New to group and I have some questions.

[wea]

Hi All,

I'm new to posting at D-90.com but I have been lurking here awhile and now I think I'm ready to take the plunge. I have found a D90 wagon out of state and I have some pictures that I'm not so sure about. Can you guys please help me out? This is a 1995 with 35K.

First three pictures are underhood and my question is, does that corrosion look abnormal on the engine?

Picture 1 (http://www.rprc.com/images/Defender/d4.jpg)

Picture 2 (http://www.rprc.com/images/Defender/d5.jpg)

Picture 3 (http://www.rprc.com/images/Defender/d6.jpg)

Next three are in the wheel wells. Does the last one look normal? Does the frame look like that near the exhaust or is that damage?

Picture 4 (http://www.rprc.com/images/Defender/d7.jpg)

Picture 5 (http://www.rprc.com/images/Defender/d8.jpg)

Picture 6 (http://www.rprc.com/images/Defender/d9.jpg)

Next three. Does the rust on the at the corner of the back door look normal?

Picture 7 (http://www.rprc.com/images/Defender/d10.jpg)

Picture 8 (http://www.rprc.com/images/Defender/d11.jpg)

Picture 9 (http://www.rprc.com/images/Defender/d12.jpg)

Is this a factory AC?

Picture 10 (http://www.rprc.com/images/Defender/d18.jpg)

So where else should I ask to be photographed? How concerned should I be about the rust and corrosion that is visible in the above photos? What else should I look for when I get there for pickup?

Thank you very much for your time!

Cheers,

Bill Anderson
Austin, TX
02 Freelander
D90 - Soon!

[mlw911]

Bill:

I just bought my first Defender 90, a 95 ST w/55k and I would say that rust looks about average. Mine was identical in the engine bay, had less on the undercarriage and had several small rust bubbles on some edges that yours may not have. All I can say is look very closely at all panels. All have been fixed including sanding and spraying some of the undercarriage.

Another major problem for the D90's is the pan that covers the gas tank in the rear. Knock around it with a screwdriver to see if there are any holes in it. Mine was in really good shape, but I dropped it down sanded it and repainted it for peace of mind. It's not an expensive fix (I think a few hundred for a new one) but something that will need to be addressed.

Here are some extensive pics of the car, especially the undercarriage for comparisons sake:
http://www.jimbocollins.com/underd90.htm
http://www.jimbocollins.com/d90sale.htm

Good luck - Michael

[draaronr]

By the looks under the hood looks like it has been around salt water before. The rear cross member looks pretty rusted from you pics. I would check it with a screwdriver and a hammer and see how thin it is. If the rust is not deep then I would get it treated by a shop with some undercarriage protection. As far as in the rear section I wouldn't worry about it, it looks like some of the rust from the rear crossmember which could mean more rot in there, otherwise it is a common rust spot.

off subject Michael I see you are in Wilmington NC also what color is your truck?

[mlw911]

Aaron - I have a red 90 st with an a-bar and lights on the front. You don't by chance drive a yellow st out at WB?


Michael

[draaronr]

I think you talked to my brother in law last week at Home Depot. I drive a blue 90 RRC that is lifted and has some things done to it. I am picking up my 110 this saturday as long as everything goes according to plan. Don't have a 90, not even sure who the individual is with the yellow 90.

[rover4x4]

yeah that 90 has def been at the beach. I am gonna be in Wilmington in about a week, I think. I think I have seen your red D-90 before, and I know i have seen an AA yellow one on carolina beach

[wea]

So based on what I'm hearing I should not run away from this D90? I feel the price is fair at a little over $28K and it at a Land Rover dealership and it will come with a 90 days warranty. Anything else I should be concerned with? What about the electronics and wiring with this D90 living by the sea?

Thanks for the comments so far.

Cheers,

Bill Anderson
Austin, TX
02 Freelander
D90 - Soon!

[Eric Siepmann]

So based on what I'm hearing I should not run away from this D90?
I think it is an option. I live in Chicago where the road salt wreaks havoc and my engine bay look a whole lot nicer than that one. Additionally, my frame and doors are not rusting. The frame would be a concern if the rust was penetrating.



I feel the price is fair at a little over $28K and it at a Land Rover dealership and it will come with a 90 days warranty.
It's a fair dealership price, but you could probably do better for a nicer truck. The dealer should be asking more given it's mileage which leads to the question why the low price? A 35 k sold up here at a dealer for close to 40k. Try www.lrx.com and search NAS d-90's for sale



Anything else I should be concerned with? What about the electronics and wiring with this D90 living by the sea? No experience. I have had to replace some bulbs and pintels/lens on the rear though.

[Mike Hippert]

HMMMM, like said before poke a screwdriver at over the frame, all that rust lookslike it could be cleaned up easily, It look like some one took it to the beach once or twice but it doesn't look all that bad.Check the oil, make sure it's not black. Pull up the floor matts anc check the floor for rust. Check the seat boxes on the inside and from under for rust, also check the tub cappings. Run all the electricals while you are sitting in it, everything at once, I have heard of a few 90s that have been rewired incorrectly from the dealer causing weird things to happen. Take it through a car wash and check for leaks or better yet really hose it down.

At the least if you do find anything wrong with it use it to try and get the price down.

Looking at the pics again it looks like it has a Borla exhust on it, if the dealer does not know this don't tell them. The rust on the rear xmember looks not too good, if it is not rusted trough yu should be ok but if it is then thats not good. If I had it, I would clean up the rust with a wire brush in a grinder, prime it with rust primer, paint it black, then put some under carrige paint on it like the stuff 3M sells.

[PT94D90]

Bill - I have a 94 ST with 120,000 miles that has nowhere near that amount of rust. I know a lot of emphasis is placed on low mileage, but personally I was more comfortable with high mileage than rust. You can always drop a new engine in relatively cheap, but if corrosion takes hold you've got real problems. Since you're in TX, you should try to find a truck that has spent all of its time there. My truck was in San Antonio until 2002 and had no rust at all. Just my .02

[Trigger]

Bill - I have a 94 ST with 120,000 miles that has nowhere near that amount of rust. I know a lot of emphasis is placed on low mileage, but personally I was more comfortable with high mileage than rust. You can always drop a new engine in relatively cheap, but if corrosion takes hold you've got real problems. Since you're in TX, you should try to find a truck that has spent all of its time there. My truck was in San Antonio until 2002 and had no rust at all. Just my .02

I agree. There are D-90s around here. I bought mine out of Houston with almost zero rust and none on the frame. The miles, 104,000 I could deal with, rust I couldn't. A TX truck would be your best bet. Drop me a line if you'd like to check mine out locally to get an idea for what a fairly well maintained 100,000 mile Defender looks like.

[wea]

All,

I can not thank you guys enought for all the help. I think I will be much better able to judge what I'm looking for as my seach continues. I'm however stuck with at $28-29K budget so I might have to look for higher mileage D90 and with less rust then the above example. So far I not running away from the above deal but I really feel confident that I could walk away knowing I can do better.

Cheers,

Bill Anderson
Austin, TX
02 Freelander
D90 - Soon!

[Eric Siepmann]

Sell the freelander and up the ante for the D! :)

EwS

[Trigger]

All,

I can not thank you guys enought for all the help. I think I will be much better able to judge what I'm looking for as my seach continues. I'm however stuck with at $28-29K budget so I might have to look for higher mileage D90 and with less rust then the above example. So far I not running away from the above deal but I really feel confident that I could walk away knowing I can do better.


What year are you looking for? With that budget you should be able to find a pretty darn decent 94-95. Or you could find a slightly worn one in the mid to upper teens and put the extra cash into fixing it up like you want.

[Chris Cox]

You should be able to find a really nice Defender for $28k-$29k. Just keep looking. The biggest mistake you can make is buying one too quickly, because there are some killer deals out there, you just have to find them.

[jstrong98]

I agree, there are good d-90's out there. I paid 27K for mine with 59,000 miles.

PO, was 2nd owner and had ALL receipts for everything that had ever been done to the truck. Also paid for LR to do the 60K service before delivering the truck to me. Came with fiberglass top, tonneau, bikinin, surrey and full bestop soft top. Lots of extras too, case of oil filters,roof rack, thule bike rack, books video....etc.

[wicks]

Yeah looks a bit too rusty. And the engine looks suspicious. Might venture to say fire.

[m.michaels]

Bill,

I am here in Houston - I picked mine up at Hovey Motors in San Antonio. It is a 97 SW, I traded in my 94 Soft Top. I would agree with everyone else. You can find a much better truck with WAY less corrosion . . . .

[wea]

Well I found my truck! It's a 97 D90 Hardtop in Maine. Thanks to an email from a D90 member I got in touch with the sell right after I first posted here! It is exactly what I was looking for and the price was right. I will post pictures when I get back to Austin with it next week.

[Dfndr90]

I would look at a southern D-90. I bought my 95 out of Arizona for 28,500 with 40,000 and absolutly no rust. It is the best rover I have seen. I almost thought it was to good to be true so as soon as it was delivered I took it to my local Rover dealer. They did a full check up and proclaimed that it was the best used 90 that they have seen. Take you time and find the best one you can.

Matt...