1988 Range Rover Classic

1988 Range Rover Classic

Engine - 4.2L V8 with LPG Gas
Transmission -ZF4HP22 Auto box with a BorgWarner VC transfer case.
Suspension Lift - 2” lift all round, with an additional 2” spring spacer in the rear
Tyres - 235/85/16 BF Goodrich K0’s
Equipped for - Off-Road touring

Obviously the Range Rover Classic is a beautiful looking car, what else made you choose the range rover and the Range rover classic model? (Instead of a defender or disco)

I had wanted one for a while having fallen in love with the classic boxy shape but realised they were becoming popular fast and prices were starting to shoot up. I was staying patient for a while trying to find a deal until I gave up and had settled on the idea of an Disco, which I was about to fly up to the Blue Mountains to purchase one and drive it back, it was all locked in pretty much for the Saturday, when I did a quick last minute Range Rover Classic search on gumtree and I couldn’t believe it. I found this one pop-up just over an hour ago, I rang the guy and said I can leave now and be there in 30. He said I was the first to look but his phone was going off as it was a steal of a price, I turned up took it for a test drive and threw some money at him. It was meant to be! I still would love a disco though as well…

While the Japanese 4wd brands have a fairly good wrap globally, how do you personally find the durability and reliability of Range rover classic ?

I have never owned anything Japanese and have naturally been drawn to European cars so purchasing something like a Toyota was never going to happen for me, as much as I can still appreciate them. I would say that whatever you hear from most people about Rangies is probably true... electrics are a nightmare, lucas is the devil and parts are expensive. I have been lucky enough to have been able to work on mine myself which has saved me thousands in labour, I also think that if I was just using it around the city etc I would have far less problems but actually using it mostly off road of course you are bound to break things. It’s all part of the game, in saying that the thing is super capable and can tackle anything I throw at it - mostly.

If someone was trying to get their hands on a classic, what would your advice be to them ?

Don’t. Na but seriously unless you spend decent coin and get a good one that has been well maintained, you are usually asking for trouble especially if you are not mechanically minded. If you do find yourself owning a Classic expect the thing to be super thirsty! I have a long range fuel tank which is 120L + a 60L LPG tank in the rear as well as 2 x 20L jerry cans on top. It’s not uncommon to spend $250 + on fuel for a weekend.. these things seriously drink.

We notice you like to get away a lot in Victoria and camp out of the classic, while some of us have seen how “onlyaroadtripaway” have set their classic up. How does your classic go touring and camping?

Yeah I know David from Onlyaroadtripaway, we often chat about our Rangies, I love what he has done. I would go down a similar path if it was my only vehicle and I was living in it fulltime. My intentions with the Rangie from the start was to go away off road on the weekend and be able to camp out in / on top of it. It’s a pretty simple setup to be honest, a Feldon shelter up top provides us with a sleeping arrangement which is super roomy and has been great so far. In the back I removed the large 2 seat and made a simple false floor that I can mount straps etc down to to hold things down when we are off road. Everything I have added I have made sure that I can remove it all and put it back to stock if I ever wanted to sell it to appeal to a larger market. We have a dual battery setup in the rear which powers mostly the Waeco 40L fridge, we have a few tubs for cooking equipment and other various things like recovery gear, a jerry can full of water and a camp table is stored neatly in the rear too. On the roof I have two 20L jerry cans in a front runner jerry can holder and then just a small gas bottle we use for cooking. Simple.