Gently considering a 92 or 93 RRC SWB w/ accessories
 

Hey guys, I've got this RRC sitting in my town and I can grab it for a couple hundred bucks. Might be worth grabbing the brush guard, roof rack, running boards, wheels/tires and then scrapping it. I'd like some of your expert opinions...

It's really rough inside, lost of broken plastic and missing pieces, slightly moldy headliner at spots with some mickey mouse mods/repairs. The story: It was driven with a noisy water pump until it finally gave, and i'm betting a timing belt job at minimum. The damage could be worse. Not much rust at all visible (but not a thorough inspection), pulled the carpets a little but it hardly looks like its worth trying to save anyways.

So, what's it worth? At what prices would the accessories and wheels fly off my shelf? There's some rust in the corners of the roof rack, but the brush guard looks good and the running boards and wheels like straight, just dirty.

Thanks for your help and input!

Depends on what you want to do with it... a couple hundred is a great price, but if it requires a new engine. That is another story. BTW, rovers don't have timming belts...They only have one chain and two sprockets. The rocker arms, push rods, and lifters do the rest.

Does it run at all? If so what does it sound like? If the owner overheated it like most idiots, then it either slipped a liner or cracked a block. It sounds like you want to part it out.

For anyone who wants to part a vehicle and it is not their profession I tell them to plan on having parts for the next few years. eBay has helped out a lot to off load parts but then it is also who is willing to pay for things like shipping old RR wheels and so forth. I do not see parts flying off the shelves even if they were free. If it was me I would buy it, maybe put in an old used motor and cut the top off and have some fun.

Ok. I guess my real question was/should have been: what would YOU do with this RRC? Anything? The engine has around 165k on it and the interior is in poor shape and mickey moused...but at a couple hundred bucks, I will consider the options.

I would buy it and use it for whatever, wheel it hard, cut off the top, or fix it all and sell it as a whole. I do not think I would part it out of it was whole already. As far as the interior I would pull out the carpet and maybe line X the inside and then throw in some cheap bucket seats of they are really bad.

Now you've got me thinking again...

Assuming I can get it running for a couple of hundred and that it checks out against rust, it could be nice little wheeler as the body is straight and it pretty good shape. Rip out the carpets, maybe the back seats, paint the headliner, replace some plastic pieces inside and deep clean. Hmm...

Questions: i'm all too familiar with D1 & DII parts, and I know the RRC's and D1's share a lot of the same undercarriage, but how are parts availability and prices in comparison to D1's? Or really, how many parts (engine, drivetrain, suspension) are compatible between the RRC and D1?

Thanks again!

Answered my own questions by doing some research.

It needs a new front cover, water pump, etc. Would be fun for me to learn on and take my time and tear down, but its not the right time for me.

I'd still like to take advantage of this RRC and have some fun with it, but I've got my 97 to put some money into for now. If its still sitting in the guys backyard this summer I might jump on it then. Would be a fun utility/wheeler.

It is tough when you come upon a great project but cannot pull the trigger for some reason. Usually with me it is storage space and where to do all the work on the vehicles. For a couple hundred I still would have picked it up and let it sit in my back yard until I was ready. Good luck if and whenever you get it.

Well, after further inspection I found out it is indeed an 1990 RRC made in October of 89. I'm fairly certain its a SWB.

The good: could hardly find any rust at all. There's some surface rust on the black plastic? pillers and a little around the rear window which seems pretty common. But the door jams and floorboards looked good from where I lifted the carpet. Also, under the wheel wells looked and after checking out underneath the car some more good news...OME suspension with steering damper! I don't know how old it is, but a good find none-the-less.

Thanks!

Engine replacement options
 

Question: can I drop in a RRC 4.2L? Straight plug and play? Enough room? Mates with the tranny and everything? I've stumbled upon one with around 106k miles and if I can get it for the right price, do the heads and install, I think this could make a great farm truck for me.

I don't think it will be worth it for me to tear down the front cover on the current engine...I guess I could get it pressure tested, leak down test, etc. But I doubt its anything more than a boat anchor after the neglect and driven till failure.

Thanks!