I have always loved D90's and found a good deal on one locally. I am new to Land Rovers and know the D90 is a specialty vehicle so I wanted to reach out to the group.

• Is there anything specific I should be looking for?
• Are there any common problems or failures I should be concerned about?
• Any ideas on the cost of maint or upkeep?

Any info would be great and I'll be sure to get some pics up as soon as I close the deal.

 

Any update with this? I'm always in the market for a D90 as well. Specifically '97 in AA Yellow - anyone have that they wish to sell?

 

Make sure you drive one on as many different roads as possible. They look cool, but they way they drive is 'unique' and may not be to your liking. 4.0 V8 is a tad prone to overheating when it's in the Discoveries, and is not the most powerful unit ever used. I recommend you take a browse over at Discoweb...

Good luck!

Paul.

 

Thanks Paul

I've driven one around downtown DC, not exactly 'off road' by any standards but some of those potholes are close

Immediately I noticed the 'unique' = rough ride. Definitely not a luxury sedan but it didn't phase me

I'll check out Discoweb - thanks for the reference!

 

Another source is http://www.d-90.com/

 

I had a 94, Yellow, auto and the guy had the factory put A/C in it. Loved the thing. As you can see they pretty much hold there value and are still one hell of a Truck. There is a company in MASS that only sells them, dont know the name but they always have a few on Ebay. A good one can be had for 24-26k last time i check.

Vince

 

this is the place http://www.copleymotorcars.com/land_rover5_3.html

they sell a lot of other cars as well but always have a ton of LR out front

they were featured on chasing classics (the wayne carrini program) he bought something from them

 

I had a D90 for the past 2+ years and loved it but had to sell it with my recent move to NYC. It does, however, have quirks that you may not be familiar with:
-The top will leak becasue it does not fit around the doors well...it is simply a sunshade and keeps out MOST wetness
-Depending on how much you drive it, put aside at least $1k-$2k per year for repairs and upkeep
-I know that I tend to be very OCD, washing it frequently is a must, particularly if you live in a cold weather state that uses salt during the winters. Body panels and frame can be impacted quickly by rust
-Wheel upgrades, suspension, and other accessories can add up quickly. There are not a ton of shops/parts available to work on this beast (again, I am OCD with this stuff, I will not take to any shop....I look for the right shop that does outstanding work and has an expertise in D90's).
- Understand that no matter how good the condition is on the vehicle, it will "leak" fluids from time to time. It's just the way they are...(yes, this drove me crazy but I learned to stick cardboard boxes underneath the D90 in my garage,
There are many more things that I can mention, but I wanted to name a few off the top of my head. Even with all of the issues listed above, I will certainly own one again. They are amazing off-road vehicles, fun to drive, and you will not see one on every street corner. Just my opinion, hope it helps a bit. I think the most important thing is to get the vehicle inspected by LR prior to purchase (or your local shop if you trust one), and understand what you are getting into prior to purchase.

 

Has anyone ever shoe horned a 4.6 into a Defender?

That, plus some upgraded brakes, would rock!

 

East Coast Rovers has done this several times: http://www.eastcoastrover.com/204.html.

Julian of Global Land Rovers (http://www.globallandrovers.com/main/site.php) is trying to convince me to do a "2011" Defender with the new Range Rover 5.0L 510hp supercharged engine ...

 

Had 2 Discovery's and a Range Rover Hunter, have yet to have the Defender 90, but it is definitely on the list. The way I see it what's not to like? :-) Personally the station wagon (or hard top) would be one I'd prefer, soft tops lost their lure when I left youthful exuberance by the wayside.

Basically I'd go for the lowest mileage least abused example I could find. Obviously too low mileage could have separate issues but I think this less of a possibility with Land Rovers...