Hi guys,

I am a regular in the disco II forum but I have a question for the disco I guys out there.

I came across a 1999 Disco I with about 110k miles in pretty good shape. It has an ARB bumper in front without a winch and is in decent condition (not excellent) otherwise although I noticed some oil on top of the water pump -- nothing a cant handle though. The owner is asking $3,700 which I think is a little high. I offered $2,500 and didn't get very far. In your opinions, what do you think this trick is worth? I have an '04 dII that I will keep but would love to have a dI. Thanks for the help.

 

I paid $1750 for a 97 with 170K. You can use www.statewidelist.com to search all of craigslist in your selected state for "rover", it lets you specify price range, and will sort the output by city. Pretty handy to check the market prices. And of course there is kbb.com.

 

3700 seems very high. Here in Texas I paid 2500 for my 96 with 156k about a year and a half ago. If it's in decent shape and has some upgrades I could see maybe 3k.

 

Thanks guys. KBB has it at $4,000 for "excellent" condition for retail. It is at a dealership but the private party value is only $2,600. I made a $2,500 offer to open negotiations but I think I pissed the guy off when, in reality, I was within $2-300 of the actual value. Thanks again for the help.

 

Does he have your phone number?
Go back and tell him that when he is ready to sell it to call you.
He should have at least counter offered.
$3000 is the highest I would pay and keep in mind that KBB is a guideline not the rule for pricing.

 

He's got my number. I have been watching several on eBay and they have been selling in the $2,700 range. I think I'll give him a call Monday and up my offer two or three hundred and see what happens. Thanks for the help.

 

A lot of dealers will try for a high price initially. The day of the month and even day of the week can often affect their eagerness to sell. Hit him up again and see what his attitude is.

"Be backs ain't greenbacks" is one saying a used car salesman I know likes to use.

If they think they can get a lot more they will want to sit on it, but the longer they hold it, the more anxious they will get to sell it.

 

The KBB values are only for reference. When I sold my 94 jeep grand cherokee to a small local car retailer, they low-balled me and said that KBB values do NOT take into account the status of the economy and the gas prices. You should throw this fact in his face and remind him of the poor MPG this disco gets. Also run a list of common issues associated with the D1 by the dealer to cut his high profiting ambitions! Take the disco for a test drive and TRY to find common things wrong with it to aid you in lowering the asking price. Start with the list below.

1.) faulty engines with common misfires, poor camshafts and pistons.
2.) faulty power steering systems that almost always leak fluid.
3.) potentially faulty CDL which commonly freeze up and are un-useable.
4.) oil pan usually leaks oil.
5.) window regulators and motors have short lifespan.
6.) Plastic trim pieces are poor quality
7.) SRS, ABS, Check Engine lights?
8.) Hows the break system? Check the back of the calipers for signs of brake fluid leaks.

If you find any of the above, you SHOULD be able to use this to your advantage and ultimately lower the asking price.

 

Not to mention find any scratch, dent, chip, and dead bug thats on the rover and start talking about how much time and money it will take for you to have someone fix it....