Been seeing a bunch of older SUVs converted to serious looking off road vehicles around here lately. Started a few years ago with Jeeps, but the last couple of years, more and more older Land Cruisers, Durangos, Cherokees, etc. have been roaming around lifted up with big knobby tires, brush guards and huge roof racks. These things look tough and usually have a good coating of mud an lots of white stickers. Seeing how many cheap Land Rovers there are around here, I couldn't help but think how cool one of those luxo SUVs would look all trail rated out. Well I found a pretty sweet 2001 Range Rover with the bigger 4.6 engine for $1200. Seems like it only needs an exhaust system, which is the reason it was parked. I'm going to pick it up later today and figure for $1200, worst case scenario I have another spare Rover V8 to throw in a Triumph or MG. Best case scenario, the truck is as nice as the guy says it is and I just flip it. What if its somewhere in between? Do I dare bastardize it and make this a bad boy winter ride for the wife or my soon to get a drivers license daughter? The big plus is as of Jan 1 it won't have to pass emissions or onboard diagnostic in Mass anymore because of the 15 year rule. I can dump most of the technical stuff and install a 4 barrel like we do on the TR8s.
I've been thinking about this also but with all the issues they have I was thinking just using it as a shell with a whole drivetrain swap. Overheating seems to be the death of most of these.
I know nothing about Range Rovers but they are an anomaly to me.
On one hand we have a vehicle who's reputation has been that it is the defacto mode if you want to traverse a Third World Country.
Meanwhile, in the industrialized world, they hold the reputation that they are not reliable enough to get home from The Mall.
Is this one really off the road because it needs a muffler?
That seems contrary to these images.
the 4.6 is a time bomb waiting to go off. They do not blow head gaskets, they drop liners.. at that point that engine becomes junk.
The best engine Rover built was the 3.9. They run forever. The later 4.0 was decent, but a good overheat would do the same thing to it as it's bigger sister the 4.6
The biggest issue with Rovers is the electrics. For all the engine problems I have had with my disco, it has been less worrisome in that respect. Mine has bosch injection and a better wiring system than the earlier ones.
Wall-e
MegaDork
12/13/15 10:39 a.m.
I was at a shop where an Englishman was telling us about how the Brits had gone all over thanks to Land Rovers while he was waiting to get his Discovery repaired. An old guy in a WW2 veteran cap sitting across from him said "Imagine how much further the Brits would have gone if they used Jeeps instead".
You don't have to tell me about Rover V8s. There are at least 15 of them in my garage right now. Just got back from picking up the Rover. It is even better than the guy described it. Needs exhaust and a battery, but other than that, I couldn't find anything wrong with it. Clean is an understatement. Guy also had a Jag, a Benz, and a Lexus in the garage. He was just glad someone took it away. Tires are literally brand new. I'll wash it and give it a vacuum. Then I'll throw on my buddies dealer plate and drive it for a few days to shake it down. If all checks out, my wife can have it until I need the engine for one of my projects.
sweet.
I love these stories of GRM'rs having balls and/or lack of common sense.
I will admit, I do love my disco now that (hopefully) all the issues the mechanic that put the engine in left behind, have been fixed.
I owned two classic Range Rovers, a 1988 and a 1990. Both were huge sinks of money but they were maintained by a shop and not me. Nowadays who knows what it would be like, but my dad's managed to sink over $40k in maintenance into a 1989 Range Rover. Hehe.
I bet you'll enjoy the hell out of that for $1200. I would totally jump on a $1200 2001 Range Rover and I've been burnt twice by the things.
