Bizarre Car of the Week: 1987 Land Rover Defender custom pickup

Built by the Land Rover specialists at D.A.P. Enterprises in Springfield, Vermont, this custom "Sahara" pickup may be the most unique Defender that can be found Stateside.

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Bizarre Car of the Week: 1987 Land Rover Defender custom pickup BY BRIAN LEON NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Sunday, December 13, 2015, 12:29 PM A A A SHARE THIS URL This one-off Defender is a dune-bashing V-8 fun machine that would look right at home on any beach in the world. D.A.P. ENTERPRISES This one-off Defender is a dune-bashing V-8 fun machine that would look right at home on any beach in the world. The Land Rover Defender is one of the most iconic and long-running vehicles the world has ever seen, and after 67 years of production, Land Rover has finally closed the book on it. FOLLOW DAILY NEWS AUTOS ON FACEBOOK. 'LIKE' US HERE Clearly, we're still a bit emotional, even though Land Rover has confirmed that an all-new next generation Defender is on the way. That's all well and good, but nothing compares to the original. The Land Rover Defender has long been known for its capability and willingness to go anywhere, but now, production has ended after 67 years.The Defender was not always known as such, as earlier models were just dubbed Land Rovers and given a Series I or II designation.The Defender was most recently available in short and wheelbase versions with pickup, canvas roof, or fixed roof variants. Talk about a truck for all seasons.Whether it was a metal-sided delivery vehicle or canvas-roofed pickup, you could have your Defender almost any way you liked for over 65 years.VIEW GALLERY The end of the Defender Fortunately, because Defenders were produced in the millions, there are bountiful used options out there, from Series I service vehicles to one-off kit cars. Speaking of kit cars, this week's Bizarre Car is just that, but doing it "Defender Style" in a wacky way that we can appreciate. Built by the Land Rover specialists at D.A.P. Enterprises in Springfield, Vermont, this custom "Sahara" pickup may be the most unique Defender that can be found Stateside. While it is a kit car - or "Frankenstein's monster" of sorts - the Sahara uses all Defender components under the skin, except for a mighty 4.0-liter V-8 from a Range Rover. Built by a Vermont company that specializes in Defenders, the "Sahara" pickup sports a 4.0-liter V-8 from a Range Rover under the hood. D.A.P. ENTERPRISES Built by a Vermont company that specializes in Defenders, the "Sahara" pickup sports a 4.0-liter V-8 from a Range Rover under the hood. Permanent four-wheel-drive, a locking center differential, and an 11-inch ground clearance give this yellow 'ute the capability to go just about anywhere, whether up 45-degree inclines or through water up to 20-inches deep. A ZF-built automatic transmission puts power to the wheels through the same drivetrain as the Defender 90. We generally prefer to row our own, but there's a lot to be said for cruising without thinking about a clutch. The yellow paint job and chop-shop pickup look give this Defender a dune-bashing air, and while it wouldn't be our first choice for looks (we're British military green sort of people), there's no defying that this is one fun-looking truck. Defender interiors were never where the money lied, and the Sahara is no different. But we reckon you won't care when you're having the time of your life on almost any terrain. D.A.P. ENTERPRISES Defender interiors were never where the money lied, and the Sahara is no different. But we reckon you won't care when you're having the time of your life on almost any terrain. The body and frame were altered by a U.K. company and imported stateside, and according to D.A.P. it's the only one of its kind in the country. It's certainly a head-turner, and serves to emphasize just how versatile and configurable the Defender can be if you want it to. Defender prices will only keep going up now that production has officially ended, so pick one up before i'ts too late if you've got your eye on one. D.A.P. ENTERPRISES Defender prices will only keep going up now that production has officially ended, so pick one up before i'ts too late if you've got your eye on one. Unfortunately, as Defender values in the U.S. are already sky high, they're likely only to get higher, so picking up this hand-built pickup is a relative steal right now. Available on eBay for $49,500, this one-off wonder is only going to get pricier in coming years with the Defender officially behind curtains for good.