Hello guys/gals. Newbie here, I read through this section of the forum, as well as the general tech section. I found (local) a 98 RR w/ 111K miles on it, going to check it out this afternoon.

I saw mention in a few places here about head gaskets. Are they something that generally needs replacing around 100K?

What are some things I should look for on this truck, any and all help will be appreciated. Ford & Chevy & Dodge trucks are all I've ever driven. So I'm new to this game, this RR will end up being my daily driver. I'm just looking for some cheap daily transportation and this one is priced about $7000. If it all checks out I was going to offer 6500 OTD and see what they say.



Also found an 04 Disc. for about the same price.... It has 104K miles and looks REALLY clean and in a lot better shape than the RR.



I'd much rather have a newer one! Which would be a better buy? It will be a DD and will ocasionally see some off-road, just weekend fun nothing serious. After reading around here, It seems as though the Disc is the much better O.R. capable truck, and cheaper to mod/work on.


Thanks again!

 

I can't speak for the Discovery, but I definately would not consider the Range Rover to be "cheap daily transportation." I drive mine about once or twice a week and I love it. With these vehicles, the initial cost is not what you need to be concerned with. They are awesome vehicles, but are not cheap to maintain especially if you will not be doing your own repair work.

 

Polaris,
Wilson96rr is spot on when stating that Land Rovers are not cheap to operate. To be honest, Land Rovers are extremely high maintenance and very expensive to own and operate, probably on the order of some of the most expensive vehicles in the world to own and operate. But if older Rovers are your desire and the 2 above are the ones you are considering, I would recommend the 04' Disco as it is newer with less miles and possibly a tad bit cheaper/easier to fix, although probably not that much since it is still a foreign luxury vehicle. I owned a 98' RR HSE and sunk thousands of dollars into it over 2 years and ended up selling it for $8K less than I paid just 2 years before. I literally ran out of money to keep it running (it was my daily driver). Don't get me wrong, I loved the truck. It rode like a dream with the EAS system, it looked cool as hell, and had plenty of luxury ammenities far above most American vehicles but man was it high maintenance. Crazy things were going wrong with it left and right (not routine maintenance things), like coolant leaks on the floorboards, multiple EAS failures, windows leaking when it rained, coolant lines developing holes, oil leaks, etc. I could go on and on. When I sold it, it had developed a crack in the head and it had about 104K miles on it (hence the reason for such a drop in price when I sold it from when I bought it). If you really want one of these trucks, definitely find an independent Land Rover mechanic in your area. If you must rely on the delaer for service, you may want to consider another vehicle (unless you feel confident enough to perform the repairs yourself). There are some great resources on this site that can help you through most repairs if you are mechanically inclined.

I would love to have a newer Range Rover as they are really nice trucks but I will never buy one again without a full service contract til 100K miles and once I hit the 100K mark, it's gone. FYI, once I sold the 98' RR, I owned several Japanese SUVs and all were and have been dependable. I currently own a 2004 Infiniti QX56 but my dream SUV is still a newer Range Rover Supercharged.

Good luck man,
Steve

 

Ok thanks for the info fella's I really appreciate it. The 04 was really what caught my eye. I'm told that it was the land rover dealer's mechanics truck for the last 2 years, so I would think that 1 he either performed all needed maintenance on it himself, or, 2 he knew it was hitting 100k miles & dumped it before it started having problems... Lol

 

I don't want to upset anyone, but I have this thing about BOSCH rovers, specifically Discos... They use that crap coolant "Dexcool" that ruins their engines. There is plenty of debate on whether or not the "quality" of the engine is the same before LR got bought out by BMW. Personally, I think it’s just the coolant they decided to use.
Just know that you will be replacing your head gaskets on a regular basis with a Disco, especially if you continue to use Dexcool. If you don't replace your head gaskets, slipped sleeves and block failures will doom you. BOSCH Range Rovers are no exception.
The RR you are looking at is overpriced. You should be able to get a reasonably well taken care of rover for 4 to 5k. They are wonderful vehicles, but are definitely high maintenance as previously stated. If you are a DIY mechanic and like to "tinker" around with your cars, I highly recommend a rover. If you are a person that throws oil and gas in it and expects everything to work brilliantly. Go buy a gutless honda.
The thing I absolutely love about rovers, is their core. It is virtually indestructible. Power train failures are not a common occurrence on a well taken care of LR. It is all the “creature comforts” that break on a rover. Such as the radio and door locks.
The fact of the matter is, they just keep going if you take care of them. I have taken my rover on various off road trips and found it to be a real trooper. I literally have beaten the living **** out of mine. They just don’t give up. You have to give up on them first. Several people that own P38 RRs have come by my office that have 200k plus miles on them and are running strong! Which leaves me to my point. A well taken care of LR will never leave you stranded, but will demand that you listen to its needs and fulfill them. If you do not, you WILL find yourself embarrassed on the side of the road. If you are particular about how your LR is treated, it will just keep impressing you in ways you did not think were possible.
Thank you for reading my essay .

 

Thanks Scott. I guess I'm going to pass on the Rover's for now. Just don't have the bank to be having to worry with a lot of fixing and high-cost maintenance. Not that I dont have the know-how or will to do it, I just bought a house and well, houses don't leave much room for having to drop a lot of $ on other objects. It seems from ya'lls replies that they are reliable if you keep up the maintenance on them, however, doing so can/will eat into the wallet. Which is what I dont need! lol I really do appreciate all this info! Thanks again!

 

Vehicles in general are money pits. Rovers are no worse than ford exploders, the expertise is just harder to come by and usually more expensive, unless of course you DIY. If you are wanting to get you feet wet with a rover. I would suggest getting an older one as a "tinker toy" that is what I did. I have another vehicle that is my daily driver. When something breaks on the rover, you can fix it at your leisure. Often times it is something easy to fix. Did not mean to scare you away from them, but the truth is, they are more expensive to run than most cars.

 

Yeah, I second LRScott's comment on getting a Rover as possible a fun vehicle to tinker around with. If you are looking for a daily driver and you want a Rover and a newer one is out of your price range, buy an older one you can afford but have another car handy when you need to use it. These trucks are like tanks as LRScott sort of eluded to ....you could probably drive one through a brick wall and it would come out unscathed. They are very solid built and the fit and finish on them is top notch. But if you don't have the time, patience, money, or desire to maintain one as it should be maintained, I would recommend getting something different. Older Rovers are probably owned more often by Rover enthusiasts and less by people who just want to go from point A to B. But if you do go for either of the ones you posted, please let us know. Good luck with your decision.

 

What coolant do you use LRScott?

 

FYI guys

Land Rover of Columbia in S.C. has a program for older Rovers.
We took our 2001 with 138,000 miles
They LOWER the shop rate from $115.00 to $75.00 and give you up to 40% off on parts they install.
New Radiator, hoses and belts
New Brakes included rotors & Pads
Coolant hose to the intake manifold
ABS Controller
Power brake booster
Main fuse and relay box replaced with new relays (got wet)
Fresh air filters
TOTAL BILL was $3,640.00
That was CHEAP compared to some of my other cars I allowed a dealer to touch.