Kinda weird question but Any of you guys with discos in the daily driver status ever feel under the gun getting stuff done on them? For example I being a father of 2 young kids try and set aside time each weekend to try and tackle some of the items on what seems to be my never ending fix list but when I try to look into doing something big on the list like removing the entire interior and ripping out that sponge foam or pulling the sunroofs to reseal, it feels like I'm under the gun since I've gotta have it back together and operational to get me to work. Maybe I'm the only one with this problem since I'm sure most of you have back up cars. This is mostly me thinking out loud.

 

My '98 was my daily driver for a long time. And yes there was always a sense of urgency to get the work done so I could use the truck. I had to plan ahead of time when I would do what work. The killer was when I'd get sent the wrong part or something didn't fit. I have 3 kids; 9, 7, and 5. So a few years ago when I was doing all the major work it was a real pain.
I now have a '96 Disco that I daily drive. I do as little as possible to it, LOL. Its SO nice being able to tear into the '98 and let it sit till I have time. Though I am finding projects take a lot longer to get done on it now that there is no sense of urgency.

You don't need to gut the interior to pull the floor foam. Remove the sill plates, lift the carpet, and cut the foam out.

 

Ok then I'm not the only one lol, no I know I don't have to pull the whole interior to pull the Foam I just meant I would like to pull the entire interior to see if there's any rust you know give it a good inspection those processes take a long time. I guess planning is the key.

 

Rust, in CT? Naaaaaaah. LOL
Planning is key. Never tear into something on a Sunday, everything is closed or closes early.

 

You are not alone. I have the exact same problem. Made worse by the fact that I live in an apt and cannot work on it at/near my home. I'm generally driving it somewhere, doing the work, and driving it home.

 

Its surprisingly rust free I would just like to check all the hidden spots.

 

Yeah I rent a house but at least the land lord let's me work on it in the driveway

 

Yes, you need a backup car or an alternative. I didn't get my Discovery 1 as a daily driver, but if it's running I prefer to take it for anything but very long highway drives, so it's become a daily driver. It's only practical to do this because I've completed extensive work on it, and the projects that remain would be repair or replacement of wear items.

I have two little ones, and before I would even consider owning one of these, I'd make sure my wife has a normal car that can accommodate everyone. If you both commute to work separately, I'd be sure to have a reliable commuter too. One of the two doesn't have to accommodate everyone, for example, a compact pickup.

If the Land Rover has been mechanically restored, it has reasonably good reliability. It's a high maintenance vehicle and if it's also 15-17 years old, the demand can amount to a "restoration" even if a Honda of similar age might only need a "tune-up." The Land Rover can require repair or replacement of major items and the downtime, especially with the delay for parts arrival is significant. You also have to consider that if you're not a full-time Rover mechanic, you have other things to do and other priorities.

There's been times when I resented the Land Rover for the time it took me away from my family. Fortunately I think I'm through the tough period. I've also become willing to pay for good parts, pay for replacements instead of repair, or even pay an indy shop to do some jobs like swapping transmissions or engine blocks, whereas before I might have done that myself. Essentially, I've resigned that this is much more expensive vehicle than I originally conceived because I'm less willing to pay with my time anymore. If your time is worthless, you don't have to count the hundreds of hours of work you'll do owning one of these. If not, you've got to admit they're costly. A certain amount of this is appreciated. There's some satisfaction is working on your own vehicle and making it work and look the way you want. But the less it's your hobby and the more you depend on it's utility, the more concerning excessive demand of time becomes.

The least satisfying and most disappointing thing about my Land Rover has been the times it wasn't available for a big weekend or something like that. Because that's really it's raison d'être. I'm hoping that I simply had premature expectations and that as it matures it won't continue to disappoint.

 

Time management is an issue... I am constantly under the gun to get things doen and I NEVER seem to make progress on that list. I only have the 1 4 year old, but he is enough to keep you running ragged...

 

I don't play golf. That is pretty expensive these days, and playing 18 holes takes a lot of time. So, instead I work on my Rover. I can curse all I want, wear dirty old clothes, drink whatever I want and listen to music. What's not to like ? I'm not sure which one is more frustrating though. ;^)