Thread: Thinking of buying a 1985 RR...

G'day Spudboy

The carby versions were more reliable that the early injected vehicles and reasonably easy to keep in tune if done right in the first place, that type of carby all suffer from the diaphragm dying of old age and from needle wear, but both are quite repairable problems, if the engine oil & filter has not been changed regularly the cam lobes can wear, with the symptoms of nothing appearantly wrong with the motor "it just wouldn't pull the skin of a rice pudding" a slug,a new cam fixes that, the rest of the car check it for rust in the usual places, rear inner wheel arches, upper tailgate, etc. if it is as good as it seems it may well be worth the price but I would haggle and also want to see any service history, I once bought a sedan that was twice the normal price, but it had never had anyone in the back seats and had every receipt from delivery, it served me from 1986-2001, when I got rid of it it still had standard rings & pistons, drove well, but the tin worm had got it

cheers

$6000 seems like a lot of $$$$$ for an 85'
unless it's excellent condition, no air, leaky hub?
Maybe that's whats obvious so they have told you?
been stung tooooooo many times

generally get them in good condition with maybe gas for that price IMHO

85' is the best year for a non injected rangie, tacho in dash, better front seats hi comp 3.5, 1 piece front door glass, intermitent wipers etc. The only real drawback would be the LT77 5spd as there were known for shaft wear.

Seems pretty pricey for one that old. I got my 88 for that price, genuine two owners in very nice condition. I guess it depends on if you really want it. Classic Rangies are fast becoming enthusiasts vehicles. Servicing, done properly, can be quite expensive.

LoanRangie: Will LT77 shaft wear be an issue at 130,000Km? Is it a big cost item to repair? I gather there is a later gearbox called the LT77S which had some mods to make it quieter.

HangOver: I know the price is pretty high. Will have a better opinion when I take a look at it this arvo. Am going to find out what is wrong with the aircon and get a price to fix. I don't think the leaking hubs will be a big cost item.

UncleHo: Thanks for all that info. I really want a manual, and most of the later ones I've seen are auto. They can't have brought in manuals after a certain date (or they are never advertised for sale).

Even ith only 130k if genuine could still be a prob but unlikely, as for price if its in really good nic then 6k isnt a lot for decent rangie although i sold my 85' for 3k with 270k and lpg but it needed some tidying up but still very solid car.

Originally Posted by spudboy

I'd be keeping it stock standard.

Any thoughts appreciated.
Thanks
David

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Originally Posted by spudboy

LoanRangie: Will LT77 shaft wear be an issue at 130,000Km? Is it a big cost item to repair? I gather there is a later gearbox called the LT77S which had some mods to make it quieter.

If you were going to pull the LT77 box out it would be best just to fit a good second hand R380 instead. Supposed to be a much stronger box (my LT77S is still good after 250 - 300 000km).