[steveh_131]

Hello everyone! This forum contains such a wealth of information, I'm amazed.

I'm considering purchasing a 1992 Range Rover from a man here in Indiana. It has 133,000 miles. It passed emissions recently, and the engine and transmission seem strong. Here are my concerns with it:

1. I peeked under the vehicle, the frame has some rust but it doesn't seem to deep. I didn't get a chance to look under the carpet. The body is free of rust I believe, including the tailgate. Is the sheet metal on these aluminum?

2. He claims that it's never given him any serious trouble except one instance where he said it died on him while driving. He said that after 5 minutes it started up and got him home. He suspects the fuel filter. I was thinking maybe the fuel pump or even a collapsed tank. Any ideas?

3. The interior is a mess. It needs a new headliner, the plastic around the steering column is broken, etc.

4. It has a bad heater blower motor.

5. Unknown condition of the A/C because he tried to put the A/C blower motor in place of the heater.

6. Bad front wiper motor.

Besides all that it seems pretty solid. I've talked him down to $500. Good deal? It seems to me that if she quit on me and I didn't want to fix her, I could probably sell her for at least that much. Or even part out a few of the more expensive parts on ebay and scrap the rest to get my money back?

I was curious how many of you have been left stranded by an old RR. That's one of my primary concerns, having to pay for a tow and being stranded somewhere I don't want to be with my son or something. However, I don't really plan on going anywhere substantial, mostly 10-20 miles from home at the most. The worst part would be the I-told-you-not-to-buy-that dirty look from my wife when it leaves us stranded. LOL.

Thanks in advance for any tips! I'm getting excited about having her, even after reading about what a hopeless money pit they are!

Steve

 

[Tim (Scotland)]

Buy it, but be prepared to keep on top of the maintenance. I suspect $500 for an inspected runner is a steal over there.

 

[Ryzman]

buy it, change all fluids and filters, flush radiator, and check the swivel balls for gear oil!!! if it leaks you probly have a bad cv joint... only way to tell about the brakes is to drive it... careful because some of us have issues with ours. if it runs good then you got a hell of a deal!!! enjoy and let us know how it goes!!!

 

[Danny]

I was curious how many of you have been left stranded by an old RR.

Better question: Who hasn't? :lol:

Seriously, buy it. You'll have loads of fun/frustration/satisfaction, and we'll be here to help.

 

[steveh_131]

Thanks for all of the replies! I've decided that I'd like to buy it, my dilemma at this point is that he said he doesn't think it will make it back to my house (about 10 miles). He's a little confusing to try to talk to. He said that the last time he drove it, it died on him (while it was moving, not coming to a stop or idling), but he was able to start it up after 5 minutes and it made it home. He's insistent that it's the fuel filter and I should change that out before I try to drive it home. Does that sound like the culprit? If so, where is the filter located and what tools do I need to bring to change it out? From what I've read, you can get to it through the fuel tank access hatch in the back, but he says it's by the wheel.

This guy is confusing me, he may have no clue what he's talking about. :|

I appreciate all of your help, you've pretty much talked me into buying it!

Steve

 

[Granny]

Steve, my '92 (that I've had for 12 years) died like that on me a couple of times but got going again and didn't strand me. The first time I was far from home but managed to get on to my destination and back home again. That time it was the fuel filter. I eventually had to replace the fuel pump and maybe that time it had to be towed. I'm embarrassed to day that I don't recall for sure! Another time it quit while driving over a mountain top, restarted, quit again, restarted again and didn't repeat the mishap; I got home fine. I've had some ongoing issues since then that I'm still sorting out. No stranding so far.

At $500, provided you are handy and willing to dig in and tackle problems, I can't imagine how you could go far wrong with this one. It's surely worth more than that as parts.

 

[steveh_131]

Steve, my '92 (that I've had for 12 years) died like that on me a couple of times but got going again and didn't strand me. The first time I was far from home but managed to get on to my destination and back home again. That time it was the fuel filter. I eventually had to replace the fuel pump and maybe that time it had to be towed. I'm embarrassed to day that I don't recall for sure! Another time it quit while driving over a mountain top, restarted, quit again, restarted again and didn't repeat the mishap; I got home fine. I've had some ongoing issues since then that I'm still sorting out. No stranding so far.

At $500, provided you are handy and willing to dig in and tackle problems, I can't imagine how you could go far wrong with this one. It's surely worth more than that as parts.

Thanks for the info! Do you happen to know what tools you needed to take out the filter, and where it was located? I need to pack up the right tools and take them over there to change it out.

 

[Ryzman]

right rear tire has to come off, then a couple wrenches to remove the filter... you could use a couple crescent wrenches but easier with box end.

 

[steveh_131]

right rear tire has to come off, then a couple wrenches to remove the filter... you could use a couple crescent wrenches but easier with box end.

Perfect, thank you. Wouldn't have thought to bring a jack and tire iron for this job.

 

[Ryzman]

hey steve... the lug nuts are like 27mm deep socket if you have it... bring a 1/2 inch drive wrench, 27mm deep socket, a cheater, and all your metric box end wrenches for the best results id say... inspect the fuel filter... if its all shiny then id imagine your fuel pump is cutting in and out... pretty cheap fix if you find a gently used one at the junkyard and really not too bad of a job since you have the 92. there is an inspection hole in the "trunk" that makes it easy to replace... dont worry about depressurizing the fuel system. just be careful if really under pressure not to get any gas in your eyes... cant wait to see pics of your "new" rig! oh theres a trick with the fuel cap too... if the truck dies... try taking off the fuel cap. never actually did it myself but i hear it may work.
my issue i think was a bad electrical connection to the fuel pump. upon inspection i found that one of the wires going to the fuel pump plug had kinked inside the plug and did not make a good connection. also effected my fuel level gauge on the dash... once i figured out the problem ive not stalled since.
fuel filter is cheap and easy replacement and well worth it so a great start!
best of luck
oh also... inspect the inside of the wheels... if there is a ton of crud and road grime then i would imagine you might have a leak either in your axles or swivel ball.
best thing for these vehicles is a service. engine oil, filters, trans fluid, radiator fluid, zerks. just all the fluids and grease you can replace do it and you will be pleased with results.
it will run better and shift better... check and make sure you have low range 4X4. its pretty much the best part of these vehicles.

 

[steveh_131]

I'm going to attempt to pick it up tonight, so hopefully I can post a few pics tomorrow. The body looks great, just a little dirty. It has some kind of purple tint on the rear windows, I'm guessing that's not stock. It's kind of hideous, I may need to remove that. Looks nice otherwise.

I greatly appreciate all of your help. Hope I can get her home safe so that I can dedicate the rest of my free time to an endless series of repairs! My wife's going to kill me. But I can't help it, this truck puts the "man" in "manly".

 

[Ryzman]

good luck steve... keep us in the loop!

 

[Granny]

The fuel filter is located just ahead of the tank. I don't recall having to take off the wheel and can't picture why that would be so. If you do, a 1-1/16th-inch socket should also fit okay; I think that's what I've used.

 

[Ryzman]

right rear wheel has to come off.... unless your skinny enough to fit your mitts between the tire and the wheel well... most of us are not...

 

[1990fixerupper]

I bought my 1990 RRC in Feb in Orlando Florida and have averaged about a problem a month. That being said we paid $800 for it and we couldn't be happier. We got it knowing we would have to replace a lot of items. I use it as a daily driver and I drive approx. 40-50 miles per day with 144k on the odometer. Here is a list of what we have done....with prices
water pump $220, starter $700 (got ripped off), a/c compressor(used)$100 but now I plan to buy a new one for 300-400, distributor cap, rotor, plugs, wires all for $230, tires all the way around $700 with road hazzard, power steering pressure hose $100 (diy), right front window motor $50(diy), upper rear hatch $330(diy), handle and lock for upper hatch $150 (diy), upper radiator hose $40(diy) and a few other things here and there. Thats $2600 in 6 months. My floor is rusted in the front on both sides and you can see the tires when driving. Got that priced for 1k-1200.

We also plan to put at least another 8-10k into it at minimum because we want to keep this vehicle for a long time. We live in Beaumont Texas now and there is not another 90 RRC in this area that I know of or any older RR for that matter. My story is the opposite of yours. My wife wanted to get this RRC and had to talk me into it pretty hard. It is my daily driver and I wouldn't trade it for anything right now. The best purchase we made to go along with the RRC is "AAA". $120 per year and they have towed me quite a bit to the different shops for various things. I can use "AAA" to tow for up to 100 miles each time they come to tow. I have no fears of driving mine anywhere. I love it...........

 

[steveh_131]

My arms may be just skinny enough to do it without taking the wheel off. I'm going to tackle that project this weekend.

I went and picked her up last night. He let me take a test drive off-road. It was raining heavily and very muddy. I hit a kind of steep incline, probably 35-40 degrees and very muddy. She IDLED right up it! I barely had to give her any gas! I was instantly sold! Although on the way driving her home I got pulled over for not having plates. Apparently you have to go to the BMV and get a "temporary plate" even just to drive a new car home from where you bought it. Fortunately he just gave me a warning and I had to leave it on the side of the road until I get plates today.

Now I just have to repair the filter, heater blower, A/C blower, wiper motor, passenger side window, headliner, brake-release on the gear shifter, radio fuse + code, electric seats, steering column housing, and....I think that's it. Lol. On the upside, my wife loved it! She thought it was so cool, she couldn't believe the price I got it for. She hasn't, however, seen the interior yet :mrgreen:

I think I might go ahead and buy that AAA in a week or two. That makes it pretty risk-free to drive this thing anywhere in the region! So with the RV coverage they'll tow up to a 100 miles no matter where you are? What if I'm in another state or something on a little road trip?

 

[Danny]

Although on the way driving her home I got pulled over for not having plates. Apparently you have to go to the BMV and get a "temporary plate" even just to drive a new car home from where you bought it. Fortunately he just gave me a warning and I had to leave it on the side of the road until I get plates today.

I presume you waited until dark and then just nipped back and got it? Well, that's what I'd have done.

 

[steveh_131]

I presume you waited until dark and then just nipped back and got it? Well, that's what I'd have done.

Nope, it's still sitting there. It's just not worth risking a $150 ticket + an impound, which they'd probably do this time since the first cop just gave me a warning. I have bad luck with cops. I rarely break the law but I've still been averaging 2 tickets a year lately.

 

[1990fixerupper]

Bought my AAA in Florida and now live in Texas and I am still covered. The thing about AAA is that it doesn't cover the car, it covers whatever you are driving no matter what. Some locations will even bring you gas if you run out ...

 

[steveh_131]

Well I brought her home last week. Only work I've done to her so far is fix the brake light switch so that the brake lights work. I guess this guy has been driving her for 2 years with no brake lights and had no idea, he thought gear shift lock was just broken. Whoops.

Drove her all weekend with no problems, then went to leave for work first thing this morning and she wouldn't start. Cranked fine, and the engine even caught, but then it would just immediately shut down. There was a lot of condensation on her, so I'm thinking maybe the condensation screwed up some electrical contacts somewhere. It actually seemed to quit as soon as I released the key from the start position. I'll try her again tonight when she's dry and see if she starts then. Any other ideas?

Still need to change out the fuel filter, and check the contacts on the fuel pump.

Here she is: