The Range Rover Classic Thread

[WeBeCinYa]

I love these trucks and seeing current projects members are doing. This thread is for showing your former and current RRC's and sharing experiences in these unique rigs.

I've owned three, first was a '91 and it was saved from under an old oak in Richmond, VA...apparently shes on the road somewhere today after a battle to fix the ZF transmission.

2nd was a '95 that has made it's way through a few board members. Had some good fun with her, she was clean. Lives in Georgia now.

Last and current is a '91 I found in South Carolina recently. Driven by a old lady that used it as a grocery getter. Garage kept and as rust free as I've ever seen. Open checkbook on repairs since family owned it from 1993.

I am partial to the hard dash trucks and ironically find driving the RRC more favorable than my D90

Post up pics of your RRCs!

[modernbeat]

I've got a '92 2-door with the 2.5 VM Diesel. It's dirty. It's dented. Just about every part has a condition issue. But the interior is decent.

The bolt-on parts, like lights and bumper corners, are getting a quickie restoration. And the suspension is getting an upgrade. But the dents and scratches are staying.

Taken five seconds after it rolled off the trailer.


I've been tracking the costs for this. Some mechanical restoration, some cosmetics, some upgrades. Up to 101 part numbers purchased within three weeks. EEK!

On Edit: I chose this model to escape many of the common RRC issues (real and imagined). No automatic, no V8 head gaskets and ECM, no seat computers (they are manual), no shredded leather and cracked wood veneer (it's cloth and plastic), no sunroof, no airbag suspension (it's just coils and shocks), no ABS, no traction control, no central locking, no cruise control, no door lights. Not much of any of the luxury features except for dome light delay. If I end up hating the diesel, or it hates me, then I'll use Nick's kit to swap in a GM engine and transmission.

I AM having some issues identifying the engine consumables. The filters and hoses look like they are different between the 2.4TD, 2.5TD and 200Tdi, and the belts are different between the engines and LHD and RHD versions. I'm about to just pull all the belts and take some measurements off them for replacement. Looks like the only sources for the air filter are overseas.

I haven't had too many issues finding interior parts. Almost nothing is available new. But the overseas used market has many in decent (certainly not concours) shape for not a whole lot of cash.

[o2batsea]

Parts have just about dried up as far as interior, exterior are concerned. Mechanical items still very abundant but buyer beware on that stuff.
Chassis repair items nonexistent, must use cutoffs. Body repair items very limited. Source is YRM Metal Solutions in the UK. They do not supply restoration quality, repair quality only.
Glass for windshields fairly abundant for 1994 and earlier; both heated and non heated. One-year-only 1995 glass is not available. Side glass and tailgate glass must be used take off. No OEM glass any more on those. LWB middle door glass unobtanium.
In fact anything LWB related is VERY VERY VERY hard to find....ask anyone looking for dash plastics.
Air suspension supplies are also hard to find. Pumps, valve bodies, electronics, etc. The system is very easy to work on aand the ECU hacking software is very good. RSW Solutions is the source for the app. You must fabricate your own comm cable but there are instructions on the RSW site on how to do that.
Air bladders used to be fairly easy to come by. Arnott was the supplier, but no longer shows them on their website. I'm working on adapters for using the P38 air springs.
I know of only one dedicated RRC breaker in the US, Mid Atlantic in MD run by Rob Bass. Randy of Roverbones in PA has some every once in a while.

[Daddymow]

What timing for a RRC thread, the view from Uncle Douglas's kitchen window as he cooks up some breakfast.

[WeBeCinYa]

Originally Posted by o2batsea

Parts have just about dried up as far as interior, exterior are concerned. Mechanical items still very abundant but buyer beware on that stuff.
Chassis repair items nonexistent, must use cutoffs. Body repair items very limited. Source is YRM Metal Solutions in the UK. They do not supply restoration quality, repair quality only.
Glass for windshields fairly abundant for 1994 and earlier; both heated and non heated. One-year-only 1995 glass is not available. Side glass and tailgate glass must be used take off. No OEM glass any more on those. LWB middle door glass unobtanium.
In fact anything LWB related is VERY VERY VERY hard to find....ask anyone looking for dash plastics.
Air suspension supplies are also hard to find. Pumps, valve bodies, electronics, etc. The system is very easy to work on aand the ECU hacking software is very good. RSW Solutions is the source for the app. You must fabricate your own comm cable but there are instructions on the RSW site on how to do that.
Air bladders used to be fairly easy to come by. Arnott was the supplier, but no longer shows them on their website. I'm working on adapters for using the P38 air springs.
I know of only one dedicated RRC breaker in the US, Mid Atlantic in MD run by Rob Bass. Randy of Roverbones in PA has some every once in a while.

Good to know this info Bill. One turnoff on the 95's for me was the hard to find specific year parts. I have not owned a LWB but it sounds like that parts funnel is even narrower vs the SWB. Glass would be frustrating especially.

[Uncle Douglas]

Originally Posted by Daddymow

What timing for a RRC thread, the view from Uncle Douglas's kitchen window as he cooks Me up some breakfast.

Slight correction

[steinhnj]

Originally Posted by Uncle Douglas

Slight correction

Raub was probably out in the barn finishing up his 200Tdi conversion with Trey while you were in the kitchen.

[Uncle Douglas]

Originally Posted by steinhnj

Raub was probably out in the barn finishing up his 200Tdi conversion with Trey while you were in the kitchen.

Tdi conversion was complete years ago.

He arrived last night.

Trailered his 110 all the way up from Stuart Florida for me to fix.

He broke it somehow, we suspect the clutch throw out lever is worn through on the pivot ball..

Yet another reason to love a classic !

[o2batsea]

Classics have cast clutch lever to my limited knowledge.

[knab]

RRCs are my favorite. It was a different time in the auto industry, when expensive cars had much more advanced technology. RRC was 2-3x the price of other SUVs because they were better. Grand Wagoneers and 90's Broncos had drum brakes when RRC had disks since 1970 and ABS from 1990. RRC had coils since 1970 and electronic air suspension from 1993 on, when those trucks were still on leaf springs. RRC had heated power memory Connolly leather seats when those trucks had optional bucket seats, not to mention things like heated windshield, washer jets, mirrors and door locks. I also have a current body style Range Rover and it'd be difficult to point to anything meaningful that distinguishes it from a Dodge Durango (and nothing to justify the price difference like you could with RRC, not to mention it looks like a Ford Explorer).

Bill's comments on parts are spot on. It makes me wonder how the next generation of car collectors will be able to restore cars from the 80s on, with tons of plastic parts and complex mechanical and electrical systems. For instance, there are a few new ABS parts still available for insane prices, but what happens when those are gone? You're starting to see some progress with remaking plastic parts, but it is very difficult and expensive. Land Rover does precisely nothing to help, yet I can walk into any Mercedes dealer and get a new set of wood trim or virtually anything else for my 1969 MB.

[Nomar]

Originally Posted by o2batsea

Glass for windshields fairly abundant for 1994 and earlier; both heated and non heated. One-year-only 1995 glass is not available........

Eric R at AB says they have 95 windshields recently.



.

[Uncle Douglas]

Originally Posted by knab

RRCs are my favorite.

Little things like cast aluminum tailight housings, puddle and courtesy lamps on the doors, truly stood the classic out from the rest of the market.

Even the top of the line Bmw's and Mercs @ the time used plastic lamp housings.

[caj13]

somebody needs to make 3D files of the plastic parts that are hard to find. be worth it to try and 3D print them. anyone sends me an STL file of a hard plastic part, I'll give it a go in trying to print it.

[knab]

Originally Posted by caj13

somebody needs to make 3D files of the plastic parts that are hard to find. be worth it to try and 3D print them. anyone sends me an STL file of a hard plastic part, I'll give it a go in trying to print it.

I've drawn a dozen or so parts in 3D and tried printing them with every material Shapeways and Sculpteo offers (including some in stainless steel). In some cases they can work as stand-ins, but in general the quality just isn't there yet, both material properties and aesthetic. Happy to send you a file or two for you to play with though.

[caj13]

Originally Posted by knab

I've drawn a dozen or so parts in 3D and tried printing them with every material Shapeways and Sculpteo offers (including some in stainless steel). In some cases they can work as stand-ins, but in general the quality just isn't there yet, both material properties and aesthetic. Happy to send you a file or two for you to play with though.

If you can't get it to your standards, most likely I can't either, I'm just dabbling, but i'm willing to give it a try. My setup will probably be Ok for a functional part, clip or housing, but will not be nice enough for trim stuff

[o2batsea]

Doug's collection probably represents about 10 percent of the running, driving, not rusted-to-crap LWB fleet in North America. I know I have personally killed off three of them in the past ten years like some dickhead black rhino hunter.

[knab]

Originally Posted by caj13

If you can't get it to your standards, most likely I can't either, I'm just dabbling, but i'm willing to give it a try. My setup will probably be Ok for a functional part, clip or housing, but will not be nice enough for trim stuff

Send me a PM with your email and I'll send you a couple files to mess with. Here's a pic of an arm rest knob I printed in stainless. Not a rare part by any means and I'll spare you the story behind why I did it. The other part is not for a Rover, but is 3D printed out of Inconel including the threads. That is excellent quality, but obnoxiously expensive. Hope I'm not hijacking this thread... I post some pics of my RRCs to make up for it.

[o2batsea]

Originally Posted by Uncle Douglas

Little things like cast aluminum tailight housings, puddle and courtesy lamps on the doors, truly stood the classic out from the rest of the market.

Even the top of the line Bmw's and Mercs @ the time used plastic lamp housings.

As does the ACTUAL WOOD trim (on the shift levers!) the subwoofer sound system, the standard fog lamps tool kit and full sized spare. The aluminum body panels, the one-touch power windows, the auto dimming rearview mirror, the power sunroof, the wool mohair carpeting and full sound deadening mat system, leather wrapped steering wheel, leather wrapped hand hold, rear cigar lighter, rear center armrest, hydraulic jack, buttery smooth Borg Warner transfer case, transmission oil cooler, flow thru ventilation system, driver foot rest, traction control, etc etc

Yeh, except for navigation ( who needs that with smartphones ) there's no real distinction between the current model and the 93 on a point by point basis. Yeh there's MORE of everything of course.

[Hache]

I bought a 1992 SWB in January of this year. It sounds incredible. Looks great. And is so much more family friendly than my defender was (although I do miss that beast).

It's been fun trying to figure out the various small gremlins and make do with the lack of available parts.

[LRDMOD]

Here is my 1991 RRC that is my DD.

I actually started a little side work recreating NLA parts. Started like many with not having anything available and looking at new technologies as well as the fact that LR is just not making parts anymore I took it upon myself to start building my own.

You can look at my site http://www.3droverparts.com
Just trying to keep as many rovers on the road as possible, it seems like it can be an uphill battle sometimes.

If anyone has any suggestions they are looking for and we can get a group together would be more than happy to CAD it