Vote-Repair or ditch?
 

Situation is this: '98 D1, 180k miles. Transmission good. Haven't been driving it for about a year since brake pedal went completely to floor. Took it to new mechanic. He says 2 rear calipers and 2 five feet sections of brake line needed. Plus 6 lug nuts. Cost: $850. Do the repairs or ditch? Veh used for local driving.
Heads done, tires v good. Thanks.

Do the repairs yourself OR have them replace the brake line and you install or fix the rear calipers. Lug nuts? You can't replace lug nuts?

Thank you but I am not capable of doing the repairs.

Calipers are about $120 each. That's $240. Plus pads is another $110 or so, so you're at $350. If your hard lines are bad your soft lines are bad, too, so $110 for four soft lines and you can probably get hard lines for another $200 or so (if you can get them off an existing Rover - will cost more to have them made). So you're at $600 in just parts, without labor. And you're probably going to want the rear rotors resurfaced on top of that and then a full brake bleed performed and tested.

Doing it yourself isn't going to be much cheaper to be done right. Of course the mechanic probably isn't quoting for the 4 soft lines at each corner, but I would definitely have those replaced at the same time. It's just good insurance.

Is the vehicle paid for? You're going to be shy of $1k into a vehicle with good brakes, redone heads, good tires. Seems like a no brainer to me. Brakes are always expensive, but they're the thing that has to work every single time without hesitation.

If the body is good and the engine is good and you put the brakes on you can sell it for $3k. If you try selling it without brakes you'll have to pay someone to tow it.

I agree with all the above. Do the repairs and keep driving it.

Thank you AbnMike and jastute. Mech has raised issue about rear right passenger door having the classic discovery rust. He says that rust is going through to undercarriage. He questions safety of a passenger in that seat. Is there a product to shore it up that I could use? No one will be sitting in rear of vehicle.

Sorry to say, but if you're not capable of doing your own repairs, you're not capable of owning a 19 y.o. Land Rover. It's just a fact of ownership unless you have deep pockets and an affliction for old cantankerous trucks.

Well you are correct- an affection rather than affliction for old cantankerous trucks but no deep pockets. Your point is taken about being able to do repairs. It is why I started this thread. I do have a potential buyer which is a plus.

Trust me... it's an affliction. A self-one.

Ditch it.