Tough decision

[WTDsco]

My '97 Discovery has given me 10 years of great service but now needs the "normal" engine reseal and new brakes, and some other minor things, but totals more than $6k, certainly more than its worth. Options? Sell it for next to nothing I suppose, or pay to fix it and risk having to fix more soon - 10 years old w/120k mi. Sad thing is its so much vehicle and in really good shape in and out.

Any thoughts? Should i fix it and keep driving? How to maximize my cash out? Sell for parts?

[rockcrawler00]

yeah id fix it and keep it. i just did the 100k mile tuneup of my 99' disco and it cost me $4,500 but the car runs perfectly now, no leaks or anything. totally worth it if you have the money

[Crysyn]

Rockcrawler, what all did you get done for that $4,500 you just dropped?

[Funrover]

If it has been loyal to you keep it!

[stolenheron]

i'd say keep it. selling it = you'll get peanuts for cash, and will end up driving a crappy commuter or something. fixing it = costs you some, but you get to use a good quality vehicle. you will get you're money's worth out of the fix when you drive that rover for another 100k or 200k miles

[rockcrawler00]

Originally Posted by Crysyn

Rockcrawler, what all did you get done for that $4,500 you just dropped?

new intake, header gasket replaced, complete engine overhaul basically. new fluids for everything and i needed to get some electrical things fixed from when i installed the winch

[Crysyn]

I think there is nothing gained in selling an older rover, unless you are just tired of it, but if you are looking for money out of it, it just does not seem justifiable selling it. The pleasure it brings far outweighs a few thousand dollars you would be getting for it. I just cannot see me ever selling my two.

Like you said, they are a lot vehicle....what are you going to get that could replace it? I think they worth putting money into them, I really do.

My mechanic tells me how sometimes his customers get upset that their rover breaks down or that they cannot justify the expense any longer and ask for his help finding some one to buy theirs. They call up a month later and say, nevermind, we have test drove a lot of vehicles and everything feels cheap or not worth the money compared to our old rover so don't worry about asking around, we are going to keep it. Also, the people who did sell theirs quickly will in like 3-6 months come back to him and say I miss my rover, can you help me find another good one? These are just some stories he has told me.

[Funrover]

Originally Posted by Crysyn

I think there is nothing gained in selling an older rover, unless you are just tired of it, but if you are looking for money out of it, it just does not seem justifiable selling it. The pleasure it brings far outweighs a few thousand dollars you would be getting for it. I just cannot see me ever selling my two.

Like you said, they are a lot vehicle....what are you going to get that could replace it? I think they worth putting money into them, I really do.

My mechanic tells me how sometimes his customers get upset that their rover breaks down or that they cannot justify the expense any longer and ask for his help finding some one to buy theirs. They call up a month later and say, nevermind, we have test drove a lot of vehicles and everything feels cheap or not worth the money compared to our old rover so don't worry about asking around, we are going to keep it. Also, the people who did sell theirs quickly will in like 3-6 months come back to him and say I miss my rover, can you help me find another good one? These are just some stories he has told me.

They are an addiction! I have 200K on mine and am going to freshen the motor, still going great. I wouldn't trade it for anything!

[Crysyn]

Originally Posted by rockcrawler00

new intake, header gasket replaced, complete engine overhaul basically. new fluids for everything and i needed to get some electrical things fixed from when i installed the winch

This man just proved my point. He seems happy that he just spent what I see as a lot of money, but he feels its worth it though.

[Crysyn]

Originally Posted by Funrover

They are an addiction! I have 200K on mine and am going to freshen the motor, still going great. I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Oh, see-this crazy guy proves my point as well.

[rockcrawler00]

Originally Posted by Crysyn

This man just proved my point. He seems happy that he just spent what I see as a lot of money, but he feels its worth it though.

Oh totally, i love my rover to death and after i put this work it my mechanic said i can get an easy 200k miles out of it. totally worth my 3 months of paychecks.

[Kevin88RRC]

Originally Posted by WTDsco

... needs the "normal" engine reseal and new brakes, and some other minor things, but totals more than $6k,...

What all does it need and how is it running? Is this $6k quoted from the dealer or an indie? You could probably do a lot of the work yourself in turn saving a lot of $ and learning a lot about your Rover.

Oh... welcome to LRO!

[msggunny]

Originally Posted by Kevin88RRC

What all does it need and how is it running? Is this $6k quoted from the dealer or an indie? You could probably do a lot of the work yourself in turn saving a lot of $ and learning a lot about your Rover.

Oh... welcome to LRO!

Yeah, uh, 6K?

Anyways, not everyone has the time or abilities to do all the things required for maint on a Rover but i am sure you could do the majority of things on the list yourself and greatly reduce the amount you are going to spend.

Case in point. An indie shop wanted to charge my buddy $150 to do a valve cover gasket on his Jeep GC. the gasket cost around $10. Its a 2 hr job max and requires almost no effort other than a few bolts and removing the old gasket. He saved $140 by doing it himself.

Dont be afraid to get your hands dirty...