It is easy to get caught up in a vehicle like this one. The kicker for this particular one is all the SG accessories it has, low miles and in good shape with no rust. It looks well sorted and maintained, I'd say $14-15k tops. At some point you have to cut it off and be realistic about future expenses if driven often. There will always be future expenses for an old Land Rover. It is a great truck and would be a fantastic second vehicle for trail riding. I would not daily drive this.

 

New cars are far from perfect, heck now days it's software updates which keep your car from working properly or the 80+ ECU's. If you're a petrol head keeping an 87-04 LR on the road is nothing. I will NEVER buy a new car for myself. My wife got her Ipad of a car and that's fine, but I'll stick with my 87-04 LR's until the day I die. I know them inside and out, and I'm on top of the maintenance on all 5 of them. The only LR that has given me some issues with maintenance lately is the 97 XD which is rusty but trusty and it's issues weren't from the LR itself but the POS Chinese radiator I installed into it (Allisport or OEM style only from now on). My 02 Kalahari has 240K and it runs and drives flawless with zero issues.

I replaced the front cover on the XD last weekend, put it all back together (been meaning to do it since I bought it as it seeped), and the very next day I drove it 500 miles without a single issue. GEMS are super simple to work on and the only tricky part with any D1 would be the 10AS Alarm unit. Besides that the only really big issue would be maybe stock piling a few spares. On my 95 I got lucky and grabbed a spare 14CUX ECU for 32.00 at LKQ vs 250-500.00 online along with a spare dizzy. The 95 doesn't need it as the 14CUX is a very robust system, but with any classic vehicle the more spares the better. Be prepared like a Boy Scout = always good. The only real issue with older LR's = the exterior/interior plastics, but lucky for my 95 was garage kept and it's in great condition.

I've always said D1/D2's will eventually be worth $$$$$. A 98 LSE D1 was 39K back in 98 & today it would cost 63K. I'd rather find a clean RRC/D1/D2 and dump a little $$$$ into and drive something unique vs a new Ipad with wheels any day. My XD is my hardcore trail truck, but I also will drive it across TX no problem. Wherever I go in it or any of my LR's I'm always getting compliments from people on how unique or cool my LR is. The last time I was pulled over the DPS officer came up and said he hadn't stopped a LR D2 in forever and he was very happy to see one in such great shape. We talked a bit about it and I was given a warning for going 10MPH over the posted speed limit. I never got any of that when I had an F150 FX4, Hummer H3 Alpha, or even my 05 Rubicon.

I've owned and driven nothing but LR's for the past 7 years (been around LR's since I was 15 though and I owned several back in the day). In that time I sold the 98 LSE (never should have done that), but the longest LR I've owned to date is the 240K Kalahari. In that time I have spent maybe 900.00 on parts for it. Spark Plug wires, Spark Plugs, Aluminum Reservoir Tank, Coil Packs, and Brake Rotors & Pads. That's it in 38K of driving. 38K isn't all that much in 7 years, but it's not my D/D as I have a company work truck. If I had to D/D I would no questions about it. The most $$$$ I spent on it was the fun stuff like a warn winch, TF front bumper, SS Extended Brake lines, Lift Kit, and a HD Rear Bumper.

The 99 D2 I have has been just as reliable in the 15K I've put on it during the last 5 years. It got thru me thru the extreme flood waters during Hurricane Harvey & Imelda without a single issue. It survived a kid running a red light with just a scratch on the ARB bumper, and all I've done is regular maintenance on it.

The 95 D1 I haven't had that long but she is rock solid now. Fires up, everything works, and it's more reliable than some newer cars out there IMHO! I'd love to toss my backpack in the back and just hit the road to Moab in it!

The key to having a good experience with a LR is getting to know it from inside and out. Having resources available like this forum to help you when you've hit a snag, or a good local club or independent shop to help you if you need it. LR's are a part of my life, a passion, a lifestyle I guess, and a hobby all wrapped into one. To me all other vehicles are just mass produced transport and if it dies you just get another one and move on, but a LR to me has a soul. If I was Jay Leno I'd have the same amount of space he has except nothing but LR's from RRC/D1/D2/P38/D90/D110's.

So if you want a nice D1 with all the goodies on it and great shape go for it. Nothing like a LR and D1's are just awesome on or off road. The good ones are gonna vanish leaving projects with rusty bodies as the only option eventually.

 

You better get that truck before someone else does!

 

That D1 is in unusually excellent shape. There is no doubt about that. But it is not finished and there is still a lot to spend on it to achieve long term dependability, long-distance reliability, and good off-road capability. I will never dispute with what other people think or believe something is worth. If they think it's worth "x" amount, let them pay x or keep it until someone else is willing to pay more than x. But I am not ignorant of what it takes to make an older land rover work over the long run. I am sure it can be done for "less than what I paid," but unless a person has some very substantial means to "beat the market," old Land Rovers do not get a person off-road for the long-term at some huge discount compared to far more popular means like Jeep, Toyota, and SxS -- all of which will easily cost initially as much as the high bid, and then double that in the long run.

I wrote more here: https://landroverforums.com/forum/ge...e2/#post749358

There is no doubt that is as fine of an example of D1 as they go, and that makes it a costly start to a project that cannot do anything but cost even more in the long run. If that isn't what you had in mind, then I can't recommend paying so much. If your project budget is much higher still and you have the cash to shortcut a lot of time and labor to get a D1 into that nice of condition, then paying the reserve price might get you closer to the finish sooner than starting from lower-down, but it won't likely save you any.

 

Great perspective nathanb, thank you. I got the truck inspected and the maintenance recommended are the rear brakes, engine oil, and front diff oil, which are all straight forward enough and expected. Also, the tires are 6 years old which is putting them at an age where they are a potential hazard. Ultimately I think I'm going to get it, the price is high but really does look about fair all things considered. You're right that at this rate maybe a new car would be the more economical option in the long run, but I have to say I agree with Best4x4 that new brings its own bag of problems. At least this one gets me in the game pretty squared away and at a decent price too.

 

Tire wise I honestly like the 500.00 for 4 Thunderer M/T tires I bought off of Ebay. I wanted a cheap M/T tire that I wouldn't worry about hurting off road, but they've really been a great tire. They balanced well, ride good, and I didn't even air down off road on loose dirt, rock, and I had plenty of traction. The 97 XD has 235/85R16's and my 95 D1 is running a set of 245/75R16's. They do have a little road noise to them, but all M/T's do IMHO.

Good luck & keep us posted

 

How do you like the 235/85R16's, I found a thread from 2012 with that size suggested and I really like the narrow look and potential mpg improvement. As for the tire itself I was thinking KO2's but now I'm not so sure... do you have a photo with those M/Ts?

 

235/85R16 is a great size with a 2inch lift and stock rims. I'm a huge BFG fan, but these guys for 500.00 are very good!

 

They tuck in darn good, and I do recommend a slight 1inch cut off the rear lower fender lip, but after that zero rubbing at full tuck. The sidewall design is very nice with lightening bolt designs which are pretty aggressive.

The actual tread design reminds me of the original BFG M/T.

 

In my experience, I found that radial tires on plain rims do not survive well when aired down to ~12 psi. That or even lower pressure might be good for bias ply tires on beadlocks, but I have seen too much damage on my tires. 85 profile tires do not need to be so low pressure to give a very long contact patch. It's the length of the contact patch that gives traction -- think crawler tracks. 85's aired down to ~16 psi will put a lot of meat on the ground. I don't see any advantage to low profile tires other than street "handling" and big wheels/brakes on the newest rovers and that is not what I am looking to do.

I have bought new KM2 and M55 tires. They were both good. I prefer the M55 because I do not have much mud. It is mostly hard rock obstacles and dust, soft snow and steep loose gravel. Today, the choice would be between KM3 and M55. I think I would be happy with either one, but I recently bought two new M55 to match the other 3 good ones I have and replace two that were done for. I have a lift, wheel spacers, and cut fenders, so mine are 255/85R16. Otherwise, I would go with 235/85R16 and not a wider low-profile tire. The 235's require a lift but should not need spacers or cutting. About 10 years ago with a lift but no spacers or cutting, I had 245/75 KM2. Those were not bad but knowing what I know now, I would choose the 85 profile instead of a wider tire.

I use mine for long-distance and remote travel with my family and no other vehicles so I keep dependable tires on there. If I was just wheeling more extreme day trails with an offroad club, then it makes sense to buy cheap used tires and extra wheels and tires because they will all get thrashed. Interco on steelies might last longer, but there is a more plentiful supply of cheap alloys and radial tires parted from other rovers and trucks. 85's are less popular, so for used tires, it makes sense to buy what is available cheap that fits.