The CDL works ... I'm going to take it for a test drive/self-inspection tomorrow and then have the local indie shop check it out sometime next week. I know maintenance is more important than actual miles on most vehicles, but on the rover some people seem to have disasters no matter how well they've kept them up or how low the miles are on them. I want this one badly, but there's always that little voice in my head screaming "YOU'LL GET A BAD ONE!"

I have never done much of my prior vehicles myself, but I really want to learn to tackle all of the simple things on this truck like fluid changes, belt/hose changes, spark plugs, window/sunroof issues, abs issues (pullin the fuse- ha), etc. I'm not confident enough to tear the engine apart, so major repairs will likely be done by the indie shop. Oh yeah, I have the whole summer to get the truck in good shape before I start using it as a daily commuter and weekend mountain truck (I only put 6-8,000 miles per year on vehicles). Knowing all of this, do you guys still think $3,200 is a good price for me or should I run for the hills since major repairs will take place in a shop and I need it to be fairly reliable to get me to work. Thanks for the help so far!

 

There are a fair amount of nightmare stories about rovers but in my estimation there aren't that many catastrophic failures with these things. It's more like nagging piddly crap. I think that if you don't buy a truck based on a preconceived notion of the POSSIBILITY of it failing because of some kind of reputation they have, then you'll be bummed. These trucks are fun and easy to work on and are very polarizing. You'll love it or hate it. Most love it. I would say "don't NOT buy it because you're afraid what could go wrong with it" do your research. Look at it as sternly as unbiased as possible and make yoself an educated decision.

 

I bought mine at 116k with a faint bottom engine knock. PO thought the engine would fail at any point, thought Rovers were unreliable. I now have 120k and nothing has changed regarding the knock. Of course they fail, all vehicles do, but most of the failures are gradual. Excepting the engine noise, all of the problems I've had in the last 6 months are minor, and could have been prevented if the PO weren't a slob about maintenance. YMMV.

 

So I took the truck for a test drive yesterday ... ran really well & the engine sounds good. The owner says he's been using 15w40 oil, but he also said that he's been using plus gas instead of premium. How much damage do you think this has done? Another thing ... it was really hot here yesterday and during the test drive w/ the AC on full blast the temp gauge never even got to the halfway point. Either the cooling system is perfect or the temp gauge isnt working. I'm hoping it's the former. Getting a mechanic to look at it this week and if it looks pretty good then I'm likely gonna pull the trigger!

 

Thermostat stuck open? Might be an easy fix.

 

Wow, sounds like you've got the same exact D I've got...but mines a '97 and the temp gauge never gets to the half way point, it was 103 here yesterday and had the A/C on. But I also had it in cold weather and the heat was toasty hot so go figure.

When I got it, it sounds like a very faint bottom end knock but after taking Spike's recommendation, I changed over to 15-40 Rotela and a better oil filter, pretty much gone. Also when you're changing your oil, be extra careful, it comes out of the side so have a very deep oil catch or, don't pull the plug all the way out till it's almost empty. Just my .2

 

My gauge works, I've confirmed that the engine will overheat precisely when the gauge says it will... Not worried though because I have to throw some serious abuse at it to get it to that point.

 

oh well ... I was planning on taking the truck to an independent land rover shop tomorrow for an inspection and buying it right afterwards if it checked out ok .... unfortunately, someone drove up from georgia yesterday and offered the seller the full $4,000 asking price without even driving it! guess it wasn't meant to be ... starting my search all over again. If any of you know someone in the Carolinas or Georgia who's trying to get rid of a well maintained 1998 or 1999 D1 lemme know!

 

Too bad you lost out on that! It looked like a really good deal on one that is better than the average bear as far as maint and being treated well by PO. When you find one like that, you should not dilly dally.

What I advise, is when you first look at it, really look at it in detail. Go with a creeper, good flashlight and eye protection. Act like you are a gynecologist and she is a new patient! or she just let you take her home from a rowdy bar at 2AM.

Either way, check it out top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. Crawl around up under her with that good light and check for leaky items, holes where they should not be, funky smells, nasty deposits, crud, corrosion......

Find out right away what the general health is, raise the hood and listen real good, let it sit there and idle a while, turn the AC on, all that stuff. I can run mine with AC wide open or off and the temp guage is almost always right at the same point you described, just below that halfway mark, as it should be.

If they do have maint records / receipts, look them over.

Drive it more than just a few minutes, confirm CDL engagement. If they do negotiate an acceptable price, offer a deposit with the Mechanic's Review sealing the deal if you really feel you need that. But then be quick with the review.

If the review shows any hidden issues then either walk out on the deal or renegotiate based on those results. Like you saw, taking too long may cause you to lose out.

At least a deposit and timely follow thru can prevent that. If it is truly outstanding with solid records and perfvormance, I would forgo the Mechanic and continue the negotiations, but if you expect them to continue lowering the price significantly, you end up insulting them. With some tact, you shoulkd be able to seal a good deal.

I would take that good close look and go from there.

 

Thanks for the advice, Danny. Really bummed I missed out on it ... I would've gotten the inspection Monday but my wife had gallbladder surgery so tomorrow was the earliest I could do it. It sucks but I know there's a D1 for me out there somewhere! In hindsight, I agree with you. For 3 grand I should've just pulled the trigger.