Land Rover and Range Rover Forum banner

to buy or not to buy

4K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  HEY_LT 
#1 ·
Hello all,

New to the forum so Im sorry if there is a better place for this....

I am checking out a 1990 RR County with 204k miles for $2000, it has been meticulously taken care of, paint is in excellent shape (no rust even on tailgate)
maintenance performed when due, no leaks or mechanical problems to speak of. It is also loaded with good stuff, ARB front and back bumper, Air compressor, Hella Lights, winch, CB radio, 2" inch old man emu lift and nice tires for overland. the interior is in really good shape as well, leather looks great.

What do you think about this? (the mileage makes me hesitate a little).
mechanically how are the 1990 RRs? I am new to the Land Rover scene and know of their reputations both good and bad. I want something capable of good multiday offroad ventures.
 
#2 ·
Welcome to the nut house. You did bring some beer or pills right? :wink

1990 RRC w 204K miles(some offroad) for $2000, well save you money because the engine is done. "no leaks or mechanical problems to speak of" > then it's not a ROVER. On it's face this truck is worth maybe a $1000 and that is being VERY kind.

"meticulously taken care of" > NEVER. It sounds like you might be getting taken in by the "Offroad Extras". I get it , but don't sell yourself. There are more RRC out there with less miles and newer models.

The 1990 is not a bad truck, but I don't care what year, or for what price...get it looked at my a ROVER mechanic! Compression test, Coolant pressure test, etc. If you want post the ad, VIN so we can see this thing. Let me guess craigslist???

I hate to sound like a Downer, but there is NO SUCH THING AS A CHEAP RANGE ROVER!
 
#3 ·
@etr005: pazzo is right. There is no such thing as a cheap rover. Take me for example.....in 2008 I purchased my rover from a mechanic for $2500 ( he put a lien on it because the PO, a doctor, owed him for services and never paid), then drove it from NYC to GA...took it to so called mechanics and up to date..I have put over $15,000 in this truck. I wouldn't sell it for the world but have another vehicle handy while you work on it. Trust me, that rover will turn you from an ordinary driver to a mechanic/driver. Good luck

IMHO: buy it and have fun...we are here to help you with the issues you will come across in the future.
 
#4 ·
The truck isn't the question. If you like it, buy it. They were great trucks and $2000 isn't much $ for anything that runs.

The question is what kind of person are you and how much MORE $ and time do you have?

ANY vehicle that old, if it hasn't been overhauled, is going to need to be. Either all at once or piece by piece depending on your $, time and capability.

Most of us "enthusiasts" choose to have something that isn't mainstream like a Jeep or Toyota and like to deal with the idiosyncrasies of the brand as a badge of honor.

I prefer to spend my time keeping an older, simpler car on the road, than having a big payment for something that if you poured a glass of water into the engine bay; it could take days before you see it come out the bottom! :wink
 
#5 ·
As far as being done at 204K, I'd beg to differ. My '95 Classic had 190K when I sold it 5 years ago and it is still going strong. Doesn't burn oil or use coolant. Head gaskets are original, too. That vehicle was purchased for $1,500 and turned out to be a phenomenal vehicle for us. We had to put very little money into it. In fact, all the money put into it was for normal wear and tear items, ie. shocks, tires, u joint, bushings, fluid and filter changes, etc. No rust, interior was immaculate, leather was perfect.

To the OP, the add ons are worth money. If the rest of the vehicle is as described, it sounds like a good buy. A compression test will let you know the condition of the motor and an inspection by a LR mechanic will give you an idea of what else may need to be done. These are starting to become difficult to find with good interiors and no rust. The '90 RRC doesn't have all the stuff to go wrong as the newer ones did. No ABS, traction control, etc. Do your due diligence, just as any used car buyer should, and you'll be rewarded for your time and effort.


Colin
 
#7 ·
Wow thanks for the advice everyone. I have always had a jeep wrangler until recently I sold my last one and bought a mini cooper, and pretty much decided that I can't stand not having a SUV. So here I am...

I have always done all my own work on my cars and enjoy it so not too worried there. I am looking for something to do some overland, and just messing around in. I have always wanted a rover though.

Here are some pictures of it! I will have plenty of time to test drive and take it to a rover mechanic if I pull the trigger on it. http://m.imgur.com/a/i0zCc#
 
#8 ·
The seller did spend some $$ on the extra bits. I stand by the get it looked at by a mechanic. You might want to ask when it was painted. Also have your mech look at the passenger front spring/suspension. I know OME springs come in different lengths, but the clearance between the wheel and fender is way off in pic 6. Are these recent pics... the decal on the windscreen is 2012?

And a 3.9 with 204K.. IMHO well on the way out. You could get lucky, just save your money because the odds are low. Not the end of the world if you have the time and $ to put things right.

Hope it all turns out well.
 
#9 ·
I remember that Rover on eBay a long time ago. Those are the pictures from the original eBay listing. If it is indeed only $2,000 that is a bargain even if it was missing the engine. There are thousands of dollars worth of add ons which will save you a lot of money down the road if you're planning on doing similar mods. In all honesty, I can't believe the owner is only asking $2,000.


Colin
 
#10 ·
That looks to be a very clean well cared for RRC, as long as it drives and runs well. I would pull the trigger in a heart beat and enjoy it. RRC's are still one of my favorite landies.
 
#12 ·
Mileage is not really an accurate measure of a RRC. I've seen Rover V8's with under 50k take a dump and others with over 400,000k still going strong.

They like clean oil, a healthy ign and premium gas. Other than that it's all normal pushrod V8 stuff.

Condition is more important than the odometer. I'd buy it $2K.
 
#14 ·
I sold my 1990 a few years ago with around 250k miles, still strong.
For $2000, that truck is a steal.
If you don't buy it, tell me where it is and I will buy it.
 
#15 ·
I know this an old thread, but wanted to throw my $0.02 in...I wouldn't use mileage as an indicator of whether to buy or not. SO MANY other things to factor in, especially when we're talking Rovers. No idea what that rig looked like, but start with overall quality of the body and interior, is it a rust bucket, other than the add-ins is it mostly original, any major frame damage, does it slop all over the road when it rolls...Rovers leak...if they don't, they don't have any fluids in them. It sounded like much of the add-on mods you might initially do are already there, coil conversion, ARBs, winch, lights, etc...so all that $$ you might spend on that crap is done. And these guys are right...the important thing is, do you have the time and $$ and patience to fix it WHEN it breaks. If not, you're on the wrong forum...go buy a new 4-runner. For $2k and the rig's not a total piece of junk, I'd jump on it. Worst case scenario with a high mileage solid truck is, you're rebuilding or replacing the engine. Then maybe you have $7k in a solid truck with a newly rebuilt engine or 300tdi swap!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top