I would classify my D90 project as a resto-mod in that I want to keep as much stock as I can while making improvements along the way that are easily reversible but that improve the driving experience. Virtually everything I have done is either restoring original parts, replacing parts with Land Rover OEM parts, or when required using high-end aftermarket parts. One of the most frustrating things about original Defenders is the dim dash cluster lights. The original lights are incandescent bulbs which burn out but even when they are not dead they might as well be as they are incredibly dim. So dim that at times you can’t see anything on the dash at night.
The solve is to replace those bulbs with bright LEDs that fit into the original bulb housings for the gauges. But to get the right bulbs that fit, that don’t cause electrical issues, and are the correct color (green) can be challenging. I found a shop in the UK that specializes in LED kits for classic cars (Classic Car LEDs). They have two kits for Defenders but in the end you really need to buy both if you want to replace all of the lights in a NAS Defender. The NAS Defender needs 5 bulbs for the gauges and one bulb for the clock. One of the kits includes 5 dash bulbs and the other kit includes 4 dash bulbs + 1 clock bulb. So what I did was buy both kits which gives me 4 spare dash bulbs for the future. You can order these in different colors but if you want the original look get the green version. Installation is easy it just takes time as you need to remove the binnacle to get behind the gauges and then you need to replace the bulbs with the LEDs. One tip….check that the LEDs work before reinstalling the binnacle because the LEDs are +/- sensitive. I also replaced the dome light to be LED (white) which is brighter than the traditional bulb.
The improvement is dramatic. The dash lights are rather bright in the normal dimmer position and very bright in the high dimmer position. So while the purists out there might hate my resto-mod project at least I can read my dash at night.