Ideas for fun Disco 2 upgrades
Discussion
Hi folks,
I have an old Diesel 2003 plate Disco 2 that has been a workhorse for a number of years. It is still in decent condition and coming up on 100k miles now.
I think the time has come to have a play with it and add on some nice (but reasonably priced) upgrades
It used to have ACE but the pipes corroded so I got the system drained, removed the pulley and sealed in the fluid in so that in theory still has some hydraulic pressure on the necessary ACE bits that connect to the rams (or what ever they are). However it handles like crap now. I guess as a first upgrade / fix I should replace the anti roll bars for the std ones that went with the normal non ACE suspension.
It also has a fruity S/S decat exhaust (which amazingly passed the last MOT emissions test!).
Lastly it has some sort of tuning box on it (on there when I bought it) but I have no idea if it actually does anything.Would be nice to have a bit more torque and power. Do these diesel Disco engines remap well?
So my question is - what sort of upgrades might I throw at it to make it a fun and more individual car to mess around in? I'm unlikely to do any serious off roading but I do quite like the idea of a 2" lift.
Very open to ideas. The alternative would be to sell it and get something different but frankly the law of diminishing returns tells me that a few grand spent on the Disco is likely to bring just as much fun as spending much more on a new car. After all it works and it is only really used to take muddy dogs here and there, the odd run to the dump and the occasional longer trip when the other 2 cars (Landcruiser and Meganne 275 Cup S are not available.
So, more grunt, better handling and more individual are of interest.
Thanks in advance
TD
Lots of different things you could do. But you need a focus on what you are trying to achieve.
Personally you should fix the ACE. It’s brilliant and way better than standard ARB’s.
Td5’s remap well. But it’ll never be a complete rocket ship. So don’t expect it to turn into a sports car.
As for mods. Lifting it is an option. Many different ways to do this. But tbh it’ll make it ride and handle worse on road and usually makes them worse off road too. It can be done right and improve off road ability. But slapping HD springs on is what most end up doing and is generally the worst approach.
MT or even AT tyres can make it look a lot better. But again if it’s a road Vehcile, this is maybe a negative thing to do for road performance.
If you want to go a bit further. There are pickup conversions.
Or a bobtail (this is a D1, but gives you the idea):
Or you could even look into doing a Bodyswap for a Defender/Series style Vehcile.
Personally you should fix the ACE. It’s brilliant and way better than standard ARB’s.
Td5’s remap well. But it’ll never be a complete rocket ship. So don’t expect it to turn into a sports car.
As for mods. Lifting it is an option. Many different ways to do this. But tbh it’ll make it ride and handle worse on road and usually makes them worse off road too. It can be done right and improve off road ability. But slapping HD springs on is what most end up doing and is generally the worst approach.
MT or even AT tyres can make it look a lot better. But again if it’s a road Vehcile, this is maybe a negative thing to do for road performance.
If you want to go a bit further. There are pickup conversions.
Or a bobtail (this is a D1, but gives you the idea):
Or you could even look into doing a Bodyswap for a Defender/Series style Vehcile.
Thanks for the comments and suggestions guys.
Agree that the chassis is the place to start. If it is goosed then there is little point in spending lots of money in the car.
Interesting that so many folks (on other forums too) have recommended fixing the ACE. When I bought the car about 4 years ago the general opinion was that the cost of keeping it working outweighed the benefits. Most people were swapping it for std ARBs instead.
My Land Rover mechanic suggests just going down the ARB route but maybe I need to be clearer about what I am trying to achieve.
I liked mine when it worked, and with it off it is dreadful so maybe I'll go the extra mile and refit it. Some have suggested using flexible hoses instead of the original pipes.
Don't think I'll be going down the extreme makeover routes but they do look fun.
TD
Agree that the chassis is the place to start. If it is goosed then there is little point in spending lots of money in the car.
Interesting that so many folks (on other forums too) have recommended fixing the ACE. When I bought the car about 4 years ago the general opinion was that the cost of keeping it working outweighed the benefits. Most people were swapping it for std ARBs instead.
My Land Rover mechanic suggests just going down the ARB route but maybe I need to be clearer about what I am trying to achieve.
I liked mine when it worked, and with it off it is dreadful so maybe I'll go the extra mile and refit it. Some have suggested using flexible hoses instead of the original pipes.
Don't think I'll be going down the extreme makeover routes but they do look fun.
TD
What about steel bumpers? The steel rear bumper is very subtle, but obviously much stronger than the original and shallower than the original, so better for approach and departure angles (subject to towbar fitting)
What about a machine polish? The D2 was sold in an era where brighter colours were still fashionable. Machine polish and a wax is also good for off road too as its easier to get scratches out!
Also, more subtle mods are much easier if you have to sell the car. Heavily modded cars are sometimes difficult to sell.
What about a machine polish? The D2 was sold in an era where brighter colours were still fashionable. Machine polish and a wax is also good for off road too as its easier to get scratches out!
Also, more subtle mods are much easier if you have to sell the car. Heavily modded cars are sometimes difficult to sell.
You can certainly get good gains from a Td5 and it will make a huge difference to how they run. But watch some of the power claims. They all come from rolling roads with hugely grey guesswork back to flywheel figures. And many are certainly on the side optimistic and flattering. Either that or Land Rover built the most inefficient drivetrain of any make of car ever by a huge margin and then some.
Also I believe some of the highest figures have involved lots of additional engine work and are running propane kits too.
Also I believe some of the highest figures have involved lots of additional engine work and are running propane kits too.
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