1977 series III diesel

[defender1619]

Hey guys,
I'm in the proses of buying a 77 series 88 diesel the rust issues are what I would call typical and I can handle the repairs ( I think)
my question to the rover gods is : the diesel worth it? does it have a better retail ( in case I have to bail out of it)
what are the typical problem areas of this motor ?
the asking price is 2K it has 66k miles on the clock (who knows how many times its turned over) in general the truck is clean. hard top with no rear windows(delivery van type)
please give me as much details as possible ( should I just look for a gas engine ?)
thanks

[LaneRover]

As far as I know the Rover diesel is not worth any more. Is it an original Rover diesel or an implant from another manufacturer?

If it is the original Rover 2.25 liter diesel then the main problem is being passed by old volkswagen buses full of linebackers. For a little run about though it would be fine.

The big thing to check for is rust on the chassis. If the chassis and bulkhead are in decent condition and it runs well then 2K is a decent price in my opinion.

Brent

[Tim Smith]

I agree with Brent. So long as the rust is not too bad, 2k sounds like a decent price.

I don't know much about the 2.25 and/or 2.5 diesels but I do know that the injection pump (CAV type?) is a bit weaker than most. Not a big deal unless you wanted to convert the thing to vegetable oil. I've also heard that injection timing being off can lead to lots of smoke and power loss which is just a maintenance item.

These diesels are relatively fast turning motors compared to most diesels. This doesn't mean you can go any faster but you might find that they tend to wear a bit faster.

Don't put too much worry into the actual mileage. At the age these trucks are at, it's the life they have led that is more important.

[defender1619]

I think I would like to clean this series up and re sell it to make a little profit and try to buy what I really want a series II 109. what do you think this series diesel could be worth?. I will post pictures in a couple of days . for for now an educated guess will do.
gracias

I forgot to mention this series is right hand drive

[Tim Smith]

I would never consider a series truck an investment. Either buy it for yourself to enjoy or don't. You could end up spending a lot more trying to fix it up then you would ever realize in a resale.

Hard to judge value without a solid description and the all mighty pictures.

[Jeff Aronson]

You don't say where you live or what you plan to use the Rover for, and both would effect any answer to your questions.

I assume from your post that you're looking at a 1977 Series III diesel? It will thus be ROW or Home Market car. Diesels of this vintage tended to be purchased only for agricultural or fleet use. Engine hours of running are far more telling than mileage on the actual condition of the motor. Diesels of that era were very noisy and rough running, particularly the Rover diesel. Of course they had great torque for low speed work but they were quite the handful on the open road. You won't sneak up on anyone, that's for certain :).

Tim's advice is quite sound. Series Rovers are by definition old cars, and thus can require quite of bit of money to bring back up to solid condition. Diesel Series Rovers appeal to the core enthusiast, but they're a niche car compared to the petrol Series Rovers - and they're a niche unto themselves :).

Buy one to drive it and enjoy it; bailing out quickly is unlikely to be an option.

Jeff

[Eric W S]

I think I would like to clean this series up and re sell it to make a little profit and try to buy what I really want a series II 109. what do you think this series diesel could be worth?. I will post pictures in a couple of days . for for now an educated guess will do.
gracias

I forgot to mention this series is right hand drive

Just buy what you want to start - a series 109.

[SafeAirOne]

You don't mention which diesel is installed. If somebody fitted a 200 Tdi, it is, in my opinion, worth much more than with a 2.25 diesel. Either way, $2k isn't too bad for an 88 that needs a new chassis and not much else (if this is the case) What's that come to?--About $4500 + your time for an 88 with a galv chassis.

Have a look on e-bay to see what similar 88 are selling for. Not what the dreamer's asking price is, but what they are actually being sold for.

[defender1619]

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[defender1619]

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[defender1619]

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[defender1619]

i was unable to post more picture (ran out of alloed space for this forum) but these are the worst areas of the rover, the front is clean the bulk head seemed fine. hope this gives you guys more amo in order to give me a better idea what this series is worth.
thanks
1957

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[greenmeanie]

Well from those pictures I see one glaring point that you should carefully consider whether you want to buy the truck at all. The picture of the bulkhead footwell shows it completely rotted out. This is common and quite repairable but really involves stripping out the bulkhead to do it right. That's no mean amount of effort and you need to be able to weld.

The rest of the underside is showing a lot of flaky paint/rust which could be worse than it appears. I'd take a hammer or a screw driver and have agood poke around for soft spots, especially around the spring perch as that will be another big reapair and at worse could mean a new chassis.

IMO start at the low end of the value scale as these are the big hitters for repairs.

[yorker]

$2k isn't too bad for an 88 that needs a new chassis and not much else


I've never seen a truck that needed a new chassis and not much else... Usually when they get to that state of affairs you find a LOT more that needs do be done once you get it disassembled for a frame swap. One thing leads to another- you have it all apart anyway so all the marginal stuff might as well be replaced while you have it apart and next thing you know you've dumped another 4-7K in a truck that looked like a good deal at $2k. If you are going to end up that way you might as well but a $500 truck and start from there.

[CdnSeries2a]

I see swelling in between the leafs in the suspension as well, plan on replacing or parabolics....