>I have always desired a Range Rover. I am currently looking at purchasing a 1987 Range Rover or a 1990 Range Rover.>
1987-1988 had the 3.5 litre engine with LT230 Transfer Case and no ABS.
1990 (and other years) had the 3.9 litre engine with the BW Transfer Case. I prefer the LT230 TC instead of the BW.
I also prefer the older years cause there are less things that might go wrong. Obviously they are under powered for such heavy vehicles.
>I was hoping someone could tell me what to look for in those model years. I am generally looking at late 80's or early 90's. I really like the design of those models.>
Biggest problems are rust on the floorboards, B pilars, tailgates and a few other spots. Headliners sag, seats switches get dirty or go bad, fuel pumps go bad or the connections corrode, shock towers rust, SLU go bad, etc etc... Not all older RRs have these problems but some of them do.
>My concern is what I am getting into. I have heard the stories of Land Rover having poor reliability. Are parts/mechanics/repairs hard to find and expensive?>
Parts hard to find... not really, it's getting easier and easier nowadays to find new or used parts at a fraction of the dealer cost. A lot of people have cross referenced parts with other manufacturers. For example, the fuel pump on my 88 RR is from a 70s Cadillac and I paid only $80 for it (brand new), seat switches are the same as Mercedes Benz and cost $69.95 at GermanStar.com compared to $125 at AB, BP, etc.
>This will also be a family hauler, so safety will be important. I'm coming from owning a couple of SAAB's who also had a reputation of poor reliability, but have had good luck with the models I have owned. Can I expect the same thing from a Range Rover? Am I in for headaches? Will my wife think I am crazy for not wanting a mainstream car?>
I think they are very safe.
>I hope I will become a Rover owner. Please provide me with any insight you can give me into Land Rover ownership. Thnak you in advance.>
If I were you I would look into a RR like this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...spagename=WDVW
I am not affiliated with this seller. You also might want to consider a 95 LWB with the Disco style dashboard.
Just my opinion.
Good luck and let us know what you decide.
John C
