Thread: At what point do you 'chuck it in?'

Been driving rangies since 1983.
Spent 26k on my first only to watch it burn to the ground. Bought it back bought another rebuilt the burnt motor,fitted to the newer one did 525k before I sold it and it's still running now. Currently own an 89 went through fixed it up to my specs and drive it when I can, mostly weekends.
Also own a 2003 manual Td5.....love it..but prefer the rangie as it has character.
Will I ever sell the rangie..nope not while I am still breathing..fix up what needs doing scroll eBay everyday buy things I may need for the future..stockpiling.
Am I mad..yes but I own a classicBrad

Originally Posted by Grumbles

I had wanted a Classic Rangie ever since I can remember -1980s? - which desire morphed into an LSE when Overlander magazine did a review on a Plymouth Blue one. I was hooked. Over the years I would often get that much treasured magazine out and reread the words and gaze longingly at the pics. Then one morning I drove past a car yard and there it was ? a Plymouth Blue LSE. Within a week it was mine and also my daily drive. Being ecstatic doesn't quite cover it.

I am a fussy sort of old codger and insist that all my cars be able to be started and driven where ever I want to at the drop of a hat which also means that I may have somewhat over maintained the car. For example - when it over heated and I knew nothing about viscous cooling fan hubs at the time ? rather than just do the heads I had a new short engine fitted. Over time this trait has caused me to spend a motsa with the mechanics - I no longer swing spanners. But do I regret it ? no - not for a second.

I have an eccentric type personality in that I am not a conformist and my life history is littered with rare and oddball choices and possessions. The LSE fits me like a glove. The instant I am behind the wheel sitting in the 'command' position life takes an upwards turn for the better no matter what else is happening.

I have no intention of parting with it and the bank account is trembling yet again in anticipation of another hit as I contemplate a paint respray.

x2 - could not have put it better myself. The LR repairers around have a field day when I appear.

Originally Posted by B92 8NW

... I had my Disco as a DD for eight years and it was supposed to be a keeper. One day I just looked at it and thought "nah I don't like you anymore" and that was it.

I had a wife like that....

... who is not on this Forum...

Originally Posted by Mercguy

Yep, as in throw in the towel on your Rangie...

I've witnessed a few threads on here, in my relatively short membership, where member 'A' states he/she has a problem and it's beyond the 'sliding scale' of economy to justify further expenditure on the vehicle.

So this is a purely speculative question, and not directed towards any recent posts by members, but rather spurred on as a result of those discussions...

The question is:

When DO you give up on it?

Do you consider offloading it to someone else to 'adopt' or do you part it out?

Or is it simply because you're sick and tired of spending money on an ever-increasing spiral of problems?

What kind of faults, apart from obvious expensive rust or accident damage would cause you to contemplate discarding the vehicle?


I would like to constructively add, that Since buying my RRC 18 months ago, I've spent more than double the purchase price of the vehicle, on replacement parts and 'upgrades' or 'refits' to the vehicle.

Yet I think I'm overcapitalized by at least 4-5K (one third).

Why do I continue to sink money into it?

I have the answer. But I'll let you work that out for yourselves.

The real question is, what would it take for you to give up on the Rangie? what kind of dollar figure, or type of problem?

Interested to hear your thoughts.....

I know what your're trying to say, but I think you need to be more specific to obtain realistic opinions, relative to your particular situation.
Year model, what have you done, what needs to be done,...a few pics of it, interior, dash, body etc.
Pickles.

Originally Posted by Pickles2

I know what your're trying to say, but I think you need to be more specific to obtain realistic opinions, relative to your particular situation.
Year model, what have you done, what needs to be done,...a few pics of it, interior, dash, body etc.
Pickles.

Sorry Pickles, but I think you're misreading me. I've no intention of chucking it in.

The point of the discussion is that where I see so many comments along the lines of "this is the last straw" that I am wondering just how many owners are in for a penny or in for a pound. I would have thought that (possibly quite incorrectly) people who became subscribers to AULRO or members of a LROC would be the kind who are "in for a pound" - knowing full well what the 'commitment' would be.

Well, not only that, but conversely it is also obvious there are differences in how much of an uphill battle people have (had) with their vehicle - so while there is no fixed point where it's time to call it quits, The question is one of what have you had to endure, before it got to that point where you said 'enough is enough'.

from the comments made so far, I'm pretty sure those who favour a pragmatic viewpoint appear (to me at least) to have less of an attachment to their vehicles (which is fine - there is nothing wrong with this reasoning), and there are those who conversely, have quite an attachment - be it sentimental or otherwise, which shows that the resoning for calling it quits can be diverse and not necessarily related to a specific event.

And that was the purpose of the discussion - i.e. what would it take for you to call it quits. Do people who form emotional bonds with their vehicle, or a 'healthy respect' for it - to put it another way, have a more sympathetic understanding of mechanical issues with their cars, as opposed to those who see a vehicle as being simply fit for purpose, until it no longer makes sense - be it economically or otherwise (wife,kids,retirement,etc). Literally hundreds of plausible reasons for either viewpoint I would guess...

I'm sure there are also plenty of people like myself who are not really sure what it would take before the dissociation of oneself from their chosen vehicle.

Does overcapitilization play a role? perhaps... What about repetitive failure of a singular component?
Do you call it quits because it leaves you stranded one day and it just happens to be inconvenient, or maybe it was more serious than that (and it can be 100% blamed on the vehicle, not bad preparation or bad driving habits etc)?

What about those of us who have more than one - do we 'get told' to cull the backyard scrapheap, or are we placed in an inconvenient position because of having to sell the house or a lifestyle change made to suit only one half of a marriage/relationship?

There are literally dozens of reasons out there, but in the end it really comes down to a decision to dispose of or persist with a vehicle.

But since you asked about my 'reasoning' I can say at this point in time, I have no reason to want to get rid of the RRC. In fact, quite the opposite. Unless something comes along which can perform the same tasks as what I currently have, can do it with longterm savings in fuel and increased reliability and simpler, cheaper and convenient methods of repair in mind..... then I'm keeping what I have.

I suspect that it shall remain that way for quite some time. Unless someone gives me a new w461 G-Professional. Forseeably for me, only a Gwagen could replace the RRC, and even then I know it would not be as comfortable or 'refined' in ride quality.
But the electrics would work, the engine would certainly be reliable and simple to maintain, and the interior can be washed out with a hose without any problems....

There is a discernably large gap in financial commitment required, which still means the RRC, even with it's suboptimal fuel consumption and suspect reliability bearing down, is still ahead by quite a margin.

And because I know that new cars also breakdown, usually requiring some factory issued tool to restore functionality, as opposed to a bag of tools in the back, I'm remaining committed to what I have as being fit for purpose.

But gee, isn't it interesting to see how many people get ****ed off with their Land Rovers, while extolling their virtues in the same statement ?!!

I think we might all be labelled as crazy due to our commitment to a lost cause. But who cares?

I'm in a unique position of being an 8minute drive from work (down fire trails) or ~ 12minute drive on sealed roads.

So milage isn't an issue. Which means my wife has a crappy modern "reliable" car ... and I have, er, ..... lets say "interesting" cars... that she is generally happy NOT to ever travel in.

I really enjoy working on old cars though. I sit at computers all day.... Yes, I drive the $800 Rangie to work each day ... avoid the mud (gee's must get that LT230 into it at some point ... it's going to be bloody embarassing the day I get bogged with 1 wheel spinning ). I listen to the passenger front door rattling like buggery and think "I must pull that door trim someday and see what the hell makes that racket"......... The ball joint at the back talks to me at times ... and reminds me that I'll soon need to throw a bush kit through the thing and replace the Aframe ball joint.......... But that will be fun too. It drives my wife bat**** crazy when I lock/unlock/lock/unlock/lock/unlock the car before it finally decides, yes I'm allowed in .... She can't really understand why I don't really care less..... Hell I rarely bother to lock it ( why would anyone want a tired old Rangey anyway).

I'm really a sad case ... It isn't that uncommon for me to walk outside and try 3 cars before I find one that'll start so I can drive to work. I shrug and figure I couldn't care less. I'll get to them oneday.....



Look what followed the old Rangie home last week.....

Same deal... It'll probably take me 6months to get it's gearbox back together... Then my wife also will not want to travel in it ..... My father will keep demanding payment for it (as it's his car that I'll someday buy from him) .... I'm sure it'll get the odd drive to work when the 3 cars I've tried before it have said "no not today" ....

Just walking past the open shed door and see it sitting up on the ramps brings a big smile to my face..... Money doesn't make me happy, but tinkering with old ****boxes sure does. Nearly as much as swearing at them on the side of the road due to another "unscheduled stop".

It's all fun right ? If anything ****es me off, it'll be parked int the back corner of the shed for 6months .... until some enthusiasm ( and $$ ) gets them mobile again

seeya,
Shane L.

Well, it depends on how ****ed off I get with it I've owned over 20 Rangies in varying stages of decay, some I keep for a couple of years some I get rid off in no time or I part it out.

I bought a very tidy 92 classic about 10 months ago and I was going to do the old chop the guards, lift, 33's and fit diff locks routine but the Rangie was too good to hack so I decided to buy a 93 Disco I won on e-bay for about $1K (I have no problem hacking up a ****box Disco, still a poor mans Rangie classic and will be treated as such). The 92 Rangie is currently in the middle of a engine/gearbox/tc transplant but the 93 Disco in my eagerness to go off-roading again has taken priority and my available funds

I also have a 2 door in bits in the shed atm that I'm hoping to put back together sometime (been sitting in the same state for over a year now), too many projects but I won't sell them because I'll get **** all for them It's only taken me nearly 20 years to get that through my thick head

Trav