| Author | Message | ||||||
     Jeffry Scott (Jeffry) Member Username: Jeffry Post Number: 111 Registered: 12-2002 |
I have a chance to get a Series II or IIa 88" (not sure which) that runs fairly well, or so I'm told, and has lots of new parts. A friend and local series mechanic aficiando has it at his shop for $1300 or so. Would I be crazy NOT to get this? It needs new tires to be driveable, but otherwise it is a runner .... Thanks, Jeff | ||||||
| Ike Goss (Leafsprung) Member Username: Leafsprung Post Number: 56 Registered: 03-2003 |
Hard to tell from here. If its rusty, it might be too much $$, if its not, could be a deal. -Ike | ||||||
| Jeffry Scott (Jeffry) Member Username: Jeffry Post Number: 112 Registered: 12-2002 |
From what I understand, good bulkhead and little if any rust - an advantage of being in Arizona. | ||||||
| Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Senior Member Username: Leslie Post Number: 2299 Registered: 02-2002 |
If the chassis is solid, the bulkhead is solid, the engine/drivetrain are in running condition, and the body is relatively straight... then yeah, I'd say that it'd be a good buy for that.... Like Ike said, hard to say from afar without seeing it, but, sounds like it might be a good foundation for a project, or a trail truck. FWIW.... -L | ||||||
| micky dee (Kincangokicker) New Member Username: Kincangokicker Post Number: 19 Registered: 06-2003 |
look at what rovers north are selling their series vehicles for. give the guy a low offer and take it. if its not what you want part it out. we buy any series rover any condition. | ||||||
| Jess Alvarez (Jester) Member Username: Jester Post Number: 212 Registered: 11-2002 |
Jeff....needs new tires? Check this: ../3/27831.html"#333333"> | Jeffry Scott (Jeffry) Member Username: Jeffry Post Number: 115 Registered: 12-2002 |
Went and looked and said I'd buy it - the mechanic is just waiting to hear back from the owner. It is a 65 Series IIa and needs a fair amount of work to make it pristine, but little to make it an occasional driver. The body, bulkhead and frame are all sound. It starts on the first turn of the key and has a new brake system. It has a flat, so I couldn't drive it, but the mechanic, whom I trust, said it runs good.  | ||||
| Art Bitterman (Aardvark) New Member Username: Aardvark Post Number: 40 Registered: 05-2003 |
Jeffry- I've seen worse! At least the frame and bulkhead are sound-thats the main thing. Gotta get rid of that whitewall tire on the back though!  | ||||||
| Jeffry Scott (Jeffry) Member Username: Jeffry Post Number: 116 Registered: 12-2002 |
Isn't that tire hideous. If the deal works out, the price is probably about 1300 ... It's been an Arizona truck since the start, so rust isn't a problem - the paint shows the years of sun abuse. I haven't looked around a huge amount, but it seems that most series trucks go for a minimum of $3000 from dealer type sources and even individuals - and those are project vehicles, so the price seems relatively fair. $2000 would go a long way toward making this thing look and run good, or am I just naive? | ||||||
| Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Senior Member Username: Leslie Post Number: 2304 Registered: 02-2002 |
Yep, give it a good coat of paint if you want..... .... or not, just drive it looking shabby if you want.... I'm now getting to the point that, if my chassis hadn't needed replacing, I think I'd have left mine ugly. Seeing as how I had to take it apart to fix the bulkhead and replace the chassis, I'm oviously gonna paint it, but, on an aluminum-bodied vehicle, you don't "have" to paint it. Paint it right, don't paint it, brush-paint it, rattle-can, whatever you want.... it'll be your truck soon, and you can take it in any direction that you want.... -L | ||||||
| Ike Goss (Leafsprung) Member Username: Leafsprung Post Number: 60 Registered: 03-2003 |
Rattle can it. You can get great results and its cheap. If you are on a budget its the way to go. -Regards -Ike | ||||||
| Paul T. Schram (Paulschram) Senior Member Username: Paulschram Post Number: 1754 Registered: 02-2002 |
I don't know, I kind of like the bare aluminium look of Ike's truck. | ||||||
| eric johnson (Eric2) Member Username: Eric2 Post Number: 46 Registered: 05-2003 |
Looks like a candidate for a trail truck. Find a Chev small block, NV4500, parabollics, power steering, 4-pin 24 spline rear diff. and either Tru-trac or Arb it. Rover transfer cases are as strong as anything out there, so re-use that. I drove a 1960 88" that underwent the transformation Saturday. Not only is it the quickest Rover I've ever been in, it's one of the quickest cars/trucks I've ever been in. By far the most capable trail 88". All the major weak points of the Rover, which the company should have addressed long ago, will be fixed. And you'll have a rig that will make any trail in Moab a walk in the park. I saw the videos of the rig on the Rubicon in late March. It was in the first group of rigs thru this year. Piece of cake. Have a great time without haveing to worry about axels and no power at 7000'. | ||||||
| Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Dweb Lounge Member Username: Leslie Post Number: 2364 Registered: 02-2002 |
You offering to bankroll the conversion for him, there, Eric? It's not like that'd be a "$50 to get it back on the road" job there.... lol.... -L | ||||||
| Jeffry Scott (Jeffry) Member Username: Jeffry Post Number: 120 Registered: 12-2002 |
Still waiting for the deal to come through on the 88, but the same guy has a 109 with a Ford 289 V-8 in it. Can't afford that right now, but it would probably be cheaper in the long run to buy that one - it doesn't need nearly as much work (cosmetically) as the 88. Although the 88 will be a fine rig with a minimal investment up front, as mechanically it's pretty sound. Jeff | ||||||
| eric johnson (Eric2) Member Username: Eric2 Post Number: 47 Registered: 05-2003 |
Les, You notice I said nothing about bankrolling or $$. Well, that's the other half of it, unfortunately. Jeff, So! What's this about the "other" Rover? | ||||||
| Jeffry Scott (Jeffry) Member Username: Jeffry Post Number: 121 Registered: 12-2002 |
It's a 109, think a series IIa, but didn't look too closely. It has the 289 in it and either a ford transmission or an adapter plate to mate to the rover transmission. It's pretty nice. | ||||||
| Jaime (Blueboy) Senior Member Username: Blueboy Post Number: 711 Registered: 02-2002 |
Jeffry, TeriAnn Wakeman has a Series II 109 in which she installed a Ford 302. go here http://www.cruzers.com/~twakeman/LR/V8Conversion.htm for the complete write-up. | ||||||
| Reed Cotton (Reedcotton) Member Username: Reedcotton Post Number: 235 Registered: 01-2003 |
TeriAnn has a nice conversion. She has done a great job on the entire truck. This 109 in AZ though... One of the things you don't know about when buying an old Series, is how much a previous owner thought he was mechanically gifted. A lot of people think they have more mechanical talent than is actually the case. When I bought my '62 109, the previous owner was proud of the fact that he had "ovehauled" everything. The truth is, he had taken EVERYTHING apart at one time or another. What he lacked was the ability to reassemble properly. I spent almost three years tracking down all the problems that had been created by his "overhauls". Push that same idea to an engine conversion. It's one thing when you do it yourself, and you know entirely what has been done to it. The problem buying someone elses convewrsion is you may never really know all of the shortcuts that were taken to get that engine to fit. Just my $.02. -Reed | ||||||
| Jeffry Scott (Jeffry) Member Username: Jeffry Post Number: 122 Registered: 12-2002 |
Reed, I agree wholeheartedly. I am finding that with our 1950 house. Every easy job becomes multitudes more difficult because of the previous work. The 88, which is the one I am hoping to get (as much as I love the 109s, it wouldn't make as much sense for me) is bone stock. But a very good mechanic has done a lot of work on all the hydraulics (brakes and clutch) and it being an Arizona truck there are no rust concerns - the AZ sun does to paint what the rain, salt, snow, etc ... does to the frame and bulkhead back east - but paint is certainly easier to deal with. From what he says though, the 109 conversion was a very good job. At some point in the 70s a company apparently made conversion plates and this has one of those so it is a bolt to bolt match with what it replaced ... | ||||||
| Reed Cotton (Reedcotton) Member Username: Reedcotton Post Number: 241 Registered: 01-2003 |
Don't even talk about the house!!! The house I have was built very well for it's time. Then the previous owners moved in, and started "remodeling". Some of the people on this board, can't hold a candle to them when it comes to being CHEAP! If the worst part in the world was one cent cheaper than the best part, they would ALWAYS go with the cheap one. And even though I asked them not to, they were doing this kind of stuff right up to closing! I never have too many problems with the really old stuff, but whatever was previously "remodeled" has had to be replaced. Very scarey! -Reed | ||||||
| Jeffry Scott (Jeffry) Member Username: Jeffry Post Number: 124 Registered: 12-2002 |
Well, the 88 never came through and in the meantime, a nice 67 109 discussed above a bit tempted me. It has a Ford 289 V-8 with matching transmission mated to the Rover T-case with overdrive. I'm the fourth owner (but really the second as the original owner passed it to his grandson who drove it briefly then let it sit, selling it to the mechanic who looked it over, fixed the brakes then sold it to me) No rust except some very minor surface stuff on the frame. New brake system (lines, cylinders, shoes, etc ...)  | ||||||
| Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Dweb Lounge Member Username: Leslie Post Number: 2387 Registered: 02-2002 |
You did good, looks like... I'm a "keep it originalish" kind of guy, but, gotta say that the 109s could use more uumph, and since it was done with the engine/transmission combo together, you're not compromised by the Rover transmission getting too much power through it. Enjoy! -L | ||||||
| Jeffry Scott (Jeffry) Member Username: Jeffry Post Number: 125 Registered: 12-2002 |
Thanks Leslie, I like the idea of keeping it original, but this was a good deal and needs little work - just the normal stuff (door seals, window seals and channels, etc ...) that can be done when I have extra money (which after buying it will be a while). It certainly has power - and the gear box is synchronised through the range - no double clutching. I'm excited to get it out, but want to put safety belts in it before I really drive it much. Jeff | ||||||
| Reed Cotton (Reedcotton) Member Username: Reedcotton Post Number: 249 Registered: 01-2003 |
Jeff- Looks like you got a nice deal there. Original or not, any Series will be the start of an ownership adventure. May your adventure be a good one. -Reed | ||||||
| Sean Grauer (Spgrauer) New Member Username: Spgrauer Post Number: 3 Registered: 03-2003 |
Did the guy ever sell the 88? If not mind passing the information? I would appreciate it. | ||||||
| Jeffry Scott (Jeffry) Member Username: Jeffry Post Number: 129 Registered: 12-2002 |
He's never heard from the owner of the 88, so it's not really available. It turns out it was more of a "what if" type of deal and I got overly excited ... | ||||||
| Sean Grauer (Spgrauer) New Member Username: Spgrauer Post Number: 4 Registered: 03-2003 |
Oh, thanks for the update. I am still looking in the Denver area and was willing to travel since not many good choices like that in the area. Thanks again |
