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2003 Disco 2 opportunity, should I grab or run away?
So I’ve been after a disco for an age. This one came up within budget and one of my mates is a mechanic and said “money pit, run away”
116k on the clock but I’ll admit the interior speaks to much higher or a hard life (plastics broken, seats don’t fully work, driver console/binnacle is held on by gravity alone and these are the fault codes:
If it was cheap enough I’d buy it. Those are a lot of codes, and it looks well used. Perhaps the biggest issue to look for is frame rust, especially in the rear quarters.
If it was cheap enough I’d buy it. Those are a lot of codes, and it looks well used. Perhaps the biggest issue to look for is frame rust, especially in the rear quarters.
No rust - AZ car, $2500 asking price.
is it expected that the inside looks like a angry kids toy box? I’ve owned higher mileage cars that look 150% less awful.
Not sure how these wear…
but googling the codes it’s either a head gasket or coil packs.. and as it’s 3 cylinders next to each other in the same bank…. Looks like a head gasket :-(
Me...l'd keep looking. Spend a little more for one that has been taken care of...especially interior wise. I'd not pay more than $500.00 for that one or less, paint is toast, interior you said is rough...and it may need a ton of engine work...run away.
seems my mechanic buddy and the majority have spoken.
in my head this was borderline ok idea but my gut is saying head gasket, and with the binnacle being loose (it’s like a pan lid) and the damage to the interior I’m suspecting it’s been clocked.
ps my buddy was a vehicle mechanic in the British army, I worked in the MT too but to a lesser extent, we love landrovers. With a passion.
Maybe ask if they are willing to let you do a compression or leak-down test. Look over the condition of the spark plugs and wires. Could even get a cheap borescope and peer in each cylinder. Sounds like you have someone who knows what to look for.
Cyl 3 and 5 are next to each other, but 2 is on the right bank, so could be an ignition problem. According to Forum experience, if head gaskets fail, it is typically at the ends where the water jacket passages are, although it could also be between cylinders or out the side. Guess it depends on what you want to do with the truck, if you like to tinker and want to take it off-road, or if you want a show vehicle. On the other hand, my mechanic says the interior condition gives a pretty good idea about how the engine and drive train were cared for. Do you know how long this owner has had it? How long has it been parked? Any maintenance records? How much more are you willing to put into it (time and money)? By the way, the binnacles on my trucks are floppy too, brittle plastic, but all that steel underneath...solid.
*edited to add - i searched for the VIN issue mentioned and its within the range
I have an 03 I'm currently parting out. Has 85,xxx miles. Cracked timing belt housing directly above the crank pulley due to the misaligned dowel. Not a repairable issue.
2003 Disco 2 opportunity, should I grab or run away?
