RRC buying advice

[hawkeye_guy]

Hello All-

Long time lurker, and I finally decided to register to gain some insight and advice. Apologies in advance for the long post-

I am quite interested in getting a Range Rover Classic/County to replace my A6 as my daily driver Wow1. Owning 2 vehicles is not a realistic option for me. My main concern is "reliability" (a relative term, I know) as I commute ~40 miles (roundtrip) most days of the week and take several longer road trips per year. I have yet to find a comprehensive source of information that answers my questions.
Here's what I think I know:
-Check for undercarriage rust, especially in the front footwells and near the firewall seam, and on the tailgate.
-Make sure the head gasket has recently been replaced
-Get one with the air suspension replaced with coils
-They run hot
-They like to leak
-The power seats in the LWB are very troublesome
Questions:
-What year is the best overall?
-Any glaring differences between the LWB and SWB (other than 3.9/4.2 and body)?
-How stout/reliable are the automatic transmissions?
-Are there aftermarket solutions to the overheating issue, such as electric fans?
-I have heard that the transfer case can go nuclear. True? Any way to prevent this?
-Which parts fail with the most frequency?
-Will this rig be reliable enough to serve as my sole vehicle?
-What should I expect to pay for a solid example?
--What else should I be aware of/prepared for??

Ideally, I would like to find a 91-95 LWB that has most of my intended modifications already in place. They are:
-Moderate lift & larger tires
-Front bumper with winch
-Complete undercarriage rust protectant
-Non-electric front seats
-upgraded stereo
-Eventually swap in a 300ti

I plan on doing most maintenance myself- I have access to a decent set of tools and am somewhat mechanically inclined. I have almost no experience dealing with electronics/wiring, however.

If anyone in the Chicagoland area knows where I should start my search or knows of any specialty shops, that would be a great help.

Thank you in advance, people of ExPo!

 

[Blueboy]

On my second LWB after the first was totalled in an accident.

Currently have a 1994 LWB that I use for longer trips here in Europe - recently went a 10 day trip into the Italian / French Alps basically off-highway the majority of the time.

From my experience:

1. If the engine is overheating, there is a problem with the cooling system which usually is a bad radiator. Expansion tanks are also known to crack. We travel heavy with a full roof rack up and down steep Alpine pass roads at slow speeds without any problems.

2. The cliche is if the Rover doesn't leak, its empty. We call it marking its spot. While true to some extent, usually the leak can be repaired.

3. There is a great write-up here on this site on the power seat switches. What happens is over time the contacts get dirty and cease to work. They are totally maintainable albeit tedious on which to work.

4. I like LWB better than SWB because 2 Labs travel with us. One lays on the seat the other on the floor. There is a huge difference in rear leg room with the LWB. Other than that, they are basically the same beast.

5. Never have had problems with the B/W transfer box or the transmission. Current RR has 109,000 miles.

6. Reliability has not been a problem for me with the large items i.e. engine, etc - Rover has always gotten me home. Smaller stuff like relays have failed so carry the important ones like fuel pump. I practice preventative maintenance as much as possible.

7. Best year is the one with the least amount of rust. Seriously rust is a huge issue with Classics. They rust from the inside out. Do not purchase one if possible from snow belt or any place that uses salt or much worse liquid salt for deicing. The body panels could look great and the inner steel structure could be rusting away. I purchased mine in SoCal with a blown engine and had it transported to PA. Undercarriage rust preventative is nice if you knew ahead of time what was the condition before it was applied.

Here is a great Rangie info site: http://www.rangerovers.net/

8. BTW, LWB only 93, 94, 95

Best of luck finding a good one. Prices really depend on condition which is like stating the obvious. Nice examples though are getting hard to find.

Also before jumping in, parts are getting harder and harder to buy. I plan to purchase another one when I get back to the US just to have a parts supply for the no longer available stuff.

BR

 

[sedat]

blow up the borg-warner transferbox? swap in a LT230. its a better case anyway.

overheating? lol its a 25 year old truck with a lot of maintenance neglected. like he said, radiators are the weak spot.
Headgaskets are easy to do as well. basic tools and some patience. want overkill? ARP studs and cometic MLS gaskets.

ZF transmissions are pretty stout when cared for. neglected they can still hold their own. you can get used ones from discoveries and swap em in a day.

Reliability is what you make it ultimately. I'm on my 11th rover, to date 3 tows in 6ish years and many many many thousands of miles.

 

[David Harris]

All good advice above. Just about all the problems you note are remedied with maintenance. For example, the cooling systems on these are very good from the factory. When they are in good shape you can idle them in 100+ temps all day with the A/C on and they won't go over normal. Electric fans, etc are just bandaids. Overall they are good trucks, but you have to care for them. Buying one from an enthusiast who has already spent effort and money to bring it up to standard will put you ahead. If not, then set aside around two grand to bring it up to standard once you buy it. Then chances are it will serve you well for a long time.

 

[spikemd]

The RRC is a great truck, but as your sole everyday driver it might be a lot to handle. Maintenance, maintenance and more maintenance. Check everything, change all the fluids religiously and don't let little things go. Gas mileage sucks. No way around that. Expect around 12-15 mpg or even less if you lift it with aggressive tires. I have seen a SWB get 17mpg and a LWB with 35s get 9mpg.

Prices depends on your budget but understand that a 'cheap' truck may cost you more in the long run as you may have a lot of things to fix. Parts are getting harder to find especially in the rust-belt as the salt has reduced them to rubble. Good example on the west coast run from $2k beaters to 10k. Nice ones can be had around $5k. Scarcity has raised prices and it is an emotional purchase for many as a 3rd, 4th or 5th car.

It is a very capable truck as you know and tons of aftermarket support. If you want a decent commuter and overlanding vehicle then keep it close to stock. You actually lose value with large lifts and big mods. As a stock vehicle, it can handle most trails with decent tires.

Good luck in your search.

 

[454]

Here's a copy of an email that I received from a trusted friend regarding used RRC's:

...here's a shortlist, but they're kinda common with not-too-well taken care of vehicles, as well as some pretty-well taken care of vehicles. Note, they come with usually high mileage (like, 150,000 & up).

Head gaskets
Manifold gaskets
valve cover gaskets (replace them all - valley pan seals, timing cover seal, the works!)
radiator (usually accompanied by a combination of head gaskets, thermostat, water pump, catalytic convertors, or in extreme cases, all of the above - though sometimes, a convertor will simply break apart though it was working fine)
Timing gears (at about 180,000 is the norm, but sometimes sooner, as was the case with Janet's truck)
Suspension bushings (unless the truck has never been off-road, but soon as that changes, so does the condition of the OLD bushings)
Transmission...start saving up for it. (about $1500-2500, depending on where you are, and how beat-up the old one is: if taken care of & not abused, it'll last longer than the rest of the truck!)
Steering box
brake calipers
Fuel pump

In the 5 years I had my '89 Rangie, I pretty much went down this entire list, except for the suspension bushings, and the timing gears. However, during that same period, the truck went from 97,000 miles, to 225,000 miles!...