RE: SOTW: Land Rover Discovery V8
Discussion
love it! Sooo it IS practical even with a V8.... 
300bhp/ton said:
Land Rover's of this construction type like regular maintenance. Some confuse this with unreliability, but it isn't as it's planned and expected.
The entire vehicle is nuts and bolts and really there is nothing that can't be fixed on them. But changing things like brake discs is time consuming, and there are lots of oil seals that can and do leak. They cause no harm and won't stop it working, but there will always likely be a niggle to sort out.
If it didn't have any little niggles, then it wouldn't be an old Land Rover!The entire vehicle is nuts and bolts and really there is nothing that can't be fixed on them. But changing things like brake discs is time consuming, and there are lots of oil seals that can and do leak. They cause no harm and won't stop it working, but there will always likely be a niggle to sort out.
It's part of the expereince. But like you said - they are not major issues!
300bhp/ton said:
Reardy Mister said:
I had a silver 3.9 ES with all the fruit. Took up the beach and very tamely blew the gearbox (apparently you shouldn't offroad them in DRIVE, select 1st or 2nd).
That engine is f
king woeful. Mashing the throttle simply turns even more fuel into noise. Faster forward motion is really only hinted at. And economy? Even for a V8 and living in Oz, it was embarrassing.
Lovely to roll up at work in though, two sunrooves, very comfortable.
For Land Rover shedding though, I'd sooner have a 90 or 110.
You can't shed in a 90 or 110 they cost a small fortune to buy (for largely the same vehicle).That engine is f
king woeful. Mashing the throttle simply turns even more fuel into noise. Faster forward motion is really only hinted at. And economy? Even for a V8 and living in Oz, it was embarrassing. Lovely to roll up at work in though, two sunrooves, very comfortable.
For Land Rover shedding though, I'd sooner have a 90 or 110.
And some of you guys must drive race cars all the time, because a conservative 10 sec 0-60mph isn't exactly what I'd call slow (why not check up how quick, or slow a 1.6 and 2.0 Focus is). Compared to the "average" vehicle on the road and especially of similar age, then a V8 Disco is certainly as quick or quicker. They are also certainly no slower than most other comparable 4x4's.
The gearbox is likely ZF, so no idea what you are trying to b
h about, and they are fine being used in Drive.
As for the gearbox, I know there's not a lot wrong with ZFs mainly, but I can only pass on what the auto box specialist who re-built mine said. On the beach, use 1st or 2nd. Using Drive will strip something in it. Who knows? Who cares?
Reardy Mister said:
Fair point on the 90 and 110. But 10sec to 60? Not on your life. I know because because my current 4x4 is a 4.0l Grand Cherokee and they actually are 10 sec to 60 and it would have smoked it in every department. If the Disco got close to it, then that wasnt my isssue. My issue was once sitting at 70mph and trying to overtake on single carriageway roads. Mirror, signal, pull out/mash the gas, mucho noise, crawl past at 72.5mph, pissing twenties out of the exhaust. A comparison with 1.6 Focus is completely irrelevant
As for the gearbox, I know there's not a lot wrong with ZFs mainly, but I can only pass on what the auto box specialist who re-built mine said. On the beach, use 1st or 2nd. Using Drive will strip something in it. Who knows? Who cares?
Was yours a 3.5 or 3.9? Because it should have been fine at those speeds. On a non public road I've seen an indicated 125mph from a 3.9 auto Range Rover (same engine/drivetrain). As for the gearbox, I know there's not a lot wrong with ZFs mainly, but I can only pass on what the auto box specialist who re-built mine said. On the beach, use 1st or 2nd. Using Drive will strip something in it. Who knows? Who cares?
Currently I've got a 4.0 Cherokee and I agree they are quicker. But the Cherokee is certainly lighter and has 190hp, so I'm not surprised. That said I've clocked my Jeep at about 8.5 sec 0-60mph.
300bhp/ton said:
Reardy Mister said:
Fair point on the 90 and 110. But 10sec to 60? Not on your life. I know because because my current 4x4 is a 4.0l Grand Cherokee and they actually are 10 sec to 60 and it would have smoked it in every department. If the Disco got close to it, then that wasnt my isssue. My issue was once sitting at 70mph and trying to overtake on single carriageway roads. Mirror, signal, pull out/mash the gas, mucho noise, crawl past at 72.5mph, pissing twenties out of the exhaust. A comparison with 1.6 Focus is completely irrelevant
As for the gearbox, I know there's not a lot wrong with ZFs mainly, but I can only pass on what the auto box specialist who re-built mine said. On the beach, use 1st or 2nd. Using Drive will strip something in it. Who knows? Who cares?
Was yours a 3.5 or 3.9? Because it should have been fine at those speeds. On a non public road I've seen an indicated 125mph from a 3.9 auto Range Rover (same engine/drivetrain). As for the gearbox, I know there's not a lot wrong with ZFs mainly, but I can only pass on what the auto box specialist who re-built mine said. On the beach, use 1st or 2nd. Using Drive will strip something in it. Who knows? Who cares?
Currently I've got a 4.0 Cherokee and I agree they are quicker. But the Cherokee is certainly lighter and has 190hp, so I'm not surprised. That said I've clocked my Jeep at about 8.5 sec 0-60mph.
My jeep 0-60 time has dropped significantly thanks to slapping some bigger tyres on it. It was surprisingly poky with the standard ones though.
Reardy Mister said:
I seem to think it was a 3.5 for some reason. The yard I bought it from stickered it and wrote it up on the contract as a '96. I checked the build plate about a week after a bought it to find it was a '94 - lesson learnt. There was no badge to give away the actual displacement, just the V8 stickers on the back and front wings. It was my 3rd car so its a bit hazy now.
My jeep 0-60 time has dropped significantly thanks to slapping some bigger tyres on it. It was surprisingly poky with the standard ones though.
I to had one of these, but it was a P plate 3.9 ES and I have to say there was never any issue with the performance, which for its size was bloody good. I also found that there was no real noticeable performance difference between running it on petrol or LPG.My jeep 0-60 time has dropped significantly thanks to slapping some bigger tyres on it. It was surprisingly poky with the standard ones though.
With respect to the handling, the previous owner had polly-bushed it and this made a hell of a difference massively reducing body roll (when compared to others I've driven).
I did help things along slightly with a full stainless de-cat exhaust and K&N filter which made a fair difference in both performance and economy.
At the back end of last year I started looking for another one following my last car being written off, after a while I went and bought a diesel Grand Cherokee instead as I could buy newer with less miles and found that everything worked and it wasn't falling apart with rust.
SuperHangOn said:
Nearly all the V8's are gunged up, tickety crocks. They need a camshaft and timing chain job after 100k and its rarely done. Also needed are regular oil changes (less than 5k), again rarely done. Head gaskets also go so check for that.
If I had to get a disco, it would be a diesel.
They're pushrod V8s. No idea where timing chain issues come into it, because I've never heard that being an issue. Granted, yes they wear (rear) cam lobes for fun and, yes, oil changes can seldom be too frequent, but they're not a bad lump and have tonnes of character. Still my my P38 Vogue - the 4.6 made a glorious racket.If I had to get a disco, it would be a diesel.
Digga said:
They're pushrod V8s. No idea where timing chain issues come into it, because I've never heard that being an issue. Granted, yes they wear (rear) cam lobes for fun and, yes, oil changes can seldom be too frequent, but they're not a bad lump and have tonnes of character. Still my my P38 Vogue - the 4.6 made a glorious racket.
The chain stretches and goes slack. You change the cam, tappets, chain, sprockets in one go (you can buy as a kit). I did it myself to one of my discos. Its really just not worth the time/expense these days though. The P38 V8's (and all 3.9's+) suffer slipping cylinder liners, best avoided.
Edited by SuperHangOn on Monday 12th March 14:22
My dad's got a 97 Disco 300TDI auto. Had it years. Now done 160,000 miles and it really has been as reliable as the tides. Just the usual old car stuff cropping up occasionally (perished fuel line, door lock failed, front shocks started leaking). Mechanically faultless, and never let him down.
Not a bad car to drive if you're not in a hurry. Hauls itself along OK in lazy, torquey way, with excellent visibility, comfy seats, and half decent mpg for a big old bus. The rot will eventually kill it in the next few years probably, but the reliability really has been excellent.
Not a bad car to drive if you're not in a hurry. Hauls itself along OK in lazy, torquey way, with excellent visibility, comfy seats, and half decent mpg for a big old bus. The rot will eventually kill it in the next few years probably, but the reliability really has been excellent.
I had a 2-door diesel one of these. Painfully slow on acceleration it may have been, but there was something satisfyingly honest and truck-like about the way it performed, and at 65mph it used to get about 7l/100kms. Not bad for such a large vehicle. Unfortunately the price of parts put it in the "costs more to fix than it's worth" category as soon as the clutch went.
Still, as a driving enthusiast and classic car nut I have to say the disco is perhaps the only 4WD with any street cred whatsoever. Good shed
Still, as a driving enthusiast and classic car nut I have to say the disco is perhaps the only 4WD with any street cred whatsoever. Good shed
Back in the late 90's I worked at Land Rover and did a lot of work with the Driving Experience Team (mainly back office stuff). As a jolly, I'd get to go to Eastnor Castle and the other venues to help host events from time to time - the things a stock Disco could do beggars belief. Fording with water lapping over the bonnet, then climbing out of holes seeing only sky were common occurances.
I had a v8 ES for the weekend once - I had to stop quickly at some poorly marked roadworks on a Dorset B road once. I felt something jolt like a large book had been dropped in the boot. When I checked my mirror I saw a Citroen XM had buried iself in the back - the Cit had to be trailored off to the morgue - the Disco had a mark on the tow bar ball and a cracked lens in the bumper lights, but was otherwise unmarked.
I had a v8 ES for the weekend once - I had to stop quickly at some poorly marked roadworks on a Dorset B road once. I felt something jolt like a large book had been dropped in the boot. When I checked my mirror I saw a Citroen XM had buried iself in the back - the Cit had to be trailored off to the morgue - the Disco had a mark on the tow bar ball and a cracked lens in the bumper lights, but was otherwise unmarked.
My 1998 Mk 1 Safari edition has the crap rear roof window but the best cloth i have ever found in a car , a heavy twill rather than the poncey fluff most 'cloth'seats seem to be.
The secret of Discos is minimal electronics. the 1998 has only one box the size of a fag packet that controls alarms, window and flashers and it doesn't like being damp or very cold ( say -25C in the Balkans).
The petrol V8 is very thirsty , i had a range rover, and it is ruinous to run as a main car but at least it can be started with a handle ( mu starter motor packed up and i cranked it for six weeks ), the diesel has no decompressors so you can't crank it.
Bring back heavy twill seats, great in temperature above +40C .
The secret of Discos is minimal electronics. the 1998 has only one box the size of a fag packet that controls alarms, window and flashers and it doesn't like being damp or very cold ( say -25C in the Balkans).
The petrol V8 is very thirsty , i had a range rover, and it is ruinous to run as a main car but at least it can be started with a handle ( mu starter motor packed up and i cranked it for six weeks ), the diesel has no decompressors so you can't crank it.
Bring back heavy twill seats, great in temperature above +40C .
Edited by rogerhudson on Sunday 22 July 23:22
Edited by rogerhudson on Sunday 22 July 23:25
Budget on a new boot floor and crossmembers , sills , inner front wings , rear wheel arches , body mounts , holes in chassis ( discos like to rust ) and you might just be fine .
I had a 200tdi for 3 years and i loved it , mechanically it never missed a beat or let me down but when it was mot time my local welder would become my best friend and invite.me round for christmas dinner lol .
I had a 200tdi for 3 years and i loved it , mechanically it never missed a beat or let me down but when it was mot time my local welder would become my best friend and invite.me round for christmas dinner lol .
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