Looking at 89 - need input

[Carl Johansson]

OK guys - I'm new to this forum - but not LandRovers. My wife ran a 92 LWB for several years and I had 2 different D 90's (# 434 sw & 215).

Anyway I have come across a high mileage 89 that looks pretty good - but I would like some help in what I should be wary of when I am considering this thing.

I will run it on a daily basis - Cause I think these things ought to be driven.

So this thing has very high miles - 220K - right off the bat I'm concerned. But my philosophy is that if I can repace my other vehicle - now I don't have any car payments - so I wouldn't mind reasonable repair and replacement costs from time to time - and I can do some of the work myself.

All of the electrics work - theres a surprise!

Pre air suspension - theres another plus

Exhaust needs replacing - no big deal

Body is straight - but paint is starting to peal

It has the 3.9 aluminum - I loved that engine in my D90's but then again I never got over 120K before I was forced to sell them. The owner (2nd) says he had a head gasket replaced and at the time the engine showed no wear. He seems to know what he is talking about - and I am inclined to trust him (small town - word gets around if you screw people - and this guy has a good rep)

I know nothing about the AT in this thing - are they dependable and durable - I would assume so - the owner says only routine maintanance. What should I look for here?

I will test the ball Joint and U Joint setups when I drive this thing.

So I'm counting on you guys - what do I look for - and what are your gut feelins on this (I figure your experience counts for lots here!)

Carl Johansson

[siam]

The 89 is not a bad Rig, Vicious Coupling center diff all you have to do is stop go in Neutral and shift from Hi to Low. I hear from a lot of Rover techs that the reason they went back to the older type of Center diff is the Vicious Coupling unit tend to have a shorter life span. Other than that, 3.9 power plant is a good motor. So how much are you willing to send on repairs and how much are you buying it? Oh ya one thing is drive it at freeway speeds and see if it pulls from side to side.. Classic Rover sickness.

[hamrendan]

I agree, there are alot of upsides to the 89.. It was the first year they came out with the 3.9, which normally would not be a good thing, but since its based on the venerable 3.5L its fine. I had 250K on my 3.5L which at 200k had the head pulled assuming that it was due for a bottom end rebuild, but after close inspection it turned out that it was fine and didn't need rebuilding, so they put the head back on with new 3.9 Cams ( for more power ).. I sold the car with about 270k.

As for the tranny, if its been taken care of, which no doubt it probably has then i wouldn't worry about it. The ZF tranny is bullet proof! nuf said... Hey with 220k on the clock you are probably getting a good deal on it. If you have something big go bad then at least you have a parts car where most everything works..

PS i like that it doesn't have ABS...thats a big plus in my book! But then again I know how to brake in emergency situations..

[Carl Johansson]

Originally Posted by siam

The 89 is not a bad Rig, Vicious Coupling center diff all you have to do is stop go in Neutral and shift from Hi to Low. I hear from a lot of Rover techs that the reason they went back to the older type of Center diff is the Vicious Coupling unit tend to have a shorter life span. Other than that, 3.9 power plant is a good motor. So how much are you willing to send on repairs and how much are you buying it? Oh ya one thing is drive it at freeway speeds and see if it pulls from side to side.. Classic Rover sickness.

Thanks for the tips. The guy wants 2500 for the rig. If i could average 200 bucks a month on repairs that would be good (essentially 2500 per year)

[Landy-Andy]

Hi Carl,
One thing to check for sure is water in the oil & oil in the water, water (steam) from the exhaust. All normally point to a cracked or warped head or block, leaky head gasket.The aluminium engine does some crazy things if its been abused or overheated. I agree with Dan that the ZF tranny is solid.
Other expensive repair items to check would be blown heater cores (wet carpets can be a sign). Cats & sensors on the exhaust system (Pricey to replace)
Finaly, check all the fuses are intact, its easy to cover faults by yanking some fuses out!
With the price your paying you cant go far wrong...
Good luck & have fun,
Andy