Buyers guide for Range Rover Classic?
Discussion
Check for:
Rot - all of the chassis, boot floor, inner wheel arches front and rear, sills (don't just look at the bottom, look right up inside where they go back up to meet the floor), front panel where headlight mount, battery tray, bulkhead, rear axle (especially around spring mounts).
Then check for rot everywhere else.
Engine - depends on which one you're going for. The V8 will have an oil leak, it wouldn't be a Rover V8 without one. V8's can also suffer from cylinder liners cracking, same symptoms as head gasket failure (mayo in oil cap, oil in water etc). VM 2.4 & 2.5 TD's fairly solid, if rather sluggish diesels. Can suffer with head gaskets. 200Tdi & 300Tdi great motors, the odd oil leak but must have cambelt changes when specified.
Gearbox - manual can wear synchro's, auto good provided the ATF gets changed. Handbrake works on the propshaft to the rear axle, it will almost certainly be next to useless.
Electrics - can fail, check everything.
Suspension - simple if coils, simple to convert to coils if air-sprung. If air, check airbags aren't perished. Check the chromed spheres on the front axle for pitting or scratches - if the seal is shot you'll need new ones.
Hope this helps.
Rot - all of the chassis, boot floor, inner wheel arches front and rear, sills (don't just look at the bottom, look right up inside where they go back up to meet the floor), front panel where headlight mount, battery tray, bulkhead, rear axle (especially around spring mounts).
Then check for rot everywhere else.
Engine - depends on which one you're going for. The V8 will have an oil leak, it wouldn't be a Rover V8 without one. V8's can also suffer from cylinder liners cracking, same symptoms as head gasket failure (mayo in oil cap, oil in water etc). VM 2.4 & 2.5 TD's fairly solid, if rather sluggish diesels. Can suffer with head gaskets. 200Tdi & 300Tdi great motors, the odd oil leak but must have cambelt changes when specified.
Gearbox - manual can wear synchro's, auto good provided the ATF gets changed. Handbrake works on the propshaft to the rear axle, it will almost certainly be next to useless.
Electrics - can fail, check everything.
Suspension - simple if coils, simple to convert to coils if air-sprung. If air, check airbags aren't perished. Check the chromed spheres on the front axle for pitting or scratches - if the seal is shot you'll need new ones.
Hope this helps.
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