Range Rover Classic - Is it worth it?

Hi all,

I have a defender TDCi which is awesome, but I kinda have the bug now. With interest rates at rock bottom, I thought it might be worth 'investing' (LoL) in RRC - at least I can enjoy it!

Anyway, that aside, my research seems to indicate that they are even bigger rot boxes than defenders. I was after the 3.9 V8 Ideally, and it would be for the odd weekend jaunt and trip to work.

I have a budget of around £7-8k - and as much as i LOVE the early 2 door models, I wont be affording one of them any time soon.

So... is it worth it? Will I just have another Land Rover product I am constantly having to keep an eye on for maintenance etc?

Appreciate your thoughts

They don’t rot worse than Fenders but it is commonly there at their age. That’s why Fender galv chassis are lot more common.

It will be another maintenance issue unless you expect pristine....but then you’d have a 2 door for that money. If there are inevitable issues pick one that has battles you can win/budget in repairs.
Prices have gone up since I last viewed one but Fender prices are rediculous now also. like a luxury Fender really, you won’t go back is my guess.

The rear cross memeber of the classics rots out more frequently and quicker then the Defender/90/110/Ninety/One Ten as it is enclosed in a mud/dirt/water trap....whereas the Defenders (et al) are more open, and are atleast for the most part able to dry out and/or be cleaned....the Classics are allowed to sit in this moist damp condition and rot regularly as it can be difficult to get at and get all the mud etc off of it!

I had one for 2-3 months.

It was a garaged plymouth blue 1991 3.9 Manual with 66k and it was rotten in some of the common areas.

The rear cross member had rotten in the corners near the body mount on both sides, and the wings would flex in and out, only issue with this was the tailgate would automatically open if you hit a big enough pot hole

The Front inner and outer sills were soft and the floor under where the ABS ECU was rotten, so much so you could stick your hand through and touch the drive below!

Front floors rot out along with the inner wings, the light boxes are also prone to rot..

Aswell as the bulkhead and windscreen surround

Some people allude to the chassis being rot free, in some cases yes, however they can rot behind the centre crossmember where it bolts to the chassis, and te centre crossmember itself can rot due to it having no drain holes..

Check the bottom of each door in turn too, as the frames can rot..

Make sure the front doors don't clout the B post when you shut them, usually this is caused by the door rotting and cracking which makes the door sag..

Boot floor and rear arches rot out.

The rear arch rots from the seatbelt mount outwards due to LR using a piece of plate which is tacked to the inner arch, unfortunately the memo to "seam weld" or "paint" underneath this plate never made it to the workers and as such dirt and water sit there and rot it out..

Mine had rotted in the front near the seatbelt mount, it was cut out and re-welded.

It had also gone at the rear of the arch, at this point I had run out of Gas so i used JB weld and stuck a plate in the hole, + some underseal it was good as new!

Threw some road dust on there for good measure and she passed first time


Would I have another?

Hell yeah they're lovely things to own, a great drive very relaxing..

Go out and get one..

You can get a decent 4d for that, don't get the softdash!

Why not the softdash?

RangeRoller dt said:

Why not the softdash?

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They rot 10x faster than the standard Harddash

And the electrical system can be a right shambles

My 1990 fender rotted before you went to ‘the big school’ so not bad considering

Hmm i'd love another

But a Hard dash LSE next time!

For what it's worth, I've owned four Classics ranging from '85 to '93, all V8 autos.
The '85 had intergalactic mileage & 15 previous owners.
The '87 (that I still own) is rot free, thanks largely to the amount of corrosion protection it has received all it's life.
The '89 had some non-structural rot, mainly footwells etc.
The '93 (my first RR) was a mechanical money pit.
Interestingly, none of them required chassis welding.

Your budget should net you a reasonable condition private sale example. Go for a V8, take someone with you who knows what to look for, avoid LPG conversions & be prepared for the running costs.
nb. diesels are more economic (though still not considered frugal) if you like driving a posh tractor.

2.5VM is a nice mota!!

Thanks all for the replies - some very interesting reading for sure. I was curious as to what was wrong with the soft dashes as well!

I will keep my eye out - so hard to put aside a days traveling to see something that could be a complete rot box - but needs must ! I will keep my eye out

This one has been on my radar - not the colour I wanted, but seems ok...!
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1247695

Lovely looking beast

I would be packing my travelling bag as I’d want a look over that one. Hiding the enthusiasm is difficult when viewing

RangeRoller dt said:

Lovely looking beast

I would be packing my travelling bag as I’d want a look over that one. Hiding the enthusiasm is difficult when viewing

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haha I know right! I really didnt want a green one, and I know I can just retrofit a leather interior... but hey! beggars cant be choosers. There was a lovely black one on for £7k - I dithered too much. Problem is... of course you never know what is hiding!

Insurance was £166 on it fully com though! so... that makes it ok to have 3 cars right!?

I have same type interior in my 1995. Is like new, I prefer them to leather are extremely comfy
Grey/Walnut is dark though the cream alternative is so much nicer

Red is bestest
Blue is betterer
Green is what you get when you have little choice
When you paint it bright yellow, well... you’ll meet him soon enough when you get one.

I shouldn’t be sharing these unwritten rules but you seem nice guy

The classic is a pure pleasure to drive...
I believe No matter how good it is or been kept up... at some point your going to have to work on it... which I find quite fun ....
My vote is .... yes get one...
They have turned from a novelty... to an investment... good luck on your quest...

RangeRoller dt said:

Red is bestest
Blue is betterer
Green is what you get when you have little choice
When you paint it bright yellow, well... you’ll meet him soon enough when you get one.

I shouldn’t be sharing these unwritten rules but you seem nice guy

Click to expand...

Least she don't get lost in the car park !!!

^^^ he is

I have owned my '91 RRC for almost 15 years. I have used it for green laning and it has been abused but it still keeps going.
Rot repairs should be expected for any RRC. If you can find a reasonably straight one that has been looked after then go for it. However, if you are not able to do repairs and maintenance yourself be careful. Just when you think all is good they can bite. Mine has just had another round of repairs; rear diff pan, fulcrum ball joint, self-leveller ball joints, new spring seats and anti-roll bar brackets. Just waiting on new rear brake calipers and I'm good to go again. I know all that might sound bad but let's face it, the car is almost 30 years old and stuff wears out and rusts which pretty much sums up any motor of that age. Most parts are available but some are now hard to find and a touch expensive.

The V8 engine is quite simple and easy to work on. It is very forgiving and will run when it shouldn't and indeed, not work when it should! Watch out for head gaskets and cooling problems. The V8 doesn't like to run hot. Radiators are very expensive; I had one re-cored not long ago and it was quite pricey because the V8 has a big radiator and the core is no longer a "stock" item and has to be done as a special order or so I was told.

Transmission - well I've not had any issues. The auto box is reliable. Transfer box likewise. If you have one with a viscous coupling instead of a manual diff-lock be aware of viscous coupling failure; the viscous coupling can be changed and isn't that bad a job.

Is it worth it? Oh yesssss. RRC is nice enough to drive, the V8 makes a nice noise (but does like a drink), the heater works, cruise is nice, ABS is good, handles quite well (relatively) and if you get in to the mud or it is snowy and icy there are few better motors to be in.

Hope that helps.

A nice write up from the horses mouth