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going to purchase my first d90

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90 d90
1K views 9 replies 9 participants last post by  woldd90 
#1 ·
This weekend I am going to look at a 1994 softtop w/50,000 miles.They are asking $23000.Is this a good year?is the 3.9 a good engine?Is there a better year I should be looking at?maybe a 97 auto?What price would be a great deal for this 94?Any help would be appreciated .thanks Brian
 
#2 ·
a d90 with 50K at that price seems like a good deal. Of course specs, trans, chassi condition and upkeep makes the difference in a LR purchase. Post pics if you can, and as much info. Is there a better Defender year?, All Defenders are good IMO- 3.9L good old workhorse (how was it maintained?) question is a little broad, you might want to research this site for clues on upkeep and opinions.

Good Luck!
 
#4 ·
nyc-10 said:
This weekend I am going to look at a 1994 softtop w/50,000 miles.They are asking $23000.Is this a good year?is the 3.9 a good engine?Is there a better year I should be looking at?maybe a 97 auto?What price would be a great deal for this 94?Any help would be appreciated .thanks Brian
Always start with the mechanical pieces, and work your way up.

Chassis
Engine
Drivetrain
Body exterior
Body interior
Brakes
Suspension

Take stock of what needs correction, and get the seller to fix it or know exactly what it will cost you to fix it and renegotiate the price - taking into account your time to fix it as well. Don't forget all the little things. These trucks are getting on in years and most will require a lot of work - even the really nice looking ones. for example, it will probably need new springs and shocks - and bushings - both suspension and frame ones.

It may need new seals on the axles, replaced bearings, etc. If possible, remove the heads, and replace the gaskets - check out the top of the engine while it's apart. Fuel filter, oil filter, transmission oil and filter, transfer case oil, diff oil and seals. Drive shafts may need replacing if they've come out of alignment. Brake pads, rotors, calipers, O2 sensors, exhaust, viscous clutch, water pump... all things to check.

All depends on what you want it for.

I bought mine a little tatty, as I wanted to drive it offroad some of the time, and not worry about wrecking a perfect truck. But I insist on a clean chassis, as minimal rust as possible, and mechanically sound, not getting too worried about drips, etc (they are fairly common, so don't freak out if it marks it's territory on your driveway.)

My chassis was waxoyled, and the truck had been sprayed twice every year (I live in Canada, so once in the fall, and one in the spring with salt neutralizer) - I also made sure he provided receipts for the sprays to prove it - not to take him at his word...
 
#5 ·
Damn, I wish I had seen this one sooner.

Where you going to look? And what date/time? I could possibly head there with you if it's early enough.

-Hans

Follow-up Post:

Ok, this one is going to get long.... so putting a placeholder here for now. Will be back at it in a few minutes.

Follow-up Post:

Argh! Did a whole big post, and of course it errored out and lost it. I'll just go with the big things this time.

Exterior:
Look for rust in the area of the rear bumper, any side steps, rear tire carrier. Any aftermarket add-on's need closer examination, cheap fog lights always mean poor wiring. As always, look for dings in the body, mis-matched parts and others signs of repair. Pay close attention to the soft top. Factory tops were kinda poor, but later ones were improvements. Aftermarket tops from Badger are very good stuff, much better than original and worth a premium.

Frame/underneath:
You'll want to inspect the area around the fuel tank. The skid plate is a common major rust area, as is the rear crossmember. Check the condition of the exhaust of course. U-Joints can be hard to inspect, due to the drum parking brake on the back of the transfer case. You need to chock the wheels and put the transfer case in neutral, to unload the u-joints and then check for wear. Oh, and don't use it as an emergency brake, you'll just snap the driveshaft.

Engine compartment:
Check the condition of the oil. As always, milky-coffee colored is bad. Look down the fill hole to see the color of the metal components. A bronze-brown is normal, milky-coffee or black and chunky are not so good. Also check the firewall, one of the few steel parts of the body, for rust.
Oil cooler lines are critical to inspect, with lots of ways to fix the problem.
Check this link for more info, as well as the one in my signature.
http://www.eastcoastrover.com/110oillines.html
Look to see if the ignition module is mounted on the side of the distributor, or on the fender well. You want choice #2, but can always upgrade from choice #1.

Drivetrain:
For '94 trucks, if possible, check the condition of the transmission output shaft. You'll need to pull the PTO cover off the transfer case and pull the input gear out of there. Not easy to do, but worth the effort to avoid the "clunk of doom" when the transmission strips out. Often was already corrected by the dealer, but not always.

Interior and body:
Again, check the firewall for rust, pull back the carpets/floor mats to check. Open up the under-seat compartments to see what's going on in there. Body cappings too, another rust area.
The kick panels are cardboard, don't expect much from them, and expect to remove or replace them. The dash cowling, behind the gauges, may be cracked and busted up. Easy to replace, go with the aluminum upgrade that's usually in the vendors loft.

-Hans
 
#7 ·
cgalpin said:
Ctrl-A, Ctrl-C before clicking submit is your friend if you have taken a while to post :D
Yeah.... I just keep forgetting that.
 
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