A few years ago, I was a Range Rover owner for about two months with a long-wheelbase version of the truck shown here. More on that later, but let’s talk about this fine specimen that ended up with my favorite donated vehicle seller on eBay. This 1992 Land Rover Range Rover is a runner but has a bad transmission, which almost certainly designates it a parts rig – but if it’s cheap enough, should someone throw a replacement gearbox on it? Find the Rover here on eBay with bids to $710 and no reserve.
When driving back from Georgia one holiday season, I noticed a Range Rover – white, like this one – sitting in a field next to a church near the small town of Draper, North Carolina. Don’t ask me why, but I became fixated on it, asking my wife to note the mile marker we were at for future reference. I did actually track the owner down, who must have been amazed at his good fortune of doing zero work to sell his decrepit British 4×4 to a guy who saw it from several hundred feet away in a car doing highway speeds.
Truth be told, the truck was just about as bad as he claimed it to be, with the exception of some rust in the rear cargo bay floor that wasn’t disclosed (I honestly doubt he even knew it was there.) I did bring the Range Rover home, and thankfully, a mechanic who I would otherwise call not trustworthy, actually told me not to put any money into it. It left shortly after it arrived to become a parts rig for its next owner for about what I paid for it, less shipping. This Rover is in similar condition with the exception of the interior being slightly nicer and not having any rot owing to its California location.
Like all vehicles this seller has in stock, details are scarce and you’re taking a chance that the “known flaws” accurately capture all the reasons why someone would donate a vehicle in the first place. The V8s in these trucks are generally pretty stout; it’s the electrical gremlins and other issues that aren’t easy to solve that make them difficult rigs to love when a vehicle called the “Land Cruiser” exists. While I still find them charming, I have no desire to own one, and hope this donated Range Rover is able to help keep a more deserving example on the road.
If this Range Rover was back in its home country I would have a go at securing it. Looks pretty solid to me and I really do know where and how they can rot….Gearbox replacement isn’t a big issue at all and this is far too good to break.
And it isn’t that bad to repair to be honest , you just need to be handy with some tools but I’d rather drive this than a Land Cruiser !
If this Range Rover was back in the UK it would fetch a five figure sum with no problems. We rarely see such a tidy unrestored example so very much worth repairing. A gearbox replacement isn’t hard and not expensive – if you don’t want it over there please send it back !
With all the rusted out hulks listed on BF lauded as possible restoration candidates, how can one that needs a mechanical such as a transmission be dismissed as a parts vehicle?
No fan of SUV or 4×4, but I´ve come to realise that the classic Range Rover is a very elegant solution to modern motoring – just the right size and view over the bonnet for modern traffic.
Why spend a huge amount of $$$$ on tricking out a Defender when Rover itself decided in 1970 that was a dumb idea and designed the Range Rover with A/C, suspension, seats, V8 motor etc all integrated already?
The very best version is the original 3 door. There are companies in UK asking over $170K for rebuilt and upgraded 3 door Range Rovers. Who buys them would be a different matter….
The Mitsubishi Montero in the background of the first few pictures is a much better vehicle. The Montero is a more capable off-road vehicle and is a very comfortable vehicle on the highway. The PAJERO/MONTERO entered the Dakar Rally 26 times and won a total of 12 victories with an unprecedented seven consecutive wins to become known to all motorsports fans around the world as the “King of the Desert”. Mitsubishi quit importing the Monteros (Pajeros) to the US several years ago – if they change their marketing and the vehicle returns to the US I will be there to purchase another one.
Did you know that “Pajero” is a bad word in Spanish slang (at least in Spain)?
House rules don´t allow me to translate, but it´s probably the last thing a macho dude would want on his 4×4.
I have to disagree with your “much better vehicle” statement. I have never been in a Monterey. I can only relate to my 1992 Range Rover County SWB. First off, I have owned and driven many vehicles in my 70 years. No one that I could afford (no RR, etc.) ever came close (SAAB 900 Turbo Convertible was nice, too). Heated, power Connolly leather seats, Wilton wool carpeting, sound deadening materials everywhere, heated mirrors, heated windshield, automatic dimming rear view mirror, amazing ADS/Nakamichi 6 disc CD system with separate speakers- tweeters, mids and woofers, electric sunroof, real wood dash and console trim, internal spare tire storage
and that’s just the interior. Combined with high ride height, ABS brake system (this saved my life once in avoiding a wrong way driver), self-leveling coil spring suspension, automatic transmission, 2 speed transfer case, detachable anti sway bars, fog lights, alloy wheels, high ground clearance, full time all wheel drive and more made for an extremely pleasurable, quiet, smooth and confident driving experience. Not a dragster or an economy car, but a vehicle that excelled at meeting my driving needs. Expensive to maintain and not fuel efficient, but the vehicle I use as my benchmark for comparison.
“Monterey” was supposed to be Montero.
Thank goodness we live in a country that allows us to purchase the vehicle of our choice and share our experiences with them. The Range Rover was a fine vehicle and was definitely more upscale than the Mitsubishi Montero. The big differences were initial purchase price, cost of maintenance and reliability (which was probably due to the Rover’s complexity). I enjoyed and miss my Monteros however there is nothing like the extra sound deadening materials, Connolly leather and Wilton wool carpet the Rovers indulged their passengers with.
hmm, I could’ve sworn that solid axle beats IFS in the “capable off road” category.🤔
My 1990 Montero is still around with its second owner, he sends me updates periodically of different places he travels with it. All the stories are interesting and pictures beautiful however not surprising from my own experiences with the vehicle. He finally sold his much beloved Jeep since it wasn’t getting stuck in difficult locations or having mechanical problems and he was using the Montero to rescue the Jeep. As far as solid axle versus IFS I have owned many 4×4 with solid axles and didn’t find the Montero limited with IFS. It has always interested me and more so now how many folks have Jeeps that have all sorts of aftermarket modifications and look ready for combat however nary a scratch or nick anywhere . . . perhaps they want to convey an impression with their vehicle . . . then again isn’t that what most people want to signal with what they are driving. Will be interesting to see how successful the Tesla Cyber Truck becomes and who is driving them and where they are using them.
The Pajero nameplate derives from Leopardus pajeros, the Pampas cat. Mitsubishi marketed the SUV as the Montero in North America, Spain, and Latin America (except for Brazil and Jamaica) due to the term “pajero” being derogatory (meaning “wanker”) in Spanish.
The new Ford Bronco which seems to be very popular and is out selling the Jeep now has IFS . . . thankfully Ford kept the Bronco name and emblem so all the “macho dudes” can feel comfortable in public driving them :-)
Thought we were talking about a Land Rover here….
😁
The original posting is for a 1992 Range Rover – however to clear up any confusion Range Rover is a sub-brand within Land Rover. Range Rover models are designed to be more luxurious while the Land Rover lineup is aimed at being more utilitarian and adventurous.