My parents purchased a used 89 Rover from a junk yard about 10 years ago. They proceeded to put about $15,000 (no joke) into it with a new paint job, headliner, sunroof, various switches and relays, window motors, various engine problems, tires, ect….you know how quickly it all adds up. Most of the mechanical work was done at Land Rover Seattle, which my parents found to be the best place to have something done right the first time. A retired Land Rover mechanic drove it for a week this past summer and reported that "its a good vehicle". Now the kicker, I was in 7th grade when they bought it and immediately became a life long rover enthusiast. In high school my parents would allow me to drive it only to formal dances and the occasional date. Now being an adolescent, I spent 5 minutes at the dance (for pictures) and then took my date, a couple of buddies and the Rover to the muddiest, most challenging logging trails we could find. With the exception of getting stuck in a shallow pond, the thing was a tank (its current nickname). Alright, this is getting a little long so I’ll get to the point. I graduate from college in December and my folks decided to give me the car. The A/C doesn’t work, the heater spits out strange little black things when turned on high, everyday something new falls off the interior and the transmission gets hot enough to fry an egg on the center console. I’ve had the car for about 2 weeks and put about 1,000 miles on it (road trip!). Aside from the A/C not working and the tranny heating up, it ran great, even loaded to the brim with camping gear and people. So, is this a good vehicle for someone just getting out of college? Also, the damn wood panels on the rear doors have fallen off, anyone know a good glue or epoxy I can use? Thanks, and I look forward to contributing more to this site.
Graduation gift or burden?
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College graduate? Try some remedial economics.
A POS Range Rover, no matter how much money your parents spent on it is NOT the car for after graduation.
Maybe you took a course in accounting or econ in school, and missed the part where you don't throw good money after bad.
You'll be pouring money into the thing for a long time to come, and even when the car is PERFECT, it will still be a used car. Definitely not the way that you want to begin your post-college life.
If you must keep it, drive the fu#% out of the thing -- just run it into the ground, and enjoy it as a heap. I have found that crappy old Range Rovers will run pretty well when they're a few quarts low. Plus, chicks dig the shabby chic of a well-patina'd Rover.
As for service, forget the pricey dealer options -- buy the cheapest oil that you can find, at the auto parts store on the worst side of town. Ditto for all of the other "services" that a dealer offers. You can get a fine set of brake pads and a good muffler at Midas. Minimize cost wherever possible.
And after the thing has exploded, you can always drag it back to mom and dad to have them pump another 15K into it.
POD
A POS Range Rover, no matter how much money your parents spent on it is NOT the car for after graduation.
Maybe you took a course in accounting or econ in school, and missed the part where you don't throw good money after bad.
You'll be pouring money into the thing for a long time to come, and even when the car is PERFECT, it will still be a used car. Definitely not the way that you want to begin your post-college life.
If you must keep it, drive the fu#% out of the thing -- just run it into the ground, and enjoy it as a heap. I have found that crappy old Range Rovers will run pretty well when they're a few quarts low. Plus, chicks dig the shabby chic of a well-patina'd Rover.
As for service, forget the pricey dealer options -- buy the cheapest oil that you can find, at the auto parts store on the worst side of town. Ditto for all of the other "services" that a dealer offers. You can get a fine set of brake pads and a good muffler at Midas. Minimize cost wherever possible.
And after the thing has exploded, you can always drag it back to mom and dad to have them pump another 15K into it.
POD
Rolling at THAT comment
"Plus, chicks dig the shabby chic of a well-patina'd Rover."
hahahahaha
I'd have to say that most "chicks" prefer boyfriends with cars that actually run. They also seem to prefer guys who have money left over after leaving the parts store and gas station, 'cuz they don't like to have to claim its their birthday at Denny's all the time when you go out
At least, my chick does anyways. And she's an exceptionally cool chick. It took several of those Denny's birthdays before she got pi$$ed about it.
I own a Rangie and a Series. If you are in fact a Land Rover "Enthusiast," and you simply gotta have a Land Rover, consider the following:
Range Rover parts are pretty steep
Range Rovers aren't the simplest vehicles in the world
Range Rover mechanic = big, big bucks
Range Rover gas mileage absolutely sucks
Insurance companies see big dollar signs when you say Range Rover
Even if you do get rid of it, there will always be another beater Range Rover for sale when you make more money.
Then, place an add on LRX and either trade for or buy a Series III.
I know it sounds wierd, but bear with me:
Think "DEPENDABEATER".
A Series can pretty much be held together with tin foil and duct tape. Oh, and bungee cords. And a rock to pound on things with.
Most of the pieces are rebuildable rather than replaceable. For real.
Its about as complex as a lawn mower, so a good place to start learning. If it isn't the engine, tranny or transfer case, you can do it.
You will learn a lot, and the advanced cursing you will learn counts as 10 units of foreign language.
The 88's get about a third better mileage than a Rangie. The down side is they only go a third the speed. Oh well, you can't afford any tickets anyway.
New parts are cheap compared to Rangie parts.
Used parts? I'd trust a used Series part (ebay, Wise Owl) a lot more than a used electronic gadget for a Rangie. What the hell IS a stepper motor, anyway? If you don't know, sell the truck.
"I changed my own axle" sounds really impressive.
You can sneer at those Johnny-come-lately Range Rovers and Disco's, as you will have a "real Rover" and you are HARD CORE, man. Don't feel bad about it, as most Rover owners in the states are NOT enthusiasts, they just buy them to show off how much money they have and they will sneer at your beat pile of crap first. You will just know better, thats all.
Firing it up on the hand crank works even better than patina.
They only leak when its raining. Except for when the roads are wet, or its foggy. They whistle a cheery tune when its not doing any of those things.
And the kicker:
The interior noise will drown out the inane chatter from the 18 year old bettys who dig your patina.
Seriously, consider it. You could build a Series from scratch for the $15K your folks spent on the Rangie. Maybe twice, if you do it all yourself.
A $6000 Range Rover is usually a pile. A $6000 Series is usually a beat up daily driver in need of some work, if you peek around and find a good one. If it has decent compression, no big holes in the frame, stops somewhat and doesn't pop out of gear down hills, you can probably get away with driving it for a long time with minimal cost, if you are stingy about it, and learn to become self-reliant for labor.
As long as you don't want to get there fast, or comfortably, they are wonderful and pretty darned cheap to run. At your age, you still have plenty of vertebrae left to fuse, and you can save on a gym membership by parallel parking a few times. And you still get to hang out on Rover web sites.
:beer: ,
-jbb
"Plus, chicks dig the shabby chic of a well-patina'd Rover."
hahahahaha
I'd have to say that most "chicks" prefer boyfriends with cars that actually run. They also seem to prefer guys who have money left over after leaving the parts store and gas station, 'cuz they don't like to have to claim its their birthday at Denny's all the time when you go out
At least, my chick does anyways. And she's an exceptionally cool chick. It took several of those Denny's birthdays before she got pi$$ed about it.
I own a Rangie and a Series. If you are in fact a Land Rover "Enthusiast," and you simply gotta have a Land Rover, consider the following:
Range Rover parts are pretty steep
Range Rovers aren't the simplest vehicles in the world
Range Rover mechanic = big, big bucks
Range Rover gas mileage absolutely sucks
Insurance companies see big dollar signs when you say Range Rover
Even if you do get rid of it, there will always be another beater Range Rover for sale when you make more money.
Then, place an add on LRX and either trade for or buy a Series III.
I know it sounds wierd, but bear with me:
Think "DEPENDABEATER".
A Series can pretty much be held together with tin foil and duct tape. Oh, and bungee cords. And a rock to pound on things with.
Most of the pieces are rebuildable rather than replaceable. For real.
Its about as complex as a lawn mower, so a good place to start learning. If it isn't the engine, tranny or transfer case, you can do it.
You will learn a lot, and the advanced cursing you will learn counts as 10 units of foreign language.
The 88's get about a third better mileage than a Rangie. The down side is they only go a third the speed. Oh well, you can't afford any tickets anyway.
New parts are cheap compared to Rangie parts.
Used parts? I'd trust a used Series part (ebay, Wise Owl) a lot more than a used electronic gadget for a Rangie. What the hell IS a stepper motor, anyway? If you don't know, sell the truck.
"I changed my own axle" sounds really impressive.
You can sneer at those Johnny-come-lately Range Rovers and Disco's, as you will have a "real Rover" and you are HARD CORE, man. Don't feel bad about it, as most Rover owners in the states are NOT enthusiasts, they just buy them to show off how much money they have and they will sneer at your beat pile of crap first. You will just know better, thats all.
Firing it up on the hand crank works even better than patina.
They only leak when its raining. Except for when the roads are wet, or its foggy. They whistle a cheery tune when its not doing any of those things.
And the kicker:
The interior noise will drown out the inane chatter from the 18 year old bettys who dig your patina.
Seriously, consider it. You could build a Series from scratch for the $15K your folks spent on the Rangie. Maybe twice, if you do it all yourself.
A $6000 Range Rover is usually a pile. A $6000 Series is usually a beat up daily driver in need of some work, if you peek around and find a good one. If it has decent compression, no big holes in the frame, stops somewhat and doesn't pop out of gear down hills, you can probably get away with driving it for a long time with minimal cost, if you are stingy about it, and learn to become self-reliant for labor.
As long as you don't want to get there fast, or comfortably, they are wonderful and pretty darned cheap to run. At your age, you still have plenty of vertebrae left to fuse, and you can save on a gym membership by parallel parking a few times. And you still get to hang out on Rover web sites.
:beer: ,
-jbb
What are your life's goals.. after graduation.
Gainful employment, doing what and where? Will the RR be too much of a burden financially or too much of a time burden? Are you a trust fund kid with no college debt? Do you like wheeling on the weekends?
Are you afraid to get your hands dirty? If not, learn to fix it, modify it and keep it clean. Use all the BBs out there to learn and get flamed while asking questions. If it is an older RR, everything is very accessible and not too much crap has be electrofied to death.
Now for the not so nice part. FWIW and I do know you for crap but you are a selfish brat. You are bitching and complaining about the useability of a Rover after your parents GIVE you something like that! WTF? In high school you take it out and the first thing you do is beat on it? You think it is funny, but I am sure you would not have done that if YOU had to pay for it.
Sell it and go buy a car more befitting to an ingrate like you.
Gainful employment, doing what and where? Will the RR be too much of a burden financially or too much of a time burden? Are you a trust fund kid with no college debt? Do you like wheeling on the weekends?
Are you afraid to get your hands dirty? If not, learn to fix it, modify it and keep it clean. Use all the BBs out there to learn and get flamed while asking questions. If it is an older RR, everything is very accessible and not too much crap has be electrofied to death.
Now for the not so nice part. FWIW and I do know you for crap but you are a selfish brat. You are bitching and complaining about the useability of a Rover after your parents GIVE you something like that! WTF? In high school you take it out and the first thing you do is beat on it? You think it is funny, but I am sure you would not have done that if YOU had to pay for it.
Sell it and go buy a car more befitting to an ingrate like you.
yeah, thats it, a trust fund baby
Wow, all you guys really hit the nail on the head. Is this an over 50 land rover site only? A few facts about myself: As much as I wish I had a trust fund, I don't. What I do have is a sizeable debt, which will only get bigger if I get into law school. My previous vehicles were all volkswagen, with the exception of an Isuzu, which I did all the work on myself. (78 Shitrocket, 84 Rabbit GTi, 86 Golf GTi, 91 Isuzu pickup) Of course Land Rovers can't be compared to old school vw, but i'm confident that I can handle most mechanical problems when pointed in the right direction. (although I'm still waiting for a suggestion on how to reattach the wood panels) Oh yeah, azpaquin it does help to "know crap" about someone before calling them a selfish brat. Whats your story? Is this actually a Land Rover enthusiast site, because so far all you folks have told me is to get rid of the thing as fast as possible. I've heard some rumors that series owners really don't like RRs, any truth in that? If so, maybe you should post in the series section. PS – anyone going to the Land Rover show in Portland this weekend? I'd really enjoy having someone call me a selfish brat to my face.
Wow, all you guys really hit the nail on the head. Is this an over 50 land rover site only? A few facts about myself: As much as I wish I had a trust fund, I don't. What I do have is a sizeable debt, which will only get bigger if I get into law school. My previous vehicles were all volkswagen, with the exception of an Isuzu, which I did all the work on myself. (78 Shitrocket, 84 Rabbit GTi, 86 Golf GTi, 91 Isuzu pickup) Of course Land Rovers can't be compared to old school vw, but i'm confident that I can handle most mechanical problems when pointed in the right direction. (although I'm still waiting for a suggestion on how to reattach the wood panels) Oh yeah, azpaquin it does help to "know crap" about someone before calling them a selfish brat. Whats your story? Is this actually a Land Rover enthusiast site, because so far all you folks have told me is to get rid of the thing as fast as possible. I've heard some rumors that series owners really don't like RRs, any truth in that? If so, maybe you should post in the series section. PS – anyone going to the Land Rover show in Portland this weekend? I'd really enjoy having someone call me a selfish brat to my face.
Joined
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79 Posts
Sky,
Personally I love my RR. I was probably in the same boat as you as far as limited income from a new job, some debt, and was not sure what I should get or do. I was looking at '95 classics, most the LWB, and drive a few. Man they ride nice and are classy cars. My theory was that once they are 9 years old, they have had all the quirks worked out of them, so I was ready to buy. Then I made the mistake of driving a '97 HSE. It cost almost twice as much, and had half the miles, but I bought it anyway. So far I have had the car about 6 months with no problems other than I replaced the brake pads. I have done a ton of reading, and have found that the mechanical parts of these things seem to be pretty reliable. The engines are age-old designs that are basically bullet proof, so nothing stopping me there. The trannies are good ZF units that will run for a long, long time, same with the rest of the drivetrain. That exterior/interiors are beautiful. Can't say anything bad about them. Now on to the electonics...here is where there seems to be the possibility of many costly repairs. I have yet to experience any, but I shudder at the thought of it. The becm seems to be the most common problem as it controls just about everything electrical on the car, although it seems many problems with the becm stem from corrosion, bad contacts, or bad grounds.
Personally, I would drive the one you have for a few years or at least a year, until you can comfortable with the thing, and have saved up a bit of cash. Then I would go buy a 96+ HSE and keep some cash around for emergencies.
-Coach
Personally I love my RR. I was probably in the same boat as you as far as limited income from a new job, some debt, and was not sure what I should get or do. I was looking at '95 classics, most the LWB, and drive a few. Man they ride nice and are classy cars. My theory was that once they are 9 years old, they have had all the quirks worked out of them, so I was ready to buy. Then I made the mistake of driving a '97 HSE. It cost almost twice as much, and had half the miles, but I bought it anyway. So far I have had the car about 6 months with no problems other than I replaced the brake pads. I have done a ton of reading, and have found that the mechanical parts of these things seem to be pretty reliable. The engines are age-old designs that are basically bullet proof, so nothing stopping me there. The trannies are good ZF units that will run for a long, long time, same with the rest of the drivetrain. That exterior/interiors are beautiful. Can't say anything bad about them. Now on to the electonics...here is where there seems to be the possibility of many costly repairs. I have yet to experience any, but I shudder at the thought of it. The becm seems to be the most common problem as it controls just about everything electrical on the car, although it seems many problems with the becm stem from corrosion, bad contacts, or bad grounds.
Personally, I would drive the one you have for a few years or at least a year, until you can comfortable with the thing, and have saved up a bit of cash. Then I would go buy a 96+ HSE and keep some cash around for emergencies.
-Coach
Sky, no I don't know you.
And I have no problem laying into someone that is putting down something for free that their parents gave them. Abusing something their parents put their hard earned money into only for you to go "a mud bogging" at the first chance behind the wheel is downright disrespectful. It smacks of someone that does not appreciate what they have, and has no problem disrespecting their parents. Chicks see that bad/disrespectful attitude a mile away and frankly, it turns them off. If you can't see that FWIW, and you further reduce yourself to a schoolyard "say it to my face", I wish you the best in life, tough guy.
I am far from 50 years old and I graduated under similiar circumstances and got out from debt, ASAP. If I were your age, put that vehicle in the same category as your parents, as a hobby. Don't beat on it unless you are ready to replace what you break. Drive it as if it were an old Series. Treat it as a purpose vehicle, as a second vehicle. Keep it as a weekender vehicle to go into the mountains with friends camping or to a snow sport destination. It will come in handy when you move, as you will several times over the next few years. When you are older and IF you are interested you will have the time and money to invest in it. It will definately be a real head turner by then if you keep it in good shape. Your parents will probably let you keep it at their house and don't be surprised if they help you out keeping it up and maintained.
If you want a car/truck now, get a 95-99 S-10 pickup 4.3 extra cab. That is reliable as they come and parts are more than dirt cheap. It will be great to put car parts you get for your rover like axles, radiators and engines. It will also be a great other vehicle to help you move from place to place in addition to your Rover.
Again, I wish you the best.
And I have no problem laying into someone that is putting down something for free that their parents gave them. Abusing something their parents put their hard earned money into only for you to go "a mud bogging" at the first chance behind the wheel is downright disrespectful. It smacks of someone that does not appreciate what they have, and has no problem disrespecting their parents. Chicks see that bad/disrespectful attitude a mile away and frankly, it turns them off. If you can't see that FWIW, and you further reduce yourself to a schoolyard "say it to my face", I wish you the best in life, tough guy.
I am far from 50 years old and I graduated under similiar circumstances and got out from debt, ASAP. If I were your age, put that vehicle in the same category as your parents, as a hobby. Don't beat on it unless you are ready to replace what you break. Drive it as if it were an old Series. Treat it as a purpose vehicle, as a second vehicle. Keep it as a weekender vehicle to go into the mountains with friends camping or to a snow sport destination. It will come in handy when you move, as you will several times over the next few years. When you are older and IF you are interested you will have the time and money to invest in it. It will definately be a real head turner by then if you keep it in good shape. Your parents will probably let you keep it at their house and don't be surprised if they help you out keeping it up and maintained.
If you want a car/truck now, get a 95-99 S-10 pickup 4.3 extra cab. That is reliable as they come and parts are more than dirt cheap. It will be great to put car parts you get for your rover like axles, radiators and engines. It will also be a great other vehicle to help you move from place to place in addition to your Rover.
Again, I wish you the best.
As much fun as I have with my Series I am thinking of adding a classic Rangie to the stable. I have looked at several and done a bit of homework over the past few months. If you want to keep driving the Rover, then you have the perfect year with just the right balance between comfy ride/bells/whistles of the Range Rover and the simplistic tractor-like characteristics of a Series vehicle. If you can live without the air conditioning/heater and it appears you aren’t afraid of turning wrenches, then I would say hang on to the old fellow. You never mention how many miles on the Rangie. There are many stories of these motors going for 250,000 miles plus with just ancillary items and gaskets/seals needing attention. This truck has been a good friend to your family hang on to it. When you’re finished with the law degree and have extra dough, you’ll be looking for an old ’89 to beat around in, like I am currently doing. As for interior panels, get some stuff called Gorilla Glue. It’s available at most home improvement stores – Home Depot, Lowes, Builders Square, etc… The Gorilla Glue is more forgiving than super glue but has excellent adhesion properties on all kinds of material.
Good luck with whatever decision you make.
David
Good luck with whatever decision you make.
David
Ask a silly question...
I find it hard to believe you haven't already considered the possibility that you can't afford that thing, simply because you asked the question. Hmmm...if you have to ask...
If you just wanted encouragement, you should have asked for moral support, not honest opinions.
People may tell you things you don't want to hear. That's life. Fact is, you asked for it, you got it, and now you don't like it.
You might think I'm a real idiot, but at least I have the satisfaction of being able to locate glue without asking for help - twice. .
And yes, I would say that to your face. I'm just not willing to make a 700-mile round trip to do it. Don't feel bad, I wouldn't drive that far to put my four year old in a time out, either.
As for the other comments:
Yes, this is an enthusiast site. An enthusiast wants to see as many Land Rovers in the world as possible, but - seeing someone break their wallets just to have another broken down vehicle on the side of the road with a frustrated owner doesn't benefit anyone, least of all the reputation of Land Rover. How many people wanted to buy a VW bus after seeing a few of those on fire on the side of the freeway?
Over 50? Why, because people said that you may not be able to afford something, so they must be just like mean old mom & dad? Give it a rest. I'm 34, and actually lived through the period after school trying to coax a few more years out of an old Land Rover. I don't wish financial difficulty on anyone.
:beer:
-jbb
I find it hard to believe you haven't already considered the possibility that you can't afford that thing, simply because you asked the question. Hmmm...if you have to ask...
If you just wanted encouragement, you should have asked for moral support, not honest opinions.
People may tell you things you don't want to hear. That's life. Fact is, you asked for it, you got it, and now you don't like it.
You might think I'm a real idiot, but at least I have the satisfaction of being able to locate glue without asking for help - twice. .
And yes, I would say that to your face. I'm just not willing to make a 700-mile round trip to do it. Don't feel bad, I wouldn't drive that far to put my four year old in a time out, either.
As for the other comments:
Yes, this is an enthusiast site. An enthusiast wants to see as many Land Rovers in the world as possible, but - seeing someone break their wallets just to have another broken down vehicle on the side of the road with a frustrated owner doesn't benefit anyone, least of all the reputation of Land Rover. How many people wanted to buy a VW bus after seeing a few of those on fire on the side of the freeway?
Over 50? Why, because people said that you may not be able to afford something, so they must be just like mean old mom & dad? Give it a rest. I'm 34, and actually lived through the period after school trying to coax a few more years out of an old Land Rover. I don't wish financial difficulty on anyone.
:beer:
-jbb
:wave:
Hi Sky, mostly what has been said can be true. A Rangie is not just for Christmas, but for the rest of your life. You being a young guy starting out on the long road to financial prosperity, should look towards a more cost effective mode of transport if there is one in the USA? Plenty over here in GB. But dont be too put-off at owning a Rangie, it does have its benifits as a comfortable cruiser on the highways and it can tow just about any trailer for camping etc. Hope you make the right decision for you, Bazz. :beer:
Hi Sky, mostly what has been said can be true. A Rangie is not just for Christmas, but for the rest of your life. You being a young guy starting out on the long road to financial prosperity, should look towards a more cost effective mode of transport if there is one in the USA? Plenty over here in GB. But dont be too put-off at owning a Rangie, it does have its benifits as a comfortable cruiser on the highways and it can tow just about any trailer for camping etc. Hope you make the right decision for you, Bazz. :beer:
Joined
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3,205 Posts
Sky,
I see the points of several above. I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth but if my parents had given me a Rover I would not have taken it to the logging trails on my first outing. But kids will be kids and if your parents did think you wouldn't offroad with it, they were kidding themselves. I know if I passed mine down, my daughter would drive it offroad on her first night with it, because she would be eager to show her friends "how cool it was"!
Rangies, if you are not inclined to work on them can cost you a king's ransom to keep on the road. I bought my 93 when it was 7 years old. I have needed some expensive repairs, mainly the transmission when my torque converter failed. $900. But that is the biggest one so far. I fixed my A/C for $40. You can read about how I did that on my page if you are curious. I am blessed to have two friends that are mechanical geniuses and love to work on cars. So when I can't do it myself they are there for me for the price of a six pack of Newcastle Brown.
I have friends who left Land Rover due to bad experiences with electrics and other mechanicals. They went with Toyota Land Cruiser. It looks a lot like the Rover underneath and are very reliable.
With that said. I love my Rangie. My wife hates it. Everytime she gets in she knows there is another $500 to spend on it. Well that is okay with me as I am financially able to keep up with it.
There are some fine examples of Rangies out there that have had much more money spent on them than their "book value" would allow. Ozzie at ozziesoffroad.com has a great truck. Real nice and tricked out. I don't see him trading it in for a "new one". I am in that group too. I won't get a new Rover, ever, unless I win the lottery and then it would be a Defender with a 300Tdi.
I have considered getting a Disco but I still have many more miles with my Rangie. As far as gas mileage I get 15.5 average with 147,000 on the odometer.
If I were you and was to ask myself one question, it would be....
Do I ever intend to offroad with it or is driving this Rangie a status symbol only?
Have fun with your Rover and good luck in law school.
I see the points of several above. I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth but if my parents had given me a Rover I would not have taken it to the logging trails on my first outing. But kids will be kids and if your parents did think you wouldn't offroad with it, they were kidding themselves. I know if I passed mine down, my daughter would drive it offroad on her first night with it, because she would be eager to show her friends "how cool it was"!
Rangies, if you are not inclined to work on them can cost you a king's ransom to keep on the road. I bought my 93 when it was 7 years old. I have needed some expensive repairs, mainly the transmission when my torque converter failed. $900. But that is the biggest one so far. I fixed my A/C for $40. You can read about how I did that on my page if you are curious. I am blessed to have two friends that are mechanical geniuses and love to work on cars. So when I can't do it myself they are there for me for the price of a six pack of Newcastle Brown.
I have friends who left Land Rover due to bad experiences with electrics and other mechanicals. They went with Toyota Land Cruiser. It looks a lot like the Rover underneath and are very reliable.
With that said. I love my Rangie. My wife hates it. Everytime she gets in she knows there is another $500 to spend on it. Well that is okay with me as I am financially able to keep up with it.
There are some fine examples of Rangies out there that have had much more money spent on them than their "book value" would allow. Ozzie at ozziesoffroad.com has a great truck. Real nice and tricked out. I don't see him trading it in for a "new one". I am in that group too. I won't get a new Rover, ever, unless I win the lottery and then it would be a Defender with a 300Tdi.
I have considered getting a Disco but I still have many more miles with my Rangie. As far as gas mileage I get 15.5 average with 147,000 on the odometer.
If I were you and was to ask myself one question, it would be....
Do I ever intend to offroad with it or is driving this Rangie a status symbol only?
Have fun with your Rover and good luck in law school.
Joined
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11 Posts
Decision time
Ok, I remember when my parents got their first RRC. It's an '89 also, and it was in high school for me. I promptly fell in love with it, and now it's mine, and I am still in college. Anyways, you have to decide if you want to keep it yourself or not. I know I am. But, I do all of my own work, icluding a complete engine rebuild. I also beat the crap out of mine on the trails (OME lift, ARB lockers, skidplates, etc).
anyhoo, if I were you and I really liked the truck, I would take the time to buy a manual and lstart doing the repairs yourself. Join a local Land Rover club, the other members will go out of their way to help you. I did, and that's how I learned to waste all of my money fixing it after trailrides.
The last thing, keep the adige in mind, "Don't fix it if it ain't broke" it applies to all things land rovers. If you tried to fix every little thing, you'd never drive it because you'd be fixing it 24/7.
The point of this rambling is that you need to decide if you think you can afford to keep it and if you want to take the time to learn how do work on it yourself. That will save you a lot of money in the long run. Land Rovers are vehicles that you can drive forever, even with half of the car dragging behind you.
Ok, I remember when my parents got their first RRC. It's an '89 also, and it was in high school for me. I promptly fell in love with it, and now it's mine, and I am still in college. Anyways, you have to decide if you want to keep it yourself or not. I know I am. But, I do all of my own work, icluding a complete engine rebuild. I also beat the crap out of mine on the trails (OME lift, ARB lockers, skidplates, etc).
anyhoo, if I were you and I really liked the truck, I would take the time to buy a manual and lstart doing the repairs yourself. Join a local Land Rover club, the other members will go out of their way to help you. I did, and that's how I learned to waste all of my money fixing it after trailrides.
The last thing, keep the adige in mind, "Don't fix it if it ain't broke" it applies to all things land rovers. If you tried to fix every little thing, you'd never drive it because you'd be fixing it 24/7.
The point of this rambling is that you need to decide if you think you can afford to keep it and if you want to take the time to learn how do work on it yourself. That will save you a lot of money in the long run. Land Rovers are vehicles that you can drive forever, even with half of the car dragging behind you.
thanks
I appreciate all of the positive responses so far. I was really frustrated with some replies, but then I reread my original post and decided that I did kind of come across as a snobby little kid. Oh well, the great thing about newsgroups is the ability to simply ignore posts from people more interested in putting you down rather then engaging in meaningful discussion. (last time I checked, that goes both ways) Anyway, I’m going to go take some pictures of my rig and post them here in the next couple of hours.
(I didn't get any response during the first couple of days regarding my 'glue' comment, hence the post on another channel)
I appreciate all of the positive responses so far. I was really frustrated with some replies, but then I reread my original post and decided that I did kind of come across as a snobby little kid. Oh well, the great thing about newsgroups is the ability to simply ignore posts from people more interested in putting you down rather then engaging in meaningful discussion. (last time I checked, that goes both ways) Anyway, I’m going to go take some pictures of my rig and post them here in the next couple of hours.
(I didn't get any response during the first couple of days regarding my 'glue' comment, hence the post on another channel)
Joined
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536 Posts
Hi,
I think some of the first responses were a little harsh and dare I say uninformed,It all comes down to do you like your rangie!
If you do money and time dont really come in to it,yes they do drop to bits and stop working from time to time but at the end of the day you just do the best repair you can and carry on,parts are'nt expensive if you know where to look,also contrary to a previous statement rangies ARE a very simple machine its just a case of educating youself these forums are the place to do that.
As for series landys been a mans rover well it depends what you want out of your vehicle if you like putting miles on a vehicle in comfort and some degree of speed and good off road performance then a rangie is the motor to go for,If you drive to the store and go fishing 10 miles away once a week,and dont mind not been able to hear a conversation with the person next to you then a series rover is the one for you.
I am not biased I own both a Rangie and a series 1 V8,I am experienced in both varietys of vehicle having owned 3 rangies,a couple of defenders and over 20 series vehicles covering all types and variations,so this is not a load of uninformed crap its the voice of many years experience.
I enjoy both the motors I have but each has its own character and ability.
As for sevicing and maintenance,the better you treat it the better it will treat you.
Cheers ONz
As for glue any epoxy will do its only a bit of wood
for tiz written in the book of ONz "keep it simple" :buttrock:
I think some of the first responses were a little harsh and dare I say uninformed,It all comes down to do you like your rangie!
If you do money and time dont really come in to it,yes they do drop to bits and stop working from time to time but at the end of the day you just do the best repair you can and carry on,parts are'nt expensive if you know where to look,also contrary to a previous statement rangies ARE a very simple machine its just a case of educating youself these forums are the place to do that.
As for series landys been a mans rover well it depends what you want out of your vehicle if you like putting miles on a vehicle in comfort and some degree of speed and good off road performance then a rangie is the motor to go for,If you drive to the store and go fishing 10 miles away once a week,and dont mind not been able to hear a conversation with the person next to you then a series rover is the one for you.
I am not biased I own both a Rangie and a series 1 V8,I am experienced in both varietys of vehicle having owned 3 rangies,a couple of defenders and over 20 series vehicles covering all types and variations,so this is not a load of uninformed crap its the voice of many years experience.
I enjoy both the motors I have but each has its own character and ability.
As for sevicing and maintenance,the better you treat it the better it will treat you.
Cheers ONz
As for glue any epoxy will do its only a bit of wood
for tiz written in the book of ONz "keep it simple" :buttrock:
sky said:
Joined
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3,433 Posts
Sky- You live in one of the coolest parts in the planet!!! I lived in seattle for half my life and all those people out there shopping at REI in their Mercedes 4x4's wish they had yours!! Keep it because replacing it is going to cost more than keeping it any day of the week. Save up buy a cheap Jap car like a Honda or Subaru and drive the **** out of it for your daily driver.Use the Rangie for your rec vehicle and usee it to go to through the Passes for snow boarding or whatever. Enjoy it!!! Your parents spent a mint on trying to keep it alive and it obviously meant alot to them to give it to you so just keep it! BTW Land Rover of Seattle is FANTASTIC but very expensive.Try an indipendant there are a few around north seattle and Puyallup.PM me if you need further info on where to get it fixed in your area.They can be expensive to keep but worth it.
Joined
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209 Posts
I agree with Series3Guy...
You should keep the Classic and only drive it for fun. Liability insurance is dirt cheap, and with the Rover and a beater both insured you'll get a multicar discount.
Save up a couple of thousand dollars and go find a nice, clean old MG or Triumph to drive back and forth to work.
Okay, that's a joke. You should go find a nice older Toyota or Honda to drive back and forth to work. Just be sure and get a bumper sticker that says "My other car is a Range Rover."
You should keep the Classic and only drive it for fun. Liability insurance is dirt cheap, and with the Rover and a beater both insured you'll get a multicar discount.
Save up a couple of thousand dollars and go find a nice, clean old MG or Triumph to drive back and forth to work.
Okay, that's a joke. You should go find a nice older Toyota or Honda to drive back and forth to work. Just be sure and get a bumper sticker that says "My other car is a Range Rover."
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