| Author | Message | ||
     Kevin Barner (Kjb4v) New Member Username: Kjb4v Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2004 |
Hello All, I have always wanted an old RRC. I have looked at a couple, but have lots of questions. Is there any difference between the years of 87 and 94 aside from the addition of the LWB? Would I be better off getting an early 90s rover as opposed to a late 80s rover? What are the pros and cons between the SWB and the LWB? Is one of the 2 more mechanically sound? I realize the questions are very general, but would appreciate any help. Thanks in advance. Kevin | ||
| Greg Hirst (Gregh) Senior Member Username: Gregh Post Number: 507 Registered: 10-2002 |
Kevin- I understand the attraction. I really like the RRC myself. Here's a good place to start: http://www.rangerovers.net/rrbuying.htm It all depends on what you are looking for and going to use most. 87-88 have the smaller 3.5 liter engines but also have the nice LT230 locking center diff. There are minor cosmetic diffs between years such as that 87-mid 89 have exposed front door hinges, differences in fuel doors, exhaust tips, etc. 89's (like mine) have the larger 3.9 liter engine but the Borg Warner viscous center diff (as do all later RRC's). 90+ started with ABS (less desirable IMHO). 87-94 have crap interior ventilation systems with illogical archaic controls. 94 started LWB models (108"). LWB has nicer onroad ride due to longer wheelbase and all of WB increase is seen in rear seat leg room. However also has air suspension which can be problematic (but luckily is not difficult to retrofit coil suspension). I prefer SWB (100") as rear leg room is adequate IMHO and I believe the shorter WB is an advantage in the type of offroading I tend to do. Later models (I believe 94's LWB) also came with 4.2 liter engines which retained the distributor but rest of engine was updated to 4.0/4.6 mods. Last year of RRC was the 95. SWB models again available and this year has the best looking interior IMHO. Also has a good interior ventilation system with logical controls. There are various trim levels available for each year but in general the "County" models were the top level interior with walnut trim inserts and always with leather. Some early "Hunter" models did not have leather interiors. | ||
| Perrone Ford (Perroneford) Member Username: Perroneford Post Number: 237 Registered: 02-2003 |
Good question, and there are lots of places to get answers, which I am sure other guys will post. I'll give you the quickie answers and let other guys handle the specifics: There are several differences in the model years including things like ABS brakes, audio, engine sizes, transfer case changes, etc. Better off? Depends on what you want. The older ones are simpler from an electrical standpoint. But mechanically, they are older.  In truth, there's not much advantage either way. LWB is a marginally nicer ride, and is very nice if you ride with people in the back seat much. The extra 8" of space went almost entirely to the rear seat legroom. They use essentially the same mechanicals, although the LWB has the engine more bored out. Some say its more problematic. If you plan to own and maintain one of these trucks, keep in mind that while they are robust, they require a LOT of care and feeding. Especially at their current age. Parts are very expensive (no really) and sometimes difficult to find in a timely manner. They are also maddening sometimes with the awkward way certain things are done. And they tend to have a lot of electrical issues, which is bad on a truck that has as many electrical components as these trucks. Good luck, and if you have more pointed questions, just post. -P | ||
| Steve Cooper (Scrover) Senior Member Username: Scrover Post Number: 708 Registered: 09-2002 |
What Greg said, with one minor revision. The LWB started in '93 and all LWBs had the 4.2 engine, which in theory, has more power, but the LWB is heavier. One thing to keep in mind. Even though you can pick up a RRC for $3-4k, it's still a $50k truck. Meaning, if you had to replace every part of the truck it would cost you, oh, about $50k Well, almost. Good luck, SC | ||
| Aaron Richardet (Draaronr) Senior Member Username: Draaronr Post Number: 450 Registered: 09-2002 |
Perrone is right on. there will be constant attention to the project | ||
| Kevin Barner (Kjb4v) New Member Username: Kjb4v Post Number: 2 Registered: 02-2004 |
Wow, Thanks for the quick and thorough responses. I want a rover for a winter car and for some minor off roading use. It would not be my primary vehicle, so I would not drive it daily. Hopefully, that means that their will be less of an oppurtunity for things to go wrong. However, that being said I know some people that have owned these and they all tell me that upkeep is a pain. They also tell me that the Lucas electrical system is a pain as well. The RRCs I am looking at all have over 100k mi. Is there anything that needs to be done to the engine at this point (i.e. new water pump, hoses, gaskets, etc.)? Finally, I will probably only put about 8,000-10,000 miles a year on it. About how much do you think it will cost to maintain a year and how many times will it visit the dealer? Thanks again guys, Kevin | ||
| Steve Cooper (Scrover) Senior Member Username: Scrover Post Number: 709 Registered: 09-2002 |
How many times you visit the dealer is up to you. I would think after the first couple of visits, you'll either sell the truck or buy a workshop manual and start reading Many of the things that can and will go wrong are easily fixed. Some you will need to read about and learn how to fix, and some will be beyond the home mechanic. At 100k miles it's possible that a lot of things may have already been fixed and/or replaced. It would be nice to find out the repair history of any vehicle you plan to buy. Take a close look under the hood. Some of the replaced parts will be easy to see. I bought my 93 LWB with 69k miles. It now has 105k after about 2 1/2 years. Since I bought it I have had to replace(from memory): Complete exhaust system O2 sensors Water pump Radiator Expansion tank Coolant sensor cap All coolant hoses - some twice Thermostat - twice Viscous fan clutch Coil Stepper motor - twice Throttle potentiometer ABS pump ABS accumulator Brake lines Cap and rotor - 3 times Plugs and wires - twice Air filter - twice Ignition amplifier Alternator Headlamp switch A/C blower resistor Power steering box All steering hoses Steering shaft - twice Transfer case Front drive shaft Engine and transmission mounts Air suspension - converted to coils One swivel ball rebuild All brake rotors and pads - front pads twice All suspension bushes - some twice Usual fluid changes Rear lift-gate struts I also chose to do the following: Springs and shocks - some twice Heavy duty steering rods New ball joints Heavy duty trailing arms Rock Sliders Re-geared transfer case Front Truetrac diff. 3 sets of tires Steel wheels Fan - steel in place of plastic Steel winch bumper Winch Diff. guards Pinion guards Aux. lights Dual battery setup A/C cut-off switch A/C fan switch Right rear door panel (oops!) I chose not to replace: Heater core - burst Rear lift-gate central lock/3rd brake light - fell off Alarm system - freaked out one day Most of the work I did myself. Not bragging, just want to let you know what to expect. I had the transfer case and Truetrac installed, and the swivel rebuilt by a local shop. Cost? I stopped counting. The key is to address each problem quickly and costly effectively. Currently, almost everything that can have, has a slight leak. The A/C hoses need replacing - freon is all gone. The paint is shot. The interior lights have a mind of their own, as does the central locking. Apart from that, the truck runs great - finally, it's an absolute joy to drive and is the most rewarding vehicle I've ever owned. But, without the knowledge and experience of working on other vehicles over the last 30 years, it may not have turned out the way it has. Again, good luck. SC | ||
| Kevin Barner (Kjb4v) New Member Username: Kjb4v Post Number: 3 Registered: 02-2004 |
SC, Thanks for the detailed response. Sounds like a lot of work. There is a dealer in my town that can handle the big stuff. As for the rest I plan on getting a manual, and trying it myself. I love working on my cars, so if nothing else this sounds like a pretty fun and rewarding project. I'll let everyone know what happens with my search. Thanks, Kev | ||
| Robert M. Godshall (Robert_godshall) New Member Username: Robert_godshall Post Number: 29 Registered: 07-2003 |
Kev, As far the SWB vs. LWB it really has to do with your personal prefrence if i went with the SWB because I felt that I could get a more capable truck out of a SWB. Now Mr. Cooper from what I have seen has a very capable truck (LWB?). As far mechanical reliability I believe that they a both are the same as far as that goes. I just bought an 89 RRC a few months back, and I've been in love with it ever since. aside from no radio, blown heater core, a leaky exhaust system, and a few electrical gremlins (which are standard on all land rovers), it has been a wonderful truck and I wish you the all the best and hope to see you on the trail very soon. This concludes my current statment Bob | ||
| Nicholas (Landrovernick) Member Username: Landrovernick Post Number: 51 Registered: 05-2003 |
Hey Kevin buying a RRC is an awesome idea. I have an 89 as well and apart from needing lots of attention it still runs amazingly strong. I haven't had to replace a whole lot of anything. Things I have done so far are oil changes, belts, rebuilt brake calipers. As a testament to the vehicle I have over 250K on my rover and its on the original motor, transfer case, suspension etc. Now while these things are starting to get a little tired it still runs great. And it's my every day driver. I would say go for the SWB the tradeoffs for ride and interior room are far outweighed by the increased breakover angle. As these gentlemen have previously said older models are easier because they have less electrical to deal with, however what electrical there is will be plenty to deal with. Newer models have more aesthetic interiors but Land Rover managed to keep the Range Rover suprisingly similar for the duration of the classic production. | ||
| Ivan 94 LWB (Montoya) Member Username: Montoya Post Number: 42 Registered: 01-2003 |
I love my 94 lwb. I still look back at it when it's parked like I did when I had a 2002 325 convertible. It's a hoot to drive. My inlaws love all the rear space when they are in town to visit. Like a porsche, there's other more practicaly vehicles to drive than an old range rover, but there's something about driving something with so much heritage. Don't think of it as buying a $5000 used car because the $2-3k you'll need to budget for annual maintenance makes you feel like your throwing money out the window. Parts are expensive. Try to find an independent rover specialist if you're clueless about cars maintenance like me. I'd take a rover with 110k miles with all the service records over one with 60k miles with no records. The amount of work done from 60-90k on mine was scary. | ||
| Geoff 93 RRC (Geoff) Senior Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 263 Registered: 11-2002 |
I just changed out the heater core this weekend and still love the Rangie. Always fun interesting drive and I like the hand built style of the car (aside for the interior dash). Assuming you do repairs yourself and get satisfaction from it, great hobby with practical side. Steve, I used several of your pics on the heater core project - thanks. Just put in a new water temp sensor - wow. After the tps goes in tonight, engine should be running perfectly. | ||
| Steve Cooper (Scrover) Senior Member Username: Scrover Post Number: 717 Registered: 09-2002 |
Geoff, I wish they were, but not my pics (if you were referring to this Steve). I do remember somebody posting a step by step of the heater core swap, maybe here or elsewhere, but I don't remember who it was. SC | ||
| Aaron Richardet (Draaronr) Senior Member Username: Draaronr Post Number: 461 Registered: 09-2002 |
Steve your list looks like the list for my 90 rrc, it is a new truck piece by piece. | ||
| Steve Cooper (Scrover) Senior Member Username: Scrover Post Number: 718 Registered: 09-2002 |
Yeah, it's a 2003 Classic SC | ||
| Darren Ohara (Ronin) New Member Username: Ronin Post Number: 17 Registered: 12-2003 |
Having owned both a SWB and a LWB it really is a personal preference sort of thing. Yes a SWB is a little easier to wheel in tight places, but now I wheel with 4 adults in the LWB. I could not imagine doing that with the SWB. I use to do vacation trip with 4 adults in the SWB and the extra room that the LWB affords is great to have. It just depends on how you plan on using the vehicle. |
