So I bought a beat up 97 Disco in hopes of having a project to teach my son how to work on cars, and I always liked the looks of them. I was also hoping to get something rugged I could pull a trailer with and go camping etc. Thats when the troubles began.........

I have never owned a British car before so I was expecting electrical problem (and have not been disappointed), but it also seems the engines are crap, the transmissions are crap, the emissions equipment are crap, the interior is not that great, etc.

I have since bought another in an effort to make one good vehicle (you can buy them everyday in Atlanta with blown engines).

So, I am going to ask a sincere question. What is good on these things? The drive train seems to be built like a tractor so that should hold up, anything else notable? Should I put a different kind of engine in it (Cummins C4B?)

Should I just part them both out now and quit while I am ahead? I could probably sell the aluminum and parts and come out pretty good. Can someone offer me some encouragement?

Not trying to disparage the vehicle and get flamed, I just want some feedback.

 

I think the problem is in your first sentence..."So i bought a beat up 97 Disco"...if you have really purchased the vehicle to teach your son how to work on cars...here is a great opportunity. Of course any vehicle you buy that was abused will not bode well for the whole...but again, i have a 99 D1 that was purchased at an auto auction...after some work and a few hundred dollars in repairs it works great...of course there will be issues with a 12+ year old vehicle...lots of maintenance and parts to replace as they wear. Discos in general are very reliable and capable vehicles when maintained, but they do have their idiosyncrasies just like any other car; domestic or imported.

I'd recommend keeping the two you have and use the parts to hopefully make one good one, you can always sell the extra parts to recoup some of the costs (post on the forums, you may find people local in ATL that need parts).

If you haven't done so already, download the RAVE repair manual...this will greatly help you with diagnostics of the electrical as well as the mechanical...also shows you where the connections and relays are in the vehicle.

Lastly, I'll say, if you do a search on one of the several forums dedicated to the LR marque, you will most likely find repair/upgrade info for pretty much any issue you can come up with. There are some VERY knowledgeable LR techs that regularly post and help out as much as they can.

Good luck and keep us posted on how your build is going....pics are great as well!

 

You are the classic "I bought it because it looks cool and I've always wanted one" buyer of a Land Rover.
You know nothing about them and are completely un-informed.
In other words, you jumped into the river without knowing what was on the bottom first and now you are in a wheelchair because you broke your back.

These things are so reliable it is ridicules, they are the number one truck used for off road expeditions the world over, they always get you home.
The engine is so simple a moron can fix them, its only 2 steps away from having a 4bbl carb.
The emissions system is 2 catalytic converters and thats it, doesnt get any simpler than that.
The transmission is bullet proof, ZF makes some of the best transmissions in the world, they make them for Jaguar, BMW, bulldozers, frontend loaders, dump trucks, off road dump trucks, mining equipment, the list goes on.
The problems with these trucks are the idiot moron owners who do not take care of them, they use the wrong grade of fuel (you must use premium), they change the oil once or maybe twice a year and take it to where ever they have a coupon for.

You didnt do your homework, you bought the truck because it looked cool and the price was right.
You drowned your engine with the power washer, a huge no-no on almost any engine, thats not the trucks fault, thats yours.
You probably used cheap parts store plug wires too, another huge mistake.
These trucks have personality, quirks and are picky.
Cheap plug wires will not last a day.
My truck has 203,000 miles on the original driveline, including the engine and trans, I am the second owner and it was dealer maintained until I bought it.
Sell them as a pair to a person who knows about Rovers.

 

I also own a '97 D1.

They are not difficult to work on. Besides, just search this forum (and others), ask questions, etc. and you should be able to understand and address nearly every issue you will encounter.

The one you bought might be a lemon, but if you are methodical about putting it back together, you can (as they say) make lemonade out of that lemon.

I am not a "mechanic" per say, but my dad taught me how to do basic auto maintenance when I was a kid, and that is all the knowledge I needed to perform multiple repairs/maintenance items on mine.

Don't give up hope. These really are fun vehicles, and if you treat them right and keep them maintained, they should last a lifetime IMO.

 

Looks like I got flamed anyway. Oh well.....

Just an fyi, I didn't exactly do a ton of research before I bought it, that is true. I am new to the brand (VW, BMW, and Subarus before this). But I am hardly a novice. I have rebuilt numerous engines in the past and I can maintain
Anything from a 747 to a weedwacker.

I didn't "drown" the engine, I was especially careful with it. I just don't like working on a oil and filth crusted motor. I prefer to have it clean.

And no nothing cheap, all bosch and Mobil 1 so far. When I do things I do it right.

I was just trying to ask a question, lighten up.

 

@LeakyDisco thanks for the info. I have found the board to be very informative. I also downloaded the Rave manual which has some good info.
@Spike 555 you have inspired me to completely "mint" this thing out because you don't think I can. Thanks

 

I too was a novice to the D1, everyone was a novice before they got one. Mine has inspired me to do as much work on it as I can myself, I study, read and ask questions as much as possible. I had a D2 that was solid but had different issues. All it takes is time, the problems are fairly straight forward, the hardest thing is getting to some of the problems, o2 sensors etc, otherwise, it's pretty fun. Enjoy your project and yes, post pics as you go along.

 

I really hope you do.

 

I will Spike555, the donor arrives tomorrow. My son will learn how to take things apart first, that's always easier than putting them back together. I will get some pictures up after progress has been made.

 

I learned working on tractors and pick ups.
As long as he doesnt have left over parts he'll be fine, right?