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Almost 5 months later, lots of work, lots of money spent and it has its MOT!
So yes there was some bravery/stupidity involved in the purchase of this car as I probably knew but was in denial. The previous MOT fail didn't tell the full story as usual (parking brake, suspension arm & track rod end). Jobs done:
All sunroof drain plugs located (including the one hidden behind a wheel arch repair) & cleared
Leak around aerial fixed
Leak around upper tailgate brackets fixed
Leaks coming in through A pillar trims stopped
Leak around top of windscreen (only appeared after replacement windscreen fitted) fixed
Leaks coming in through C pillar trims stopped
Centre console removed, replacement handle fitted & flaking silver paint sanded off, repainted satin black and looks a lot less tatty
Bluetooth unit replaced with later version & MOST system now working
Fuel flap actuator replaced & now actually works
Suspension valve blocks all refurbished with new O ring set for good measure
Air compressor refurbished, full kit fitted & motor cleaned out, new piston & cylinder head too. New relay
Replacement battery
New ride height sensors all round plus one new connector & wiring loom repaired - suspension now working as expected
New front & rear discs and pads & wear indicator sensors. Sorted seized caliper slider bolts & a few other bits like that, makeshift repair on parking brake shoe retainer pins on one side as brake dust shield is corroded & the pin wouldn't really hold by itself
Front upper & lower suspension arms, ball joint & track rod ends replaced
Headlights replaced for used but much clearer - tried to refurbish original lenses but failed horribly. Will try replacement lenses at some point
Replaced tired grille for one with brunel grey outer section
Replaced one rear light bulb holder as original was faulty
Replaced one rear LED unit
Replaced brake light in spoiler as original was very tired looking
Replaced reverse camera
Replaced gearbox oil cooler pipes
Removed chewed up front mud flaps, filled holes with plastic weld & resprayed. Job is just about passable but who looks down there anyway! Looks better than mudflaps that were hanging off.
Fake & very cloudy Overfinch rear badge replaced with correct Land Rover badge
New centre caps ready for wheel refurbishment at some point in the future
Various other little bits here & there, fixings etc
Service:
Spark plugs, air filter, cabin filter, engine oil, supercharger oil, front & rear diff oil, transfer case oil, gearbox oil with new sump & filter, replaced the various seals, both aux belts, both tensioners and idler pulleys and water pump. Just the oils alone cost a small fortune for all this. I'm used to engine oil only and once every now and again some gearbox oil, but nowhere near 9 litres of the stuff.
Replaced left hand side rear O2 sensor as I was getting that fault. Now the bank 1 & 2 lean codes have appeared so I've ordered a PCV and the o ring kit for the vacuum hose to the rear of the supercharger as I expect those have never been done & will do no harm to change. If that doesn't solve it I'll look at the breather pipe & then probably get a smoke machine to run a test if still having issues.
All this work was done on weekends & in the evenings after work, outside in all weather. My wife & kids are glad I'm no longer just some guy they used to know who spends most his spare time outside in scruffy clothes, smelling of oil or grease. It'll be quite a while before I'm allowed to talk about buying anything else! My son is nearly 4, I think maybe when he's old enough to help me I might just about be allowed to utter those words again.
Taking it to have a re-trimmed headliner fitted next week, interior can then all go back in & hopefully we can get some use out of it. It's been an experience, love the sound it makes and am looking forward to driving it without all the interior rattles when it's properly back together.
I would put up some new photos but it doesn't look all that different from before, it just works properly. It looks great on the drive, needs a polish some time. They're humongous aren't they, I parked it next to a colleagues new RR Sport yesterday and it seems so much bigger. '95 VW Corrado VR6
'97 VW Golf VR6
'16 VW Golf R Estate
'23 Porsche Taycan GTS
Just bought '06 Range Rover 4.2 Supercharged
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7th Mar 2025 10:59am
