Hello Rover forum!

I am looking at buying my first Land Rover after having owned and worked on a Jeep Wrangler in the past. I am looking for more space, a comfier highway ride, and moderate to aggressive off road capability. It will mostly be a play toy but I want to be able to run it on camping trips and trips to the beach.

I was approached by a forum member via PM with the following vehicle, it's about 8 hrs away. My question is this: how doe these engines hold up after a rebuild? I recognize that some engines just can't handle a rebuild and have heard that one must be extremely cautious when considering these aluminum engines after an overheat. There is also some rust, I have not seen pictures yet... so this whole thread might be a waste of time.

I am really just trying to learn more about these trucks, what to look for, and post up in case someone has an awesome rig for sale near NC




Here are some of the specs that the seller sent my way.

If it is a "buy" what's it really worth? There are also some farkels not listed, but just as it is below, do you think is a buy or a pass? Any questions I should be asking the seller?

Here is the message I was sent:

We took the heads to get milled, pressure tested and cleaned. Replaced the head gaskets, installed ALL new: Champion spark plugs, STI wires, K&N air filter, synthetic oil, oil filter, serpentine belt, all power steering hoses, all coolant hoses, 88°C thermostat, exhaust gaskets & studs, sever duty fan clutch, TerraFirma HD springs, TerraFirma Shocks, TerraFirma HD Shock Towers, TerraFirma Shock Tower Securing Rings.

Also the truck has, (5) Discovery XD rims on (4) 235/85-16 BFG All-Terrain T/A KO tires (spare has stock size tire). Tires have less than 5,000 miles and rims are black. These rims came off a real Discovery XD.

The AC and radio work as it should.

Here are the less appealing portions of the truck:

The overall condition of the truck is fine. It has rust in the typical Rover places… C-pillar, footwells, battery tray. I haven’t looked at the rear tailgate floor panel, so I don’t know if that has rust.

The interior was cleaned as best as I could and I got seat covers for the front seats. The seat webbing, RH window regulator, dashboard, and antenna need to get replaced… I have the parts to fix these. I can replace the dashboard assembly in under an hour and might do it before the sale. The current dash is all warped and looks like crap.

 

Read through the DI tech section first, most of your answers will be answered there.

 

Yup sounds like a used Disco.

 

That choice of tires and suspension is great balanced setup. Sounds like a good truck mechanically.

If the rust is too bad though I'd pass. There's nothing more difficult to fix. If it's not too bad then I'd fix it asap so I didn't have to worry about it.

Yes they have aluminum engines. Originally known as the Buick 215 and reengineered by Land Rover to become the Rover V8, they're simple aluminum pushrod V8s much like your typical small block Chevy. They're reliable if maintained and not allowed to overheat, like most engines. Most problems relate to the electronics attached to them but are manageable with good diagnostic practices.

 

Eric,
Thanks for the email. I think that it might be a good truck for me, and I just wanted to be sure that the rebuilt engine was not a deal breaker. I am looking at a couple of Rovers and even a few Fj60s. Very different beasts, but both just about perfect for what I am looking to use this truck for. Hopefully the seller will shoot me some images of the DI soon.

 

FJ is out. Now to find the right Rover. The guy who was selling the one above has decided to keep it. The hunt continues.