Drifter | Java Black D90 Beach Soft Top

Drifter

This Defender 90, known to us as Drifter, was commissioned for a customer on the Florida coast who wanted a Beach build with serious power and the engagement of a manual.

The drivetrain was specified with a 6.2L LS3 V8 paired with a manual transmission. The customer is a mountain biker, so the build was designed for trails, weekends out, and the kind of driving that asks for power and capability in equal measure. The Shoreline brake upgrade, Bilstein steering dampener, rear anti-roll bar, and stainless steel exhaust round out the mechanical package.

The body was finished in Java Black with a Sand canvas soft top, half-height front doors with exposed galvanized frames, a galvanized heavy duty hood stick set, and a classic silver front grille. Body color headlight surrounds, silver aluminum trim throughout, and a stainless steel exterior bolt kit. 16-inch black steel deep dish wheels on Cooper STT Pro tires. Smoked LED lights, a full LED headlight upgrade, a sump protection guard, rear NAS step with receiver, and fold-up side and rear steps finish the exterior.

Inside, the cabin was built around Barley fluted leather. Front seats and a two-person rear bench, all in matching Barley with four rear seat belts. Full Barley leather across the dashboard top trim, door cards, sun visors, and gaiters. Aluminum door handles wrapped in leather, gear and transfer knobs, and a wood steering wheel with quick release.

A fluted Barley cubby box with a removable Marshall Bluetooth speaker sits in the center. A 9-inch floating Pioneer screen with Apple CarPlay sits above the dash, paired with two cabin speakers under the dash and a dashboard-mounted double USB port. Heated front seats, a reverse camera in an aluminum housing, an interior JWS LED light kit, and a starter motor immobilizer round out the tech.

The kind of build that handles a trailhead in the morning and a coastal road home in the evening.