Well, it looks like we are going to replace the '95 Range Rover with this...

[ChrisV]

Since they are so cheap now, we've decided to replace the 13 year old, 130k mile '95 Range Rover County LWB Classic model with this 2002 4.6HSE edition. 64k, warranty for 2 more years, and around $10k. Should tow as much as our old one, considering it has more power and torque, while being nicer to be in. And it was a $70k truck just 6 years ago...







It's still in NY on Long Island, and we have to schedule to go pick it up. Interesting that our '95 also came from Long Island.

We also looked at these two, and even though the green one was prettier, it was more money and had fewer options. And the white one was too much like our old one, even though it was the closest of them.

[Cookie Monster]

Very nice!

They look awesome. Too bad gas is so much $$$ now.

[CJ]

If you buy that one, I'm going to ask you to PLEASE keep the old one.  I like those old ones a lot.

[CJ]

Oh, and headlight wiper video, please.

[Soup DeVille]

Man, the depreciation on those is just brutal!

[ChrisV]

The old one is paid off, so it may indeed stick around. Perfect for running over zombies in the post-apocalyptic world we'll be in shortly.

Besides, I figured it out. When gas hits $10/gallon, I'll still only be paying $40-50 a week to commute if I used the Range Rover 9which I really won't be hardly at all), so I'm not too worried about fuel prices. Yet.

[ChrisV]

Man, the depreciation on those is just brutal!

Yeah, they dropped like a stone when the '03s came out, and the '03s, with the more miles, are still well over double what the '02s go for.

[Soup DeVille]

Yeah, they dropped like a stone when the '03s came out, and the '03s, with the more miles, are still well over double what the '02s go for.

No price too great to avoid the shame of showing up to the country club in the old model I guess.

That's a lot of truck for 10 grand, yeah I'd jump all over that.

[Lebowski]

Holy shit, I didn't know you could get one of those for that cheap.

I'd consider that as a second car ...

Only reservation would be reliabiliy and the cost of repairs/maintenance ... any comments?

[Soup DeVille]

Holy shit, I didn't know you could get one of those for that cheap.

I'd consider that as a second car ...

Only reservation would be reliabiliy and the cost of repairs/maintenance ... any comments?

Chris, who can diagnose electrical gremlins telepathically and has done engine swaps with nothing but a pair of leathermen pliers in an afternoon, scoffs at such questions.

[omicron]

A very fine piece of machinery there, and exceptional value to boot.

[CALL_911]

Where on Long Island? Maybe you can stop by, and let me beat the shit out of it!

I kid, congrats. That's a very nice truck.

[280Z Turbo]

Chris, who can diagnose electrical gremlins telepathically and has done engine swaps with nothing but a pair of leathermen pliers in an afternoon, scoffs at such questions.

I understand he can drive a car with no windows as well.

[sportyaccordy]

Chris, who can diagnose electrical gremlins telepathically and has done engine swaps with nothing but a pair of leathermen pliers in an afternoon, scoffs at such questions.

"My E38 is so low maintenance. I don't know what people are talking about. *replaces faulty engine block sleeves w/a hammer and chisel over lunch break*"

[sportyaccordy]

Chris, who can diagnose electrical gremlins telepathically and has done engine swaps with nothing but a pair of leathermen pliers in an afternoon, scoffs at such questions.

"My E38 is so low maintenance. I don't know what people are talking about. *replaces faulty engine block sleeves w/a hammer and chisel over lunch break*"

[Raza]

If you need a place to park that old Rangie for a while, I'll take it off your hands. 

[ChrisV]

you guys...    

I get concerned about the reliability of the 2nd gen models ('95-02), because the early versions had massive problems with the air ride suspensions and engines (especially the 4.0 versions). My own Classic had air ride, which was replaced by regular springs, as many of these second gen ones end up with (it's only $600 for the parts to convert to regular springs, which is vastly cheaper than even one repair to the stock system). This one's works perfectly now, but I'll be ready to swap them out at the first sign of trouble. '98-02 were under the ownership of BMW, so from '99-2002, there are a lot of BMW sourced improvements to the Rangies, and a couple BMW sourced problems, too (the biggest one being the fact that the 2nd ECU controls all body electricals including the radio and alarm, and there have been reports of the anti-theft system thinking the truck is being stolen and shutting the engine down and locking people inside. Not a fun thing when offroading in the desert...) and there have been reports of the alarm being set off by airport RF signals, draining the battery in a couple days and then when you go to recharge the battery, the engine is in anti-theft shut down mode, and the radio requires a recode to work (and unlike most cars, it requires a trip to the dealer to be reset by the factory diagnostic equipment and is quite expensive). Luckily, those reports have been of very isolated cases, mostly of ones left in airport parking lots for a week or so, but the possibility still exists. Other than that, they are typically no worse than most luxury cars, and most repair parts are easy to come by and relatively inexpensive online. There are also huge online resources for them, with a large, and well versed community for Rangies (like the dedicated community I found for the E38)

Like always, I'll get the factory service manual and I have the OBDII diagnostic/reset tools. It should be a great rig for what I want to do with it.

And yeah, Soup, like the E38, I have no problem driving "last year's" luxury model, especially considering how cheap they've become. Not to worried about what the country clubbers will think.  Their loss (and depreciation cost) is my gain!

[The Pirate]

What scanner/tool do you have for OBDII diagnostics?  I've been looking at picking one up.


And it's a beauty!  I really like those trucks.

[ChrisV]

What scanner/tool do you have for OBDII diagnostics?  I've been looking at picking one up.


And it's a beauty!  I really like those trucks.

Actually, it's a dirt cheap one from Harbor Freight. Does the job and was only $60. It's the "more expensive" model, with the CAN bus diagnostics.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94169

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Congrats. it looks to be in very good shape!

[Laconian]

You are a regular executive car vulture. Way to profit from the fickle fashions of the rich. It looks great!

[Madman]

If you buy that one, I'm going to ask you to PLEASE keep the old one.  I like those old ones a lot.

No, I insist he gives the old one to me! 

Love those Range Rovers!  Too bad we never got the diesels over here.

Cheers,
Madman of the People

[Shift507]

like the E38, I have no problem driving "last year's" luxury model, especially considering how cheap they've become. Not to worried about what the country clubbers will think.  Their loss (and depreciation cost) is my gain!

And to me in both cases (E38 and Range Rover) are better looking than their more modern siblings.

[Lebowski]

And to me in both cases (E38 and Range Rover) are better looking than their more modern siblings.

I agree, both the E38 and the last gen Range Rover represent just about the pennacle of style in their respective classes, IMHO.  Both have aged extremely well, and both are better looking than the vehicles that replaced them (though the current Range Rover Sport looks pretty good IMO).

[Galaxy]

On the same theme I just saw a 2007 Range Rover with only 9500km on it that the dealership offered for ?62.500. A year ago it cost ?106.000. 

[Danish]

Chris- Any advantage the air suspension has over regular springs?

[ChrisV]

Chris- Any advantage the air suspension has over regular springs?

Ride, self levelling when towing, and some ability to get over obstacles in really rough terrain. Other than that, it's a PITA to maintain and costly to repair, usually (though individual air bags run just over $100 each). I lik ethe regular springs in our older Rangie (though I should really pull the bulb on the air ride light that is always on now).

[Raza]

So, did you take delivery, and what did you do with the old one?

[ChrisV]

I'm still waiting for his bank to release the lien on it so I can get plates and drive it home. They've been paid off by my bank, so I know it's done.

So the old one is still here, and will be for a while. I'll probably put it up for sale in September, and try to get $3500-4k for it. It's paid off and the insurance is dirt cheap on it, so I don't have to sell it fast (though it'll probably go pretty quick as a lot of people are looking for the later LWB versions)

[Submariner]

Ride, self levelling when towing, and some ability to get over obstacles in really rough terrain. Other than that, it's a PITA to maintain and costly to repair, usually (though individual air bags run just over $100 each). I lik ethe regular springs in our older Rangie (though I should really pull the bulb on the air ride light that is always on now).

Are you going to keep it, or pull it as it slips?