS.
You know what market is ripe for the restomod/re-imagined scene but is completely untapped? Ford Panther cars.
I’m on board with this land yacht revival. Someone’s been street-parking a minty red second-gen Town Car near me lately and I’ve developed surprising “It belongs in a museum!” feelings about it. A few of us used a friend’s Crown Vic detective car as our Car Week cruiser this year and it was an excellent machine for getting around Monterey… even in terms of parking, which can be easier to find in something that’s expected to go over curbs.
Right now just imagine one that isn’t a shitbox
lol.
Amen to this! More cruisers with cushy suspension! I am getting to the age where I’d like one, but with decent mileage and features, and nowadays all the “luxury” cars are trying to be “sporty”. I don’t want freakin sporty. I want a grandpa-mobile.
I helped a buddy drop an LT1 into his YJ Wrangler. It was genuinely terrifying to drive.
I had a friend with an FJ40 with a 454 in it… it got like 5 mpg. We were offroading once and he got the rears stuck in the mud, mashed the throttle and snapped the driveshaft (I think; this was 25 years ago, maybe it was the axle?). Once we had gotten it pulled out he put it in 4WD and had a front-wheel drive Land Cruiser; drove it like that for the better part of a year before he sold it.
Jason nailed it. Great farm chore tool at $20,000. $200,000 status symbol? No
All those sweet 2 door tempos hit the crusher the defenders are just berried in fields they were doing goat yoga in. But would it really kill them to put something other in the an LS in it even a Duramax. The Mercedes restomodding might be the next over done thing. I’m convinced they are all private equity backed for tax breaks.
Who said anything about only doing 2 door Tempos? Make mine an early 4 door.
Because I want a late maybe ’90 two door black with beige leather with an Ecoboost. I haven’t seen a 2 door in decades every few years I will see a 4 door.
I would like to see this treatment done to a Bronco II, the one true Bronco.
The Bronco so nice they had to build it twice.
This just like all those sickos that are resto-modding Jeep ZJ five-speeds. Seriously, how many manual transmission Grand Cherokees restomods do we need? Let’s be real here!
From what I surmise, the number is zero.
It’s interesting that in the very rural area of my youth where I still live there are many dirt roads and farms that the locals never needed anything with four wheel drive to travel on. Come winter, when the county plowed snow, you could travel. If you really needed to and the roads weren’t plowed, you had snow tires with studs… and everyone had the skills needed for winter driving.
But we did have social media in the form of ten party telephone lines and that was every bit as annoying as social media is today.
On the very northern farm where I spent many hours growing up in the 70s and 80s, the farmers didn’t have 4WD either. There isn’t a lot of farming in the winter, and for any real farm tasks, they had tractors.
Restomod Defender startups are to cars what millennial burger joints are to food, and I will not be elaborating further at this time.
Lemme take a stab: Making the thing fancier and “premium”, costing 3x as much, while not making it any better.
The Mercedes restomods must be the juice bars of cars. What’s the craft BBQ?
Squarebody pickups.
You don’t need to elaborate further, this sentence is worth 1,000 words
I understood that reference.
What’s the winch for? Yanking a Maybach out of your parking space?
I would love to watch some rich dude who has never gotten his loafers and driving gloves dirty try to figure out a winch.
“Jeeves! I’ve pinched my fingers! Get my personal doctor over here, post haste!”
See, here’s the thing. I grew up in rural England where Land Rovers are pretty much ubiquitous. But there’s an unwritten rule. Only gauche Londoners cosplaying in the countryside have new ones or fancy restomodded wank panzers. The locals have ancient, battered and filthy defenders full of empty shotgun cartridges and baling twine. And the older and more battered the Landy, the posher the owner. If it’s a cross-eyed Mark 1 with skinny tyres and a labrador in it, it’s probably being driven by the Duchess of Something.
“Jeeves, prepare the Landy! We’re spending a fortnight at Bron-yr-aur. Be sure to spray some mud on the sides so as not to arouse undue suspicion upon our arrival.”
My Welsh friend has used the ‘wank panzer’ terminology in our conversations. Hilarious.
I’m guessing the controller for the winch isn’t included, unless you pay $10k extra. If so, it could be a fun prank to unlock and unwind the winch cable, leaving the owner a very slow, awkward project of spooling the cable back in by hand.
Don’t be silly! They’ll have someone on staff to do that.
And be super angry when they have to wait an hour while the staff member winds it up millimeter by millimeter, causing them to miss their appointment with the mistress?
These are for people who keep Great Danes and St Bernards in their Tribeca townhouses. Literally buying a vehicle to fit their dog.
Hey, I did that! My 20-pound mutt loves the Miata!
Someone should go the other way and un-restomod the new Defender into a worn-out leaky piece of farm equipment with no power and a crappy ride.
Restomod or retromod?
Was tempted to call it a “rustomod”, but alas, the new Defender is aluminum.
Part of the “mod” could be to replace the aluminum with wrought iron. Add weight and rustability.
The simple passage of time will take care of that nicely.
Easy enough. A few months of offroading in Moab should do the trick. Use it like a defender
Good luck finding a Ford Tempo that actually needs work!
it’s for people who want a G-Wagon, but want to pretend they’re unique enthusiasts of some kind, by buying their way into a shoebox with a knock-off tuxedo wrapped around it
Do I want one Yes, Are there too many of them at prices that should loose at least one 0s off the price, Yes. Would I drive the hell out of one and be on dirt roads for weeks with one, Yes. BUT there are just too many I agree and it is about the rich collecting full sized toy cars.
This one looks fun. (other ideas of fun are available).
https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C1932191
Do not dare restomod it, just fix it up, simple winter project, and Robert is your fathers brother.
That thing is so perfect and amazing. Doing more than getting it running and driving would be criminal.
The temptation is immense, the reality is that it is a giant Meccano set, everything needs doing, it is one heck of a project. The new chassis is a clue!
A bold nod to the urban SUV lifestyle; i.e. waiting it line at the Starbucks drive-thru.
I’ll agree with this take, in addition basically the same could be said about the following vehicles.
1st Gen Broncos
1st Gen Camaros
1st Gen Mustangs
Classic 911s
add land cruisers, old power wagons and Grand Wagoneers.
And Square-bodies (especially K5 Blazers)
A friend of mine has a little side business of restomodding 2nd-gen F-bodies. He found a pace car Trans Am and tore it all down and put an LTwhatever in it with the 10-speed, and repainted it. I told him it would have been worth more had he just restored it and he said “no way, these things are getting $250k at Barrett-Jackson.”
I am so sick of these garbage builds plastered over social media and the internet. “Oh it’s so luxurious” Yeah fuck that, it isn’t, they just wrapped the entire interior in the cheapest quilted leather they could find, nobody calls a gimp suit luxurious just because it’s leather, just less creaky than vinyl.
+1 for gimp insight. Oft overlooked point there.