nazSTUFF - Saving 1990 Classic Range Rover 01

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Intuitive Hiker Journal Reports

"Northern Arizona Experience" - CLICK ON ANY IMAGE for more information and design details. Make changes.

Dear Reader... This is an interpretive series of pages taken from the personal journal of Mr. JH Thomas. For over 25 years Mr. Thomas hiked, explored and photographed the limestone canyons and vicinity of northern Arizona. As a result he recorded several scientific "firsts" in archaeology regarding the activities of the ancient people we now call Sinagua. He also acquired some basic knowledge of local geology, the native plants and wildlife. It is a pleasure to present some of these observations in this format. Sincerely, John Vroom, Editor

Saving a Classic Range Rover - Page 01

We've added this report to these hiking pages as the use of a four wheel drive vehicle is essential for outdoor exploration, and its reliability is inherent to the success of discovery, recording and reporting. Also, we've discovered that there is a lot of interest in this vintage vehicle. Enjoy. JV - webmaster

Saving a 1990 Range Rover Classic

This is an ongoing report of my experiences saving a 1990 British Range Rover Classic four wheel drive vehicle. I am not a member of any of the enthusiastic land rover and/or range rover clubs, I just own one. I was attracted to this 4x4 truck as a result of coincidence. It came up for sale sitting in the driveway of a nearby neighbor. As my retirement has provided me the opportunity of pursuing my favorite passion, hiking outdoors while merging my love for natural history study and the ancient people of this place, archaeology, I assumed that a super four wheel drive vehicle would serve me well.

The vehicle was for sale cheap by off road standards. I paid $2200.00 in a time when anything you buy for less than ten thousand dollars is generally considered a junk heap. I came to understand this price better as I learned more about the actual state of the truck. The most comfortable off road driving vehicle I've ever been in does have a lot of problems.

At any rate it does run and in the first year I managed a couple local field trips including some off road explorations, all of this amounting to less than 1500 miles in twelve months. Caution was necessary as I wasn't sure of the truck's actual condition and I was behaving slow and go.

My first discovery was that my town lacks any dealer that works on British vehicles. Auto parts stores were also barren of things I could buy for it. The internet then became my shopping mall for all things Rover. Interviews with the former owner about this revealed that he was a "driveway mechanic," doing his own repairs as needed (not as many as were needed). He reported a recent replacement of the heater core and new coil springs and shocks that lifted the truck three inches to allow oversized tires. This gave me the first impression that he took good care of it and I looked forward to continuing the trend.

Of course, within a few months as I began to acquire some parts and doing my own repairs, thanks to some help I acquired from a retired British mechanic who offered to help me piecemeal, I learned that nothing was what it appeared. The level of rehabilitation was much deeper than I thought. My project took on new meaning. The truck is like me. It is old, broken and it's been abandoned. But it has a lot of integrity, there's a lot of potential left. Working on this vehicle is parallel to my own working on my immune system.

These pages, then, will be my diary of repair, recovery and maintenance as I bring it back to life. Hopefully, this journalistic approach will be of benefit to other Rover enthusiasts who read this.

Reports: Table of Contents:

• A little History about my Vehicle

• Replacing the ABS Brake Pump and the Accumulator - Step by step... While I was on the test drive with the former owner, before I purchased it, I noticed a lot of auxiliary noise coming from under the hood, so I inquired. The first "vibrational" noise I could feel and hear he could not identify. Later I determined that this was the result of his allowing the two idler fan belt pulleys to permanently dry out and they are now running without lubrication. As they both have grease nipples to prevent this, this was obviously the result of neglect. The second noise was obviously some small motor coming on too often and running unabated, also without lubricated bearings. It was a real nuisance. He explained that "it is normal and has been this way for a year." Of course after I became the owner of the truck I learned that this was a failing ABS pump, a vital part of the braking system. I also learned later how costly this item is and why the truck was for sale at that the time at the price he was asking, below blue book. The pump actually hemorrhaged and bled out on the day I was on the way to have it replaced, the very day. Regarding the brakes, where I've spent so much money and attention so far, I discovered by in-person examination that they were gone. The right rear pads were down to metal on metal, the other three were as thin as paper. So, not only did I need to replace all the pads but two rotors and the ABS Pump. The right rear calipre was also frozen and hadn't functioned for years. Read more.

Why Mr. Thomas purchased the Range Rover

GRAND CANYON GIFTS

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