My dad emailed me last night and said he had his Range Rover in to a local frame restoration place that told him the rust is too much. I haven't been able to inspect it yet, but apparently it's got rusty floor pans, sills, etc, concealed by body work. They removed a door and fender and found major rust. This is - I believe - a 1989 Range Rover that my dad has had since the early 90s and put mucho miles on, including shipping to to Panama for a while then driving the pan-American highway back. It's sad but he thinks it's time to let go. While I have some sentimental attachment to it, I don't think it's enough to justify doing the repairs myself or paying to have it done.
Other than the rust it's a well maintained 2-owner Rover that looks good and the last I checked everything works on it. If he decides to part with it and I pass on keeping it what do you guys think it would be worth? I note they're a lot more collectible than they were the last time I sold one but given the rust and miles it's sure not worth big money.
What would you do with a classic Range Rover with rust issues?
dculberson said:
What would you do with a classic Range Rover with rust issues?
Send it!
Find the limits of it's off-road prowess!
Ohio's not a good place for off-roading. Maybe some in Hocking Area. But, Michigan has great public off-road routes.
Well! Looks like it was a false alarm. The shop quoted $4500 for the work and my dad approved it. 30 years in the family, and it stays for now.
Given how much decent RR Classics go for these days, that doesn't sound too bad. I'd still suggest to get some photos on the rust they found.
Unfortunately Rover hid a lot of the potential corrosion spots by hanging some aluminum bodywork over them.
Couldn't he just replace the whole frame with a new one rather than having it repaired? Older RRs have huge restoration support.
In reply to Feedyurhed :
I don't think it was frame rust, but the steel structure under the aluminum body panels.
daeman
SuperDork
1/6/22 4:56 p.m.
This, do this.
Seriously though 4.5k to keep something he loves on the road sounds pretty reasonable.
dculberson said:
Well! Looks like it was a false alarm. The shop quoted $4500 for the work and my dad approved it. 30 years in the family, and it stays for now.
I have to be the pessimist here. Just what is Dad getting for $4500? That sounds cheap for "too much" rust.
Scott
Edd China has been playing with a Rusty Land Rover and has the chassis / body separated and the chassis in bits ,
Worth a look to see the rusty spots.....
Edd China has been playing with a Rusty Land Rover on his YouTube channel and has the chassis / body separated and the chassis in bits ,
Worth a look to see the rusty spots.....
Does anyone build replacement RRC chassis? They're available from multiple sources for Series and Defender vehicles, but as far as I can tell Rovers North doesn't carry RRC ones.
I think frames are available. It's the cowl, floor pans and inside structure that rusts. These came with lots of sound instillation and carpet but then that held water that people didn't see and...
I looked at a 95 that looked amazing from the outside once but was rusted out under the carpets. All that said, I really miss mine and will have another at some point.
In reply to dculberson :
You should dig up some old pictures and start a thread to give some more information about your Dad's Rover's story.
I'd be interested in reading about it, some others here probably would too.
