so i know this has been asked, and asked and asked..
but i couldnt find anything specificly, what i was looking for.
im buying a LR Disco...
its going to be for 85% play, 15% commuter to stay at home with my wife and kid for when she needs to venture out.
dont want to spend a ton, so ive been looking into 95, 96 and 97's for around the max $5000 range.
what should i be looking for, red flag wise when buying a disco 1.
ive looked at a few and they seem to be in good working order. but i read the horror stories of the problems that can occure with these trucks if the buyer has no idea what he's looking for.
i do have an extensive car history. anything from domestics, to hopped up hondas to 3 series BMW's and luxury* lincolns.
the one im looking at now is a 96, w/ 99k. everything seems to be in good working order. number of owners unknown, no dummy lights on or drips where it sits...runs and drives good...asking $3595, private owner, clean title in wisconsin.
Check transmission fluid color...should be red. Check the weatherstripping aruond the rear quarter, tailgate, and alpine windows. The roof is steel so if the weatherstripping is bad and water is getting in, rust will usually develope around the alpine window corners.
If you're allowed to test drive it, take it to a secluded street and ask to perform a brake test. If you find that the abs system isn't allowing the truck to stop properly, that's a few hundred in repairs already.
While in idle, listen for marbles-in-a-can rattle...this is a sign of damaged Catalytic. ANd if your catalytic is out, chances are your 02 sensors are also getting crispy, which will make the ecu provide the engine with a rich mixture, thus, going through gas a little quicker than normal.
Speaking of gas, there was a recall for the gas tanks. The newer ones are thicker, though they are the same size. Because they are thicker, you're robbed of about half a gallon of fuel. Don't let the needle get to the yellow line, this will normally mean - COMPLETELY EMPTY
Its common for the headliners to be droopy.
Common leaks are oil pressure switch, Power Steering Lines, and the dreaded rear main seal
You MAY find that the rear windows may not go down on command. This is an easy fix on one of the window ECUs located behind the glove compartment. All you need is a pair of small hands, a soldering gun and lead.
You'll find that it'll lean towards the passenger side, dont worry, its normal.
Chances are the steering damper, if it hasnt been repalced, will be pretty bad and need replacement.
The Front of the dash will be curled up if its been exposed to sun for much of its life. RTE sells a fix it kit.
That's most of what comes to mind now. If I remember anything else, I'll post up for ya!
Welcome to the board!
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JC...
1996 Discovery SE - The Blue Marlin - gone =(
1965 Series IIa 109 RHD Dsl - Wilks
Check transmission fluid color...should be red. Check the weatherstripping aruond the rear quarter, tailgate, and alpine windows. The roof is steel so if the weatherstripping is bad and water is getting in, rust will usually develope around the alpine window corners.
If you're allowed to test drive it, take it to a secluded street and ask to perform a brake test. If you find that the abs system isn't allowing the truck to stop properly, that's a few hundred in repairs already.
While in idle, listen for marbles-in-a-can rattle...this is a sign of damaged Catalytic. ANd if your catalytic is out, chances are your 02 sensors are also getting crispy, which will make the ecu provide the engine with a rich mixture, thus, going through gas a little quicker than normal.
Speaking of gas, there was a recall for the gas tanks. The newer ones are thicker, though they are the same size. Because they are thicker, you're robbed of about half a gallon of fuel. Don't let the needle get to the yellow line, this will normally mean - COMPLETELY EMPTY
Its common for the headliners to be droopy.
Common leaks are oil pressure switch, Power Steering Lines, and the dreaded rear main seal
You MAY find that the rear windows may not go down on command. This is an easy fix on one of the window ECUs located behind the glove compartment. All you need is a pair of small hands, a soldering gun and lead.
You'll find that it'll lean towards the passenger side, dont worry, its normal.
Chances are the steering damper, if it hasnt been repalced, will be pretty bad and need replacement.
The Front of the dash will be curled up if its been exposed to sun for much of its life. RTE sells a fix it kit.
That's most of what comes to mind now. If I remember anything else, I'll post up for ya!
Welcome to the board!
i noticed on a past thread you did or had someone replace the main seal. what the this cost you?
i guess what im primarly looking for is red flags in which not to buy the truck. small fixes i can do. im pretty mechanicly compitent, and ive done all my own maintinence for the past 5-6 years on my other cars. as well as motor swaps and suspension jobs long before...
i just dont want to buy the truck and find out i need $5000 to get the truck running because something was over looked...
from what i can see, is rovers are known for their bad rear windows and leaks, everywhere. that i can handle. bad tranny, bad trans case and bad motor is what i dont want to deal with....
any other suggestions are welcome.
but the Transmission and the T-case are bombproof very tough and quite low geared for a stock vehicle. The engines are good don't let them overheat.
the 95 came with a 3.9 V8 ( distributor) and 96-99 came with 4.0 V8 (coilpack) electronic management system.
neither will win any speed contest but overall are quite realiable if maintain very well.
all in all, i shouldnt have to much to worry about as long as i use my head.
ive noticed head gaskets can be an issue, which isnt to*hard to change ??? or is it.....
the day i buy it, i'll have about $1000 to stick into it. maintaining or modding.
any suggestions? (lift and tires are one of the 1st)
anylouder: There is also the time factor....if you have very little 'spare' time, the Disco might end up annoying you. In our case, the only really bad experience was an exhaust valve. We have lots of other transportation and plenty of time, so a Disco is fine - your 85% play, 15% commute routine should work out too. On the other hand if you are stuck in traffic twice every day and have no time, I'd recommend a Toyota.
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anylouder: There is also the time factor....if you have very little 'spare' time, the Disco might end up annoying you. In our case, the only really bad experience was an exhaust valve. We have lots of other transportation and plenty of time, so a Disco is fine - your 85% play, 15% commute routine should work out too. On the other hand if you are stuck in traffic twice every day and have no time, I'd recommend a Toyota.
my wife will use the truck to run to the store with the little one, or beable to go somewheres in snowy weather. we live in a 15000 person city. the only traffic we see if from a parade in the summer.
her car now sits in the drive way for weeks at a time....
the only other time it would be used is for camping, pulling snowmobiles up north and the occasional trail. so its pretty much a play truck...
i'll keep you all updated if i find something soon.
thanks for all the help!!!!
new buyer
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