80's Range Rover Van

[mjheathcote]

Good friend has just bought this:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/233462960042

He's a bit of a Range Rover fan, having a new full fat RR, and a '83 4 door that he restored a number of years ago.

He's after a new project, and he has certainly got one!

Going through the documention this afternoon the metropolitan police sold it at auction in '98 for £1,250+VAT
In the last 20 years it has just been maintained, not restored or anything and welded where necessary to pass the MOT etc.
Body panels bruised and scrapped in places, plenty of surface rust underneath etc but basically sound.
Basic van spec for the police, no power steering for example, steel bulkhead behind seats, steel panels instead of rear side windows, plenty of holes from the radio equipment that was fitted originally.

10 years ago it could have easily have been bought for extreme off roading and bobtailed.

How much do you think my friend has paid for it?

 

[Goodfella]

That is glorious.

 

[Wack61]

£15,000

 

[ChrisH]

99p

 

[Lavazza]

Like that lot.

 

[Oneball]

shat on

 

[mjheathcote]

£15,000

Very close.
£14,000
The prices have gone ballistic.
About 10 years ago I had the opportunity to buy the only 5lt Chevvy converted CSK overfinch. I thought at the time £3k was too much for the amount of work it needed.

 

[zagatoes30]

Early 2 door RR are silly money these days, there was one on a classic car show the other day bought in Spain for £13k and being offered up after restoration for £30k

 

[mjheathcote]

He's not sure what to do with it, keep it as a van, or convert it adding the rear side windows and bench seat.
I've suggested the first thing is to get the underside cleaned to make sure it isn't hiding a rotten chassis!

 

[Gp79]

He's not sure what to do with it, keep it as a van, or convert it adding the rear side windows and bench seat.
I've suggested the first thing is to get the underside cleaned to make sure it isn't hiding a rotten chassis!

Crazy money really

The rotten chassis as well as inner wings, boot floor, body mounts etc etc even before you start on the steel tailgates and bonnet!

I had a 1989 one sold in 2005 for £2.5, it was bad back then and need constant work, new front inner wings and rear inners patched up, the nice oxidising aluminium body panels can hide a lot of rot.

 

[DavidL]

I've got a 94 LSE softdash. It's a nice thing to waft about in but a bit gutless all the same. It's needed a lot of metal work over the years, the bulkhead was almost non existent at one point, softies are worse than the earlier ones.
Prices have been mad recently, take a look at Graeme Hunt's stock. Everything is softening a but now but some asking prices are still way up there.

 

[zagatoes30]

Would love an original 2 door but not at the current values

 

[mjheathcote]

Crazy money really

The rotten chassis as well as inner wings, boot floor, body mounts etc etc even before you start on the steel tailgates and bonnet!

I had a 1989 one sold in 2005 for £2.5, it was bad back then and need constant work, new front inner wings and rear inners patched up, the nice oxidising aluminium body panels can hide a lot of rot.

I know.
His '83 4 door cost him over £20k to restore, and that didn't include any work on the chassis or drive train, just the outer and inner panels.
This isn't as good for sure, looking at the MOT history too, paying £14k for it not £4k what he paid for the 4 early 4 door.

 

[philw696]

An interesting and iconic vehicle but it's going to be a major project but if that's your thing and you enjoy it why not.

I was looking at the £149,000 Jensen FF for sale they cost new nearly double the price of an Aston Martin DB6.
This one has had a £140,000 restoration done so I reckon the seller is losing money as I can't believe you could buy an FF for £9,000.

Has to be for the love of it.

Good Luck to your friend.

 

[zagatoes30]

An interesting and iconic vehicle but it's going to be a major project but if that's your thing and you enjoy it why not.

I was looking at the £149,000 Jensen FF for sale they cost new nearly double the price of an Aston Martin DB6.
This one has had a £140,000 restoration done so I reckon the seller is losing money as I can't believe you could buy an FF for £9,000.

Has to be for the love of it.

Good Luck to your friend.

Jensen FF is a rare car, just over 300 built, and very different to a std Interceptor it's about 6" longer to start with

 

[mjheathcote]

An interesting and iconic vehicle but it's going to be a major project but if that's your thing and you enjoy it why not.

I was looking at the £149,000 Jensen FF for sale they cost new nearly double the price of an Aston Martin DB6.
This one has had a £140,000 restoration done so I reckon the seller is losing money as I can't believe you could buy an FF for £9,000.

Has to be for the love of it.

Good Luck to your friend.

Oh for sure, he loves Rangeys, he has no kids/wife/girlfriend for distraction so apart from his business as a sole funeral director, which he does very well at, it is a main hobby, so why not.

 

[philw696]

Oh for sure, he loves Rangeys, he has no kids/wife/girlfriend for distraction so apart from his business as a sole funeral director, which he does very well at, it is a main hobby, so why not.

I often wonder what I would have done and how much cash I would have squandered if I had never got married and had kids ?
It's good to have hobbies and sounds an interesting chap.

 

[mjheathcote]

I often wonder what I would have done and how much cash I would have squandered if I had never got married and had kids ?
It's good to have hobbies and sounds an interesting chap.

He has many stories to tell being in the industry for 35 years.
Some funny, some not so. He could write a book.

 

[Wack61]

Early 2 door RR are silly money these days, there was one on a classic car show the other day bought in Spain for £13k and being offered up after restoration for £30k

I saw that, the green one where nothing was original apart from a dented door

 

[Wack61]

An interesting and iconic vehicle but it's going to be a major project but if that's your thing and you enjoy it why not.

I was looking at the £149,000 Jensen FF for sale they cost new nearly double the price of an Aston Martin DB6.
This one has had a £140,000 restoration done so I reckon the seller is losing money as I can't believe you could buy an FF for £9,000.

Has to be for the love of it.

Good Luck to your friend.

was it this one , I'd think they'd want a £140,000 deposit to take it off the truck