Greetings from Chicago! Many years ago I was bitten by the Discovery bug, but as a city dweller in the Midwest, couldn't particularly justify such a capable (and expensive) off-road vehicle. These days I have a small family and big plans to move to the mountains, so I'm finally ready to pull the trigger on the project truck of my dreams.

This forum has been tremendously helpful in recent weeks — especially in showing me just how little I know.

I've recently stumbled upon a 2003 Discovery SE with the following specs, and would be most grateful for counsel from experienced Disco owners:
- 75k miles on the odometer
- 3rd owner
- Head gasket, spark plugs and fuel pump were recently replaced (2,000 miles ago)
- Water pump replaced (not sure when)
- Check Engine Light is permanently on — diagnostics show a "catalytic coverter" code, but owner claims there is no misfiring and that he can't trace the issue to anything mechanical. O2 sensor perhaps?
- Interior and exterior appear to be in excellent shape, and owner claims there is no visible rust
- Owner is asking 8k

The vehicle is several states away. I've had one phone call with the owner, and service records and a Carfax are on their way to me (I'd be happy to report back here when I have those data points). In the interim, I am having a good friend who is a competent gearhead take it for a test drive on my behalf.

So two questions:
1) What should I specifically have my buddy investigate when he takes the vehicle for a drive? Any tips/tricks/watchouts to help inform the purchase?
2) On paper, does this seem like a decent deal for the year/model, provided there are solid service records and a clean Carfax?

Any help is most appreciated, and I hope to be a contributing member to this community soon! Thanks much.

 

 

This^
These things are tremendous money pits...don't ask me how I know, lol.
It only needs this, and that, and then it snowballs.
03 also has no cdl, which is worth having, especially in mountains/off road.
You also have to spend several hundred driving to look at it, and/or having it shipped.
If you want a "project", buy one local for a couple grand and spend $6k in parts. You'll be better off in the long run.

 

 

My 2 cents. I know it sounds like we are piling on with warnings but view them more as "been there/done that" from the forum rather than us trying to discourage you.

As mentioned 8k is way to high, even for one owned by the proverbial little old lady who had her local Rover dealership service it every 6 months.

Things to do if you are serious.

1. Have your friend have a local indy shop that actually works on Rovers give it a pre-purchase inspection. Cost you $100 to $150 and worth every freaking penny. If there is a local Rover dealer they will work in a pinch but get the inspection done. They can tell you what needs to be done vs what the codes tell you which is only what's wrong at the moment.

2. Get the actual fault codes being thrown. They will help keep the guessing game down and help you calculate what it will cost to repair and help you with negotiations. O2 sensor issues throw different codes from catalytic converters. The cats might be plugged and you might need new ones. At this point you don't know but I can tell you it adds up.

3. Keep in mind that it's still a 14 year old vehicle. It might run great now but if you want to keep it running great then you are going to be doing a whole bunch of preventative maintenance on it to keep it running that way. Take a look at the 60k high mileage service sticky at the top of the forum. Plan on doing that and a lot more in your first year of ownership. Again, it's 14 years old. All of the rubber hoses, belts and mechanical parts that spin are fair game for failing unless you update them. And the cooling system is # 1 on the list along with your front drive shaft. Keep on reading on the forum and you will come to understand why.

4. If you are going to take the plunge you should be able to turn a wrench. Or be rich. Rovers need maintenance and the older ones even more so. There is always something to fix but they are easy to work on, fun to mess with, and this forum is a tremendous resource.

5. Don't get discouraged and remember you don't have to buy the first one you see. I own an 04 and looked at 16 of them over 6 weeks before I pulled the trigger. You learn a little bit with each one you look at and test drive. Mine had twice the mileage this one does and I paid more than I wanted too but less than your 8k. BUT I knew by that time that it was the nicest one I had seen and my best option for owning a Disco. And I got right to work on upgrading and replacing components that wear and tear on any vehicle. Lights, brakes, starter, battery, alternator, radiator & cooling hoses (entire d@mned cooling system) along with the high mileage list of service and too many smaller things that I can't recall at the moment. Took me almost two years of updating components before I got around to the fun stuff (lift kit, tires, lights, etc...) but I have to tell you I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's a fun journey and a really great vehicle. Just go into owning one eyes wide open.

 

I deal with a lot of D2’s and honestly they aren’t getting any younger. Finding a clean non rusted, good exterior/interior, good driveline, and engine is starting to be a needle in a haystack. Sure you can grab nasty non running D2’s from 500.00 up to 3k, but add up all the repairs/parts/time & soon you’ll be far from your 500.00-3k purchase price.

Yes I’ve bought a few diamonds in the rough for cheap, but I’ve also bought rather pricey D2’s in the 4-8k range (limited editions or just flawless 1-2 owners)

My Kalahari was a prime example, it was 4.5k with 210k on it, completely original, and every single thing worked and it was clean inside/out. I’ve now owned it nearly 4 years and I haven’t done anything major repair wise to it. I’ve done upgrades like an 04 CDL linkage, lift, bumpers, tires, brakes, but the main thing is I immediately got to enjoy it!!!

So I’d say now days you do get what you pay for D2 wise. You can buy one that has everything fixed and is basically yours to enjoy, drive, and upgrade or there is the buy it cheap & fix it up as a project dreaming of the day you get to cruise around in it. I’ve always got a project D2, but I own 5 D2’s so I’ve got 3 of them ready to jump into and drive at anytime while I’m tinkering with the project D2’s.

For 8k I’d expect it to need absolutely nothing but a new owner. Get the codes for the CEL, if it’s a P0420/P0430 it needs need cats & O2 sensors. If the owner/dealer fixes it fine, if not take off at least 1k for new cats & O2 sensors. Also if you are not at all familiar with LR’s have it inspected at a shop before you talk $$$$ with the dealer or owner.

I do not consider LR’s money pits. It all depends on what you get & how it was treated. I run from any LR with aftermarket alarms/entertainment systems or redneck engineered aux wiring! LR’s DO NOT take kindly to poor electronic work.

The first thing I do to any LR I’m interested in = lay on my back and start from the ground up. Rust = run, 1inch thick oil on everything = run, pop the hood & if it’s nasty with zip ties/duct tape repairs everywhere = run. Doesn’t matter how clean it is inside or out = I’d still run if any of the above were present.

 

No surprise that there is a wealth of advice and expertise here, but I genuinely thank everyone for taking the time to share their goodwill.

I'm not discouraged at all. If anything, this all emboldens me further to be diligent about diagnosis, upfront about expectations, and confident to go in with a much lower offer and walk away if it isn't the right fit.

If this were a 1-2 owner, and otherwise in good condition minus the cat and CEL, what would be fair market to offer? (General guidelines here are valuable .. I realize there are all kinds of exceptions and contingencies with particular vehicles)

 

8k for a superb 03-04 isn’t far off especially if it’s had engine work done. Heck pieces of junk are for sale on Ebay/Craigslist/Carguru/Autotrader/used car lot’s for 10k to 20k all day everyday.

It’s going to soon be a price based on supply & demand just like the D90/RRC/D1 and now the D2.

3k-4k range should get you a decent 99-04 that will require new bumpers (typical egg shells by now), possibly new front lower seat covers, new steering wheel (leather can get nasty), a new headliner, tires, brakes, and you’ll probably have to fix the 3 amigos (not bad at all), and it “could” need a HJ job. That kind of repair isn’t uncommon for that price range. Not to mention windshield cowl or A pillar trim.

Honestly you can now grab a decent 05-08 LR3 for 8k and they’re excellent vehicles, but they DO NOT have the same lovely body lines a D1/D2 has. You also have air suspension to deal with. My wife drives an 06 LR3 HSE & it’s awesome, I just prefer older LR’s myself & that’s why I drive a D2.

 

i think $8,000.00 is far too high for a stock 2003 with a permanent CEL. if the current owner cannot be bothered to get that fixed what else can he not be bothered to do?

for context, i picked up a 2004 two (2) years ago for $9,000.00. It had no rust. New radiator, thermostat, hoses, coolant, etc.. An oil cooler had been added. Three (3) inch lift kit. ARB (style) front bumber. Hella spotlights. A winch. Practically new KO2's on all four corners. And some other things I'm forgetting. I think the $9,000.00 included shipping from Utah to Missouri.

 

I would not pay 8k for a discovery II unless it had a Tophatted motor, or an LS in it.

The original engine with low miles is not your best option. You are better off buying one with many more miles, an SE7 or HSE package, for way way less.

Never, and I know from experience, buy a Land Rover with the Engine Light on.

Take a hard pass. And keep looking.