The Range Rover Classic thread

[nickod]

Thanks. The reason I asked is they are pretty close to me and I was considering the uprated door seals and soundproofing that is mentioned on their website.

Also I've now caught the RR Classic bug and will start looking to buy a later SE ( Hard dash 90/91 3.9) in March/April. Is it better to buy a very well sorted one ( what should I pay? Im seeing the very best of those albeit at dealers at up to 30k - is that optimistic pricing as I understand the soft dash and LSE are considered more collectable) or buy an ok one and get bodywork etc done.( looking at Kingsley that feels very pricey - which I guess is the point previously made specifically about them)

[DKL]

DonkeyApple said:

Yup. I'm just not exactly a fan of their restomod work having had a close look at a few in contrast to the pricing.

Restomod isn't my choice either and a lot of money. I suppose expense and value is individual.
I know relatively little about the older cars so can't comment but I like the later cars they have had and a couple I've looked at were really nice, almost (and quite possibly better than) new.

[DKL]

nickod said:

Thanks. The reason I asked is they are pretty close to me and I was considering the uprated door seals and soundproofing that is mentioned on their website.

Also I've now caught the RR Classic bug and will start looking to buy a later SE ( Hard dash 90/91 3.9) in March/April. Is it better to buy a very well sorted one ( what should I pay? Im seeing the very best of those albeit at dealers at up to 30k - is that optimistic pricing as I understand the soft dash and LSE are considered more collectable) or buy an ok one and get bodywork etc done.( looking at Kingsley that feels very pricey - which I guess is the point previously made specifically about them)

Nickod,
They rust, everywhere. If you're looking at one that doesn't make a big thing about the bodywork repairs then it will almost certainly be rusty somewhere and possibly everywhere!
There must be some half decent cars out there for sale privately but you need a really good poke about underneath, under carpets etc. Mechanicals are fairly straightforward if a little larger/heavier than your average car, but well within the realms of any decent garage.
There is a nice looking LSE at James French which is also close to you and there is a dealer in Chipping Norton that sometimes has some older stuff too.
You'll pay a premium from a dealer and a non specialist may not know what to look for yet still price then high. There are some japanese imports in York I think and these should be far freer of rust. They seem to go to about £15k but I haven't seen one in the flesh.
I'd try and find one with the bodywork as good as possible as that is where the cost is to repair.
I like the softies better (lots of people actively don't)but they rust more it seems, especially the bulkhead. Same with LSE. I like the proportions but others don't.
I still want a 5.7 softdash LSE (just like the one DA sold) but unless I'd bought one when I bought mine (7 years ago) the market has now gone and I'm as likely to buy one of them as a ferrari 456. (should have bought that one too but hey ho).
On balance they are appallingly put together from new, rust like mad, are slow and cumbersome but have that presence you just can't add to anything else. Lord help us!

Edited by DKL on Saturday 31st December 18:00

[nickod]

Thanks. I'm guessing then it's best to go with a car that's already had work or a Japanese import. I've got the budget I just need to find one. I'm thinking 90/91 ( I'm told better quality) Vogue SE ( my vogue is basic spec) in Ardennes green or silver. I much prefer the looks of the hard dash.

I got very lucky with my current one as to be honest I didn't really know what I was looking for ( I've owned mostly Mercedes so this is all a bit new to me) it's been checked and has minimal rust which Is currently being sorted.

You are right - there is nothing quite like them. I'd not really considered them before. It was this thread mostly that prompted me to start looking along with the realisation that you don't see them on the road any more.

[nickod]

Just realised the York people are Specialist Cars. I wouldn't buy a car from them ( again)

[ClaphamGT3]

You might want to look at this one;

http://www.churchill4x4.co.uk/used/land-rover/rang...

Lpg isn't to everyone's taste but Jonathan Churchill restored mine and I would trust him to describe the car accurately

[nickod]

Thanks. I have seen that and it looks great. I plan to go and see it. There is a Green 1990 Vogue SE on classic cars that I may also go and see although there is no price on the advert ( I've asked)

[Purso]

That is a gorgeous looking machine!

[DonkeyApple]

nickod said:

Thanks. The reason I asked is they are pretty close to me and I was considering the uprated door seals and soundproofing that is mentioned on their website.

Also I've now caught the RR Classic bug and will start looking to buy a later SE ( Hard dash 90/91 3.9) in March/April. Is it better to buy a very well sorted one ( what should I pay? Im seeing the very best of those albeit at dealers at up to 30k - is that optimistic pricing as I understand the soft dash and LSE are considered more collectable) or buy an ok one and get bodywork etc done.( looking at Kingsley that feels very pricey - which I guess is the point previously made specifically about them)

The story goes that the updated door seals will just be Disco door seals, I suspect. It probably follows the old Overfinch wheeze of fitting the later and better deals from the Disco and making out that they've had them made especially and charging 5 times more than the seals cost from Rimmers etc.

As that's what OF did and as there is a connection between the old OF and this firm then it might be worth checking out if you can get Disco seals first.

[DKL]

So just stock disco 2 seals DA? Worth looking at as I need at least one.
Ta

[DonkeyApple]

DKL said:

So just stock disco 2 seals DA? Worth looking at as I need at least one.
Ta

Apparently. Whichever is the earliest Disco. I can try and get the full details in Jan if it would help?

[Benspickup]

I think discovery doors will fit so it sounds right to use the updated seals off them. On a different note, I'm restoring a 91 200 tdi range rover and need to put a new boot floor in. I'm tempted to put a alloy floor in but don't want to hurt the vehicles future value.
Was there a reason for changing to a steel floor other than cost?
Regards
Ben

[DonkeyApple]

Be interesting to see the progress of this one. http://www.coys.co.uk/cars/1971-range-rover-suffix...

Dealer market for a good J reg is usually over £40k?

[DKL]

DonkeyApple said:

Apparently. Whichever is the earliest Disco. I can try and get the full details in Jan if it would help?

If thte opportunity arises that would be appreciated. Thanks

[ClaphamGT3]

DonkeyApple said:

Be interesting to see the progress of this one. http://www.coys.co.uk/cars/1971-range-rover-suffix...

Dealer market for a good J reg is usually over £40k?

Interesting - one would have thought that the "ex Duke of Richmond" provenance and the apparently unmolested condition would've pushed this through the stratosphere. Quite a few minor but telling anomalies - maybe more are un seen?

[wildcat45]

ClaphamGT3 said:

Interesting - one would have thought that the "ex Duke of Richmond" provenance and the apparently unmolested condition would've pushed this through the stratosphere. Quite a few minor but telling anomalies - maybe more are un seen?

Does it have fabric seats?

What other anomalies are there? Genuine question as I'm a bit of a RRC geek and hate not being able to spot stuff.

[ClaphamGT3]

Fabric seats, front number plate in the wrong place and the ancillary instruments are wrong. There's also something not right about the boot

[wildcat45]

Cheers for that.


I assumed the front plate location was to improve the AoA. For off-road use.

As for things like the dash, I guess that sort of thing is down to the facts that they were in production so long and before they became sought after as originals people whacked 'improvements' into them. Maybe actually thinking it would make them worth more.

I see RRCs as similar to a house built in 1970. It may have originally had an open fire with a chimney but that got replaced with gas, but today people want open fires again.

I'm normally one to get annoyed when cars get mods that are not from their era. Range Rovers, from day 1 have been messed around with. Ambulances 6 wheel models Cabriolets Fire Enginesv 4 door conversions etc. I can forgive some - not all - mods.

Don't get me wrong, I live original
Spec RRCs but I have to admit to rather liking those Oxfordshire built Resto-Mods.

The only problem is that I dint have 96k going spare to buy the blue one.

[squirdan]

DonkeyApple said:

Be interesting to see the progress of this one. http://www.coys.co.uk/cars/1971-range-rover-suffix...

Dealer market for a good J reg is usually over £40k?

this was for sale a few months back on carandclassic.com. It was in Cornwall, private sale. Annoyingly I cant remember how much it was

[DonkeyApple]

ClaphamGT3 said:

Fabric seats, front number plate in the wrong place and the ancillary instruments are wrong. There's also something not right about the boot

Yup. Should be plastic seats. But can be fixed for a few K. Instruments looked OK to me. Should really just be a clock and three blanks for the age but we're any other gauges optional extras? Boot mats were black in the first year or so?

Also, after the Velars didn't they have carpeted trans tunnels?

Edited by DonkeyApple on Monday 2nd January 13:50