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Land Rovers I have ownedMany people think that a mechanic has to own a vehicle to appreciate how to fix it, and what may go wrong. Well, we’re not hypocrites — I’ve had a long line of Rover products, some of which are described here:Rover #1: Portofino Red 1988 3.5 model I drove this Rover around quite a while with only minimal damage. After demonstrating how it could ford rivers and turn around in almost three feet of water my friend TR bought it. He kept it another 150,000 miles, selling it last year to one of his co-workers, who still has it. The first week TR had it we drove down a trail in Vermont and tore the track rod off on a stump concealed under leaves. As soon as this happened it began to sleet and got dark. I was afraid we might freeze to death on the walk out but we emerged OK and recovered it a few days later. We were lucky to have had the mishap a week before hunting season. A few days later and it would surely have been shot full of holes. TR still speaks to me, and now has two Rovers, one for him and one for his mate. Rover #2: Gold 1989 3.9 model I kept this Rover about 4 years and drove it over 120,000 miles. It proved pretty reliable except for the transmission that burned up when the cooler lines rusted out and all the fluid sprayed on the ground. Luckily, the service manager at the local dealer got it covered by goodwill for me. I changed the suspension and added a brush bar and lights, but otherwise this Rover stayed pretty stock. I gave this Rover to my ex-wife who mangled its left side on a telephone pole and ran over her dad’s mailbox one afternoon when the roads were icy. However, it soldiered on in its inimitable fashion until being replaced by a Dodge minivan last fall. Rover #3: Grey 1993 County SWB I fitted quite a bit of stuff — an ARB bar, winch, Hella HID lights, skid plate, Bilsteins, and more. We began to attend Land Rover club outings and had a lot of fun with this truck. Armed with a winch we could really get stuck but we actually seldom did because we had limited enthusiasm for walking out. We drove the 93 Rover to Land Rover school, where the rear axle failed. Once again, Land Rover fixed it in warranty. Sadly, this was about the end of Land Rover's goodwill program as BMW cracked down on warranty claims. I had a strange problem with the left rear on this vehicle. It started when my girlfriend was supposed to watch what was behind us in a wooded turnaround and we were struck by a small tree. Despite her vigilance the tree got us anyway. So I took the truck in for warranty rust repair and the service manager had the rear gate changed in warranty because it was rusted also. But then I was struck in the same place only a few weeks later by a Boston telephone pole. Before I could fix it I was attacked by another pole in the very same spot. I left the damage so other poles would not be tempted and had no further trouble.
Rover #4: Black 1995 County Classic This Rover was traded to me in late in 2000 with under 75,000 miles and I grabbed it for myself. With its dual climate control, airbags, improved steering and TWR wheels this Rover was a big improvement over the Grey ’93. I transferred most of the off-road stuff from the Grey truck to the Black truck. I drove that Rover until January 2003 when I sold it to an enthusiast in the Midwest. It was an excellent truck for me. Rover #5: Red 1996 Discovery We overhauled the engine in our shop, and built a custom truck with this equipment list:
We still have Rover #5. Look for it at Rover events throughout New England. Rovers #6, 7, 8, and 9 Other Rovers in the family That Rover was replaced by a similar colored 1995 4.0SE. It came with a 100,000 mile extended warranty, which as of today has paid for over $7,500 in repairs - an excellent value. I highly recommend extended warranties, provided they are from good companies that will be there to pay the claims. Other than having European cars that break a lot, my father was not associated with Robison Service. He spent 35 years at the University of Massachusetts, retiring in 2000 as head of Philosophy. My father passed away in March of 2005. My brother, author Augusten Burroughs, had a white 92 Rover for several years, and now drives a black 2003 Discovery HSE. You can read more about my brother at www.augusten.com. His book about our family, Running With Scissors, was one of the top selling memoirs of 2002 and it's now been made into a movie by Sony TriStar. You can see the trailer for the movie here www.sonypictures.com/ movies/running with scissors/ The Autologic tester We use the Autologic for all our Land Rover diagnostic work. At $12,000 it's not cheap but there is nothing else out there that matches its test capabilities on newer land Rover products. We also use Autologic test systems for BMW, Jaguar, and Merecedes. This tool makes quick work of many tasks - airbag systems, antilock brakes, air suspension, and more. Robison Service holds Autologic clinics at New England Land Rover club events. J E Robison Service Co Inc of Springfield, Massachusetts, is an independent business that specializes in the sale and service of used Land Rovers. We are not an authorized Land Rover dealership, we do not sell brand new Land Rovers and we are not otherwise affiliated with, originating from, sponsored by, or approved by Land Rover in any way.
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