Hey guys,

Like many people, I am trying to join the LR community. Ideally, because of the advice from this website, I am looking for a '99 Disco II for $4k or less. I am needing a fun weekend ride (not a DD) that doesn't need much work. HOWEVER, this vehicle popped up on one of my searches the other day...

2004 Land Rover Discovery SE 4WD Addison, Texas | Zigler Motors Inc.

Is this worth spending a little extra on? It looks too good to be true (other than that 1 accident in 2008) Or, should I be patient and keep looking for a '99 and save a few grand.

Thanks,
Dusty

 

I have a Disco II (2000) that I've had since new For offroad I would want a CDL (center diff lock), which both the 99 and the 04 should have. The 4.6 engine will help you scoot a little faster. The one you linked to looks pretty nice. It is overpriced but that is an asking price. The roof rack is a nice plus.

However for offroad I would get a Disco I. Thicker frame, better departure angle, replaceable wheel bearings, non electronic transmission, and cheaper. A Disco I is closer to an old defender in its construction than a Disco II.

Most 2004 trucks lack an oil cooler and have Secondary Air Injection (emissions crap) and 99s would have oil coolers and no SAI.

The little plastic parts, seat cushions, door lock mechanisms, etc are super expensive, so five years less wear on those parts is probably a good thing. However, lore holds that the later Engines are cast from worn dies and are not as well put together.

Regardless of what you buy, see what you can find out about the service history. In my experience the engine is the weak point on a Disco II and repairs/replacements are very expensive if you don't do them yourself. A Disco I that is for sale these days first firmly in one of two camps: destroyed beater or beloved family pet. I'd want the latter, and it probably wouldn't be found at a dealership.

 

The '99 Disco II doesn't have a CDL from the factory. It has the lockable D1 transfer case but no mechanism to be able to engage it. It is possible to retrofit a D1 or '04 DII handle. The '04 has a cable-operated handle from the factory.

 

Thanks! I guess I should state that I live in downtown Dallas, TX and primarily ride a bicycle for transport. I am looking to buy a '99-'04 Disco II mainly for a weekend road trip, camping, beach, tailgates, etc. I am not really looking to offroad per se.

I was attracted to the Disco that I originally posted predominantly because of the carfax report. There seemed to be pretty extensive service history records for this ride, as well as only 1 previous owner.

The dealer does have the car priced pretty high. I am just so impressed with the service history and overall condition of the truck, that I am tempted to slightly over-pay.

More thoughts?

Thanks,
Dusty

 

Bought my 03 disco 2 expecting some problems (and got them). I paid 3k for my truck and the interior and exterior look pretty darn good too! The engine runs good but needs some love (rear main seal leaks oil, valve cover leaks oil from gasket, and has some god awful ticking sound when idling and driving.) but all in all never left me stranded and does superb off road. the 4.6 engine kicks ***. As I get more into them I am starting to like the 1990's disco 1's. You can buy them for around 2-7k depending on upgrades. sometimes you get a waay cooler car that has a better engine overall.

 

Before purchasing any D2, acquire OBD-2 reader with a "live data" function that will report everything back from the ECU. You especially want to know the engine operating temperatures on a decent 30-minute test drive occasionally stopping and listening for engine noises. You will want to open the hood and listen for engine noises, look for coolant dripping underneath all while motor is running and up to operating temp. Check the coolant level in overflow bottle before, during and after. If computer shows temps over 220 then you can take a chance and update the cooling system yourself and hope it's not too late, or see it for what it is. These engines have a reputation for coming undone at these temps as previous owners rarely updated coolant components while "eco-friendly" factory antifreeze degraded everything from the inside and coolant temps ran higher & higher. I have a $80 Bosch unit from Oreilly Auto that works very well with the D2 electronics. Many a sucker has bought the immaculate D2 only to have the engine fail from a compromised block. You should really be searching the online forums and purchase a D1 or D2 from an enthusiast that maintained the truck in accordance with the most up2date info shared in LR circles such as this.