Oh, and as far as forums go...this one seems to be pretty good. I've identified a handful of people whom I consider to be the knowledgeable ones and those are whose posts I watch the most. I've found some other common forums to be a bit more noisy and less informative.

Cheers.

 

First off, thanks to all of you for the information. Kind of what I expected, especially with the reputation *some* older Rovers can have. Now, with all this, let me add some details on why I want one.
-This past year I've picked up endurance mountain biking/racing. Often times, these races turn into weekend camping events that require a lot of equipment and whatnot to ensure that the race goes smoothly. The e30 really just doesn't cut it in the cargo department, even with a roof rack like I have on it now. Not only this but many of these races are a bit out of the way, and a good 4x4 would be very handy.
-I'm a southwestern Ohio native and I go to school at Miami. Therefore, any car I own isn't really a DD, more of a weekend driver. I definitely want something I can drive long distances as well, for vacations and races and such.
-There's a chance I'll be moving to Wisconsin for the 2014 summer to take an outdoor-based job somewhere in the northern part of the state. Definitely want something to carry gear and be able to handle some gnarly terrain if necessary.

So, based on the information I've gotten here (thanks again), it sounds like what I should be looking for is an automatic D1, preferably one that will cost a bit more up front due to an owner that properly maintained and upgraded it. Prepare to spend a few more grand on replacement parts, and then various other mods.
For mods:
-Brush bar with driving lights (Hella 500s?)
-Roof rack, either LR OEM or a Yakima rack with Loadwarrior basket
-slightly more aggressive tires
-Old Man Emu lift, probably 2 inches, nothing crazy
Just enough to keep it adventure ready.

Thoughts on this? Thanks again (again) for all this information, it's a huge help. Definitely not scaring me off either, no worries there haha.

 

Just one more opinion ...

You say you are thinking of adding a 2-inch lift.

Unless you absolutely know you need that, I'd say hold off and get a feel for what the stock suspension and tires can do. Everyone's standards are different, but a Disco I is a pretty darn capable vehicle in stock setup.

I had a similar list of mods when I got a Disco last year, and I have no regrets (yet!) about holding off. Personally I'd put the money first toward really addressing any bigger mechanical issues that might leave you stranded or cause bigger (more expensive) problems.

 

You're looking at Rovers based on the image (brush bar, roof rack, tires). You're better off with a pickup truck with a shell or even a van. You can't even get the bike in the Rover, much less the bike and camping gear. If you add any additional people, there's no more room.

The Discovery has a reputation as one of the worst overlanders because of how small and inefficient the interior is. The Discovery II improved on it slightly but they come with much higher ongoing costs and far more problems. The Discovery 1 is only "roomy" if you're coming from a Jeep Wrangler. What you get compared to the E30 is space for a couple duffle bags on top of what it's got for a trunk. But yeah, the image is different.

You can get some room inside the Discovery if you gut the 2nd row and load space, but you still won't get a flat floor. I would go for a pickup. Not only do you get a space to keep the bike inside, but you can actually work on the bike inside instead of being outside in the rain with your tools in the mud. The Discovery's roof rack can't do that. You can sleep in the back of a pickup. Sleeping in a Discovery is marginal at best.

Personally, I would go for a Sprinter van, but a good pickup truck can be had for a lot less and is more versatile. If you outgrow the bed space, you can pull a trailer. Land Rovers tow, but they suck at it. With a pickup, you can tow an RV trailer if you outgrow sleeping in the bed, or you can tow a utility trailer if you get more bikes, tools, parts, and stuff like canopies, chairs, and a bar-b-que for events. With a Land Rover, you'll be asking your buddy to carry all that stuff and meet you there.

I have a pickup truck. I've used it to tow the Land Rover on a trailer. Not every Rover owner needs a pickup truck, but even if you don't have to tow it, it's still useful for when you need to haul a transmission or something.

 

When it was my wife, myself, and our lab we put 2 mtb's, camping gear, and other misc stuff in ours. I also used a roof rack (just a yakima with a basket) for larger items that I didn't need access to. Worked well and I wasn't really trying. More than 2 people, will have to put more on the outside. Depends on how much you want/need to haul I guess. With exception to bikes, I plan to take a couple camping tirps next summer with the whole family now consisting of us plus 3 kids. A lot more will go on the outside foshizzle.

I don't know what E30's you've had but all of mine were a helluva lot smaller than a D1 minus 2 duffles. Touring perhaps?

Cheers.

 

An older 4Runner, Pathfinder, or pickup would probably better a better option. If you really like the D1, don't lift it. Spend your cash on excellent maintenance, tires, and a few storage accessories. If you really need more ground clearance there are some simple, cheap, effective mods.

 

You can get a bike rack to mount on the spare tire I have one, I want to use ours for camping but am holding off till the roof basket is done cause there is no room inside with 2 adults and 9 year old plus camp gear and food

 

Well, my plan for cargo carrying would be a hitch/spare tire rack for bikes, roof rack for stuff that the elements won't damage, and the interior for people and the rest of it. Generally speaking I travel with 1 or 2 other guys who race with me. I considered a pickup truck for a while, but I do like the Disco's A: looks, B: nice interior and C: offroad capabilities, even from stock. I mean, it's a damn good looking SUV, and from the ones I've been in, the interior seems a decent place to be, especially for longer trips should I take them. I'm a fan of the older 4runners but everything for sale in my area currently looks like hell/is being parted out. Strange that it's that way, but oh well.
I mean with my roof rack for bikes, on my 4-door e30, i've fit 2 people, a tent, canopy, repair stand, food cooler, sleeping bags, front wheels, toolbox, clothes... it's a squeeze but it does work. I've also fit my 8 piece drum kit, thought that's definitely only with me in the car.

 

You'll have no problem carrying more than you need in (or on) a D1, especially if you're used to making the most of an E30. A D1 is definitely not a buy it, drive it, and forget about it vehicle though....as everyone has said it will require upkeep. But then if you like the D1 and have a desire to drive what you want vs buying a driving appliance you'll definitely enjoy it.

cheers.

 

Another Bimer guy here. I have had my share of E30's, E36's and now I am in an E39. BMW's are by far a dream to wrench on when compared to other cars; especially japs. The Germans understand maintenance and engineer the cars knowing that maintenance needs to be done. I have not seen that in any other brands besides Mercedes and Porsche (not even Audi and VW). I worked on quite a few "E" cars and even flipped them for a while. I have a few contacts at the auctions where I would pick up cars on the cheap and turn them over wheeler-dealer style.

Anyway, I took the plunge on the disco because it was it's second time through the auction without hitting the reserve, or even soliciting any serious bids. I chased down the seller and made a deal. I was on the look out for something to get me through winters and something to drive the dog around in, pick up lumber, etc. In other words a beater with a heater. I bought it for $1100 and put probably another $3000 into it and I still think I am ahead of its value.

It's true what the others are saying; it's capable on its own and address the problems first. With that being said, there are no issues with a little bling If you have the budget and the car is healthy (enough) go for it.

Outside of the bumper and the roof rack, I did not do anything to the disco that did not NEED to be addressed, but when I addressed them, I went for an upgrade. My shocks were blown and one of the stock springs were bent. So I did the TerraFirma 2" kit on that. Some of my front bushings were shot, so I went with a whole polybush kit. A couple of my ball joints were bad, so I upgraded with all new steering arms. The roof rack and bumper were definite functional add ons that I picked on used on the cheap.

So to make a short story long..... If you are going to take the plunge, you have a support group here and given that your future D1 will have 100K+ miles on it, you just might find that you may NEED to replace many of the parts you are wanting to change.