Considering a Disco what should I look for?

[pookie]

Title pretty much says it all. I am coming over from a Wrangler thinking about trading it for a Disco on another board. The two I am considering are both 96's. One has 150K and the other 120K. Both seem to be pretty well maintained and are almost the exact same price.

My Jeep lacks in a couple of areas. One being space, its not really big enough for my wife and dog and I to go camping for two days, even with a cargo rack out the back we still need more room. Or a smaller dog. When we have kids it will be way too small. It is also lifted which is fine around town, but when I have to get on the interstate it doesn't have the pick up to pass when I want to pass sometimes. Other than those two complainants its pretty good.

Here is what I want something bigger, something with a stronger engine, something that is easy to work on. I do almost all the work on all our cars if I can. So here are my questions:

How are Rover DIY repairs?
Parts cost?
Gas mileage?
I know Rovers are beast off roads how are they on roads?
Towing?
Reliability? A big one for me. Even though it has its faults my Jeep starts everytime, and only failed to when the battery and alternator decided to go out at the same time. I need something that I can rely on.

Also is there anything specific I should check if on these model and year?

Thanks

[disco12]

Hi I have a 96 Disco
I'll try anwser your questions.
on a 96 Disco which is called a D1 it is very easy and many parts that may need work are very accessable. Most encourage u to DIY I have on some things.
Parts can cost money if bought at the dealer. However there are hundreds of online vendors u can go to buy parts and will save a great deal money. Ebay is a good source too.
Gas mileage well this isn't a honda so the best u may see is 11-13 city and 14-17 highway and that depends how it is driven and cared for.
Land Rovers are good on road and give a comfortable ride. However these are trucks with a Heavy Duty Frame,coil spring suspension and solid axles and Body-on-frame construction. It will never ride like a honda pilot or something.
Towing isn't a Land Rover strong point. They can tow but not like a yukon or tahoe. It is a wheeler not a tow truck
Reliablity I will be honest with u Land Rover have never scored high with this issue mainly because it various electrics gizmos that may go out. However with good care and staying on top of maintnence. and using the right fuels and oils. It is said that 75% of old Land Rovers are still on the road today and they all madeit home. This discovery can last to 300K with good maintnence as with other trucks like these they may need more to keep them running but it is all in good fun.

other things to look for
1. check low range shifter make sure it isn't frozen
2. all rovers leak it is part of they character. If it doesn't leak then I would worry.
3. Check the Records on the Trucks
4. check for rust around the door sills and top windows The trucks are both Steel and Alloy
5. check the frame for rust as well.
6. make sure everything works and the Disco drives well.
Are u going to be wheeling it or mostly around town vehicle.
Good Luck.

[k12]

To get things started, I have a lifted yj and two D1s, 96 and 98. There is way more room for gear, dogs, etc., in a Disco verses a Jeep, but sometimes I wish the disco had more space too. Lots of folks like the roof racks for discos for extra carrying capacity.

The 4.0 engine in the 96 disco is relatively weak for the weight of the disco, but the gearing is good. The craw speed of a D1 in low and 1st gear is a little fast for my tastes, but not bad.

I have pulled my yj behind the 98 disco, so pulling power is not the issue, brakes could be. My 96 has great stopping power, and my 98 has crappy stopping power. I dont know why yet.

Parts cost more than jeep parts, but not 200% more.

A stock disco is great on road, like a caddy with a lazy boy, and can cruise at 90 mph all day, or until a cop sees you.

Gas milage is better in my D1s than the 12 mpg I get with my yj, at about 16-18 mpg, but you are recommended to use 90 or better octane in discos.

Repairs are straight forward, as long as it doesnt involve computer stuff. I like to do all my own work too.

Reliability, this is open to debate. Properly maintained (more work than average car/truck) they are very reliable. Neglected or ignored, look out.

Things to look for: rust under rear carpet (from leaking alpine windows), or in rear door wheel arches. Sunroof and window operation, cruise control operation, and transfer case lever movement, high to low, and unlocked (pass. side) to locked (drivers side).

Others will add more. I love my discos, thats why I have two, but also love my YJ on 33/12.5/15 s. For me they are different tools for different jobs.

Welcome to the LR world!

[pavel]

pookie....I'm really reluctant to say the following because we love our reliable 96 Disco, but I fear you will not be happy with any disco that has that high mileage. Our Disco has only 33K miles and consequently is not very worn out. We drive it rarely and it is in top condition.
These are very strongly made 4X4s but they suffer from many ills that can be fixed -
1 you can learn how to do most of the work yourself and this Forum is a great asset.
2 parts cost is high and there are few usable vehicles at the wrecking yards. Some substitution of non-Rover cheaper parts is possible
3 expect about 12-15 mpg in town.
4 Discos are not fast and are definitely not SPORT utility vehicles. Drive it moderately to slowly on public roads.
5 Discos are excellent towing vehicles - I hardly even notice my heavy loaded trailer is behind us....
6 Now the big one - reliablity...We know 5 families that bought Discos and we are the only family left wih one in the driveway. The electrical systems are as bad as in some Mercedes models or worse. Components that should be bullet proof (electric windows, alarm systems) are poor. All kinds of drivetrain oil seals are substandard. The engine is from the "stone age" and carbons up badly (I had to replace an exhaust valve last year)

In short if you want this vehicle to be a daily driver, look elsewhere; if you want a fabulous weekend offroad machine that will go through almost any snow conditions, this is a good machine. Find one with 60k miles or less if you can. Cheers.

[Muddy Oval]

It's all about condition. I've seen a LOT of inexpensive Discos that people bought recently that aren't worth the paper the title is printed on. Shopping the high mile Discos, you're likely to end up with a pig that will cost far beyond its purchase price to get into good enough condition to risk taking it anywhere remote. Many people who buy them don't maintain them. Maintaining them is more than an oil change whenever you remember it.
Here's what we typically see when someone brings us a cheap Disco:

Corroded lines- external oil lines, power steering, transmission, brakes. If it's from a 'crusty' climate, the hard lines all can rust through- as can the axles themselves.

Swivels- pitted balls, leaking oil/grease, worn cv's and wheel bearings.

Steering- leaky steering boxes, bad ball joints etc

Heavily carboned-up engine- People who don't run premium carbon up the engines something terrible. Either that or people who run tons of STP or other crap in the fuel all the time so the fuel rail corrodes from the inside out.

High mile discos often need radiators if they've never been changed. Also water pumps- anything past 120K is borrowed time. Belt tensioners, same thing. Had transmission serviced? The transmissions rarely fail, but if it still has the original fluid and filter- it's gonna die.

There's a billion things that could potentially be wrong. That being said, there ARE some good ones out there. Have a competent shop that knows Land Rovers look at anything before you buy it. Many shops will do that for cheap or free.

[96owner]

How are Rover DIY repairs? this Forum is to help you with what ever you need.
Parts cost? parts are expensive but poepel part out cars and there is a site (i think rangerover.com) that has cheaper places to get them.
Gas mileage? i get about 15mpg
I know Rovers are beast off roads how are they on roads? probly better then a jeep they are "high end" trucks
Towing? i tow 2 ATVs with the trucks packed full of camping stuff and gear
Reliability? maintained right they run good but you eather get luckly and get a good one or you get screwed and have lots of problems

[redhat]

it is like realestate, ask for maintenance records, maintenance records, maintenance records. If they say it has been trouble free, then walk away from them because it is never good to do business with a liar.

[phantom phan]

[.
4 Drive it moderately to slowly on public roads.

are you having a scream? why ?? the disco is capable of 90mph, if i am late for an appointment i push my G4 D2 to the limit and thats on UK roads where we have more curves than kellijo


In short if you want this vehicle to be a daily driver, look elsewhere; if you want a fabulous weekend offroad machine that will go through almost any snow conditions, this is a good machine. Find one with 60k miles or less if you can. Cheers.[/quote]

the G4 is my daily driver, 2k miles per month and my off road toy i wouldnt look eles where, a standard D2 is an awesome machine, the D1 is very capable just less electrics, go get your self a disco

regards
martin

[300bhp/ton]

Originally Posted by pookie

Title pretty much says it all. I am coming over from a Wrangler thinking about trading it for a Disco on another board. The two I am considering are both 96's. One has 150K and the other 120K. Both seem to be pretty well maintained and are almost the exact same price.

I'd also have a look around in the classifieds aswell, unless that's km and not miles I would consider them fairly high milage, although if maintained it should be not issue at all.

Biggest tip I can give - buy on condition more than anything else!

Originally Posted by pookie

My Jeep lacks in a couple of areas. One being space, its not really big enough for my wife and dog and I to go camping for two days, even with a cargo rack out the back we still need more room. Or a smaller dog. When we have kids it will be way too small.

The Discovery has a lot more room than the Wrangler. But funnily enough a Classic Range Rover actually has more boot/trunk space than a Discovery.

Originally Posted by pookie

It is also lifted which is fine around town, but when I have to get on the interstate it doesn't have the pick up to pass when I want to pass sometimes. Other than those two complainants its pretty good.

The Dioscovery is bigger and heavier than a Wrangler so won't be any quicker. Although IMO the 3.9/4.0 V8's actually run pretty good for what they are. Some simple bolt on mods will make a big difference just don't expect muscle car performance.

Originally Posted by pookie

Here is what I want something bigger, something with a stronger engine, something that is easy to work on. I do almost all the work on all our cars if I can. So here are my questions:

I'll try and answer.

Originally Posted by pookie

How are Rover DIY repairs?

Very easy, they are essentially a giant mechano set. Only rusty bolts are a real PITA.

You guys State side have to put up with more electronic crap though. UK models didn't have ODBII, on my 91 Tdi Discovery only the lights are electric, it doesn't even have central locking. Makes it very easy to work on though.

But with just normal tools you could strip a Discovery down to a bare chassis, re-build the engine and put it back together if you so wished.

Originally Posted by pookie

Parts cost?

In the UK they are VERY cheap and plentiful. I guess US bound it's a bit more pricey, but I doubt it's break the bank kind of expensive.

Most/many UK suppliers are happy to ship to the US, so it might be worth ordering parts mail order from the UK. It's really easy.

Originally Posted by pookie

Gas mileage?

Depends how hard you drive, but 13-16mpg would be common and maybe upto 19-20mpg on a long run (constant 65-70mph).

Originally Posted by pookie

I know Rovers are beast off roads how are they on roads?

IMO they are the best 4x4's I've ever driven on road, they generally ride and handle very well. There are scare stories about people rolling Range Rovers, but to be honest I think it's just because they are so capable that people end up going to fast for the road, not the vehicle.

I've had a D90 and it would run the bends as well as any of my mates cars when I was younger. The Discovery is heavier and thus leans a bit more. There are many handling packages if on road is your thing.

My Discovery leans a fair bit, but it actually grips very well and handles well, even in the wet. Plus I don't have any sway bars on mine, not all UK models had them.

But the ride quality is very good, my Dad had a nice 4.0 Limited Cherokee and by comparison the Jeep rode like a 1930's farm tractor. And didn't handle as well.

Originally Posted by pookie

Towing?

Despite what someone else said, Land Rovers are excellent for towing. Remember the basis of the Land Rover is an agricultural vehicle, they even have a PTO (power take off) like a tractor so you could power a topper/grass cutter or some other device.

A Wrangler is only rated at 1000lb towing, even the brand new JK Wrangler is what 2000lb, where as a Land Rover 90 is rated at 7700lb!!!! A Discovery is just as capable, we (me my friends/family) use Land Rovers for towing all the time, very easy and very stable.

Originally Posted by pookie

Reliability? A big one for me.

Well I personally think Land Rovers are very reliable, however there is a catch. This is where you need to define durability and reliability.

My family have owned in the region of 25+ different Land Rovers over the years. They have ALL been very reliable.

However they ALL require regular maintance.

This is the catch, as long as you maintain it regulary a Land Rover will last 50 years, as proven by the number of Series 1 Land Rovers still being used.

You have to remember anything pre P38 Range Rover is old school in design and approach. So linkages need replacing more often, not because they are unreliable, but simple because they require more maintenance.

And being more old school in approach means yes they leak, usually water in (sunroofs, door tops) and oil out (engine, gearbox). None of it is a worry and should be considered "normal".

This goes for the engine itself, it is a good, solid reliable lump, but remember Rover bought the rights to the V8 from Buick in the 50/60's. So it's an old school motor and thus requires the maintance of one, so regular oil changes and servicing.

In the UK it's often looked upon like this, buy a Land Rover and it'll cost you to maintain it, but it'll last forever. Buy Japanese and it'll work, but when it goes wrong throw it away.

Meaning, the Japanese 4x4's are generally more reliable, or shall we say need less maintance in the early years, but as times goes on the Land Rover doesn't alter, it just needs the same maintance it always has. But the Japanese 4x4 will eventually get to the point where it's always breaking down and has just become too unreliable to keep fixing.

Originally Posted by pookie

Even though it has its faults my Jeep starts everytime, and only failed to when the battery and alternator decided to go out at the same time. I need something that I can rely on.

As long as you buy a good example and maintain it I see no reason why you couldn't rely on it.

Neglect it and you are however asking for trouble.

Originally Posted by pookie

Also is there anything specific I should check if on these model and year?

Not really just generall condition. Many owners never use low range, so it's worth checjing that it engages. Same with the diff lock, a light should come on on the dash and steering will feel heavy. Sometimes diff lock sticks a little when you disengage it, this is pretty normal.

Discovery are full time 4wd so that should be fine.

Check for clongs/clunks steering linakges and proshafts wear but are cheap and easy to repair.

Most of the body is aluminium except for the roof, tailgate, bonnet and floor. Sadly Land Rover used cheap nasty steel for the floor and struts and they do rust there, mud/water gets sprayed up from underneith and gets trapped under the floor supports and rots out. So pull the rear carpets up and have a look, or look from the underside.

It's not the end of the world is it is rusted, a replacement floor is £55 over here and just needs welding in.

Here's some pics of mine with the rusty floor: Almost back on the road - just a little rust issue

You can see the transverse floor braces which are the cause of the problem. It looks far worse than it actually is as this is not a structural part of the body.

The chassis should be ok, but ones that do rust, really rust. Check the rear cross member.

Bumpers rust because they have nasty power coating which cracks (stone chips) and water sits behind the coating. After market bumpers are the way to go.

Manual gearboxes may be very heavy/notchy when cold, this is usual and expected. Once warm it should be fine though.

Try and makes sure the Discovery hasn't been started before you go to look at it, a cold engine/vehcile will often highlight issues you may otherwise have missed.

Hope this helps.

[300bhp/ton]

Originally Posted by pavel

In short if you want this vehicle to be a daily driver, look elsewhere

Total and utter crap.

The vast majority of Discovery's out there are daily drivers, often the only vehicle a family may have.

[pavel]

300bhp/ton: Perhaps my comments to pookie are "total and utter crap"...perhaps not. I stand by the post I made as balanced and honest advice based on personal experience and as appropriate to someone who has owned a Jeep Wrangler.
Of course there are people using Discos as daily drivers just like there are even more extreme people using Hummers (H1), Ford Excursions & Nissan Armadas as daily drivers. Is a Disco a good choice as a daily driver? That's up to the owner. I do not support the use of any 2 ton+ vehicle for daily family use as there is a multitude of better options that are sportier to drive, safer, produce less CO2 etc.etc. There are many other AWD vehicles that are better for use around town: a Honda CRX or a Subaru Forester could be considered...they are not off-road vehicles however.

This Forum is for free civil comment. Is it possible that your promotion of the Disco is not based heavily on its country of assembly? Was it is lucky I did not comment on the Queen (yours and mine) risking really upsetting you (I note that the Union Jack is prominent in your avatar)?

As an old guy who has owned, used and repaired vehicles of almost every stripe: Brit sedans, trucks, sports cars; American sedans, muscle cars, trucks, tractors, Jeeps; Swedish German & Italian sedans and sports cars, Japanese vehicles - I have some real world experience and question whether a Disco is the right choice for everyone. It was for us.

Once again. I repeat to pookie: consider looking elsewhere rather than buying a 10 year old high mileage Disco as a daily driver.

[apbtpetey]

Look to be honest there are going to be good and bad with any make/model/year car. I just got rid of my 97 Discovery becuase I couldnt get rid of a check engine light problem it had right around 150,000 miles on it. Would I buy another you? The answer is yes in a heartbeat, but you have to do your homework and go over it very good.

If you can do most of the work yourself then keeping it in top running form isnt to bad, but some parts can be costly. Lucky thing though is that the most costly parts are ones that dont fail to often such as the coil pack. If you have to take it to a shop for most rrepairs br prepared to pay a good amount of money most times and the dealership will charge you dearly for even the easiest of repair work. If you shop around for parts you can great deals and the people on this site will walk you through any questions you come up with.

They are great on-road SUV's, I live in on back roads here and never had a problem driving on the tight turns with the disco. Are they a sports car no, are they slow getting up to speed yeah, but you should have no problems passing on the highway with a disco. I got right around 16mpg and thats with mixed city/highway driving and I didnt baby the gas pedal either. The ride is pretty smooth, but still truck like. Towing isnt to bad with a disco, but with something heavy be prepared for slow speeds going up steep hills. If you want to tow heavy loads often better to look at a pick-up or one of the bigger SUV's.

Would I recommend a Discovrey as a daily driver? that would depend on the certain Discovery your talking about. You are going to run into leaks here and there, but they can be easy fixes. The key is making sure you dont skip out on normal upkeep. Any thing with 100,000+ miles is going to start needing this like shocks/springs/hoses/bushings/ect. the question is are you handy enough to do the work yourself. If so then it doesnt take alot to keep a disco going.

electrical issues can be a big problem to chase down so make sure there is no CE light on and drill the current owner about as much of the disco's past as you can. Take it to a local rover shop and have them give it once over before buying. If you need a place that is good and close to your area just ask here and somebody is bound to direct to a respectable place.

[300bhp/ton]

Originally Posted by pavel

300bhp/ton: Perhaps my comments to pookie are "total and utter crap"...perhaps not. I stand by the post I made as balanced and honest advice based on personal experience and as appropriate to someone who has owned a Jeep Wrangler.

I had no problem with your post, just that single comment.

The UK market is still the biggest market for Land Rovers, specifically Discovery's. They have been on sale here since 1989.

And I should think 90-95% of ALL Discovery's sold in the UK are Daily Drivers and/or family cars.

I have one, my parents have had 2, and I know at least 6 or 7 other people who have them as there main DD. Ok fair enough in the UK diesel models are more popular but mechanically they are the same otherwise.

Originally Posted by pavel

Of course there are people using Discos as daily drivers just like there are even more extreme people using Hummers (H1), Ford Excursions & Nissan Armadas as daily drivers. Is a Disco a good choice as a daily driver? That's up to the owner. I do not support the use of any 2 ton+ vehicle for daily family use as there is a multitude of better options that are sportier to drive, safer, produce less CO2 etc.etc. There are many other AWD vehicles that are better for use around town: a Honda CRX or a Subaru Forester could be considered...they are not off-road vehicles however.

This Forum is for free civil comment. Is it possible that your promotion of the Disco is not based heavily on its country of assembly? Was it is lucky I did not comment on the Queen (yours and mine) risking really upsetting you (I note that the Union Jack is prominent in your avatar)?

As an old guy who has owned, used and repaired vehicles of almost every stripe: Brit sedans, trucks, sports cars; American sedans, muscle cars, trucks, tractors, Jeeps; Swedish German & Italian sedans and sports cars, Japanese vehicles - I have some real world experience and question whether a Disco is the right choice for everyone. It was for us.

Once again. I repeat to pookie: consider looking elsewhere rather than buying a 10 year old high mileage Disco as a daily driver.

[96owner]

hey pookie roverx is selling his truck for 2000
http://www.lrrforums.com/showthread.php?t=1457