thoughts on Land Rovers

[nickburt]

i do the exact same thing. Rave manuals are a must-have.

Ditto, all the LR manuals on my Ipad, and in the Cloud as a back up.

 

[Archtop67]

Mine has been rock solid and Ive been upgrading it as needed during maintenance schedules Ive set! i just added steel HD rear bumper and D-Rings and a 2" lift springs and shocks.. enjoyed that one in South Florida laying on hot asphalt and gravel.. ! at least it wasnt like back in Texas at 115deg pavement! lol its all good!

 

[Archtop67]

and.. Complete! lol

 

[Archtop67]

my Biggest scare was the 12 codes and drive shaft when I bought my Discovery 2 (03) so i rebuilt it with HD spicier u joints that were serviceable and started on the 100k mile major service and a real OBDII gauge I can monitor mostly engine temps and its never let me down in 6 years!

 

[Horse Soldier]

I have no issues with Land Rover reliability, it all comes down to maintenance and quality of parts.
As with any vehicle, stay on top of it and it'll serve you well.

I built my Defender 130 up from a rolling (just) parts vehicle. Loads missing and loads needed to be done to get it on the road AND reliable. Some 30,000 miles later and I'm just starting to service stuff for the second time (apart from the normal services every few thousand miles).
I get my parts from a guy who runs his own LR parts and accessories business and has been in the LR trade for over 30 years, so he knows his stuff and won't sell rubbish unless you specify a certain supplier and even then, he'll argue the toss with you. Buy cheap, buy twice. If it needs to keep fluids in (engine parts/gaskets, brakes, steering, axle seals etc... etc..., or has any wear surfaces (brakes, clutch, etc..., buy genuine, or good, long term manufacturer (Bearmarch for example), otherwise, for "inanimate" parts, pretty much any supplier on the market should be OK. Do not buy anything hydraulic from Br**part, I've seen too many wheel cylinders, master cylinders etc.. etc... fail, sometime right out the box, or within a few miles - for some reason, the quality control on far Eastern supply chain isn't brilliant.

I may be slightly biased, but go for Defender over Disco 1. Most Disco 1s will be rotting quite badly around the rear end by now, unless it's been in a really dry location for most of it's life. Having said that, Defenders can rot too. But, if you can get a good Defender, it will only gain value as the years go by and as you build it into a capable overland truck. There is something to be said for them as an investment, as long as you can dig deep to start with. I paid £5,000 for mine just over two years ago, and yes, I've put a lot into it (don't really want to think about that for too long !!!), but it's worth around £15,000 or more now as an overland truck, and I probably haven't spent any more than I would have building something else, that wouldn't be worth as much. You'll never loose money on a Defender, except the cost of the build and servicing.

There's more room in a 110 than a Disco, and load capacity is better too.

I solved my engine overheating problem by putting a chevy 350 tpi Camaro engine in my 04 discovery.

 

[Archtop67]

PICS!

 

[HellsAngler]

good chance I'm picking up an 89 range rover classic soon. any pros/cons on the RRC or things to look for would be appreciated!

 

[Archtop67]

im not really sure on one that age but those are classic and a lot less computer mess I believe... however, go check one of the repair forums and general discussions on them at landroverforums ...there are many others, thats just one of the main ones I used and use... im sure there is allot about them and even buying advice... then come back and let us know!

 

[Horse Soldier]

I hate to say it but I pick up disco 2 for 500 to 800 dollars and strip them for spares all the way down to to light bulbs. For a $1000.00 I pick up 2 tpi 350 engines.

 

[Bodge Garage]

good chance I'm picking up an 89 range rover classic soon. any pros/cons on the RRC or things to look for would be appreciated!

The classic RR are going to be comparable to an early Discovery, 94-95 and even shares a bit with similar vintage Defender. One of the challenges with the classic is that there were few to begin with and classic specific parts are drying up. The early interiors were not the best design amd the plasic bits on the dash and console regularly break. They have been know to have corrosion issues in the chassis which in most cases is a deal breaker. Where did the truck live most of its life? Like an early disco or defender they are basic and there is little to leave you stranded if you prepair yourself and the vehicle. My ultimate opinion on a classic is condition condition condition. I would not buy into a classic as a project to fix up. Start with the best example that everything works on and go from there.

 

[blackntan]

Seen a few classics this last week end at the home of the landy anglesea north wales 70th aniversary show. The men who owened these two were a joy to sit and listern too

 

[Horse Soldier]

View attachment 60015 View attachment 60013 Seen a few classics this last week end at the home of the landy anglesea north wales 70th aniversary show. The men who owened these two were a joy to sit and listern too

It's and unfair advantage if you live in the uk,au or Africa. In the USA

 

[blackntan]

It's and unfair advantage if you live in the uk,au or Africa. In the USA

The place to find and buy landrovers is AUSTRALIA

 

[JPMike]

I solved all my electrical problems by gutting my 96 Disco. It will have a carb, distributor, and most important, no ecu. But in the Rovers defense, the previous owner hacked the wiring harnesses and made a mess.


Sent from my iPad using OB Talk

 

[JPMike]

I hate to say it but I pick up disco 2 for 500 to 800 dollars and strip them for spares all the way down to to light bulbs. For a $1000.00 I pick up 2 tpi 350 engines.

Yeah I paid 700 for a running but rusty 96 Disco. I’m rebuilding it.


Sent from my iPad using OB Talk

 

[blackntan]

Yeah I paid 700 for a running but rusty 96 Disco. I’m rebuilding it.


Sent from my iPad using OB Talk

Got a td5 body here all in good order Took the engine out for the 110 ship it to you