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

Originally Posted by Mercguy

When DO you give up on it?

i dont have a RRC.

for all my cars, money can buy happiness.
but when it stops buying happiness, its time to move on.

I'd have a checklist.
Including things like:
Beyond my skillset to complete
Beyond my financial reach
Enjoyment is gone
Greater priorities (mortgage, family, work)
Needs changed
Wants changed

When you start hitting more than 2 or 3 I'd say it might be time.
But ultimately, it's whenever YOU want to.
I purchased my land rover because I wanted to. I will keep it because I want to. I will spend money on it, because I want to.
When I don't want to do these things, I'll find something else.

Sent from my HTC One using AULRO mobile app

Muppet hit the nail on the head with these points for me -


Beyond my financial reach
Enjoyment is gone
Greater priorities (mortgage, family, work)
Needs changed
Wants changed

Gee, you've put a target on what could be a raw nerve / festering sore /bone of (marital) contention... et al.

I've got to admit that I'm glancing down that path at the moment, due to personal changes as much as 'nuts & bolts' RR problems, and the price of Lucas pap-paw ointment in China...

Firstly, lets look at the question of 'why' we do things, own a car, choose a house, polish/NOT polish our leather shoes... Nothing to do with LOGIC or intelligent thought, the final decision is always 'emotional'. We do things because we WANT to...Or simply...."Because". End of story.

(OK, we're Blokes, so we don't identify with e-mow-shins, - Women are more adept at dealing with those annoying, illogical things! - so we'll call it 'impulse' or Brain-Snap, or Random Decision...)


Now, because "Just Because" is a pretty well baseless (No deep foundations) reason, it can be reversed by the oddest of triggers. The event need not be logical, or closely related...

In my case, I bought mine due to a long-standing admiration of the concept of the R/Rover, being mightily impressed with the '89 model I drove with a 2 tonne trailer and sweeper behind. I'd also looked at another Jap. 4WD, but decided that if I was going to suffer Range Rover fuel co$t, then I may as well own one.
And I love and still do, the driving position/ apparant height/view. Mind you, it took a while to prefer the steering wheel so close AND the pedals so FAR AWAY... Actually, I reckon it's a cunning trick to get your seat forward... to give some wriggle room for the rear seat PAX.

But, the downsides... The only car in living history, where the door & locking mechanism is a Regular Service Item. If you don't, and expect to use it... then you will, repeat WILL, eventually snap off the Morris Marina external door handles.
I've owned some cheap & nasty rubbish cars, and NEVER had this problem. I did all doors (3 needed it...) when I bought it, and now I've noticed that the LH front is due... Having also replaced one of the electric motorized mechanisms, I might be up for another one.
Or adjustment...
NOT sorry, but this comes under the heading of Wheels that are round, windows that go up and down without falling out of their tracks or mounts, and nuts that fit their bolts... All ancient technology that 'everyone else' has no issues with.

Then there are long-standing design woes, such as sun-roofs that are guaranteed to leak, eventually (not enough drainage for starters) and HVAC fan switches that are also a consumable item...along with headlamp beam switches, rusting upper tailgates, hinges thereof that work loose... and the latches that don't work because of that... and never mind the joke about the engine being out of oil .... 'cos there's no oil-drops underneath.

I'm reaching the stage of life where I not only don't think that Bad Design and Behaviour should 'not' be rewarded, but should be publicly outed and dumped. - Winning big on Lotto would guarantee mine would be crushed & scrapped... Win enough, and I'd have the cube shipped back to and dumped on Land Rover's doorstep in Solihull. Not that it would do any good apart from make me feel...better!
Bad enough that the Yanks screwed Rover with their v8 engine, but the silly Poms didn't learn...and fell for the Borg Warner transfer case with it's 'vicious Coupling', another high-priced consumable...one with a delightlfully inconsistant life, and now it appears is not even manufactured as a spare part. (Ashcroft no longer list them as an item in their DIY rebuild list...)

When one is let down badly, and the list of stupid, ridiculous, and penny-pinching design and materials problems- list reaches a critical length, one's previous Approval turns to disdain, and a disappointing sense of being ripped off, grows...

All of a sudden it All Becomes Too Difficult to sustain, and since the motivation is now on shaky ground, 'logic' and 'Finances' bites.

Yep, I paid double what I should have, and have spent (guessing only) around $5k on it, not to mention insurance/rego/normal maintainance

There's a growing list of needed repairs to keep it safe and useable. - and to do it on my dwindling self-funde 'Super'. I've lost the urge to travel over rough ground...

Motivation also changes due to personal circumstances, after a brain operation last year I've lost the edge of my staying power & passion. Despite 'salvage' and hoarding being in my genes... I'm finding myself progressively detaching from The Lady Sarah. ( Like her namesake, she promised so much Fresh Air and potential... but ended up being an expen$ive Di$appointment...)

Besides, after being forced (fuel co$t$) to drive 'Other Cars' such as a Magna and Mazda... there's no getting away from the joy of cheap motoring AND... both of those are less stressful and more relaxing to drive on the open road, especially the Magna.

OK, the seat in the Rangie is by far the best, but...

In short, you will head down the path of divorce when the 'Peed-Off' factor overtakes whatever was the Original Reason for buying it.

Well, I don't have a Rangie but one of the Landrovers I have has a RRC chassis and running gear.

It's interesting you should ask this question as I regularly ask it. I have two classic Mercs. The W112 is a money pit. I ask whether I should be throwing more money at it or move it on all the time. When it runs, and I take it for a drive in the country, those questions pale into insignificance.

My answer to your question is:
If it is a daily drive, as soon as it becomes unreliable, ditch it. You need at least one reliable car even if it is a Commodore, Falcon or Camry.
If it is a hobby car, just put it aside. You can get back to it later when time and funds permit.

My view is a bit scewed I suppose - mines been in the family since it was 5 years old, and there's no way it's going anywhere on my watch. When I was given it by the FIL, it was close to a wreck - engine very worn, gearbox the same, suspension shagged, the list goes on.

I've spent around $10K all up getting it back to what it is now (still not properly driveable)

But it is close to where I want it and I'm hoping to get a few KM out of it before the wallet opens again too much, but if it needs it, then so be it.

I do all the work myself so outsourcing never crosses my mind, it's the last thing I'd do. On the odd occation I've got sick of it, I'll leave it for a few months then come back to it.

What can I say? I love the thing too much to part with it, when I'm driving it, I just love it, so that's the payoff for all the work and money IMO.

The point made about the daily driver is a good one - I have a company car and SWMBO has an Xtrail, everything else are just toys, so it isn't an issue for them to be sitting around waiting for my attention.

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.

Originally Posted by Disco Muppet

I'd have a checklist.
Including things like:
Beyond my skillset to complete
Beyond my financial reach
Enjoyment is gone
Greater priorities (mortgage, family, work)
Needs changed
Wants changed

When you start hitting more than 2 or 3 I'd say it might be time.
But ultimately, it's whenever YOU want to.
I purchased my land rover because I wanted to. I will keep it because I want to. I will spend money on it, because I want to.
When I don't want to do these things, I'll find something else.

Sent from my HTC One using AULRO mobile app

It's funny you say that, you've put that into words so well. 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.