advice on '96 needed!

[discostew]

hey guys,

i just went to check out a '96 SE. really liked it. it ran fairly well, starts right up, no lound clunks from the tranny, etc. it has ~94k miles and pretty much no rust save a tiny spot underneathe the seal of one of the alpine windows. it has the rear jumpseats as well, but it's not an SE7. the transfer case shifts better than some other discos i've looked at; high to low and lock all seem to work. downsides: guy says check engine light comes on half the time but both land rover and the car's regular mechanic can't diagnose what the problem is. says the car does leak, but doesn't know what. the engine looks clean and there's no oil on the intake manifold or anything. i creeped underneathe and the oil pan does look wet. also, it has no seat belt buckles in the back and all the mudflaps are gone... also rear sunroof and one window don't work. otherwise the car APPEARS good

i can pick it up for 5k. is it worth it? please advice soon 'cuz i told him i'd go pick it up tomorrow. thanks!

[apbtpetey]

Personally I would have the check engine light looked at before paying a dime for it. Ask to take it to a local AutoZone and can see if it is throwing any codes. As for the leak(s) has he had to add any fluid?? if so what was it oil,tranny,coolant,power steering?? Seatbelts might be an issue if you have anybody riding in the back.

All of this can used as an advantage in buying this if you buy it. $5k seems a bit high with some of the issues. I personally wouldnt touch it until I got it scanned for codes and knew what was throwing the check engine light. Could be minor than again could be major

[pavel]

Yes - check everything first that you possibly can. How much does a dealer check up cost in your area? My local dealer does excellent checks for about $100 - $120 and always finds all kinds of things wrong with a 'perfect' truck. The longer the list of problems, the cheaper the price.... Are the seat belts buckles just jambed under the rear seat or have they been removed - if so why? If the vendor can't give you the original owners manual and all records, knock off another grand. Is he the first or fifth owner? Good luck.

[wade]

My suggestion would be to add the $3 or 4K you'll end up spending on the 96 in the next year to the $5K and buy a newer truck...maybe a 99 or 2000. You can't guarantee you won't end up spending on the newer one, but with what you described on the 96, it sounds almost guaranteed you'll end up spending quite a bit on it. (Of course, I didn't follow my own advice...hindsight!)

[GotRovr]

with CEL at 94k you probably need O2 sensors and/or new cats

watch out for the following

power steering pump and hoses
cooling hoses and or radiator
alternator, does the tach hesitate during throttle changes

look inside the oil filler cap with a flash light, if black sludge walk away

pull a spark plug if lots of carbon build-up and air filter is clean, then injectors may need cleaning or replacing

pull up carpet at driver foot well check for rust from window or condensate leaking

service records?