Lunch Run #42: Salty Rooster In The Custom $200k Defender 90

Buckle up for a brand-new season of our Facebook Watch & IGTV ‘Lunch Run’ series, where we talk cars, food, and a healthy serving of smack.

But this is no ordinary Lunch Run. Hot off the factory floor from custom outfitters The Tales of Land Rover is this glorious Defender 90 that’s been re-built from the ground up. The early-2000’s donor car was commissioned by a client with an emphasis on sparing no expense. Think a Lamborghini-sourced quilted leather interior, a brand new “Welsh Mid Grey” paint job, jacked up tyres, Apple Carplay, and even a teak flooring supplied by a Palm Beach boatbuilder.

If there was ever a dream Northern Beaches runabout, this would be it. They’ve even reconfigured it to seat six people and, of course, nixed the roof entirely in favour of a removable soft top.

We don’t often venture to the Manly area on Lunch Run, but when we do, it’s very hard to look past the local favourite Salty Rooster. The charcoal chicken burger joint sits in the absolute pole position down next to Queenscliff Surf Club and slings some of the tastiest fries in the area. John and James opt for a Greek Rooster and Narrabeen Rooster respectively, while Irah, the TOLR engineer showing us the ropes buckled in for the Japanese Rooster.

On a sunny Friday afternoon in the coolest car on the road, it was very hard for Salty Rooster to put a foot wrong. They absolutely nailed it, and the only thing that could show up the scrumptious lunch were the neck-snapping wheels themselves.

For those interested in tasking The Tales Of Land Rover to dream up their own build, you’ll have to dig deep into your pockets and be prepared to wait a good 6-12 months. As you can imagine, the line for a custom build similar to this bad boy is down the street and around the corner.

Check out the 42nd episode of our ‘Lunch Run’ series with this custom Land Rover Defender 90 below, and download the Uber Eats app to cop a pick-up near you.