Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.

ok, that said... I have no judgment when it comes to rovers. I will be buying one soon and need advice from the pro's. I'm an off road enthusiast that just sold my 2001 4WD 4door Tacoma. I'm going out of my mind not have a 4WD vehicle. I have always loved the off-road-ability of the rovers. Im not being specific for a reason, as I have no idea what "older" rover I should buy... Land or Range.. year.. model...etc...

I'm torn on what to buy. I have seen many rovers with transmission and engine issues that owners are not will to deal with. Is it worth buying one to have the drivetrain rebuilt? Need some help from the guys or gals who know.

I planning on fabricating a large roof rack to hold my CVT along with 1-2 rocket box's.

Any help would be appreciated.

Mark.... the new guy.

Ducati Multistrada
Toyota Tacoma ... sold
4 Runner... soon 2b sold.

 

you have to narrow it down a bit,
do you want some stickily off road or is it a DD?
how many people and how much gear do you plan on carrying?
do you want an SUV (discovery) or station wagon (range rover)?


welcome

 

I agree with drowssap... but to add my take .. you need a short wheel base ,
( much better for approach and departure angles ) .... i prefer manual ( better for power through ruts ) ...lower gearing , high and low range with diff lock preferred ...so Defender 90 , or older series models should be more suitable for this... also they are more rugged.. than the pretty ones...

sorry guys ... that's just my experience. ( go look at mines in the gallery pics )

 

Hey now! No wagons here!!

I'm partial the the pre 96 version of our trucks. Simpler EFI. Less BS. I loved my Discovery but I'm way more happy w my RRC. I think they both are a matter of taste. I prefer the utility style dash of my truck vs the more sophisticated dash of the Disco. I've found Disco's to be much cheaper. Most of the same suspension in both trucks. Later RRC has the decent chain driven Borg Warner transfer case. Vs the better Disco LT230 gear driven locking transfer case. Easily swapped if you decide to go w the RR. Both trucks are amazing off road. Count on doing some initial maintenance on either truck. Especially if it's dirt cheap.

 

I consider the defenders to be land rover's line of trucks

 

Not looking for a daily driver, that said, I would like to be able to drive several hundred miles at a time. Baja, central Cali, CA, AZ, and NM desert.

As far as payload, I'm an avid kitesurfer, surfer, mtn bike type person. Wife and I love camping....I travel with toys. Usually had plenty of room in the short bed of my Tacoma. 2 dogs took up the back seat.

I agree with the manual transmission, however that wouldn't go over well with the wife. She crashed the first and last manual transmission we had together.

Don't need new and pretty. I want something that will be able to handle the bush... you know... the difference between you grinding your teeth when you hear thorns on the paint or the relaxation of knowing that it's adding character.

I'm between a 1997-2002 discovery or 2000-2001 land rover.

I know milage is subjective with the type of driving. In CA, most rovers are soccer mom vehicles or daily drivers in the urban jungle.

What should I watch out for? If I can pick up a 97-02 Discovery for $2k or less with engine transmission issues, or high milage, is it worth the cost of fixing.

Any engine or transmission you guys recommend staying away from?

Thank you guy for all this assistance. Wish we could sit at a bar and talk rovers for a few hours. All your experience matters. Thank you for your time.

Mark

 

The words engine transmission issues and several hundred of miles and desert , should not be in the same conversion ever ...

You need to really need to take your time , and think this true bro... Look at lots of LR off road videos , it will help some ...

To each his own experience ...

Defenders may be trucks according to some ... but i off road a lot ,

I choose being realistic and practical over luxury and popularity .... ( My Opinion - Defender 90 )

Good luck with your choice , and have fun .....

 

Not looking to drop the coin on the D90. RR/LR is a solid off road platform that has been proven for millions of miles. With any make and model of vehicle, there are good years and not so good years. Function and reliability is what i'm looking for. Not looking to crawl over rocks all day. I'm sure that will happen from time to time. More looking to navigate goat trails in Baja.

I'm thinking the discovery might be the way to go due to the footprint. Although I do love the space of RR Country. ugh....so many choices.

Mark

 

With all that being said:
The 97-99 discovery would be a d1; 99-02 would a d2 & the 00-03 would be a boshe P-38. The boshe P-38 to many elec for the woods, the d2 you would want an early one but you will have to add a cdl handle. D1 has a cdl and less electronics than all the others. JMHO

 

I think Drow nailed it on the SUV=Discovery. SUV= Soccermom utility vehicle.

To be 100% honest here is my take as someone who has owned 2 Range Rover Classics, a 2000 Discovery II and a Land Rover 110.

Discovery II comfortable, well appointed and a no for me as a offroad toy. As a DD sure they are nice around town and tow trucks can get to you easily. I wouldn't want to deal with one 200 miles from civilization. Better looking than the Discovery I.

Discovery I not as comfortable as the RRC (range rover classic), better reliablity than the Discovery II, and a better more durable chassis, suspension, and drivetrain. My least favorite from an aesthetics stand point.

Range Rover Classic, simplest electronics, most reliable of all the engines, head gasket failure rate seems much lower, never seen one with a slipped liner etc. The fuel injection system is simple, robust and generally easily repaired. Great chassis and suspension set up (same as Discovery I). Comfortable interior but less appointed than the later model Discoverys. Better seats though in my world. Stock for stock far better ride quality as well. Only real downside to some is the Borg Warner Transfer Case and some will say the 10 spline axles. I never had a problem with either on my 2 RRC's.

Defender 90/110 as simple as they come for field repairs, no real electronics to break (mine has a ignition module and a electric fuel pump thats it) Spartan interior, loud, leaky and ride rough. The best looking Land Rover/Range Rover there is period (in my world)

Currently I DD the Discovery II and switch to the Defender 110 when the going gets tough.

To me the first choice would be a Range Rover Classic with a transfer case swap to the LT230, second choice would be the Discovery I.