opinions please, on the rover im thinking about buying

[autoguy]

thanks to ChrisB, i have found a rover im thinking hard about buying, but i would like the opinions of the group first

it is a 1968 2a 88 that is RHD and diesel, i have gotten pictures of the frame and bulkhead and they both look good, but im curious as to what the group thinks, since yall have more knowledge and know what to look for so please eyeball it

link to pictures of the 88

http://www.tntlr.com/vehicle8/index.htm

the price is right, but im curious if i should hold out and wait to see what else comes up for sale, but i really want RHD and diesel motors intrigue me , i have never worked on a diesel motor, i have a petrol motor though and 2 stroke motors

i would really prefer a tropical top instead of the soft top but i know the top could be replaced down the road

[Terrys]

It looks to be one of the last narrow headlight 2As. A little tatty, but from what I can see of the footwells, not too bad. You really need to look at the bottoms of the doorposts, outriggers, and frame, especially aft of the rear ends of the rear springs.
You are also going to want a heater, if for no other reason than to defrost the windscreen.
I like 2As best, Don't mind RHD, and soft tops are more fun if you don't actually need to go out in that truck everyday. They aren't growing on trees, so pay attention.

[rovertek]

the land rover diesel is gutless and under powered on hills they smoke and shake and would not be a good daily driver,unless you just want a land rover to park in your yard.....

[jp-]

I also, have never had a diesel or worked on them, but have worked on everything else. Having heard what everyone else says about the Rover diesel, I don't think I'd want one. Bill is a good guy and I think he would be honest in his vehicle descriptions. Just ask him who did the frame and bulkhead inspection. If he says he did it personally, I'd feel even better about it.

Regarding the truck, what is your goal? Do you want to just drive it, or do you want to restore it? If you don't really care how it looks and you're just looking for a driver, you may want it (other than the fact that it's a diesel). If you are looking to restore it, I see a lot of work in your future (which is ok, if you don't mind it). However for an easier restoration and a better starting point, I'd consider this vehicle.

http://www.tntlr.com/vehicle1/index.htm

[sayers]

Like many other viewers have stated before, have you had a hands on look at this rover ? Pictures can not tell the whole story and are you sure you want a diesel,? not many people do, You said you wanted a tropical roof, so why the big rush, waited until one comes along, I am also not a big fan of rhd. The main thing is don't get in a big rush.

[Jeff Aronson]

JP asked the right questions for you: what is your intended use of the II-A? The Rover diesel of that vintage is terrible for daily driving use. It's noisy, vibrates like a cheap motel bed, has great low end torque but the same gearing as the petrol version so it tops out at 50 mph. I've driven a II-A diesel; it's lovable and great offroad, but really not equipped for US driving.

RHD is quaint but uncomfortable if you have to pass anything. With the diesel, you're unlikely to pass anyway so maybe it won't be a problem

I've run soft tops and hardtop Series Rovers, and in the winter, you will be very cold in a canvas top II-A - and I don't see a heater in the one you posted.

Diesels require special tools to calibrate and adjust, and their engines also are intolerant of poor compression. I know that petrol engines will run for a long time with poor compression; I've done it. Diesels are great for stationary work or very low speed work, but not for a wide range of driving needs.

If the price is right for you, and you have driven the car and assessed whether the demerits make sense to you, then enjoy your new Rover. It will open eyes at Rover events. Otherwise, look further at a petrol-engined one.

Jeff

[autoguy]

just woke up

JP, I mainly want the series as a driver to and from college, I would get it reliable and paint it one color

from what it sounds the LR diesel 2.25 is going to be too slow for me, but I won't be going on the highway, so if it will do 45 than I might be ok, but I'm used to a 403 ci V8, that's the last vehicle I drove my trans am, so I'm covered for hiway speed

I talked to bill and he sent me pictures of the frame

I have a line on an 88 that is apart that is LHD petrol it also has an OD, and a rebuilt engine, the frame and bulkhead are good too it has a lot of spare parts and a tropical top and pick up top, I'm thinking that would be the one to look at further

[leafsprung]

The Rover diesel of that vintage is terrible for daily driving use. It's noisy, vibrates like a cheap motel bed, has great low end torque but the same gearing as the petrol version so it tops out at 50 mph. I've driven a II-A diesel; it's lovable and great offroad, but really not equipped for US driving.

RHD is quaint but uncomfortable if you have to pass anything. With the diesel, you're unlikely to pass anyway so maybe it won't be a problem

I've run soft tops and hardtop Series Rovers, and in the winter, you will be very cold in a canvas top II-A - and I don't see a heater in the one you posted.

Despite Jeff's long time rover ownership and good nature, Im going to disagree with most of what he has said here.

I have owned many 2.25D trucks, I have at times driven them daily and taken many trips in them. Despite popular opinion, they dont have much torque. They actually have less than the gas model (look at the numbers) Peak torque is at lower RPMs but they only feel gruntier in the off idle (1000-1200 RPM) range. As a result, they accelerate more slowly than their gas counterparts. However, for short commutes and general daily driving they are great. They return excellent gas mileage and a good one will pull 60mph (barring a hill) They arent powerfull (at all) and are not fast (at all) but make great around town cars. I also find the soft-tops (at least the good ones) to be less drafty and far more water tight than your average hard top. The only issue is when the straps freeze, it can be a pain. The one youve located seems fairly priced for its condition. As long as your expectations are in line with the price, I think you will be pleased.

[Jeff Aronson]

Good points, LeafSprung! I have only driven, never owned and used, a diesel, so I defer to your assessment as a daily driver for short distances and no hills.

I have used one of my '66 Land Rovers as a daily driver for 18 years, on trips of a few minutes to drives of 6-13 hours each day. I need to retain my hearing and my voice for daily work; I doubt I could have done so if I owned a Rover diesel. Would I want one as an additional Series Rover? Sure - I tried to buy one a few years ago but the seller wanted too much money - but as my only car for a variety of driving needs? Not really

Best wishes,

Jeff

[leafsprung]

I need to retain my hearing and my voice for daily work; I doubt I could have done so if I owned a Rover diesel.

My girlfriend is an architect, she drives an 88 pickup with a 2.5 rover diesel for her daily commute to the office. Doesnt seem to bother her.


I use earplugs for distance driving even with gas-powered rovers. It cuts down on fatigue significantly.

[autoguy]

leafsprung, thanks for the info, so the diesels they are a fair bit slow somethin fierce, i could probably get used to that anymore i dont get in a hurry to do much or go fast, i think either the petrol or diesel will suit me fine

jp, thanks for the link to the other rover but it is way out of my budget of $3300 ish

[jp-]

My girlfriend is an architect, she drives an 88 pickup with a 2.5 rover diesel for her daily commute to the office. Doesnt seem to bother her.

Does she have a sister?

[Tim Smith]

leafsprung, thanks for the info, so the diesels they are a fair bit slow somethin fierce, i could probably get used to that anymore i dont get in a hurry to do much or go fast, i think either the petrol or diesel will suit me fine

jp, thanks for the link to the other rover but it is way out of my budget of $3300 ish

If you are working with a tight budget like that then you really should price out everything before getting the truck. That way you don't get into trouble in case the unexpected happens.

By the way, from the pictures, it looks fine to me but the springs are pretty rusty. That tells me that it's probably spent a lot of time sitting in a field which can be worse than getting a truck with high miliage.

If that is the case, then you will probably want to think about rebuilding the brakes, budget for the exhaust in the near future and probably will want to assess the front swivels and steering gear. None of that (barring suspension and swivel replacement) should be more than $1000 in parts as long as you do your own work.

Put your numbers together (truck price, parts prices) in a spreadsheet and you'll be pretty well prepared for making this a daily driver you can rely on.

[autoguy]

If you are working with a tight budget like that then you really should price out everything before getting the truck. That way you don't get into trouble in case the unexpected happens.

By the way, from the pictures, it looks fine to me but the springs are pretty rusty. That tells me that it's probably spent a lot of time sitting in a field which can be worse than getting a truck with high miliage.

If that is the case, then you will probably want to think about rebuilding the brakes, budget for the exhaust in the near future and probably will want to assess the front swivels and steering gear. None of that (barring suspension and swivel replacement) should be more than $1000 in parts as long as you do your own work.

Put your numbers together (truck price, parts prices) in a spreadsheet and you'll be pretty well prepared for making this a daily driver you can rely on.

thanks for the info, i will be doing all the work myself i would be replacing things when the money is there, i do construction (im a grunt/gofer) but right now i havent gotten called lately to work, i recon when i get my watch sold than i will buy this 88 im looking at i will start adding things up, so i can get a ball park total of how much it will cost to get the 88 road-ready

[Tim Smith]

thanks for the info, i will be doing all the work myself i would be replacing things when the money is there, i do construction (im a grunt/gofer) but right now i havent gotten called lately to work, i recon when i get my watch sold than i will buy this 88 im looking at i will start adding things up, so i can get a ball park total of how much it will cost to get the 88 road-ready

Sounds like you're on the right track then.

My series trucks (other than getting complete frame over yet to be finished on the 109) are just about the cheapest cars I've ever had as daily drivers. The only car I've had that can beat it was an 83' Accord that just kept going during my high school years.

The key to keeping it cheap is doing the work yourself. If you can do that and generally either keep stuff stock, or build things on your own (comfort goodies) then you will find a series truck to be a welcome addition to your fleet.

Just had one of my other cars in the shop with a $1700 bill for a new radiator, transmission mounts and a ball joint. With my series trucks, $1500 goes a much much longer way.