'00 Discovery 2

1316 Views 7 Replies 6 Participants Last post by Joe Btfsplk, Apr 28, 2014

sumpnz

Discussion Starter · Apr 24, 2014

In my search for a minivan I came across a potential deal on a 2000 Discovery. I'm selling my truck to get the minivan (4 kids now) and had intended to use whatever was left after buying a minivan to get another truck. I do a lot of kayak fishing, hunting, and I have almost 5 acres so I always need to haul stuff to keep up on that property (dirt, mulch, gravel, firewood, etc).

Looking into the Discovery it appears that as long any trailer I might get has brakes the towing capacity is probably more than I'd use 95% of the time. Not 100% sure I want to go the trailer route, but I'm certainly open to it. Pickups have the added advantage that when hunting if I get a deer or elk I can put the animal in the bed. It's not always practical to take a trailer hunting so I'd have to figure out how to keep the blood and fur from making a big mess in the trunk area. Tarps come to mind, but again not as easy or convenient as a pickup bed that can be hosed out.

Anyway, the Discovery I found is coming up for auction in a little over a week. Obviously the price will be a big factor in whether or not I go for it, and condition is a big factor in the price. I read up on the high milage maintenace thread, and that's great for knowing what I'll need to do with the SUV if I do get it.

But what I really need to know is what the big things are to look for when I have a chance to inspect the car before the auction starts. I won't be able to test drive it. I might be able to start it and work the power accessories, HVAC, etc. Given those limitation what are the main areas I should be checking? Obviously I'll be looking at the oil, transmission fluid, looking for accident/flood damage, corrosion, tire wear, any leaks (course, being British, not leaking oil is a sign of a problem - like no oil left), running Carfax, etc. I don't have an OBD code reader, but might pick one up if you guys/gals think it's worthwhile. The same auction has a minivan I'm interested in.

The car as about 88k miles according to the auction website. Assuming it's in reasonably good shape what would be a reasonable expected value (not auction sale price, but what I might be able to expect to sell it for afterwards)? I've found KBB and Edmunds to sometimes be way off, especially on trucks, so while I know what they say I wanted a sanity check from you all.

Thanks!

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Chafero1

· #2 · Apr 24, 2014

Just make sure you get the right price I bought my 1999 disco 2 from an auction with 143000 miles(yikes-.-) but I've had it for a year and I absolutely love it , they are maintenance heavy especially with high mileage but they will pay you back every Penney spent with the time you spent with them , the one your looking at has unusual mileage it should be higher but who knows might be a good but I only paid $2000 for mine anyways good luck , post back if you end up getting it

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helievacpilot

· #3 · Apr 24, 2014

These trucks are a massive crap-shoot for the un-initiated without a pre-purchase inspection by a GOOD Indy LR shop.
Buyer beware!!

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lowest bidder

· #4 · Apr 25, 2014

helievacpilot said:
These trucks are a massive crap-shoot for the un-initiated without a pre-purchase inspection by a GOOD Indy LR shop.
Buyer beware!!

So true.

In a sense, we took a similar gamble in the sense that we did not have access to a good independent shop that knew something about Discoverys. We had it inspected, but now I know it was not a useful inspection. I personally did not have a say in the matter because my wife bought it, she wanted it madly, and that was that. Then I was designated as official maintenance officer for it, again without me having a say. Hence the name "Lowest-Bidder-and-I-didn't-even-submit-a-proposal".

In retrospect I am glad we bought ours and I love it more than my own car which is a pretty nice VW CC. But over more than two years it probably spent around 4 months in my garage, and we spent probably around 4,000$ in parts on it and not a cent spent in upgrades. I really don't want to know how much it ended up costing, but it's certainly way too much compared to its value.

So I would say how much money are you willing to lose right out front? Answer that question, and you know how much you can pay for it.

Then be prepared to spend a lot more money, and time. It will happen.

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Joe Btfsplk

· #5 · Apr 25, 2014

what to look for....

sumpnz:
1.) First, crawl under it and check the front driveshaft for play. The original driveshaft came without all the necessary grease zerks so they can fail spectacularly and take out your transmission.
2.) Pop the plug out of both diffs and stick your finger in, check if the oil is reasonably clean and not milky with water.
3.) Make sure there are no dash lights illuminated after the car has been running. In particular, check for the 'three amigos', the Hill Descent light, ABS light and Traction Control lights sometimes come on simultaneously, which can be big money. If they are all on, it is not necessarily big bucks, but it can be.....
4.) The rear door (cargo door) latch is notorious for failing, and they are not cheap.
5.) Check all the windows and make sure they wind up and down properly. Window winder mechanisms and motors are also an item that wears out.
6.) Does it have sunroofs? Pour some water on them and make sure they don't leak. Fixing them can be a pain, although it is often just a blocked drain.
7.) If it still has air suspension, make sure it does not leak down, and if it does, is the compressor still OK or does it need replacement along with the bags? You can replace the whole system with coils and it solves the problem.
8.) the unexpected.
You must factor in some repair costs into your purchase costs. If you get a good one, it is a joy, but a bad one is equally a pain. Land Rovers like good maintenance, is there a service history available for the one you want? Make sure there are two keys, if possible, they are ridiculously expensive.

Not sure of prices in America. Don't forget it is 14 years old, but if you are willing to spin your own wrenches you can save a lot of money and get to know your car so well you won't fear to take it anywhere!

My 2cents worth.

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sumpnz

Discussion Starter · #6 · Apr 26, 2014

Great input. About a week until the auction. I'll check all the items mentioned.

FWIW, I'd expect nothing for service history being that its an auction car.

Guy at work has a Range Rover. His advice was to run away.

We'll see. Sounds like depending on condition it's either a good truck or free would be overpaying.

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tyl604

· #7 · Apr 27, 2014

I would not buy it without having a pro inspect it. These things are so undervalued in the market for what they can do - you might do better just buying one in the resale market after having it inspected. Take your time. Find a good one. There are a lot of them out there. Then be prepared to spend a lot keeping it going and do as much as you can yourself.

You will have a constant love/hate relationship with it.

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Joe Btfsplk

· #8 · Apr 28, 2014

sumpnz:
Let us know how it goes - whether or not you decided to go for the car! I find that most people who have these cars do not maintain them properly; you have to fix them BEFORE they break by inspecting regularly and anticipating possible problems. I dispute that they are a lot more expensive to maintain if properly done since most people only follow the book and don't really know their car. If you love your car you service it regularly, probably more regularly than the manual states, check the well know problem areas, find a good supplier of parts, you will be fine. I drove Chevy pickups all my life in Canada, still like them, but in different units I had to replace a clutch at 12,000 miles, rear end at 120,000 miles, tranny at 100,000 miles, had rust issues, etc. so no brand is without its own problems. (And for those of you who are thinking I abuse my vehicles, I don't.) I would rate my Disco on par or better than my Chevys. The only issue is the electronics, and since I have access to a Hawkeye they are not a problem. Someone will always recommend that you don't buy a car based on brand, regardless of what brand it is. If you get a good deal on the Disco - buy it!!!

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