New old shite- Range Rover 3.9 classic

[HMC]

Back in about 2005 I picked up an old Range Rover out of the free ads. Back then they were ten a penny, the price of scrap was on the floor and the " bargain" bits of the free ads were awash with ageing rangies. J109WDA had been originally registered 1BOB in feb 1992- quite an austentatious move in the middle of a recession. Several not so careful owners later and it was the turn of yours truely...

After a bit of smoking about and a lot of petrol station forecourt action, I remember Bilt Hamber launching its rustproofing shizz and going into commando mode blasting every accessible box section with litres of the stuff. I sold it on to a friend not long after. Far from going into semi retirement, it was then used as a hack to transport a racing boat about Europe. Over the last 9 years its been to Ireland (twice), the French Riviera, Holland, Germany and to Sweden ( 20 hours driving at 13 MPG!!!)

By this year the old girl was beginning to look a little tired; a newer landrover was purchased and I was asked was I interested in buying back an Old Crock? What a daft question! Hence I am again the owner of a slightly scruffy old range rover....


First impressions are of slightly shoddy build quality, huge panel gaps, but also a HUGE glass area, and a very relaxing ( although not particularly fast) sense of wafting and detachment


Plans at the moment mainly revolve around chip and pin and petrol station forecourts. I may have a quick look underneath to see how all that OTT rustproofing has panned out.

[dollywobbler]

YES! I still miss my utterly dreadful Range Rover. These pics alone have sent me all rose-tinted once more. 

[holbeck]

What's not to like. I've a soft spot for old rangies.

[brownnova]

Complete with dyslexic West Bromwich Albion private plate!!

 

Great buy I love these old Rangies!!

[mercrocker]

BOB1 (and indeed 1BOB) were owned by one Bob Charlesworth, Edgbaston apparently....They were listed as being for sale at something approaching 40K each just before this Rangey was registered....

 

Apart from all that, this seems an excellent opportunity for checking the durability of that Bilt Hamber treatment, await with interest!

[RobT]

Brilliant, shite revisited! Even if the body has suffered I presume your mate kept it tip top mechanically for all those long trips? Got one like this in my watch list at the moment.

[Slappy]

Ah, love these. Grandparents' next door neighbours had a succession of them new when I was a kid. That, I imagine just reeks of Old Money now I guess. Perfick

[phil_lihp]

That's glorious and looks very tidy.  I've always wanted to drive one of these, I might have to pop by to say hello next time I'm passing!

[cort16]

The last year or so these have shot up in price to the point I doubt I'll ever own one. It looks like it's holding up not too bad hopefully it's all still intact underneath.

[EssDeeWon]

Oooh Yes! I love these old Rangies in Vogue SE flavour!

 

Always mega wanted one, I should of bought one about 10 years ago... Well I did test drive a 1992 K reg 3.9 Vogue once but I didn't really have the money at the time so sensibly walked away. It was a little overpriced and tired. IIRC the boot didn't latch shut due to rust. 

[HMC]

Did a bit of light green laning in this old jalopy at the weekend.

I was up early (my co driver determines how early each day) Dartmoor was doing its usual foreboding/moody weather with a combination of heavy cloud, mist. and sun which was almost too much for my camera phone to handle.

 

 

 

 

The lazy Rover v8 is certainly in fine fettle. Its had mainly long term owners and theyve kept on top of oil changes etc. Nobody has bolted on things from a catalogue nor does it have a single sticker/ slogan (apart from the bonnet and boot factory jobbies) One thing that does need some TLC is the body. The front inner wings have been attacked by the tinworm and in weymouth docks a few years back my friend and former keeper scraped the side down an unsighted bollard and the nearside doors got a bit mangled up.

 

I'm sure other stuff will come to light when I have a closer look, though on the whole my 2007 bilt hamber rustproofing mission seems to have kept the chassis a-b-c pillars and sills in good condition.

 

 

These are in a small selection of spares that came with the car; replacements (even in the correct colour) for the mangled doors. Swapping these over is pencilled in some time over the next few months, In between a loft conversion and Essexman_jr no 2. arriving.

 

Theres also a rustfree tailgate in the right colour, which is handy as the original one is in a bit of a mess...

 

 

Finally SWMBO who I think secretly approves of the green beasty (it can be hard to tell with such matters) Showed me that it features in our wedding snaps from some years back- during my previous tenure as it was a sort of support vehicle that a family friend took a likening to with his lens....

 

 

 

 

 

[RoadworkUK]

Part of the family, then. I know sentimentality is the arch enemy of progress, but That Rangie clearly wants to be under your wings.

[brickwall]

Nice. Yours be a better spec than mine, but If you need any hints or tips, give me a bell.

[Jim Bell]

[Jim Bell]

[Jim Bell]

Its Always Sunny.

[Shep Shepherd]

^

I love that series. It gets bonus points for the Range Rover ^^

[HMC]

What series is it?

[Shep Shepherd]

What series is it?

 

"It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia", a comedy about a group of truly horrible but somehow likeable thirtysomethings running a seedy bar in Philadelphia, PA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_Always_Sunny_in_Philadelphia

[Forty-two]

More Rangie love here.  I am glad I took my bite of ownership when the opportunity arose many years ago, petrol was 50p a litre and it had a range of 200 miles. 

 

There is a bloody big yellow light on the dash for low fuel warning, I am sure it was on more than it was off.  Try cruising at 90mph and watch the petrol needle move in front of your eyes!

[NorfolkNWeigh]

More Rangie love here.  I am glad I took my bite of ownership when the opportunity arose many years ago, petrol was 50p a litre and it had a range of 200 miles. 

 

There is a bloody big yellow light on the dash for low fuel warning, I am sure it was on more than it was off.  Try cruising at 90mph and watch the petrol needle move in front of your eyes!

In a previous life, with someone else paying for the fuel, I did a fast late night run to Doncaster from Wobun in a brand new 3.9 Auto Brooklands. I filled the tank at J13 of the M1- the light came on as I came off the M1 onto the M18, the next morning it ran out as I left my hotel to drive to a petrol station.

( just checked- distance J13 to Doncaster Racecourse is 107 miles! )

[Skizzer]

Mmm, Skizzer approved.  Very.

[twosmoke300]

Let me know when you get bored of it , it can keep the 90 company

[mat_the_cat]

Finally SWMBO who I think secretly approves of the green beasty (it can be hard to tell with such matters) 

 

It's easy - if the vehicle is mentioned in a non-negative way, she approves.

[HMC]

Temperamental starting on this old battlecruiser got to a low point some weeks back when it refused to start again parked legally but reasonably near to the goods entrance of the supermarket opposite. With the car having flooded as usual, a recharge and another battery to jump from and still no firing. I Ordered a replacement battery online. Later that week ( and before the battery arrived) the police came a knocking and had a polite word as the supermarket manager had been complaining to them about the beached range rover. Anyway once the new battery was fitted its been fine. This new found reliability obviously disturbed something deep inside the fabric of the car as later that week the transmission oil cooler sprang a leak and the equilibrium has been restored! One ticked off and another thing added to the list!

The range rover caught dribbling earlier...

[Skizzer]

14 and 37 please.

 

 [/oldjoke]

[MarvinsMom]

i love the real range rover.

 

even now 20 odd years since they stopped making them, i think it is without doubt one of the most attractive and stylish vehicles ever built.

 

new range roonies do nothing for me, whereas the original model is just so classy.

 

dunno if i could cope with the temperamental and constant fettling that one would need, but one day i will own one (even if it will end with me in the work house)

[dollywobbler]

There is something about them. They were always ropey as hell (I remember an interview with Mike Rutherford from Genesis and he complained that something was always going wrong, even when they were new!), but they do manage to just look perfect, and they're astonishing off-road. If I had an unlimited budget, and/or more patience, I'd definitely have another.

[beko1987]

I've always said that if I played (and won) the lottery I'd buy a 3.9 range rover classic and just enjoy being able to run the fucker! Tank of fuel every 2 days? Nae bother. Needs a fuck ton of welding? Off it goes for welding, my man will pay the bill.

 

I don't think I've ever been inside a range rover, new or old thinking about it

[Guest Lord Sward]

While its no 38a Range Rover, that old bus just screams 'CLASS'.  Theres nowt like 'em.  Thoroughly jealous here.