Well, uh, so yeah. It looks like I just bought D2 #3. It will be yet another fly and drive, but I’m crazy excited. I think I’ll just keep this thread alive to document the latest one…

When everything is finalized, I’ll get some pics up.

 

It made it home!! Another fly and drive, but basically without missing a beat, the new hotness made the 1200 mile drive from 90F SoCal, to a number of inches of snow on the ground and in the teens Colorado.

‘04 HSE. Rear airbags and AC. No ACE or 7 seats on this one, but I decided against ACE this time and am already on the hunt for the rear seats. It even has the dated Nav head unit! And the disc changer even works perfect! It turned 170k on the clock on the trip.



As always, there is a healthy list already.

• Dash
• Remove faux wood for center console
• Missing rear rain gutter trim above tailgate
• Hood prop bushing
• Battery cover clip
• Rear AC vent
• Windshield washer
• Lights on sunroof buttons
• AC
• HVAC lights
• Coin holder
• Ash tray
• Rear sunroof
• Windshield cowl
• A Pilar trim
• Cup holder under hvac
• Tail lights
• Drivers seat lumbar
• Passenger front door window regulator
• Fan clutch?
• Refinish wheels

This is off the top of my head, but all told, a good example. It already has had the dexcool removed, but I don’t think it has a 180 T stat as the temps were 198-201 on the freeway. Another flush won’t hurt anything.

The craziest part? It returned a legit measured 18mpg for 3 straight tanks! Lowest was 14, but I thought that was pretty good.

I still need to check the status of a couple very minor leaks and it may use a scoshe of oil, but all that will come with time. I’ll get more pics up a little later. I don’t think we’ll sell this one…

 

Congrats on the new find! I've enjoyed catching up on your last build since I joined the forum some months ago. Looking forward to seeing how you tackle the list as well!

I have a couple of questions on your list, hoping you can point me in the right direction:

• For the hood prop bushing, do you have a place to get those? I haven't been able to find one so far. Related, what about the retention clip for the hood prop? Mine broke a couple of months ago, but I haven't been able to find a replacement.
• How about for the windshield cowl? Have a good place to find those, or is it usually more of a junkyard find?
• For the HVAC lights, my '03 has never had them since I bought it last July. I just figured it was a design oversight; it never dawned on me they might have burned out. Any tips on how to fix?

Again, looking forward to following your progress!

 

Thanks! The blue one was truly a labor of love (probably some deranged obsession more likely) and I learned a huge amount in doing all I did to it. The fun for me ended up being figuring out how to do all that needed to be done, and what facilitates that are the manuals you can get easily and for free. When you cross reference that to the wealth of info online, it makes the process one big puzzle and a nice escape from the other stresses in life.

What is encouraging to me is that I’ve been told by a number of folks how excited they are to see how this one comes along. Thus, why I thought it seemed appropriate just to add to this thread.

Are you in CO? If so, where?

Anyway, to answer your questions:
- Hood prop bushing: if I couldn’t source one from a local yard or the like, I was going to see if Atlantic British has them. On the black one, they had the clip for the fuel door, which is pretty abstract, so they seemed a possible source for a new one. The next best option seems to find a parts car, or find someone with one- I had really good luck that way in the past. The last resort is the dealer.

- Windshield cowl: This one is sticky. They are obscenely expensive as a new part, so unless you are desperate, that’s a tough pill to swallow. Used, they do come up, but invariably will will either have issues, the seller doesn’t want to ship due them being are fragile as a wine glass, or at local yards they are thrashed. For the first time I learned from the seller of my latest one of someone actually doing a bonding process with a cracked one. That to me seems like the most cost effective method and may be worth doing. I’m going to research it a bit and possible give it a go.

- The HVAC lights are actually quite simple. You just need to remove the HVAC controls and there are bulbs easily ordered on the back. Easy peasy. I can’t recall the size or the like, but it’s not rocket science if memory serves. I’ll tackle that when I do the other fixes for the center stack.

All in all, the stuff to get fixed on this one is pretty simple and straightforward. Sourcing is probably going to be biggest issue for things like the dash.

One of the fun aspects of the “modifications” I’m planning on for this one, are actually OEM upgrades. For example: the heated windshield is plug and play (with an update via the Nanocom). Now a new one will be $$$, but I think worth it. Making it easier to stomach is going to be that the existing one has a chip. Next will be heated seats. The option isn’t there, but based on some research, it too is plug and play. This was confirmed when I ran the VIN and the elements are specifically called out. So all I need to do is get a switch pod and replace the piece around the shifters. I hate the faux wood, so this will be cheap and easy. The last one will be a bit more involved and parts sourcing possibly a little harder, but getting the 3rd row seats in there will be another OEM upgrade.

On the whole, the goals for this one are going to be very similar to the blue one with the rack being very high on the list. I’d really like to take this one off road a bit more as well with a main goal being to take it to Moab for the Solihul society run.

 

While those big group runs are a great way to meet people, there was a ton of carnage from this past years trip to Moab and imo a lot of it was easily avoided with better spotters/instruction or less peer pressure/smaller groups. Lots of blown up diffs (too much skinny pedal on terrible lines vs small readjustment and walk right up) and flops where really there should have been no danger of flopping.. This years rally is in CO I believe. For the Moab years I would recommend going and picking trails you want to run and finding a smaller group independent of the ones to sign up for/pay. Nothing out there really needs a "trained" spotter (I use that term very loosely...) and if you pick the trails right you won't be with everyone else. Unless that's your thing, more power to you. Once a group gets over 4-5, hard pass for me.

 

Thanks for the tips and detailed info, @longtallsally. I am in CO, up in Fort Collins in fact. Where are you located (assuming you are also in CO)?

I have the heads off my '03 right now – had a gasket go out of passenger side – and I'll definitely be getting after that HVAC lamp fix while the heads are at the machine shop.

Regarding the hood prop, I picked up a pair of gas struts (mine were a 55-lb pair, not 100) that I plan to install in place of the prop and do away with that for now.

I'm super interested in the heated windshield as well. My first Disco (a '96 Disco 1 I had right after college) had that feature and I found it so handy. I had explored adding it after I got my '03 late last summer, but wrote it off once I read about needing to "reprogram the BCU" – sounded too daunting and too much of a PITA. Now that I have a Nanocom arriving any day now, this is definitely back on the table, especially since I have a 24" crack right above driver's line of sight in the current windshield. I LOVE the idea of heated seats too, but my seats are in quite remarkably good shape so I hate the idea of going out and buying others that could very well be in poorer shape than what I already have.

I have 4 kids (yes, crazy I know) and bought a SE 5-seater, so one of the first things we (me and the wife) did was source two jump seats, all of the trim, seat belts, etc. off Ebay. Once we got it all sorted, we were in about $1k, but didn't matter, we like to go everywhere together. When it came time to putting in the rear seats, I was not too keen on losing all of my storage space, so I opted to only install the jump seat on the passenger side, keeping my storage cubby on the driver's side. This was a win-win for me since it upped my seating capacity to 6 and saved me a bunch of space since the passenger side jump seat sits almost flush with where the cubby was. The driver's side sticks out much further in order to accommodate the rear HVAC components, which I don't have. I'd love to figure out a way to get heat and AC back there, but it just seems like too much effort for a 5-seater. I also saved all of my original trim so that I can restore back to a 5-seater once kids are grown and gone.

Looking forward to following along and learning from your upgrades as well!

 

Moab has a tendency to bring out the “hold my beer” crowd, so I’m not surprised- try going to the Easter Jeep Safari if you want a great episode of Redecks Gone Wild! I’ve been there a bunch of times on 2 wheels and 4, so I know the drill and you are not wrong.

The difference with me is that I’ve run the Rubicon multiple times and done quite a few hard trails (save Independence) here in CO, so I kinda know where I want the vehicle placed and if someone wants to put me somewhere different, I’ll be getting out and walking, or telling the spotter where I want tires placed and have them get me there.

But either way, I have a pretty modified Jeep for really hard stuff that frankly I don’t intend on taking the Disco on. As with the last one, the Disco is more of a style exercise and for fun than a hard core off roader. I don’t really have interest in even doing Hells Revenge with the Disco- even though I’m pretty sure it could make it through unscathed.

As you say, I’d like to do the Solihul deal just to meet some folks and see some cool stuff. If the goal is to act like an idiot, I’m taking the Jeep or the dirt bike.

 

First off, one of you needs to get fixed! I have a hard time tolerating 2 kids let alone 4. That is some sort of insane masochism! We’re down in the Springs, whenever you want to load up your herd and head down for some mild trails, let me know.

All you mentioned makes sense and I agree. The Nanocom is on the short list for me but I’m still in the honeymoon phase trying to learn this one.

I just got the Ultragauge today and installed it so I don’t have to do the annoying connection process with the phone application. So that was a small thing to get done. For some reason, I kept a 180 T stat even after I sold the blue one that is the cool guy grey one and my next little project is to get that installed as well as a new fan clutch. If I can get to it, that will be this weekend. Next is just going to be to change out any fluid in the machine I can think of (save the brake fluid as that will be done when I get the Nanocom).

In terms of doing rear AC, you are correct that it would be a pretty healthy effort. Both the black one and the blue one had rear AC and when I disassembled the black one saw how it is set up. The parts you will need are:
- Headliner
- All the duct work going from the unit up in the ceiling
- Rear AC unit (it goes on the driver’s side)
- The cargo cover specific to the rear AC unit
- All the lines running from front to rear (they run on the driver’s side under and on the inside of the frame)
- The switch in the headliner and the electrical harness for it
- The electric harness for the AC unit

I think that’s it. It would be a decent effort and probably take a long time. On the AC compressor in the engine bay there is a T section you’d need as well, and then of course get the whole system evacuated and recharged with the correct amount for both units. I had debated it when searching for the blue one, but was very glad to have gotten one that already had it. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t do it.

 

Then you definitely know the drill haha Hell's revenge is just fine just the run out after tip over gave me the hardest time when i was on a 2" lift and 265/75/16. Truck took more of a "beating" on fins and things dragging the hitch off of everything...top of the world is borderline for a mild disco with how dug out it's gotten and I'm sure it's so much worse than when I ran it last Feb of 2020..

Also, I'm in Denver but work by the Academy and come wheeling season stay pretty active with a good group of guys, though they all run classics from mild to kind of wild lol. If you ever need any parts I buy almost everything through Roadside Werx in Denver, awesome group of guys and have most things in stock and more used parts than they know they have lol. I gave up trying to deal with the crap that L8 peddles or sifting through what brand of what works.

CODisco I'm pretty sure they have a rear ac set up laying around, or the head tech there does/did...

 

And this is much of the reason why I wanted to “come back”- I love the community.

I have used the guys from Roadsidewerx to do some work on the boss’ blown L320. Good crew and very honest. I may have to pester them for some pilfering parts I need to get.

My first order of business is going to be getting the cooling system sorted. I took the kids to school in it this morning and the temps are all over the map (we live at 7400 feet and lots of ups and downs) but I’d like them a bit more stable. I’m just going to do a Nissens and 180 T stat with the soft spring. It’s not at the danger zone, but close enough to make me take pause. I bet the radiator is a bit clogged. I can’t find the darn thermostat I had so I’m just going to do that “kit” from L8 (quality parts at a good price, so I’ll give them a go again) and be done with it. Hopefully they don’t have the insane delays they can be notorious for…

I’ve been doing a little research and I actually didn’t know the fan clutch was a 1 piece design for the ‘03-‘04. Does anyone know if the Dorman one will work on the bigger engine? I can get the numbers up I’ve found, but wanted to see if anyone knew. Once that’s sorted, it is just going to be doing all the other service (oil first) and then do stuff as it comes up. I’ll be leaving it alone and taking my time making everything up to the same level as the blue one (the kids actually both commented this morning on how much nicer they thought the blue one was). I surprises me that both the boss and the kids were clowning the interior as I think this one is actually in better shape- I’ve just not done my psycho cleaning or fixed all the little stuff yet.