I have been a long time land cruiser owner and fanatic, but I just sold my FZJ80 and I want to get a RRC. Is there a certain year that is better? I found a 1990 in mint condition with 100k on the clock that is stock, but I could scoop it up for 4,500. I have also found a 1992 LSE with 137 on the clock. It has an OME lift, front and rear ARB bumpers, PIAA light, new Bosch plugs, new heater core, and more. I could get that for around 6,000. I also found a 1991 Great Divide Edition that is all tricked out as well with only 88K on the clock, but that one would be around 9K. Should I look at some 95' or are all these years pretty similar in terms of reliability? Any help and suggestions is much appreciated and can't wait to join the forum.
RR "Classics" are beautiful cars and very capable in stock form before bolting on all the crap. There's lots of advice on this forum, however I want to direct you to another forum to use as well (not instead of). Look at rangerovers.net That site is 100% focused on RRs from the very beginning to present day Rangies. They have a lot of resouces that are RR specific. In addition to using ExPo, Discoweb, and the other usual suspects (websites), check out rangerovers.net
Here's the obvious link to the main webpage
www.rangerovers.net
Here's a link to the buyer's information page, which will give you all the details about the respective year models.
http://www.rangerovers.net/rrbuying.htm
There forums are helpful too, with a subforum for each Range Rover iteration.
www.rangerovers.net/forums
Regarding your question about what year is best? That answer is going to be relative to how you want to use it. If you want a basic platform to heavily modify, maybe you want the earlier year models 87-89 (90 or 91)? They have the coil suspension, distributor, etc. Anyway, go look at the website above and it will give you all the information you want to know about the RRs. Once you know the vehicle year model differnces, you can get an idea of what you want based on how you want to use it. Then you can start digging in to personal opinions about what is best for what.
Also, understand that RR reliability isn't the same as Toyota Land Cruiser reliability. You just need to know that you will likely (not definitively) have more headaches with a RR. So my suggestion is, buy the cleanest, best maintained example you can find. LR drive trains are robust
if they are maintained properly. Fortunately if they haven't been, they can be repaired pretty easily (depending on the job). Land Rovers (up until MKIII Range Rovers and LR3s) have never been "buy and forget about" vehicles. They require attention if you are to depend on them.
Lastly, regarding price...Land Rovers definitely fall in to the "you get what you pay for" category of cars. Odds are, skimp on cash on the front end, you pay for it at the back end. So, again buy the nicest, most well maintained Range Rover you can find. And yes, you can expect to pay high $1,000's, and even low $10,000 for well maintained RRs. The values of the clean examples seem to be appreciating.
Just my opinion. Good luck and congrats on finally buying a car with some class. Once you find the right one, you'll become addicted (which should be another caveat). I had a 1991 RR that was in pristine, showroom condition. Litterally. The interior was perfect, it was mechanically perfect, the exterior was in great shape (not perfect). I received a significant amount of attention from the general public, whether I was at church, getting gas, at Walmart, wherever. The RR design, especially a very nice Classic, is a very unique car.
So let us know what you get and post up a lot of pics. We like Rover porn.
