Craig's 1989 RRC

[craig]

Keep it simple Craig. I would love to see some 215/85s on it. A 235/85 would be ok, but go with some simple M&S tread. Install TrueTracs front and rear and be totally stealthy and wow people with your Jedi driving and recovery skills.

(oh, and I have some parts that might work for your project - free ones)

It has 215/85s w/ a simple M&S tread on it now. I'm going to go play on a few trails before going bigger. I've been thinking that TTs would be a good match for this build too. I want it simple, and as much as I liked the ARB lockers in my DII, the TTs seem more consistent with the goals of this truck.

Free parts are always good on a project like this. Thanks!

Craig

 

[SeaRubi]

lol - yeah I'm not too crazy on the white truck thing :sombrero:

Trying to think of some of the smaller stuff ...

- it would be worth putting some investment toward repairing both the rear and front windscreen defrosters. The Rangie's defrost is highly ineffectual in the cold, wet PNW. Also, if you could liberate a set of bun warmer seats and switches out of an LWB that would be awesome, too. :ylsmoke:

- keep on the lookout for a spare rear hatch handle assembly. They do wear out, and it's lame when they pop open when the rear end drops down after a log traversal.

- check out the wiring connector to the fuel pump. give it a dab of dielectric grease while you're in there.

- If it's not done already, the 7" E-code halogen headlamp upgrade is well worth it. The sealed beams really stink. I got mine for about $80 through Brad @ Autosport Seattle

- If you've got a sunroof, chase down the drain tubes and make sure the water isn't going to the floorboards.

- Reserve a day to bleed out the brakes and get new fluid going through it. I couldn't believe how much water was in mine the first time I flushed it.

- It's safe to ditch the BOGE unit, but it's not going to cause any harm, either.

- that center console is a real bear once it gets taken out, it breaks and warps and goes all to hell. keep an eye out for a nice one to have on hand.

- overly obvious, but just to re-emphasize: be saving up for either an LT230 swap or a rebuild of the Borg Warner for when it gives up the ghost. I actually preferred the way the truck performed off-road with the B/W transfer case, especially in slimy and snowy conditions. the progressive lockup and small tires worked really well and it's kind of nice not worrying about fussing with the diff-lock. You can't be bothered with that kind of trivial detail while enjoying your morning Earl Grey. With a new viscous unit and a new chain and keeping the tires on the smaller side it would be just fine.

it's awesome to see you back in a rover, Craig. miss ya buddy.

cheers,
-ike

 

[craig]

lol - yeah I'm not too crazy on the white truck thing :sombrero:

Trying to think of some of the smaller stuff ...

- it would be worth putting some investment toward repairing both the rear and front windscreen defrosters. The Rangie's defrost is highly ineffectual in the cold, wet PNW. Also, if you could liberate a set of bun warmer seats and switches out of an LWB that would be awesome, too. :ylsmoke:

- keep on the lookout for a spare rear hatch handle assembly. They do wear out, and it's lame when they pop open when the rear end drops down after a log traversal.

- check out the wiring connector to the fuel pump. give it a dab of dielectric grease while you're in there.

- If it's not done already, the 7" E-code halogen headlamp upgrade is well worth it. The sealed beams really stink. I got mine for about $80 through Brad @ Autosport Seattle

- If you've got a sunroof, chase down the drain tubes and make sure the water isn't going to the floorboards.

- Reserve a day to bleed out the brakes and get new fluid going through it. I couldn't believe how much water was in mine the first time I flushed it.

- It's safe to ditch the BOGE unit, but it's not going to cause any harm, either.

- that center console is a real bear once it gets taken out, it breaks and warps and goes all to hell. keep an eye out for a nice one to have on hand.

- overly obvious, but just to re-emphasize: be saving up for either an LT230 swap or a rebuild of the Borg Warner for when it gives up the ghost. I actually preferred the way the truck performed off-road with the B/W transfer case, especially in slimy and snowy conditions. the progressive lockup and small tires worked really well and it's kind of nice not worrying about fussing with the diff-lock. You can't be bothered with that kind of trivial detail while enjoying your morning Earl Grey. With a new viscous unit and a new chain and keeping the tires on the smaller side it would be just fine.

it's awesome to see you back in a rover, Craig. miss ya buddy.

cheers,
-ike

Thanks for all the suggestions Ike! I have a very similar list started, and will add your items to it. What's a BOGE unit?

Sure wish you were still up this way. The guys are talking about the Naches Wagon Trail in a couple of weeks. Got me thinking about how great that trip with the fresh snow you, Andy, and I took was. Soren sure misses having Capri around on these trips too.

Very happy to be back in a Rover. After the frustration with the DII I forgot how much I love em.

Craig

 

[SeaRubi]

Thanks for all the suggestions Ike! I have a very similar list started, and will add your items to it. What's a BOGE unit?

it's a heavy duty, load bearing strut that's centrally mounted to support cargo. (edit: take a gander at the top ball joint and look for the big can.) It allows the use of much softer springs for articulation and maintains a decent cargo rating. After you slap on some OME's they're useless, and its probably worn out, anyhow. About $500 to replace; they do work, but the replacement cost to remain stock is enough to scare away most.

Sure wish you were still up this way. The guys are talking about the Naches Wagon Trail in a couple of weeks. Got me thinking about how great that trip with the fresh snow you, Andy, and I took was. Soren sure misses having Capri around on these trips too.

you 'n me both! I've been really homesick this past couple of weeks. It's 2 years now "abroad" and I still haven't found a restaurant on the water with oysters that's worth a damn, and the mountains might as well be in the next state! Thanks to jrose I should have the Disco back on the road in the next month or so - I'm hoping to get up there in Jan or Feb for some snowshoeing and maybe a couple a night or three in an igloo! I never got around to doing that and I was going to bug PWC to bring his igloo maker.

Very happy to be back in a Rover. After the frustration with the DII I forgot how much I love em.

Craig

amen - same here! I just wish I'd gotten to drive it for more than about 5 weeks It's been a tough year :snorkel:

cheers,
-ike

 

[DieselDash]

About a week ago, I received a call from a friend whose wife was threatening to donate his 1989 RRC to charity. Rather than see it go to the scrap heap, he was wondering if I wanted his non-running, non-shifting 1989 RRC.

A few days later I had it towed the maximum distance my AAA Plus would take it to my friend Dan's house.

That night, we took a quick look at it, threw a charger on it, and I went home. A few hours later, Dan sends me a text "I couldn't resist... It runs!"

A few days later we were working on the shifting problem. It turned out the shift box was completely siezed up. Gordon at Lamorna Garage in Seattle set me up with a used one for $40 and we were in business. Put the interior back together, put new plates on it, and it was time to take it home.

My wife and neighbors however, weren't as excited about this oxidized green pollen covered Land Rover as I was.

Time to clean it up. Many, many, hours later and it was presentable.

Wow I'm really glad this classic didn't get sent to the crusher. Looks like it has plenty of potential. I love that photo over the sound after you got her all cleaned up. I have a 1989 RRC myself. In my opinion 89 is the best year they were imported, no ABS or sway bars with the 3.9 and fairly simple to work on. I need someone to donate a Rover to my own charity for wayward Land Rovers.

 

[craig]

Agreed. I think the top three years are 87, 89, or the 91 Hunter Edition. I couldn't be happier with this truck. Feeling very fortunate to have it in my driveway.

 

[Green96D1]

wow thats a beautiful classic:victory:

 

[KMW]

Gorgeous. My daily driver and primary trail rig is an '87 RRC with about 325k on the clock (on engine number 2, and too many speedometers to count...until I switched to a later electronic speedo).

Great trucks, great advice from the folks here.

Do consider an LT230; from what I've seen when the BW case goes, it goes by locking up. I've seen a few RRCs with drive line damage or missing drive shafts because of this happening to folks who didn't know what to look for. I've got a parts truck with a blown front right CV and locked up BW, the guy was still driving it this way. I had a friend showing me his new/old RRC, who then proceeded to tell me the story of how the guy he bought it from had his daughter driving it, and they removed the front drive shaft to "get better gas mileage"...sigh.

While you're checking the floors, do what you can to seal up the hole where the air conditioning hoses come through the fire wall. These rigs don't have nice modern bulkhead fittings like a Disco, rather the AC looks more like an after-thought and the hoses where routed through what would be the right hand drive steering shaft hole. It's not sealed very well from the factory, and if your treks include deep mud or stream crossings its an ingress point. I ended up making a panel and putting bulkhead fittings there -- the other pain in this is that if you need to replace ONE AC hose you've got to pull the entire system. Nothing like removing the dash to replace a hose that failed engine side...

I love my '87, I'm glad to have a "simpler" RRC than the later trucks, but Rover did continue to improve some things, for instance most of my door lamp switches have been replaced by later Disco switches. There's a lot of possible mixing and matching across the Rover line.

Good luck with it!

 

[craig]

Since this will be used offroad, I'll definitely be putting an LT230 in at some point. This BW was rebuilt, though not everything was replaced. I'm hoping it will be serviceable until I can find an LT230.

Craig

 

[jrose609]

Since this will be used offroad, I'll definitely be putting an LT230 in at some point. This BW was rebuilt, though not everything was replaced. I'm hoping it will be serviceable until I can find an LT230.

Craig

I will have a LT230 out of my D1 available in a couple weeks.........

 

[craig]

I will have a LT230 out of my D1 available in a couple weeks.........

Nice! I think it will last that long. I'll be in touch.

 

[craig]

With the exterior cleaned up I spent the weekend addressing mechanical issues:

- Checked all the belts
- Checked all the hoses
- Replaced all fluids
- Greased everything I could find with a zerk
- Replaced the dried/cracked wiper blades with Silblade Flexblades
- Pulled the carpeting out of the rear cargo area and started getting rid of the few rust spots. The goal here is a trail rig and not a show car.

A final coat of paint after the rust treatment and and the left wing was taken care of. Still have the right wing to do, and haven't investigated the rest of the floor.

 

[craig]

Fortunately, I have a number of accessories from my last truck that I've been keeping in storage. I'm hoping this build will come together fairly quickly as a result.

While I waited for the Naval Jelly to do it's thing, I did a quick test fit of the fridge/fridge slide, and marked the location where I'll be installing large Rivnuts to secure it.

I was hoping to avoid using the fridge slide as they are really quite heavy, but with the RRC tailgate it's the only way to easily access the fridge. I considered mounting it in place of a portion of the rear seat, but I like being able to carry passengers and have the fridge along.

 

[redveloce]

That is a great truck, what an awesome deal! I wish I had those bumpers for my Range Rover.

Your friend's truck is awesome too! It's funny, my wife saw it driving down the freeway a while back and took this picture to show me. I had to show her when you posted the info about it on here.

 

[craig]

Yeah, I feel very fortunate to have received a vehicle that came with the bumpers and other tasteful, but useful modifications.