I've had a 89 Cherokee XJ, a 99 Durango, and a 83 FJ6 Landcruiser and since I've had my 98 D1 for the last month I've never been so impressed with a truck. It's already proven itself in deep snow (I live 9400' up on a mountain near Denver). I've done some repairs and every time they take me longer to do because I stop and admire the way it's all built and laid out. I'm looking forward to wheeling it and doing more work to it. I'm just fighting off the urge to lift it because when I do it won't fit in my garage.

 

Having someone repair your Land Rover is ungodly expensive. Doing the repairs yourself utilizing a forum and the knowledge of others allows you to drive these beasts with 'normal' maintenance costs. But the same is true for any vehicle you have. If you go to a shop, you pay and that gets expensive. If you do it yourself, you save and can afford to play more(hopefully). I find the parts to be about the same as any other vehicle of the same age. Every vehicle has some expensive parts and some cheap parts. Shopping around and asking questions can help anyone fix the repair themselves, or, if they have not the means to do so, can arm them with the knowledge they need to take their Land Rover to an independent shop and tell them what needs to be replaced(providing your own parts helps, but generally the shop will not guarantee any parts you provide). As stated before, owning any vehicle is costly if you are unable to do the work yourself.

 

And for all of those you find there are about 20 more sitting dead in the driveway that people totally gave up on.

Since the availability and cost of parts is what it is, a lot of them end up sitting because people cannot afford to take them into a shop for repair and really are tired of screwing with them themselves.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my 97 Discovery very much. I just don't think they are a great thing to jump into unless you are committed. Then after you have been committed and they get the medications adjusted, you'll probably do OK.

No really, they are a cool off-road vehicle but I would not advise one as a sole automobile for the average working person these days. You need plenty of spare time and spare money to truly enjoy one of these. If you think you can buy it cheap and drive it daily without much trouble, you will be disappointed.

But hell, throw caution to the wind and jump in, the water is fine. Drive it hard and enjoy it while it last.

 

Wish somebody told my family that BEFORE they got it for me..

Haha jk, having one of these in high school is ridiculous. Definitely takes a lot of work and getting yelled at by guys on the forum but it can be done

 

An idea just occurred to me where maybe we could get some statistical data.

I wonder what percentage of total forum members still operate their Discovery on a regular basis (whether it is a daily driver or not, as long it is still operational) as compared to the percentage who joined because they bought a Discovery, ran into problems with it wrote in frantically and then we mysteriously never have heard from them again.

I think it would be interesting to know that piece of information. Either those people are continuing to enjoy their Discovery all on their own or they just plain baled on it.

There seem to be very few real regulars on here compared to the one hit wonders that wonder why their Discovery no longer works.

 

Ha, funny how I noticed that too. Realistically all I ever see are..
Danny Lee Disco
Disco Mike
Spike555
Calebbo
Groundapound
Tweakrover (I think his name is)
DemonLars? Something like that
Kenk
Laser
Atilla "the hun"
Hilltopper
Henrici
Cosmic88
The guy with the donut sign? Forgot his name? Bob? It was a double name
Colodisco
AKdisco (he is new right?)
Mountaingoat
Spencerfitch

Yeah okay so I exhausted my memory. Sorry if I got your name wrong, it was just off the top of my head.

 

I drive mine a lot, mostly to work. I make obstacles, mud pits and things with the backhoe when i am bored, then drive over or through them at lunch. the great thing is if i get stuck, the john deere 310g will get me out.
For long trips i take the wifes car or my buick century.
I also have a slightly built 73 boattail riviera, It makes the rovers gas milage look good.

 

I drive my mini cooper s daily for fuel and fun reasons. As soon as I see snow or need to haul more than 1 passenger the D1 comes out. I've been driving it about 40% of the time for the last month. 35miles each way from my house at 9400' elevation to downtown Denver.

 

I drive mine everyday as well 20 miles one way to work out of the mountains in the morning and back into the mountains at night. I also have a K5 blazer and a 76 Chevy crew cab that I drive whenever the urge arises to drive a huge, loud, rough, tough as* truck....which for a redneck like me happens frequently. Wife drives a BMW X3. I've only had my Disco for 2 months now however.

 

Sounds like you have an interesting job, what kind of work do you do?