2 things:

1 - you will have a very capable rig
2 - forget resale

I have gone through so many houses and cars always having 'resale' or 'overall value' in mind and all it does is stress me out. I realized soon after buying my pooooooorly maintained Disco that I wasn't getting rid of it unless I was in a pinch for a few bucks. Mod it, wheel it, and forget what it costs or what its worth.

Oh - and you seem somewhat articulate for a hillbilly so I won't jump on that.

Just out of curiosity; what kind of dog? My 80lb Doberman broke everything he stepped on in my Discovery. Seat switches, window switches etc... just keep that in mind.

 

Honestly Ben, that sounds like a great plan. My only caveat is that you may not need 3-4" of lift, you could get about the same travel and tire size on half that. With the judicious relocation of low-hanging components, and 31s or 32s, you'll have quite a bit of ground clearance. 32" tires on a Disco will get you far, especially if you do the differential work you have planned. IMO there is rarely a need for any bigger than that on these rigs, unless you're looking at building a dedicated rock-buggy or mud truck. I have yet to find an obstacle I couldn't get over or around, and that's really the point isn't it?

If you insist on looking at it as an investment, I have a suggestion: rather than trying to capitalize on the investment, why not transfer the goodies over to another Disco if you ever destroy or sell this on? You can always use your third members, armor, tires, and lift components on another rig. If mine ever breaks beyond reasonable repair, I'll probably part it out or sell it as a project, and save the good stuff for the next one.

 

you are so right ben, that why they use gm's in the Australian outback, thats why MOHAB is primarily a gm truck event, thats why there are so many gm owner clubs... OH WAIT I JUST DESCRIBE A ROVER, silly me....

 

please dont talk crap about rovers, here are some links to voice you unhappiness about land rovers....

Hummer Forums - Enthusiast Forum for Hummer Owners - Powered by vBulletin

Jeep Forum - Jeep Enthusiast Network

 

I was trying to be polite

 

Here you go Ben.
Watch these short videos and then tell us what you think, these are totally unbiased "project" truck video's from a offroad magazine.
Keep in mind they bought the truck, and took it to the trails, with street tires.

Trail Issue 4x4 Land Rover Stock Off Road Test

Off Road Big Bear Land Rover Discovery Test Phase II

 

Your full-sized Chevy would not make it up this. How do I know? There's a 2' drop-off just 18" behind both rear tires (my left is already at nearly full droop), an 8" rise in front of my right rear tire, and another 12" rise 2" in front of my left front. Explain how your long wheelbase and 3/4 ton suspension would handle that obstacle, huh? And no, it's not even a slot canyon or a tight turn...

 

Mine's 80 pounds too, 28" at the shoulders. He freakin loves the Disco. He hated the truck because he had to ride in the back (behind the driverside window) in an XL 500 series Skykennel with all the wind noise and no people in sight. Even if I got a cap, he'd still have to be in the crate, but with the Discovery I just need a dog guard. He's not going to tear it up, he's mellow. I just don't want him to go flying into people or a window in a crash. The rear compartment of the Discovery 1 is small enough he can't get a lot of inertia before he hits something as long as I can keep him from coming over the seats.

In fact, the rear compartment is about the same size as a 700 series crate which is what the airlines require for his size. It's also easier for him to jump up and down. My truck's tailgate is like 4 feet of the ground. He can jump it but why should he? He hates riding in it and when it's time to go just lays on the ground in protest. With the Disco, he jumps right in.

 

So your dog has already figured it out...what's taking you so long?

 

I admit, it wouldn't. But if I had an 8" lift and 37's it would. It would roll right over it. It would fail to articulate sufficiently to keep traction but the locker in the rear would still push me forward.

I admit the pickup truck doesn't do it with finesse. It's all about ground clearance, tire size and power. Even if 8" and 37's didn't make it, 9" and 42's would... or whatever.

I regret making a comparison that allowed people to make me out as a GM fan-boy. It's not the case. I just see that the sort of simple, brute force approach of strong axles, lockers, big tires, and lift solves a lot of problems in a very simple and relatively cheap way. Sophisticated articulation is comparatively costly, complex, and in the end you almost have to seek out particularly technical situations to prove it is better.

For me, buying a second vehicle, and significantly enhancing it's suspension and drivetrain was a costly way to obtain trail performance. I could have done 8" and 37's and had a lot of what I needed. I think the large sunk cost in my existing truck is what people mistook for GM fanaticism. So for me it's not just comparing a truck to a Land Rover, but a truck I already own to a Land Rover I have to go and buy and then spend a ton of additional money on.