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looking at getting back into a RRC, 1992 range rover swb

6K views 28 replies 10 participants last post by  rufant 
#1 ·
Hey gang,

Looking to get back into a Land Rover. Had a 1994 Range Rover LWB and 2004 Discovery HSE7 before so I'm not completely clueless. On my Range Rover I had the pleasure of replacing the VC, starter, ABS pump, exhaust, and brakes and rotors within two years. I'm ready for more punishment! Plan was to find a sub-$5000 SWB Ranger Rover Classic preferably in white with the early three spoke wheels (like the one I dreamed of in highschool). I would than budget $5k on repairs and improvements the first two years than hopefully get away with a $2k/yr budget on repairs assuming I drive less than 5k miles per year. I was hoping to find one with a body in decent shape with around 100k miles. This would be a third car but one I really want to keep forever as it's timeless and basically fully depreciated.

I think I found one. It's a white 1992 Range Rover SWB with 104k miles here in CA. Carfax shows it lived in NM briefly than CA the rest of it's life. Quick look around and underneath didn't bring up any red flags. Really like how it has no grills or brush bars. Body and paint has some blemishes but look just right for a car this old. Getting inside and taking a test drive helped identify some upcoming repairs in improvements. My main concern is what the following may cost to repair at a independent Rover.

1. ABS light stays on. On my 1994 RR, my ABS quit within a few miles of the ABS light going on (scary!). Owner says it's been on for some time. I'm assuming this will cost about $1900 to replace the ABS pump if this is the problem.

2. Going up a steep hill, the radiator light breifly blinked on. Could just be low on coolant?

Electric seats worked, naturally A/C did not. No sign of VC failing on tight turns. Drove quite well. Owner failed the smog test early this year. He was certainly not a Rover guy and only made repairs as needed. He got a tune-up at a non-rover specialist and got it to pass the smog test. Here are the cosmetic improvements I had inside . . .

3. replace sagging headliner.

4. replace console box. it lifts a bit when the you pull the e-brake which seems to pull high (probably another issue).

5. replace the wood trim.

I think I can buy for closer to $3k. I read some older threads on what people expect to pay on these old beasts. From my previous ownership experience I basically concluded that I never really owned a Range Rover, only the rights to repair it. That said, I think $3k for a currently clean running Range Rover with a body in a color and condition that I really like is a fair deal. Had the owner been more on top of maintenance than I still would not have paid over $6k for it. So right now I see this is as I'm buying a $3k RRC with $3k budget for immediate repairs.

Would appreciate your input, although I'm going to watch a dvd I have to return soon!
 
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#2 ·
If the owner repairs the ABS, gets the air working, adjusts the handbrake and has the radiator checked out I MIGHT consider paying 3 grand. I'd only pay that much if the truck is completely operational and will pass inspection with no problems. Any rust?

Don't get all glassy eyed thinking that you'll "just" have to put in an ABS pump and be done with it. I have a suspicion that there are huge expenses lurking. Put the onus on the seller, then see what he says.
 
#3 ·
o2batsea said:
If the owner repairs the ABS, gets the air working, adjusts the handbrake and has the radiator checked out I MIGHT consider paying 3 grand. I'd only pay that much if the truck is completely operational and will pass inspection with no problems. Any rust?

Don't get all glassy eyed thinking that you'll "just" have to put in an ABS pump and be done with it. I have a suspicion that there are huge expenses lurking. Put the onus on the seller, then see what he says.
argh! just wrote a response but took too long so to hit reply so have to retype . . .

looked for rust in the usual spots and found nothing alarming. doesn't seem reasonable for someone to put 3 grand into and sell it for 3 grand. purely from a parts . . . matching tires with 75%+ life on wheels i really like $500, clean enough body, paint, and chassis (really wanted white on swb) $1500 . . . working engine and transmission, it's currently a clean running car $500-1000.

owner also put put a grand into front suspension work at a rover specialist. he also did a 'tune-up' and put 'new brakes' very recently at a non-rover specialist. when i asked more on the tune-up and brakes, i could tell he really wasn't a car guy. he didn't seem deceptive, just honestly not thoroughly knowledgeable on rovers. i ran out of time to review work documents but will certainly review before i decide.

i'm budgeting $5k in repairs the first couple years. i don't think that's being too glossy eyed based on what i've see of this rover so far.
 
#4 ·
Heck I paid $500 for mine and with $300-400 or so in parts, I've put 15k miles on it in the past year.
Regarding your ABS issues, it could just be a wheel sensor. Do all the ABS tests before you assume that the ABS pump it about to die. Does it run? Does it turn off 20-30 seconds after you start the truck? How many brake pedal pushes do you get before the pump cycles on again? etc..etc...
 
#5 ·
I agree with BJ, test the ABS system. I think the details are on the main site.

Did you check the coolant level after the light came on? Was there any evidence of it leaking anywhere? Unless it has had them recently i would factor in new hoses and clamps on any car this age.

I would be as thorough as possible in inspecting it. There is plenty of info on this forum and the main site that covers just about everything to look for. If no major problems are found, the truck is worth what someone will pay for it ie; you. If it's the right colours, model, etc. Then offer what it's worth to you (which sounds like what you were doing) i don't think there is any fairer way to by a car.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the info guys. Wish I had time to review the rover my self with the wealth of info here but I kill my time on other hobbies. I'm going to arrange to take my car to my old rover mechanic for an inspection. I'll return with the results and hopefully pics of it in my driveway.
 
#7 ·
Man if its in decent shape 3k ant bad. If its got no to little rust even better. Not a rover guy :think: I would offer him 2 and budget 2 for the first year and 1 for the rest of its life. They are good truck in a whole but poor matinace is what most face when they first buy one, so they get a bad rap. If you like it buy it, if no rust defiantly buy it :thumb:
 
#8 ·
Good Luck, I hope you found one that you will love a long time.

When I test drove mine the coolant light blinked a few times, no big deal. Took it to the coast (250 miles one way) and the light came on. Put a little over a pint of coolant in (that was all tha twas needed), no problems since. I too have that ABS light on. After I get the EAS squared away (hopefully this weekend) that will be the next issue for me. I agree with bj and rufant, do the checks first before you spend the big money. My abs kicks on and off like it should. So, I am hoping that it will be a easy :lol: :lol: fix.

If you get the car you are discussing in this thread I have a excellent write up on the repair of the veener and the center console that I can send you (I got from another forum :shock: ) I have not doen mine yet but, I wan to get the truck running great before I play with the cosmetics.

Let us know how it goes.

Parker
1993 Plymouth Blue LWB
 
#9 ·
85mm.

Having only ever owned Land rovers and range rovers you quickly learn thet there are vehicles and vehicles.

You do appear to be doing the right thing, buying a good vehicle and budgeting for repairs. I do get a little irritated that some people may say a certain $ price is too much and they paid less. Yes you can and WILL always find cheaper rovers, IMHE these are usually the dogs with wrotten chassis or bodies full of filler.

A recent case in point, I bought a very nice RR with low miles 80K and FSH, I paid what was to me a reasonable sum for the vehicle. A friend then saw what I had bought, became a little envious and went our and bought one almost the same but paid half the £ that I paid. He said I had been wripped off!

His vehicle had done 140K miles, no service history, was 3 years older than mine and every panel was full of filler - no original bodywork remained. I think you can draw your own conclusions who got the best deal - cheap is not always best.

Look carefully at what you are buying, pick a good one and expect to pay more for it and budget for repairs. Just because somebody got theirs cheaper doesn't mean they got like for like or a good deal. Good luck with it.
 
#10 ·
one step closer

Thank you for the additional feedback. Rover is now at my mechanic for an inspection. Hope to hear good news tomorrow.

Got to drive it for about 30minutes today in mixed city and highway traffic. I spoiled myself since selling my 94 rangie in 2002 with new cars. It was a bit of a shock when I first got into this one last week with the rough leather, hanging headliner, chipped wood trim, and a couple missing knobs. Funny thing is today it fit like a glove and I didn't pay much attention to all those oddities. Nothing like driving with the windows down arms resting on the door way down low almost like your leg is at the same level as the window sill. I'm really excited to hopefully take this baby home. My mechanic was telling me of how another customer brought in a RRC even though he just got a LR3. Customer says there's nothing like a RRC.

I got more paperwork from the owner. One of the invoices listed work the shop recommended. No surprises with front/rear brakes&rotors being the biggest issue which the owner says has been done. Still need to verify if the rotors were actually replaced but the brakes did feel new grabbing pretty early at slow stops with no vibration at any speed. The e-brake which I thought pulled high may actually be normal.

Look out for another update and hopefully some pics.
 
#11 ·
Just be aware the e-brake acts on the propshaft and is unrelated to the other brakes, don't try doing any handbrake turns!

That is why even with the e-brake applied, the vehicle will rock slightly forwards or backwards when you release the foot brake as the slack in the driveline is taken up.
 
#14 ·
on the fence

So I'm on the fence. The inspection by my rover specialist identified contaminated coolant. Further test lead him to believe that the top end would need to be redone to the tune of $2000-2500. The other thing he recommended working on was re-installing a heat shield the non-rover mechanics broke off to install a new starter as it would soon heat up and fail. His initial diagnosis on the ABS light was that it needed a new sensor and hopefully just a flushing out. Worse case scenario would be a new abs pump about $900 installed. Otherwise, nothing else that needed immediate attention. Another $1000-2000 to sort out various minor mechanical and cosmetic problems and I think I would have a pretty solid rover. Ah, but do I really want to get back in?

I went in hoping to find something for about $5k with about $2500 in repairs in the first year. Keep in mind that this would be a third car to be driven mainly to schools, parks, and the grocery store about twice a week. After a thorough inspection I really do think I found what I was looking for. I've been looking casually in the last year. People are saying to offer $500-1500, but rovers in that price range have been pretty scary looking listings.

When I went back with a $2k offer. Owner said he'd rather keep it and drive it. Nice guy and I completely respect where he's coming from after putting in a relatively large amount of money under his ownership. It's too bad he didn't take it to the right place all the time to repair it properly.

Another thing that came up that is holding me back is my mechanic's multiple references to the lack of availability of parts. I spoke with him about two years ago and he mentioned how Land Rover under Ford had stopped making new replacement RRC parts and repairs were taking longer simply because it took longer to find replacement parts. Man, I hope Tata sees value and making genuine parts again. While discussing repairs he mentioned how he had to source many parts now second hand or after market. I don't mind after market parts but it got me thinking that this is the reason why RRC's don't seem to have a bottom as far as resale values. But than you look at the NAS Defenders and they are still going for $25k+. I'm sure the fact that new Defenders are being produced is a factor there. Is the lack of parts for RRC's going to be a real concern in fiver years?

So that's where I am, on the fence. I'm supposed to pick it up from my mechanic tomorrow morning. I'll either drive it back to the owner or back home (mechanic can't rebuild the top end until next week).
 
#17 ·
It's back with the owner. Still tempted to call and just buy it. When I start looking at other cars, everything else is at least $5000-10,000 and not nearly as interesting. So still thinking a $2500ish RRC with $5k in immediate repairs/improvements is still tempting. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
 
#18 ·
look what followed me home

After returning the 92 RRC to it's owner yesterday I still couldn't stop thinking about it. This morning I thought more of how low the price already was and how hard it's been to find a white swb rrc without brush bars in decent condition. So finally I decided that I'd buy it and drive it sparingly. I than would get the head gaskets and a few other things sorted out in the next month or two. If I change my mind I think I could do a lot better job of marketing the car to at least get what I paid for it.

The front seat switch quit working all the sudden. Thanks to the repair guide here I got it to work again!

Look forward to keeping this car for a long time and restoring it inside and out.
 

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#21 ·
85- That's a fine looking example. Someone took good care for some of it's life, and it's a good enough looking body, that you can spend some bucks on the motor and still have a worthwhile RRC. Prolly cheaper to swap in a low mile used motor, and keep the one that you have for rebuild. 3.9s usually run forever. If you yank your current motor, don't let it sit with any water contamination in it....open it right away, and pickle what isn't compromised. Do read up on head gasket replacement and pickup on 'headbolts' issues. Do it right the first time so you don't have to go back. Hope the PO gave you a price break tho.........that's a spendy fix. In our area (Seattle) you would have to give up probably 3k for that car if the problem stayed undiscovered......about $1500-1700 tops if the problem known. A very personal call. I'd say you did the right thing if you love to just sit there and look at it. It's PURTY!
 
#22 ·
Blewbyu said:
In our area (Seattle) you would have to give up probably 3k for that car if the problem stayed undiscovered......about $1500-1700 tops if the problem known. A very personal call. I'd say you did the right thing if you love to just sit there and look at it. It's PURTY!
You touched on all the factors I considered in my decision to buy. From my perspective, as best you can, you need to stay on top of potential repair issues when you have an old Range Rover and invest in preventative maintenance. The seller simply fixed whatever broke. His minimum selling price was what he bought if for, less some depreciation, plus some of the repair costs he recently put into it. From the repair receipts he provided, he had put in about $2700 into it in the last two years (total receipts totaled over $17,600 excluding a period between 1992-1995!). He drove it regularly and to him, it was a perfectly running Range Rover that he could sell for at least $2800. He would not go any lower. To most everyone on this forum that price is way too high. However, I did think he'd find someone less knowledgeable to but it for $3000, plus I really didn't think I'd find one in the same condition and color that I wanted for the same price. Plus, business has been good and I wanted to celebrate . . . help the economy and so on and so forth.

So now my baby has been over at Roverland here in San Francisco getting lots of tlc. Repair bill is now hovering around $3800 with almost all issues addressed from the pre-purchase inspection. There were several items I had repaired while it was taken apart to save on labor. I think that to most here, that's a lot of money to put into a RRC. To me though this really is a vehicle I want to keep for as long as possible and one that I have always loved since I first saw one. Anything for such a automobile under $10k is a bargain. Start comparing to what people are paying for US Defenders, than it's almost a no brainer. Details of repairs once I get her back.
 
#25 ·
rufant said:
85mm, good approach. You obviously have a grasp of how these vehicles need to be treated.

BTW what's with the name? Or am i being naive...?
thanks! 85mm was a name i used on camera forums back when i first got my dslr. just trying to maintain a little more sense of privacy although it's probably pretty hopeless these days : )
 
#26 ·
Less than a week after I purchased my rover, it spent about two weeks at Roverland for the first round of immediate repairs. I've had it back for almost two weeks now. We have a 2008 cayman and GL450 and I grab the keys for this my rover whenever I can. I love looking at this truck and enjoy every minute behind the wheel of it.

This rover was supposed to replace our civic hybrid. It first seems like an odd substitute. However, we drove the civic about twice a week and only for school and grocery runs. Thinking of depreciating and paying the insurance always seemed like a waste. That's when I thought the rover was the perfect substitute. We'd never be far from home if it broke down. Insurance is only $25/mo. It's essentially fully depreciated. I get out what I put in as far as maintenance. Best of all, I love driving it.

Before I go on forgive my very limited knowledge on the mechanics of this vehicle. Details below are from the invoice. I have other skills and leave my rover to the pros.

So the head gaskets needed replacing with an estimated cost of $2200-2800. When the engine was taken apart, Phillip, the owner of Roverland noticed a good deal of work had already been done to the bottom half of the engine. He couldn't figure out why the previous owner would spend so much money and only do half the work while they already had it apart. He replaced all the worn hardware along with the head gaskets. Cost was $2240 ($1357 was labor) + $450 for the machine shop to rebuild the head.

He mentioned that he would do other work while the engine was taken apart and only charge for parts.

While he was down there he also replaced the exhause manifold bolts. $0 labor, $254 parts.

He replaced all the cooling and heating hoses. $0 labor, $206 parts.

I decided to replace the cracked steering shaft as well. $177 labor, $338 parts.

Nice to sea all the new hoses, nuts and bolts under the hood. From the invoice it looks like he never got to the abs brakes. Phillipe said he would look for a used abs sensor. Headliner job is delayed until we get the right color liner that is getting shipped from the east coast. When I checked the coolant today there was some pretty nasty grey sludge in there. I'm assuming this is what tipped him off to get the head gaskets done. Hope to address these issues in the next couple weeks.

Oh yeah, my wife drove it. She said that she couldn't figure out the A/C and just opened the windows after waiting for the air to blow cold. I told her she figured it out. :D
 
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