Considering 96' Disco
 

I am considering buying a 96' Discovery, with the v8 and a 5spd manual. I have never owned a Land Rover but have 4x4 experience.

-What should I look/listen for that may indicate the possibility of a major mechanical failure? I know how to diagnose lots of issues but nothing specific to Land Rovers or Discos.

- Should I be wary of the 80k miles on the vehicle? I know these vehicles are robust, but require lots of attention to keep in good running order, just want to know if relatively high mileage is ok.

- What kind of power/ torque does the 4.0 make? Is it worth upgrading for more power and efficiency?

- What should I look for when I test drive this car?

Any and all input you can give will be greatly appreciated! I'm excited to be the potential owner of one of these amazing vehicles!

Here's the link to the car:

R M R 4x4 LLC - 1996 Land Rover Discovery SE - Birmingham, Alabama

Looks nice but no engine shots.I think it is way overpriced.Just read up on them hear.It is a wealth of knowledge.

Thanks. I had a friend of mine look at it and he said it's in excellent shape. It is overpriced, as of now I can get it for $8500. I think $7500 is a little more realistic though. Gonna wait til I can test drive it.

Thanks again

If your willing to entertain that price for a Disco you should be looking at Defenders instead. They hold their value. That's a ridiculous price for any pre 2003 Disco. A 2004 is worth about that price.

Yes, the body and interior are in mint condition, but ten grand for a 1996??? That's got to be double the price of the most expensive one I've seen before this. If they have all, and I mean all, the service records proving this thing has been maintained out the wazoo, then maybe it's worth $8,000. That being said, here's a few things to look for:
Antifreeze- green or orange? Orange means it's dex-cool, which I understand is crap that has probably clogged the radiator by now. Let it idle for 15-20 minutes with the A/C on and make sure the temp gauge doesn't max out, these trucks are prone to overheating.
If the headliner hasn't been replaced, it's probably sagging or about to, another common problem.
See how easily the CDL lever moves. If the PO never used this feature, the linkage is probably good and seized up.
Of course, check all the usual stuff, hoses, belts, etc.

Good luck!

I agree it's pretty high. I appreciate the feedback. Could it be the fact that it's a manual that it might be worth more? I know that only the 96' and 97' had the 5 spd in the U.S.

What do you think is a fair asking price and why?

Thanks again

94 through 97 had manuals as an option. No, the R380 isn't that special to warrant that high a price. Red Mountain is asking a premium for it being a Land Rover and that is the only reason they are asking that price. Even if it was an XD with provenance the price would then be ball park. This isn't special. Allow me to inform you that in it's day the Discovery was the Freelander of the Rover family. It was made with off the shelf parts provided by Range Rover Classics and Defenders. Other than the hideous roof line it's a very ordinary bottom of the line offering from Land Rover and it's remained so. It was the cheapest seat if you wished to buy into the LR mystique.

I would not go above 4k. It is clean but I wonder what a dealer would do to keep his actual cash cow line of Defenders looking good? They sure wouldn't offer their bottom line cheaply.

Hard to say without knowing more about it. Older Discos aren't really collector cars. People usually buy them because they're cheap and are great platforms to build into off-road assault vehicles. For a '96 with under 100k, $6,000 - $7,000 would be the high price range. For $10,000 it should come with a maid and personal masseuse.

Thanks for all the feedback.

It seems to be a really nice truck, but the price is stupidly high. After researching several different sites the highest retail price I've seen for a disco 1 with this mileage was 5k. I'm not really sure how I should go about explaining that to the dealer, or maybe the best thing to do is wait a little while since I'm sure no one will pay the $9800 they're asking. I have a 12k budget and would rather save the extra cash for mechanical issues and upgrades instead of using it to pay for a truck that's not worth the $'s.

Thanks for the help, love the comments, keep um commin

Why not look at the Discovery II's or a Series at that budget level?