About To Purchase Disco 2
Key to any used vehicle = getting a good well care for example. There are plenty of nice looking used vehicles, but in my experience DO NOT fall for the ones that look good. Those are usually the ones which are a mechanical nightmare! I'd rather have some faded paint, cracked F/R bumpers, and a few cosmetic bits inside to fix, but have it be mechanically solid.
Plain n simple it's a used vehicle and the service history will determine how it works out for you. I have owned 18+ LR's and not one to date has ever required me to dump a new engine into it, or spend a ton of money to get it going. However I also usually pay a bit more and like the saying goes sometimes you get what you pay for. I also know exactly what to look for and can easily walk away in under 5min.
I always HIGHLY recommend to anyone that isn't car savvy to take the vehicle they're looking at to a well known shop (not where the vehicle is being sold) and have them perform a PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection). They will put it up on a lift, and run down a checklist. Then they will give you the results and you can judge from there if it's worth it.
Also never buy a used vehicle with an aftermarket alarm, stereo, or entertainment system. The installers don't care where they get their power from, and that can turn any vehicles electrical system into a complete nightmare.
The most I have ever spent on a LR after buying it was on my Kalahari, and it was all off road accessories, a winch, and new tires. I have never in my entire history of LR's ever dumped more than 500.00 per vehicle to make em perfect. Get a good one and it will treat you good. Get a 500.00 wonder with a viper alarm, 6,000amp sub, and DVD Headrest, and you might be in for it.....
Plain n simple it's a used vehicle and the service history will determine how it works out for you. I have owned 18+ LR's and not one to date has ever required me to dump a new engine into it, or spend a ton of money to get it going. However I also usually pay a bit more and like the saying goes sometimes you get what you pay for. I also know exactly what to look for and can easily walk away in under 5min.
I always HIGHLY recommend to anyone that isn't car savvy to take the vehicle they're looking at to a well known shop (not where the vehicle is being sold) and have them perform a PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection). They will put it up on a lift, and run down a checklist. Then they will give you the results and you can judge from there if it's worth it.
Also never buy a used vehicle with an aftermarket alarm, stereo, or entertainment system. The installers don't care where they get their power from, and that can turn any vehicles electrical system into a complete nightmare.
The most I have ever spent on a LR after buying it was on my Kalahari, and it was all off road accessories, a winch, and new tires. I have never in my entire history of LR's ever dumped more than 500.00 per vehicle to make em perfect. Get a good one and it will treat you good. Get a 500.00 wonder with a viper alarm, 6,000amp sub, and DVD Headrest, and you might be in for it.....
TReK
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,768
Likes: 396
From: kitchener, canada
Key to any used vehicle = getting a good well care for example. There are plenty of nice looking used vehicles, but in my experience DO NOT fall for the ones that look good. Those are usually the ones which are a mechanical nightmare! I'd rather have some faded paint, cracked F/R bumpers, and a few cosmetic bits inside to fix, but have it be mechanically solid.
Plain n simple it's a used vehicle and the service history will determine how it works out for you. I have owned 18+ LR's and not one to date has ever required me to dump a new engine into it, or spend a ton of money to get it going. However I also usually pay a bit more and like the saying goes sometimes you get what you pay for. I also know exactly what to look for and can easily walk away in under 5min.
I always HIGHLY recommend to anyone that isn't car savvy to take the vehicle they're looking at to a well known shop (not where the vehicle is being sold) and have them perform a PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection). They will put it up on a lift, and run down a checklist. Then they will give you the results and you can judge from there if it's worth it.
Also never buy a used vehicle with an aftermarket alarm, stereo, or entertainment system. The installers don't care where they get their power from, and that can turn any vehicles electrical system into a complete nightmare.
The most I have ever spent on a LR after buying it was on my Kalahari, and it was all off road accessories, a winch, and new tires. I have never in my entire history of LR's ever dumped more than 500.00 per vehicle to make em perfect. Get a good one and it will treat you good. Get a 500.00 wonder with a viper alarm, 6,000amp sub, and DVD Headrest, and you might be in for it.....
Plain n simple it's a used vehicle and the service history will determine how it works out for you. I have owned 18+ LR's and not one to date has ever required me to dump a new engine into it, or spend a ton of money to get it going. However I also usually pay a bit more and like the saying goes sometimes you get what you pay for. I also know exactly what to look for and can easily walk away in under 5min.
I always HIGHLY recommend to anyone that isn't car savvy to take the vehicle they're looking at to a well known shop (not where the vehicle is being sold) and have them perform a PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection). They will put it up on a lift, and run down a checklist. Then they will give you the results and you can judge from there if it's worth it.
Also never buy a used vehicle with an aftermarket alarm, stereo, or entertainment system. The installers don't care where they get their power from, and that can turn any vehicles electrical system into a complete nightmare.
The most I have ever spent on a LR after buying it was on my Kalahari, and it was all off road accessories, a winch, and new tires. I have never in my entire history of LR's ever dumped more than 500.00 per vehicle to make em perfect. Get a good one and it will treat you good. Get a 500.00 wonder with a viper alarm, 6,000amp sub, and DVD Headrest, and you might be in for it.....
I have heard from a couple guys true or false I don’t know that they were always on top of maintenance and still had engine failures
Camel Trophy
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 3,818
Likes: 1,337
From: Mission BC Canada
@redwhitekat He is not in Canada, so he has more choice. When I bought my 04 there were 4 LR3's 2 with the locking rear diff and they were overpriced piles of junk. The problem is they were high end SUV's so most folks did the minimum, now we are buying from 2nd and 3rd owners who may do even less. Even with perfect maintenance stuff breaks, that is just how it is.
Other than the rad, head gasket and a messed rear main seal (previous owner and I had to pay for that one) it has been trouble free. Head gasket was likely due to previous overheat under the previous owner based on how badly warped the heads were
Other than the rad, head gasket and a messed rear main seal (previous owner and I had to pay for that one) it has been trouble free. Head gasket was likely due to previous overheat under the previous owner based on how badly warped the heads were
TReK
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,768
Likes: 396
From: kitchener, canada
@redwhitekat He is not in Canada, so he has more choice. When I bought my 04 there were 4 LR3's 2 with the locking rear diff and they were overpriced piles of junk. The problem is they were high end SUV's so most folks did the minimum, now we are buying from 2nd and 3rd owners who may do even less. Even with perfect maintenance stuff breaks, that is just how it is.
Other than the rad, head gasket and a messed rear main seal (previous owner and I had to pay for that one) it has been trouble free. Head gasket was likely due to previous overheat under the previous owner based on how badly warped the heads were
Other than the rad, head gasket and a messed rear main seal (previous owner and I had to pay for that one) it has been trouble free. Head gasket was likely due to previous overheat under the previous owner based on how badly warped the heads were
i was talking about how best 4x4 never had any engines failures on all his landys What’s the secret
Buying one that was maintained aka normal oil change intervals!
You can take the oil cap out and get an idea of what kind of varnish is inside the engine, you can also glance under it and see a $10.00 Oil Filter or a .50 cent quick lube cheap one, then you can remove the dipstick, and see if it is covered in oil varnish. Those are simple and quick checks. Then you can test drive it, and leave it in 1st gear. It will hit the rev limiter and if the engine is full of carbon you will see big puff's of black smoke each time it bounces off the rev limiter. Then there is just the appearance alone of the entire engine bay. Does it still have the battery cover, are all the hoses properly routed, does it look maintained? Or is it covered with Zip Ties holding the engine bay together from the air box lid up to the intake. Is there Duct tape holding on bits of plastic? If yes to the zip ties & duct tape = WALK AWAY.
Also I never trust a used vehicle that has brand new clean oil in it! The seller could be trying to cover up all sorts of things. I don't want to see dark as night oil, but oil that has been in there long enough to show the condition of the engine. I'm suspicious if it was just ran and warmed up just before I show up to look at it.
All the LR's I've bought were well cared for examples. I have only bought 3 LR's under 1K and those were strictly for parts. The rest all came from either doctors, famous people, or LR enthusiast. I also have NEVER purchased a single LR from a cheap used car lot. They were either bought new from the LR dealership, from my friends with an independent LR shop, or Craigslist.
People try to make 87-04 V8 engines out to be something totally foreign and extremely hard to work on and that just isn't true. The push rod LR V8 is based off a GM/Buick 215 design. There is nothing rocket science or Area 51 about that engine. The 14CUX was a basic yet excellent OBD1 management system, GEMS was also very simple, and the final Bosch Motronic was also pretty easy to work with (especially now since a lot of scan tools fully support reading them).
Once I get a LR I go over it from head to toe and check all the fluids, and replace where needed. Then I go about fixing the common little LR items that are always broken (coin tray & ash tray for example). Give it a good cleaning inside/out, check all the electrical systems, replace bulbs were needed. Check the battery and if there is any doubt replace it with a new one. Check the brakes, the tires, the 4wd system, and I normally order or have spare D2 Fob bodies and switches to fix them and make it look new again. After that I just enjoy the hell out of them!!!
18+ LR's and 0 failures since 2002. I've never been left on the side of the road either. I've had an alternator die at night, and I drove it nearly 30 miles home. Pulled in the driveway and my scangauge II was reading 8.02v lol, but she made it. My 97 RR Vitesse HSE broke a front axle shaft and I was able to limp it home 3hr. 99 D2 didn't want to crank when I was out with my wife on our anniversary dinner, but once the generic CPS finally cooled down enough she fired up. Got home swapped and slapped in a Bosch unit and I was good to go. Besides that not a single issue. That's why I love them so much!! I NEVER had that kind of luck with either of my 05 Jeep Wranglers... They left me on the side of the road almost as much as my crappy 2012 Ford Transit Connect work van did which without a doubt is the worse thing I have ever had to drive! I'd take a 90's Yugo vs a 2012 Transit Connect!!!!
You can take the oil cap out and get an idea of what kind of varnish is inside the engine, you can also glance under it and see a $10.00 Oil Filter or a .50 cent quick lube cheap one, then you can remove the dipstick, and see if it is covered in oil varnish. Those are simple and quick checks. Then you can test drive it, and leave it in 1st gear. It will hit the rev limiter and if the engine is full of carbon you will see big puff's of black smoke each time it bounces off the rev limiter. Then there is just the appearance alone of the entire engine bay. Does it still have the battery cover, are all the hoses properly routed, does it look maintained? Or is it covered with Zip Ties holding the engine bay together from the air box lid up to the intake. Is there Duct tape holding on bits of plastic? If yes to the zip ties & duct tape = WALK AWAY.
Also I never trust a used vehicle that has brand new clean oil in it! The seller could be trying to cover up all sorts of things. I don't want to see dark as night oil, but oil that has been in there long enough to show the condition of the engine. I'm suspicious if it was just ran and warmed up just before I show up to look at it.
All the LR's I've bought were well cared for examples. I have only bought 3 LR's under 1K and those were strictly for parts. The rest all came from either doctors, famous people, or LR enthusiast. I also have NEVER purchased a single LR from a cheap used car lot. They were either bought new from the LR dealership, from my friends with an independent LR shop, or Craigslist.
People try to make 87-04 V8 engines out to be something totally foreign and extremely hard to work on and that just isn't true. The push rod LR V8 is based off a GM/Buick 215 design. There is nothing rocket science or Area 51 about that engine. The 14CUX was a basic yet excellent OBD1 management system, GEMS was also very simple, and the final Bosch Motronic was also pretty easy to work with (especially now since a lot of scan tools fully support reading them).
Once I get a LR I go over it from head to toe and check all the fluids, and replace where needed. Then I go about fixing the common little LR items that are always broken (coin tray & ash tray for example). Give it a good cleaning inside/out, check all the electrical systems, replace bulbs were needed. Check the battery and if there is any doubt replace it with a new one. Check the brakes, the tires, the 4wd system, and I normally order or have spare D2 Fob bodies and switches to fix them and make it look new again. After that I just enjoy the hell out of them!!!
18+ LR's and 0 failures since 2002. I've never been left on the side of the road either. I've had an alternator die at night, and I drove it nearly 30 miles home. Pulled in the driveway and my scangauge II was reading 8.02v lol, but she made it. My 97 RR Vitesse HSE broke a front axle shaft and I was able to limp it home 3hr. 99 D2 didn't want to crank when I was out with my wife on our anniversary dinner, but once the generic CPS finally cooled down enough she fired up. Got home swapped and slapped in a Bosch unit and I was good to go. Besides that not a single issue. That's why I love them so much!! I NEVER had that kind of luck with either of my 05 Jeep Wranglers... They left me on the side of the road almost as much as my crappy 2012 Ford Transit Connect work van did which without a doubt is the worse thing I have ever had to drive! I'd take a 90's Yugo vs a 2012 Transit Connect!!!!
Last edited by Best4x4; May 22, 2020 at 04:09 PM.
TReK
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,768
Likes: 396
From: kitchener, canada
Buying one that was maintained aka normal oil change intervals!
You can take the oil cap out and get an idea of what kind of varnish is inside the engine, you can also glance under it and see a $10.00 Oil Filter or a .50 cent quick lube cheap one, then you can remove the dipstick, and see if it is covered in oil varnish. Those are simple and quick checks. Then you can test drive it, and leave it in 1st gear. It will hit the rev limiter and if the engine is full of carbon you will see big puff's of black smoke each time it bounces off the rev limiter. Then there is just the appearance alone of the entire engine bay. Does it still have the battery cover, are all the hoses properly routed, does it look maintained? Or is it covered with Zip Ties holding the engine bay together from the air box lid up to the intake. Is there Duct tape holding on bits of plastic? If yes to the zip ties & duct tape = WALK AWAY.
All the LR's I've bought were well cared for examples. I have only bought 2 LR's under 1K and those were strictly for parts. The rest all came from either doctors, famous people, or LR enthusiast. I also have NEVER purchased a single LR from a cheap used car lot. They were either bought new from the LR dealership, from my friends with an independent LR shop, or Craigslist.
People try to make 87-04 V8 engines out to be something totally foreign and extremely hard to work on and that just isn't true. The push rod V8 is based of a GM/Buick 215 design. There is nothing rocket science or Area 51 about that engine. The 14CUX was a basic yet excellent OBD1 management system, GEMS was also very simple, and the final Bosch Motronic was also pretty easy to work with (especially now since a lot of scan tools fully support reading them).
Once I get a LR I go over it from head to toe and check all the fluids, and replace where needed. Then I go about fixing the common little LR items that are always broken (coin tray & ash tray for example). Give it a good cleaning inside/out, check all the electrical systems, replace bulbs were needed. Check the battery and if there is any doubt replace it with a new one. Check the brakes, the tires, the 4wd system, and I normally order or have spare D2 Fob bodies and switches to fix them and make it look new again. After that I just enjoy the hell out of them!!!
You can take the oil cap out and get an idea of what kind of varnish is inside the engine, you can also glance under it and see a $10.00 Oil Filter or a .50 cent quick lube cheap one, then you can remove the dipstick, and see if it is covered in oil varnish. Those are simple and quick checks. Then you can test drive it, and leave it in 1st gear. It will hit the rev limiter and if the engine is full of carbon you will see big puff's of black smoke each time it bounces off the rev limiter. Then there is just the appearance alone of the entire engine bay. Does it still have the battery cover, are all the hoses properly routed, does it look maintained? Or is it covered with Zip Ties holding the engine bay together from the air box lid up to the intake. Is there Duct tape holding on bits of plastic? If yes to the zip ties & duct tape = WALK AWAY.
All the LR's I've bought were well cared for examples. I have only bought 2 LR's under 1K and those were strictly for parts. The rest all came from either doctors, famous people, or LR enthusiast. I also have NEVER purchased a single LR from a cheap used car lot. They were either bought new from the LR dealership, from my friends with an independent LR shop, or Craigslist.
People try to make 87-04 V8 engines out to be something totally foreign and extremely hard to work on and that just isn't true. The push rod V8 is based of a GM/Buick 215 design. There is nothing rocket science or Area 51 about that engine. The 14CUX was a basic yet excellent OBD1 management system, GEMS was also very simple, and the final Bosch Motronic was also pretty easy to work with (especially now since a lot of scan tools fully support reading them).
Once I get a LR I go over it from head to toe and check all the fluids, and replace where needed. Then I go about fixing the common little LR items that are always broken (coin tray & ash tray for example). Give it a good cleaning inside/out, check all the electrical systems, replace bulbs were needed. Check the battery and if there is any doubt replace it with a new one. Check the brakes, the tires, the 4wd system, and I normally order or have spare D2 Fob bodies and switches to fix them and make it look new again. After that I just enjoy the hell out of them!!!
The best part number is he’s complaining all the work it needs lol
than every time I have the hood open on the disco they always comment on how I’m always working on it. I laugh I don’t have any lights on and my disco still looks amazing.
TReK
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,748
Likes: 506
From: Seattle, Wa
I've had two engines fail and one other fairly catastrophic event and none of those times did the vehicle strand me... The first one probably doesn't count because it was the legendary front cover recall due to a tic that developed at 38k. It may or may not have really been a problem but the dealer chose a replacement block as a remedy. Free to me of course.
The catastrophic event was a cam shaft failure. Two lobes went flat. Backfired under load... Still drove it over 150 miles to the nearest shop... Drove it very easily but it drove.
Final time was cracked block, coolant going into cyl 5. Block seal bought me about 10k miles until I saved up for the replacement engine.
Bottom line is I've never been left at the side of the road.
Closest I came was due to a failed alternator. Barely made it to my shop right before the battery could no longer power everything and it just shut down.
Word to the wise on that... I have a Flex a Lite E fan replacing the stock fan at the recommendation of my shop... Turns out that thing sucks the battery down pretty quick. Of course you can't turn that off to save the battery. I would not suggest an E fan for anyone doing long trips or going off the grid.... Works great... But not for long without an alternator.
The catastrophic event was a cam shaft failure. Two lobes went flat. Backfired under load... Still drove it over 150 miles to the nearest shop... Drove it very easily but it drove.
Final time was cracked block, coolant going into cyl 5. Block seal bought me about 10k miles until I saved up for the replacement engine.
Bottom line is I've never been left at the side of the road.
Closest I came was due to a failed alternator. Barely made it to my shop right before the battery could no longer power everything and it just shut down.
Word to the wise on that... I have a Flex a Lite E fan replacing the stock fan at the recommendation of my shop... Turns out that thing sucks the battery down pretty quick. Of course you can't turn that off to save the battery. I would not suggest an E fan for anyone doing long trips or going off the grid.... Works great... But not for long without an alternator.
Last edited by Dave03S; May 22, 2020 at 04:24 PM.
The biggest gamble I took recently was with the 95 D1. Pretty much bought it without a test drive (due to time limitations). Upon driving it say 40 miles, when I exited the freeway it was knocking pretty bad. However I had excellent oil pressure and it drove fine, and it wasn't overheating. I dropped it off at my friends shop, and came back up the next weekend to tear into it. Pictures and more detailed info are in the Build Section. Basically the engine was running on 7 cylinders while that one piston went up and down with bad rings, and no compression due to work done many many many years earlier in 2007.
That is why the seller listed it AS IS and not for Daily use driving..... We replaced the damaged piston, did a HG job while it was torn down (there wasn't a single scratch to the piston sleeve/liner), and today that 3.9L engine runs like a new vehicle. That is the most serious engine work I've had to do LR in all my years and I basically was just fixing someones mistake from many years earlier. It was very straightforward once we saw the damaged piston. Just a shame the LR Dealership in San Antonio couldn't do a simple upper intake gasket replacement/valve cover gasket job without dropping a bolt into the engine in 07 and doing a poor repair by just replacing the damaged head and leaving the piston. From 2007 up to 2019 that engine ran on 7 cylinders basically. It was well documented when it got oil changes the engine ticked and eventually knocked. That little 3.9L should have died a long time ago. Had that piston cracked all the way thru my pristine 95 would have probably ended at the nearest Salvage Yard. But it kept on trucking, until the guy I bought it from just didn't want to deal with it and he moved onto an FJ60 project.
That is why the seller listed it AS IS and not for Daily use driving..... We replaced the damaged piston, did a HG job while it was torn down (there wasn't a single scratch to the piston sleeve/liner), and today that 3.9L engine runs like a new vehicle. That is the most serious engine work I've had to do LR in all my years and I basically was just fixing someones mistake from many years earlier. It was very straightforward once we saw the damaged piston. Just a shame the LR Dealership in San Antonio couldn't do a simple upper intake gasket replacement/valve cover gasket job without dropping a bolt into the engine in 07 and doing a poor repair by just replacing the damaged head and leaving the piston. From 2007 up to 2019 that engine ran on 7 cylinders basically. It was well documented when it got oil changes the engine ticked and eventually knocked. That little 3.9L should have died a long time ago. Had that piston cracked all the way thru my pristine 95 would have probably ended at the nearest Salvage Yard. But it kept on trucking, until the guy I bought it from just didn't want to deal with it and he moved onto an FJ60 project.
That is the other thing a lot of people think I am lying about, but not a single one of my LR's from the 95 D1 to my 04 D2 = have a single dash light on or a fault code pending or present! Heck I can't even say that for my brand new 2019 Mercedes Sprinter work van which is in the shop as we speak with 2 passenger airbag faults with dash warnings, and lights on the dash! It only has 1,200 miles on it!!!!!!