Land Rover pre-purchase vehicle inspection

[Ryanonfire]

Hey guys

Just wondering if anyone knows of a good used vehicle inspector for pre-purchase in Brisbane South area.

Im looking at a range rover classic and my knowledge is quite limited. I dont just want a run of the mil pre-puchase company, I want someone who knows the vehicle and can give me a more in depth inspection specific to the vehicle.

I would get my mechanic to look at it but Im located on the GC so not really an option.

Any feedback would be great.

Cheers

[peter51]

You can do a lot of the inspection yourself in order to weed out the rubbish.
Firstly, the quality of the interior is always a reflection of the owners regard for the vehicle.
The plastic dash and centre console, switches, - all the plastic bits and pieces - are very easily broken and almost impossible to find. So if you are buying to restore avoid all those RRC that are dirty inside or have a lot of broken dash bits. This is a sign of a non caring owner.
Secondly the paintwork will match the quality of the interior.
Thirdly a good owner will have made sure that there are very few oil leaks, and that it drives straight and has excellent brakes. It should be a pleasure to drive.
The engine should start without effort, purr at idle, and have plenty of smooth power.
There should be no rust in the tailgate, under the floor pans, and along the top of the firewall, or up inside the guards - all this you can inspect yourself.

If you see any of these problems then walk away even if it is very cheap. It takes lots of labour to bring these cars back. I know from personal experience how many hundreds of hours can be required to bring them back to a very nice standard if you buy a cheap one and overlook some of the critical items.

They do exist - I know of three on the sunshine coast in mint condition with all the traits I have explained above. Anything you inspect without the above traits will be a complete money pit for you unless you are really good with your hands.
Definitely do not rely on a mechanics assessment as gospel.