Help with buying my next Rangie?

[jayk]

Hello All,

Sorry if these sort of questions get asked too often...

I have a 81 2 door and I thinking of getting a newer rangie with the aim of spending dollars over time to set it up as a good looking, all purpose 4wd. I am in the mind that the 81 is getting too old to spend dollars on.

I would like to get something ranging from 87 - 94, 3.9ltr and 5 speed manual.

The question is this..

Would I be better of getting an 87 - 89 3.5 with r380 5 speed with a view to upgrade the donk to a 3.9 in the future.

Or?

Getting something like a 91 with a 3.9 with a auto onboard, with a view to change to a r380 with lt230 in the near future.

One of my major concerns is what would cost more out of the 2, and what would get the best final outcome...

Thanks in advance,

JayK

[cloughy]

3.9 and ZF auto and soon enough you'll keep the auto

[walker]

If you want to do serious off-roading then stick with 86-89 model. The 89 onwards at weaker CV's and I think it had the viscous transfer case.

Is it an everyday driver? or serious offroader ie. lifted, 35" tyres ect.

There is nothing wrong with doing up you 2 doors, putting a 4.6 and auto into it and you could have a great 4WD.

[cloughy]

88's had girly CV's aswell, 4.6 meh put an eaton M90 on, after market injection and then there cool

[Loanrangie]

I 2nd the keeping the 2dr, just fit a 3.9 and auto/ 5spd with lt230, uprgrade the difs/ axles. Cheaper to start with and simple to mod.

[Mark2]

What about about a Disco 1 with 3.9 and ZF - they are getting very cheap these days - have seen them for 2-3k at wholesale auctions

[jayk]

I have thought about doing up the 2 door. Thing, is I wouldn't mind it being able to be a everyday cruiser as well. The 2 door is a bit rough inside, wouldn't mind having a few mod cons. Like a heater that does vibrate the dash off when you turn the fan on.

I would like to also make it a semi serious 4wd. Raised a bit, and some larger donuts, maybe 31 or 32. Nothing too overboard.

I do like the idea of having a 5 speed manual and the larger donk would be good.

Getting a 3.9 5 speed disco has crossed my mind. There are cheaper then the rangies, but there is something about a rangie that does it for me Maybe there is more sense in a disco?

A good base is what I am looking for was wondering if it would be more expensive to strengthen a 91 3.9 with better transfer etc etc. Or cheaper to wack in a bigger donk into a 88 - 89 3.5 ltr???

[Aquarangie]

The 91-92 pre- ABS/EAS crap are the pick. They're not too badly priced now and seen many good examples for les than $5K

The CV's can be changed back to the earlier pre EA suffix Rangie (88 model). Mine's a 87 and was the last year they had the good CV's in them. The Viscous box is the only downer for this model, fling it and fit an LT230, easy conversion as long as you got all the bits (best buying off a LR wrecker, you'll pay a bit more but the conversion will be much easier with the complete kit).

The 3.9 with the hot-wire system is a hell of a lot better than the earlier flapper type crap. Mines' an earlier one but one of few I know that run okay (not great, but liveable).

Stick with the ZF auto, it's a hell of a lot better than the LT77 shitbox manual IMO.

The 86-88's are cheap as chips to buy but they're a big varables as far as quality goes. Plenty are shitboxes, some are gems and the rest fall in-between, so be caerful.

Good luck with it.

Trav

[jayk]

I have heard that the ZF is a good auto.

But I was hoping on sticking with manual. I am aware that the lt77 was a crapbox. I was hoping of mating a r380 to a lt230..

[Maggot4x4]

Buy a wrecked 1994+ disco, it will have the drivetrain you want, buy a nice rangie with shaged drivetrain and do a side by side swap, then sell the leftovers.

Like this one http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... highlight=

[Aquarangie]

Buy a wrecked 1994+ disco, it will have the drivetrain you want, buy a nice rangie with shaged drivetrain and do a side by side swap, then sell the leftovers.

Like this one http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... highlight=

Funny, I have been teeing up this idea myself. I do miss my 3.9 I had in Aquarangie

The only hurdle is money like most of my 'planned' projects in life

Trav