1st time Disco 2 buyer..... Help!
Discussion
So I'm going to join the Land Rover club. I need a car for camping. We have a zafira as the family car, but after getting stuck 4 times this year at various campsites and in general just wanting my 1st 4x4 it time to get one. I'm spending 2k. What should I be looking for, I know at this price point I'm not going to get a "immaculate low mileage" example, but I don't think I need to accept I'll get a turd also. There is one I've seen on the interweb. It's a 2010, 2.5tdi, 140k,3 owners, full LR/ independent SH. What should I be looking for and expected to have to replace on a Disco 2.
BigsimonY said:
So I'm going to join the Land Rover club. I need a car for camping. We have a zafira as the family car, but after getting stuck 4 times this year at various campsites and in general just wanting my 1st 4x4 it time to get one. I'm spending 2k. What should I be looking for, I know at this price point I'm not going to get a "immaculate low mileage" example, but I don't think I need to accept I'll get a turd also. There is one I've seen on the interweb. It's a 2010, 2.5tdi, 140k,3 owners, full LR/ independent SH. What should I be looking for and expected to have to replace on a Disco 2.
I'd go a and buy Shogun or a Jeep Grand Cherokee for £2k. Disco2 will be an early model for £2k and they are very prone to chassis rot as well as the usual electrical and gearbox gremlins.
4x4 ability is useless if it's in the garage all the time. £5k will buy you a decent face lift D2 in the decent ES spec. At that price you will be buying at the end of the model lifecycle. At £2k you will be buying at the start of the model cycle and that is never a good idea.
You could get a really nice D1, but I wouldn't bother. Real risk of buying something rotten. D2 TD5 is much more refined.
I have just sold my td5 for £1400.
A 2001 ES model full leather etc..
The main thing to check is for chassis rot. the back 1/3 is very prone to it. Take a screwdriver and have a good prod around. If is has recent waxoil it may be hiding something.
Mine was at 198000 she has a good few miles left in her.
Personally I would not go Jeep or Japanese for you budget. The prices for parts are high and less info around for them.
Join the D2 boys club they have a for sale section that generally has very good cars for sale.
A 2001 ES model full leather etc..
The main thing to check is for chassis rot. the back 1/3 is very prone to it. Take a screwdriver and have a good prod around. If is has recent waxoil it may be hiding something.
Mine was at 198000 she has a good few miles left in her.
Personally I would not go Jeep or Japanese for you budget. The prices for parts are high and less info around for them.
Join the D2 boys club they have a for sale section that generally has very good cars for sale.
Bit late in spotting this - I've currently got a 1999 Disco 2 that was bought cheap with 'issues' - plus being a LR addict I have a lot of experience with them. I bought mine for £1000 with it's head gasket on the way out. Fixed it up for £150 in parts and it's been great ever since.
Cheap ones will generally need work doing to them - either engine, chassis (like mentioned) or odds and ends. 2K would have you looking at an early pre-facelift one from 1998-2002 - likely a base-spec model (minus the air springs/ACE system). That isn't a problem by the way - Air Susp. and ACE are both potential money pits when they go wrong and liable to gremlins as the vehicles age. Face-lift ones command more money - mainly due to the more upmarket front-end. Mechanically, the pre/post facelifts are similar (type change in the engine and some have/don't have locking central diffs).
Go by condition rather than by mileage - you want to get one that has been owned by someone who looked after it. Service history is good, but also look at the condition of the coolant (should be pink and clean), the air filter (has it been changed in the past year - how mucky is it?). Stick your head under the vehicle, look and see if you can see layers of hard-packed mud/grime - this tells you it hasn't been washed down regularly and could be a rot-box underneath.
My one was a farm-hack - but the previous owner loved it to bits and spent money on keeping it in good health. Okay, so half the panels have donks in them - but the oil was clean, the props were greased, tyres rotated correctly and the mechanical gubbins of the thing were generally well looked after. Neglect on Discos in terms of servicing WILL come back and bite you - so you don't want to pay for the mistakes of the previous owner(s).
Do you do your own spannering? If not - you may wish to learn....
These are couple of things to look for.
TD5 Engine - three main issues here.
- Check for oil leaks (may be one or two drops - but not TOO much). Sniff round the back of the engine - a strong whiff of diesel may be a leaky fuel regulator - these seem to leak, then magically fix themselves, then leak, and so on.... for no reason whatsoever. It's just less-than-ideal to be venting diesel into a hot engine compartment.
- Head Gasket - check for bubbles in coolant tank when the engine is revved. The air can sometimes come from a leaky pipe/water pump but more often than not it's head gasket failure. Hoses shouldn't be rock hard when the engine is running - if you cannot physically squeeze the top hose with your hand it may be over-pressurised from exhaust gases getting into the cooling circuit. Catch it early and it can be fixed fairly cheaply - but best avoid one that shows these signs in the first place.
- Exhaust Manifold - listen for squeals or whistling noises (high-pitched) when hard accelerating. This may be warped manifold - irritating rather than expensive to fix.
- Dipstick - check the oil; does it smell of diesel or is the level quite high? If so, it may be a cracked head (£500 for a second-hand replacement) allowing diesel to leak into the sump.
- Oil in Injector Loom - misfires and generally poor running. A TD5 should be fairly smooth (well, as smooth in a 5-pot DI diesel can be) - if it runs rough it may be where oil has weeped into the injector harness and be diddling with the ECU. £30 fix if caught early.
- Fuel pump. Listen for a low whine (from the rear off-side wheel-arch) when the ignition is turned on. If it sounds like it is 'mewing' or is particularly loud - it may be the fuel pump on it's last legs. I should balance this by saying that my one has been making funny noises for the past year and still works - but with others they have had pumps decide to stop working with no warning. Vehicle will still run with a non-functioning pump - it will be low on power though and the only real fix is a new pump (£££).
Gearbox
- Every D2 I've been in has clunked and whined and made all sorts of noises. You are mainly interested in noises that come/go when the clutch pedal is up or down. Does the clutch judder when pulling away/taking up drive? Can you hear any rattling from the centre console when the clutch is down? All these could be a Dual Mass Flywheel on it's way out - piggy job to do and expensive (£800) if you pay someone else.
- Check all gears - high and low range. They should all be easy to engage at a variety of speeds - all of the gearboxes seem to be a bit vague but generally precise once you get used to them. Autos should be smooth and not clunk or crash into gears.
Suspension
- Air System. Check it goes up and down as it should if you get a top-spec model. The compressor shouldn't be running full chat all the time (this means a leak in system and that the compressor may eventually burn itself out). Boggo-standard models like the E and S just get springs - nothing much to go wrong there!
- Push on each corner of the truck and rock the vehicle from side-to-side - listen for creaks/knocks from borked linkages. These aren't costly to fix but a bit of pain when you have to free off a decade of rust on the bolts to fit new ones. When you test-drive, the ride should be smooth and iron out the bumps - it shouldn't bounce too much or crash hard over bumps for example.
- Brakes can stick if the thing hasn't been used for a while - listen for swishing noises from binding calipers when driving along - generally fixed by stripping them down and cleaning/regreasing. Brakes should be good and not pull to one side. Test the transmission brake (handbrake to car-drivers) by parking on a slope (NOT when moving) - the vehicle may roll back a few inches and then the brake should hold it solid.
Chassis
- Like the other gentlemen in this thread have pointed out - check the chassis for rust like your life depends on it. Rear half of the vehicle is mainly affected - particularly from the fuel tank to the tow-bar. Pig/expensive to fix.
- Most body panels are easy to source so don't worry too much about donks and dents as such - ASIDE from front bumpers, of which clean uncracked ones are like hens teeth. Yep - a new one of these will cost £350+. Nobody seems to know why?!
Driving
- Should track straight and true in terms of steering. It will kind of roll around in an old-land-rover kind-of-way - but it should go where you point it. Take it up to speeds of 60+ and feel for vibrations in the steering or wobbles. These can be balancing issues with tyres or worn suspension bits and bobs like shock absorbers. Not too costly - but ideally you want to go for one that doesn't do it!
- It should pull away strongly and have a fair amount of grunt so long as you use the gears. Some Disco 2s have a pronounced turbo whine when under load, others less so - if it makes loud whooshing noises when going up through the revs - then it may have split hoses (cheap fix). A 'howl' (sounds like a gale-force wind blowing through the front grille) related to revs may be a sticky viscous fan unit.
- Check all electrics work as you would in any other vehicle - just be aware that many of functions are controlled by a separate computer unit (BECU) so if multiple functions don't work or the vehicle seems to have all sorts of electrical gremlins - this may be at fault. Expensive.
If that hasn't put you off - I should say that my one has been great. It's been reliable, comfortable and is brilliant off-road - if something happened to this one I'd go out and buy another in a heartbeat. Get yourself a Haynes manual and I'd say that 7/10 jobs can be done by a DIY mechanic with basic tools - it isn't aerospace technology and responds well to old-school servicing and maintenance. Many of the faults are common knowledge and plenty of sources of information are available online. You can fix most things and the parts are generally cheap and easy to source.
Phew.... Really should stop typing now! Hope this helps.
Cheap ones will generally need work doing to them - either engine, chassis (like mentioned) or odds and ends. 2K would have you looking at an early pre-facelift one from 1998-2002 - likely a base-spec model (minus the air springs/ACE system). That isn't a problem by the way - Air Susp. and ACE are both potential money pits when they go wrong and liable to gremlins as the vehicles age. Face-lift ones command more money - mainly due to the more upmarket front-end. Mechanically, the pre/post facelifts are similar (type change in the engine and some have/don't have locking central diffs).
Go by condition rather than by mileage - you want to get one that has been owned by someone who looked after it. Service history is good, but also look at the condition of the coolant (should be pink and clean), the air filter (has it been changed in the past year - how mucky is it?). Stick your head under the vehicle, look and see if you can see layers of hard-packed mud/grime - this tells you it hasn't been washed down regularly and could be a rot-box underneath.
My one was a farm-hack - but the previous owner loved it to bits and spent money on keeping it in good health. Okay, so half the panels have donks in them - but the oil was clean, the props were greased, tyres rotated correctly and the mechanical gubbins of the thing were generally well looked after. Neglect on Discos in terms of servicing WILL come back and bite you - so you don't want to pay for the mistakes of the previous owner(s).
Do you do your own spannering? If not - you may wish to learn....
These are couple of things to look for.
TD5 Engine - three main issues here.
- Check for oil leaks (may be one or two drops - but not TOO much). Sniff round the back of the engine - a strong whiff of diesel may be a leaky fuel regulator - these seem to leak, then magically fix themselves, then leak, and so on.... for no reason whatsoever. It's just less-than-ideal to be venting diesel into a hot engine compartment.
- Head Gasket - check for bubbles in coolant tank when the engine is revved. The air can sometimes come from a leaky pipe/water pump but more often than not it's head gasket failure. Hoses shouldn't be rock hard when the engine is running - if you cannot physically squeeze the top hose with your hand it may be over-pressurised from exhaust gases getting into the cooling circuit. Catch it early and it can be fixed fairly cheaply - but best avoid one that shows these signs in the first place.
- Exhaust Manifold - listen for squeals or whistling noises (high-pitched) when hard accelerating. This may be warped manifold - irritating rather than expensive to fix.
- Dipstick - check the oil; does it smell of diesel or is the level quite high? If so, it may be a cracked head (£500 for a second-hand replacement) allowing diesel to leak into the sump.
- Oil in Injector Loom - misfires and generally poor running. A TD5 should be fairly smooth (well, as smooth in a 5-pot DI diesel can be) - if it runs rough it may be where oil has weeped into the injector harness and be diddling with the ECU. £30 fix if caught early.
- Fuel pump. Listen for a low whine (from the rear off-side wheel-arch) when the ignition is turned on. If it sounds like it is 'mewing' or is particularly loud - it may be the fuel pump on it's last legs. I should balance this by saying that my one has been making funny noises for the past year and still works - but with others they have had pumps decide to stop working with no warning. Vehicle will still run with a non-functioning pump - it will be low on power though and the only real fix is a new pump (£££).
Gearbox
- Every D2 I've been in has clunked and whined and made all sorts of noises. You are mainly interested in noises that come/go when the clutch pedal is up or down. Does the clutch judder when pulling away/taking up drive? Can you hear any rattling from the centre console when the clutch is down? All these could be a Dual Mass Flywheel on it's way out - piggy job to do and expensive (£800) if you pay someone else.
- Check all gears - high and low range. They should all be easy to engage at a variety of speeds - all of the gearboxes seem to be a bit vague but generally precise once you get used to them. Autos should be smooth and not clunk or crash into gears.
Suspension
- Air System. Check it goes up and down as it should if you get a top-spec model. The compressor shouldn't be running full chat all the time (this means a leak in system and that the compressor may eventually burn itself out). Boggo-standard models like the E and S just get springs - nothing much to go wrong there!
- Push on each corner of the truck and rock the vehicle from side-to-side - listen for creaks/knocks from borked linkages. These aren't costly to fix but a bit of pain when you have to free off a decade of rust on the bolts to fit new ones. When you test-drive, the ride should be smooth and iron out the bumps - it shouldn't bounce too much or crash hard over bumps for example.
- Brakes can stick if the thing hasn't been used for a while - listen for swishing noises from binding calipers when driving along - generally fixed by stripping them down and cleaning/regreasing. Brakes should be good and not pull to one side. Test the transmission brake (handbrake to car-drivers) by parking on a slope (NOT when moving) - the vehicle may roll back a few inches and then the brake should hold it solid.
Chassis
- Like the other gentlemen in this thread have pointed out - check the chassis for rust like your life depends on it. Rear half of the vehicle is mainly affected - particularly from the fuel tank to the tow-bar. Pig/expensive to fix.
- Most body panels are easy to source so don't worry too much about donks and dents as such - ASIDE from front bumpers, of which clean uncracked ones are like hens teeth. Yep - a new one of these will cost £350+. Nobody seems to know why?!
Driving
- Should track straight and true in terms of steering. It will kind of roll around in an old-land-rover kind-of-way - but it should go where you point it. Take it up to speeds of 60+ and feel for vibrations in the steering or wobbles. These can be balancing issues with tyres or worn suspension bits and bobs like shock absorbers. Not too costly - but ideally you want to go for one that doesn't do it!
- It should pull away strongly and have a fair amount of grunt so long as you use the gears. Some Disco 2s have a pronounced turbo whine when under load, others less so - if it makes loud whooshing noises when going up through the revs - then it may have split hoses (cheap fix). A 'howl' (sounds like a gale-force wind blowing through the front grille) related to revs may be a sticky viscous fan unit.
- Check all electrics work as you would in any other vehicle - just be aware that many of functions are controlled by a separate computer unit (BECU) so if multiple functions don't work or the vehicle seems to have all sorts of electrical gremlins - this may be at fault. Expensive.
If that hasn't put you off - I should say that my one has been great. It's been reliable, comfortable and is brilliant off-road - if something happened to this one I'd go out and buy another in a heartbeat. Get yourself a Haynes manual and I'd say that 7/10 jobs can be done by a DIY mechanic with basic tools - it isn't aerospace technology and responds well to old-school servicing and maintenance. Many of the faults are common knowledge and plenty of sources of information are available online. You can fix most things and the parts are generally cheap and easy to source.
Phew.... Really should stop typing now! Hope this helps.
All wise words above, especially the chassis rot thing...some of them are shockingly bad. Disco 1s have good chassis and rotten bodies, Disco 2 is the reverse.
Genuinely, if I were you I'd actually be looking at a Freelander. If all you want to do is make sure you don't get stuck in a muddy field, you will probably find it will do everything you need it to, deliver a far more car-like driving experience for the rest of the time, with much better fuel economy too, and with less chance of something really complex or expensive going wrong. You should be able to find a half decent Freelander 1 TD4 5 door (do not buy a petrol unless you enjoy changing head gaskets), and you need to do some due diligence particularly around the IRD and VCU (google it).
I've had lots of Land Rovers...series III, Disco 1, my other half currently has a Freelander and I have a Defender 110. Whilst being a bit of a traditionalist I don't consider the FL to be a "proper" Land Rover, but it's a hugely versatile, capable family car that will probably be just perfect as an upgrade to a Zafira. Might be out of your budget but hers is an HSE, with heated leather, nav, Harman/Kardon speakers, diesel heater, heated windscreen, power mirrors etc and is a very nice place to sit.
If you but one I would also strongly recommend removing the inlet manifold and giving it and the inlet ports a thorough clean, fitting an EGR delete kit and silicon intercooler/turbo hoses. The difference in performance between an engine breathing it's own crap in through gummed up ports and collapsing hoses compared to one that can breathe as well as it did when it left the factory is staggering.
Good luck!
Genuinely, if I were you I'd actually be looking at a Freelander. If all you want to do is make sure you don't get stuck in a muddy field, you will probably find it will do everything you need it to, deliver a far more car-like driving experience for the rest of the time, with much better fuel economy too, and with less chance of something really complex or expensive going wrong. You should be able to find a half decent Freelander 1 TD4 5 door (do not buy a petrol unless you enjoy changing head gaskets), and you need to do some due diligence particularly around the IRD and VCU (google it).
I've had lots of Land Rovers...series III, Disco 1, my other half currently has a Freelander and I have a Defender 110. Whilst being a bit of a traditionalist I don't consider the FL to be a "proper" Land Rover, but it's a hugely versatile, capable family car that will probably be just perfect as an upgrade to a Zafira. Might be out of your budget but hers is an HSE, with heated leather, nav, Harman/Kardon speakers, diesel heater, heated windscreen, power mirrors etc and is a very nice place to sit.
If you but one I would also strongly recommend removing the inlet manifold and giving it and the inlet ports a thorough clean, fitting an EGR delete kit and silicon intercooler/turbo hoses. The difference in performance between an engine breathing it's own crap in through gummed up ports and collapsing hoses compared to one that can breathe as well as it did when it left the factory is staggering.
Good luck!
hashtag said:
I have just sold my td5 for £1400.
A 2001 ES model full leather etc..
The main thing to check is for chassis rot. the back 1/3 is very prone to it. Take a screwdriver and have a good prod around. If is has recent waxoil it may be hiding something.
Mine was at 198000 she has a good few miles left in her.
Personally I would not go Jeep or Japanese for you budget. The prices for parts are high and less info around for them.
Join the D2 boys club they have a for sale section that generally has very good cars for sale.
Yeah, but generally speaking there are less things to go wrong. Why do you think there is a huge range of replacement parts for Land Rovers and less for jap vehicles. A 2001 ES model full leather etc..
The main thing to check is for chassis rot. the back 1/3 is very prone to it. Take a screwdriver and have a good prod around. If is has recent waxoil it may be hiding something.
Mine was at 198000 she has a good few miles left in her.
Personally I would not go Jeep or Japanese for you budget. The prices for parts are high and less info around for them.
Join the D2 boys club they have a for sale section that generally has very good cars for sale.
Hard-Drive said:
All wise words above, especially the chassis rot thing...some of them are shockingly bad. Disco 1s have good chassis and rotten bodies, Disco 2 is the reverse.
Genuinely, if I were you I'd actually be looking at a Freelander. If all you want to do is make sure you don't get stuck in a muddy field, you will probably find it will do everything you need it to, deliver a far more car-like driving experience for the rest of the time, with much better fuel economy too, and with less chance of something really complex or expensive going wrong. You should be able to find a half decent Freelander 1 TD4 5 door (do not buy a petrol unless you enjoy changing head gaskets), and you need to do some due diligence particularly around the IRD and VCU (google it).
I've had lots of Land Rovers...series III, Disco 1, my other half currently has a Freelander and I have a Defender 110. Whilst being a bit of a traditionalist I don't consider the FL to be a "proper" Land Rover, but it's a hugely versatile, capable family car that will probably be just perfect as an upgrade to a Zafira. Might be out of your budget but hers is an HSE, with heated leather, nav, Harman/Kardon speakers, diesel heater, heated windscreen, power mirrors etc and is a very nice place to sit.
If you but one I would also strongly recommend removing the inlet manifold and giving it and the inlet ports a thorough clean, fitting an EGR delete kit and silicon intercooler/turbo hoses. The difference in performance between an engine breathing it's own crap in through gummed up ports and collapsing hoses compared to one that can breathe as well as it did when it left the factory is staggering.
Good luck!
+1 for the Freelander as a viable alternative. They are slated (particularly in early petrol form - but no worse than any other MG/Rover with the 1.8K) but it is pretty much all the 4x4 capability you need for the climate in the UK - unless you want to some serious off-roading. Bear in mind that £2,000 buys you more Freelander than Disco 2 - in terms of condition, mileage, etc. Genuinely, if I were you I'd actually be looking at a Freelander. If all you want to do is make sure you don't get stuck in a muddy field, you will probably find it will do everything you need it to, deliver a far more car-like driving experience for the rest of the time, with much better fuel economy too, and with less chance of something really complex or expensive going wrong. You should be able to find a half decent Freelander 1 TD4 5 door (do not buy a petrol unless you enjoy changing head gaskets), and you need to do some due diligence particularly around the IRD and VCU (google it).
I've had lots of Land Rovers...series III, Disco 1, my other half currently has a Freelander and I have a Defender 110. Whilst being a bit of a traditionalist I don't consider the FL to be a "proper" Land Rover, but it's a hugely versatile, capable family car that will probably be just perfect as an upgrade to a Zafira. Might be out of your budget but hers is an HSE, with heated leather, nav, Harman/Kardon speakers, diesel heater, heated windscreen, power mirrors etc and is a very nice place to sit.
If you but one I would also strongly recommend removing the inlet manifold and giving it and the inlet ports a thorough clean, fitting an EGR delete kit and silicon intercooler/turbo hoses. The difference in performance between an engine breathing it's own crap in through gummed up ports and collapsing hoses compared to one that can breathe as well as it did when it left the factory is staggering.
Good luck!
Go for a later pre-facelift one (52-54 plate) and it'll have revised gearing on the IRD/VCU so in theory it's less of an issue but there isn't really any ryhme or reason (some of the early R-reg Freelanders are still running around on their original couplings). In any case, it's a £200 fix and 30 minutes of spannering to fit a new VCU and sort it out for another 70,000 miles odd.
I did like my Freelander (52 reg Petrol) for bombing around country lanes - but at the same time I like the Disco for the sheer towing/load-lugging ability off the tarmac. My parents had a 52 reg TD4 and that was pretty much bomb-proof as well - the door window regulator was a bit flakey but that cost £35 and some scuffed knuckles to fix. Both of them were more reliable than the 2.2 Di Nissan X-Trail we had - which was a money pit by comparison.
LandRoverManiac said:
Hard-Drive said:
All wise words above, especially the chassis rot thing...some of them are shockingly bad. Disco 1s have good chassis and rotten bodies, Disco 2 is the reverse.
Genuinely, if I were you I'd actually be looking at a Freelander. If all you want to do is make sure you don't get stuck in a muddy field, you will probably find it will do everything you need it to, deliver a far more car-like driving experience for the rest of the time, with much better fuel economy too, and with less chance of something really complex or expensive going wrong. You should be able to find a half decent Freelander 1 TD4 5 door (do not buy a petrol unless you enjoy changing head gaskets), and you need to do some due diligence particularly around the IRD and VCU (google it).
I've had lots of Land Rovers...series III, Disco 1, my other half currently has a Freelander and I have a Defender 110. Whilst being a bit of a traditionalist I don't consider the FL to be a "proper" Land Rover, but it's a hugely versatile, capable family car that will probably be just perfect as an upgrade to a Zafira. Might be out of your budget but hers is an HSE, with heated leather, nav, Harman/Kardon speakers, diesel heater, heated windscreen, power mirrors etc and is a very nice place to sit.
If you but one I would also strongly recommend removing the inlet manifold and giving it and the inlet ports a thorough clean, fitting an EGR delete kit and silicon intercooler/turbo hoses. The difference in performance between an engine breathing it's own crap in through gummed up ports and collapsing hoses compared to one that can breathe as well as it did when it left the factory is staggering.
I remember last winter watching a freelander driver looking very confused as to why he was stuck in snow on a petrol forecourt, as normal 2wd drive cars went around him.
I wondered over and suggested ghe look for the rear prop shaft. There wasn't one. He was not very happy!!
Good luck!
+1 for the Freelander as a viable alternative. They are slated (particularly in early petrol form - but no worse than any other MG/Rover with the 1.8K) but it is pretty much all the 4x4 capability you need for the climate in the UK - unless you want to some serious off-roading. Bear in mind that £2,000 buys you more Freelander than Disco 2 - in terms of condition, mileage, etc. Genuinely, if I were you I'd actually be looking at a Freelander. If all you want to do is make sure you don't get stuck in a muddy field, you will probably find it will do everything you need it to, deliver a far more car-like driving experience for the rest of the time, with much better fuel economy too, and with less chance of something really complex or expensive going wrong. You should be able to find a half decent Freelander 1 TD4 5 door (do not buy a petrol unless you enjoy changing head gaskets), and you need to do some due diligence particularly around the IRD and VCU (google it).
I've had lots of Land Rovers...series III, Disco 1, my other half currently has a Freelander and I have a Defender 110. Whilst being a bit of a traditionalist I don't consider the FL to be a "proper" Land Rover, but it's a hugely versatile, capable family car that will probably be just perfect as an upgrade to a Zafira. Might be out of your budget but hers is an HSE, with heated leather, nav, Harman/Kardon speakers, diesel heater, heated windscreen, power mirrors etc and is a very nice place to sit.
If you but one I would also strongly recommend removing the inlet manifold and giving it and the inlet ports a thorough clean, fitting an EGR delete kit and silicon intercooler/turbo hoses. The difference in performance between an engine breathing it's own crap in through gummed up ports and collapsing hoses compared to one that can breathe as well as it did when it left the factory is staggering.
I remember last winter watching a freelander driver looking very confused as to why he was stuck in snow on a petrol forecourt, as normal 2wd drive cars went around him.
I wondered over and suggested ghe look for the rear prop shaft. There wasn't one. He was not very happy!!
Good luck!
Go for a later pre-facelift one (52-54 plate) and it'll have revised gearing on the IRD/VCU so in theory it's less of an issue but there isn't really any ryhme or reason (some of the early R-reg Freelanders are still running around on their original couplings). In any case, it's a £200 fix and 30 minutes of spannering to fit a new VCU and sort it out for another 70,000 miles odd.
I did like my Freelander (52 reg Petrol) for bombing around country lanes - but at the same time I like the Disco for the sheer towing/load-lugging ability off the tarmac. My parents had a 52 reg TD4 and that was pretty much bomb-proof as well - the door window regulator was a bit flakey but that cost £35 and some scuffed knuckles to fix. Both of them were more reliable than the 2.2 Di Nissan X-Trail we had - which was a money pit by comparison.
I'd that price point I'd go for a tidy nice jap 4x4, Delica would be my choice for camping trips, the seats fold flat ideal for camping etc.
Plenty to choose from so nice ones are easy to find
2 mins of searching & found this, they generally don't rot only real known issues really are waterworks buts that's an easy check.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/mitsubishi-delica-shogun...
Plenty to choose from so nice ones are easy to find
2 mins of searching & found this, they generally don't rot only real known issues really are waterworks buts that's an easy check.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/mitsubishi-delica-shogun...
Disco is an awesome truck, i'm on my third (two 1's and now this 2.) However, despite thinking they are brill I would never recommend anyone to get one! They aren't cars, they are hobbies lol. IF you get one as a car and don't expect downtime or large(ish) bills then you will be disappointed.
There is a reason the yanks called the D3 the LR3 and not 'Discovery.' It had such an appalling reputation (deservedly so) they had to distance the totally new car to have any chance of sales.
When they work though, nothing beats them.
I spent several months finding this one, yep it takes a while! You need to be willing to travel! It is a 2 owner, full history, low miles, 04 fat bar end of the line ES premium in silver which is practically rot free and totally standard. In other words - rocking horse s
t. Set up searches on all the common sites as seriously, good one's at good prices go in a heartbeat. There are loads of dogs for sale, lot's of them at dealers too in my experience. Driven lot's of miles and been disappointed despite being assured of condition etc over the phone.
Rave manual is readily available all over the web and there is vast knowledge on the forums. discovery2.co.uk is a worthwhile site too.
I may have missed it above but it is very common for the sunroofs to leak which is a cheap but time consuming job. Do it once, do it right!
There is a reason the yanks called the D3 the LR3 and not 'Discovery.' It had such an appalling reputation (deservedly so) they had to distance the totally new car to have any chance of sales.
When they work though, nothing beats them.
I spent several months finding this one, yep it takes a while! You need to be willing to travel! It is a 2 owner, full history, low miles, 04 fat bar end of the line ES premium in silver which is practically rot free and totally standard. In other words - rocking horse s
t. Set up searches on all the common sites as seriously, good one's at good prices go in a heartbeat. There are loads of dogs for sale, lot's of them at dealers too in my experience. Driven lot's of miles and been disappointed despite being assured of condition etc over the phone.Rave manual is readily available all over the web and there is vast knowledge on the forums. discovery2.co.uk is a worthwhile site too.
I may have missed it above but it is very common for the sunroofs to leak which is a cheap but time consuming job. Do it once, do it right!
MrNoisy said:
Disco is an awesome truck, i'm on my third (two 1's and now this 2.) However, despite thinking they are brill I would never recommend anyone to get one! They aren't cars, they are hobbies lol. IF you get one as a car and don't expect downtime or large(ish) bills then you will be disappointed.
There is a reason the yanks called the D3 the LR3 and not 'Discovery.' It had such an appalling reputation (deservedly so) they had to distance the totally new car to have any chance of sales.
When they work though, nothing beats them.
I spent several months finding this one, yep it takes a while! You need to be willing to travel! It is a 2 owner, full history, low miles, 04 fat bar end of the line ES premium in silver which is practically rot free and totally standard. In other words - rocking horse st. Set up searches on all the common sites as seriously, good one's at good prices go in a heartbeat. There are loads of dogs for sale, lot's of them at dealers too in my experience. Driven lot's of miles and been disappointed despite being assured of condition etc over the phone.
Rave manual is readily available all over the web and there is vast knowledge on the forums. discovery2.co.uk is a worthwhile site too.
I may have missed it above but it is very common for the sunroofs to leak which is a cheap but time consuming job. Do it once, do it right!
I also drove hundreds of miles to look at D1s and D2s and was assured they were solid. I eventually gave up when I rocked up at a place in east London and there was a hole the size of my fist in the chassis rail. Took me two hours to get there too. Must confess I lost my temper at that point. There is a reason the yanks called the D3 the LR3 and not 'Discovery.' It had such an appalling reputation (deservedly so) they had to distance the totally new car to have any chance of sales.
When they work though, nothing beats them.
I spent several months finding this one, yep it takes a while! You need to be willing to travel! It is a 2 owner, full history, low miles, 04 fat bar end of the line ES premium in silver which is practically rot free and totally standard. In other words - rocking horse s
t. Set up searches on all the common sites as seriously, good one's at good prices go in a heartbeat. There are loads of dogs for sale, lot's of them at dealers too in my experience. Driven lot's of miles and been disappointed despite being assured of condition etc over the phone.Rave manual is readily available all over the web and there is vast knowledge on the forums. discovery2.co.uk is a worthwhile site too.
I may have missed it above but it is very common for the sunroofs to leak which is a cheap but time consuming job. Do it once, do it right!
03/04 is a good year to go for as they had learned to build them better by then. Some of the early models are pretty bad.
I'm always baffled as to why LR can't manage to build a vehicle that doesn't leak
My first one was a 96 V8 on gas which I confess I got very lucky with! I do enjoy a bit of tinkering but was unprepared for how much fettling these things like! I learnt all about LPG amongst other things with it! I thought it was pretty rough but a very reputable LR indy told me it was one of the better ones he'd ever seen. I still had to do the inner wings and some sill/body mount welding. I sold it with a heavy heart at 145k miles (bought at 99k) as I was worrying about the engine despite having no bad symptoms whatsoever.
Ended up buying another a year later, a 300 TDI manual which was cheap as chips, dog rough but a years ticket. That is how I found out how bad these things are. I wouldn't have dared transport anything in the boot as it had a high probability of dropping through. I won't list the faults in it's short ownership, it was appalling. Had a lot of fun on the local trails with it though, would never have done that with the gasser. Sold it on ebay with full disclosure for 300 quid more than I paid 8 months before. Slowest car I've ever owned. To the untrained eye didn't look much different to the first.
Wanted another and spent months looking, it was coming into winter, prices went mad and couldn't find one for love nor money - bought an XC90 and wondered why oh why i'd ever fannied about with LR's........
Fast forward a few years, we now have the 04 ES Premium, they get under your skin somehow.
Ended up buying another a year later, a 300 TDI manual which was cheap as chips, dog rough but a years ticket. That is how I found out how bad these things are. I wouldn't have dared transport anything in the boot as it had a high probability of dropping through. I won't list the faults in it's short ownership, it was appalling. Had a lot of fun on the local trails with it though, would never have done that with the gasser. Sold it on ebay with full disclosure for 300 quid more than I paid 8 months before. Slowest car I've ever owned. To the untrained eye didn't look much different to the first.
Wanted another and spent months looking, it was coming into winter, prices went mad and couldn't find one for love nor money - bought an XC90 and wondered why oh why i'd ever fannied about with LR's........
Fast forward a few years, we now have the 04 ES Premium, they get under your skin somehow.
MrNoisy said:
My first one was a 96 V8 on gas which I confess I got very lucky with! I do enjoy a bit of tinkering but was unprepared for how much fettling these things like! I learnt all about LPG amongst other things with it! I thought it was pretty rough but a very reputable LR indy told me it was one of the better ones he'd ever seen. I still had to do the inner wings and some sill/body mount welding. I sold it with a heavy heart at 145k miles (bought at 99k) as I was worrying about the engine despite having no bad symptoms whatsoever.
Ended up buying another a year later, a 300 TDI manual which was cheap as chips, dog rough but a years ticket. That is how I found out how bad these things are. I wouldn't have dared transport anything in the boot as it had a high probability of dropping through. I won't list the faults in it's short ownership, it was appalling. Had a lot of fun on the local trails with it though, would never have done that with the gasser. Sold it on ebay with full disclosure for 300 quid more than I paid 8 months before. Slowest car I've ever owned. To the untrained eye didn't look much different to the first.
Wanted another and spent months looking, it was coming into winter, prices went mad and couldn't find one for love nor money - bought an XC90 and wondered why oh why i'd ever fannied about with LR's........
Fast forward a few years, we now have the 04 ES Premium, they get under your skin somehow.
I have also come close to buying an XC90. The are considerably cheaper than the equivalent D3, better on fuel and much less to go wrong. However there is something about the Discovery 3. Its an iconic Land Rover design that has lasted 13 years. Ended up buying another a year later, a 300 TDI manual which was cheap as chips, dog rough but a years ticket. That is how I found out how bad these things are. I wouldn't have dared transport anything in the boot as it had a high probability of dropping through. I won't list the faults in it's short ownership, it was appalling. Had a lot of fun on the local trails with it though, would never have done that with the gasser. Sold it on ebay with full disclosure for 300 quid more than I paid 8 months before. Slowest car I've ever owned. To the untrained eye didn't look much different to the first.
Wanted another and spent months looking, it was coming into winter, prices went mad and couldn't find one for love nor money - bought an XC90 and wondered why oh why i'd ever fannied about with LR's........
Fast forward a few years, we now have the 04 ES Premium, they get under your skin somehow.
I've had mine just over a month now and yes it has a few issues, but it is fantastic car. Even if I sell it in a years' time I will still be pleased that I owned one
As you say, they get under your skin.
MrNoisy said:
despite thinking they are brill I would never recommend anyone to get one!
I've always said this, I love my Land Rovers but I'd never recommend one to someone I liked 
My D2 was about £1200 and has cost me nothing more than a new top hose in the 2k miles I've done since buying it in March. Rear chassis is slightly crusty, you can get them replaced for about £600 which I will probably need in next 18 months.
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