Case study · Paragon Defenders
Sometimes OEM isn’t good enough.
Custom parts for Paragon Defenders’ Land Rover restorations
An original part can be hard to find, fall short of a restoration’s finish, or make little sense alongside a modern upgrade. For Paragon Defenders in Richmond, Virginia, these are practical engineering questions that arise across its detailed Land Rover restorations.
The part has to belong in the vehicle
Paragon’s approach leaves few details untouched. On projects involving vehicles more than 40 years old, an available original part is not necessarily the right part for the finished build. A bracket, vent cover or control surround needs attention alongside the larger mechanical work.
Biangle Labs works with Paragon as an engineering partner when those questions arise. The work ranges from replacement brackets and simple cover shrouds to custom interior controls and new assemblies. Each starts with a particular vehicle and a particular problem.
Start in the workshop, then build the model
We visit Paragon’s facility to walk through the problem with the people doing the restoration. Together, we discuss possible approaches and agree on a solution to develop. We then reverse engineer the surrounding parts so the design can be worked out in the context of the existing assembly.
The model becomes the starting point for a custom design. We make prototypes, test-fit them and revise as needed. CAD helps us develop the idea; the vehicle provides the place to evaluate it.
Center controls console & transmission cover
Small parts, very different problems
Some projects support modern upgrades under the hood. Others change how the driver interacts with the vehicle: a digital shifter bezel with selector buttons mounted behind it, a custom center-controls console and transmission cover, or a bezel for illuminated buttons.
The work also includes custom vent covers, replacement brackets, adapters and a supplemental air-conditioning blower system. At the other end of the scale of complexity are the visible finishing pieces: a steering-wheel horn-center bezel or a CNC-machined Paragon plaque with an epoxy layer.
Low quantities still deserve careful execution
These are often small-quantity projects rather than mass-produced replacements. Material, contour and finish remain part of the engineering work. Across the collaboration, the portfolio includes fabric and wood, machined and polished parts, and powder-coated or anodized finishes.
By the time this portfolio was first published in July 2025, Biangle Labs had designed and produced more than 30 distinct projects for Paragon. The relationship gives Paragon’s mechanics and project managers an engineering resource for the custom details that arise as vehicles move through the shop.
From design to the finished detail
Project images show digital designs, physical parts and vehicle installations. The bezel comparison pairs its CAD design with the original build photograph.
Digital shifter bezel
Winch mounting bracket
Illuminated-button bezel
Digital design
Physical build
Steering-wheel horn-center bezel
CNC-machined plaque with epoxy layer
Does your project need a part that doesn’t exist?
Tell us what you are trying to fit, replace or improve. We can scope the reverse engineering, design and prototype work needed to explore a useful solution.