So I’m checking out a 2004 Disco II with 116k for $6500. Florida truck, no rust, clean interior, vinyl wrapped but original paint underneath is faded, aftermarket front & rear metal bumpers.

Here’s the catch though:

• 3 amigos lights on
• Not much service history so will definitely need to do head gasket and front driveshaft immediately then inline thermostat mod along with cooling system upgrade and DiscoMike’s 60k service

I plan on checking the truck out on Friday and hopefully talking him down from $6500 considering what all is needed with the unknown service history. I posted previously about another Disco I was looking at but I started to get bad vibes from the seller when I asked more questions. I also had concerns about the high mileage and underside rust so that made me look elsewhere (even though it had a great service history) and I found this one. Really would appreciate some feedback as I’m a more than capable DIY mechanic but wondering if this is good choice instead of the other one. Thanks!

 

That’s way too high especially if the paint is in bad shape. You have to remember these trucks are not easy to own and require lots of upkeep. Sure 116k is low mileage for a 20 year old vehicle but the age is more important. I wouldn’t go over $3k. Find a local Land Rover Indy to get a pre purchase inspection. Best money you will ever spend.

 

I have a different opinion, after owning several of these for the last 10+ years. There could be a lot of maintenance, but all of it is generally a DIY, easy task. There is a ton of support here and the parts are generally inexpensive. Yes, preventive maintenance is key with the drive shaft, cooling system primarily, maybe the CKPS.. None of it is hard, if you are capable of the 60k service, you can handle any of the jobs. The ones I have owned have been more reliable than my new mercedes of 911. I have far less into the Rovers than I do with the others, plus you dont have computers to deal with.

The value here is the lack of rust, that is worth a ton in my opinion. I just replaced the back quarter of mine, probably the biggest job I have done, Ahab was a big help. I was not going to spend the time and money on it, but now that the job is done, there is no reason this thing wont run forever with good maintenance. It is low miles, if the engine is quiet and the interior is in good shape, I would get it for as little as he would take. $6,500 would be fair if the truck were in good shape, clean, quiet, current maintenance, etc.
The three amigos is not worth worrying about, might be a good negotiation tool, but the reality is many people have it and do not worry about it. Mine goes on occasionally, I have done the option B, but am going to try replacing the hub to see if that is the fix. If the PPI does not shown blown head gaskets, and there are no ticks or rattles, I would take it personally. If you like the colors. Tires can be pricey, if those are shot, or old, I would use that to negotiate as well. If the headliner or interior is worn, that is another piece of the price.

$6500 is the high end, but fair for a no rust, reasonably well sorted truck. In my opinion. The bumpers, if you want steel, are probably worth $1k.

Good luck.

 

I saw your other post, this one is way better. Esp if you were ok w the $5500 for a much higher milage truck. Agree more mtc, but if you are DIY then the parts are cheap.

 

Glad you found a lower miles specimen. You have checked 3 key boxes, relatively low miles, no rust and reasonable and perhaps negotiable price.

The 3 amigos are an easy fix, if you have access to a scanner tool such as Nanocom (you can rent it for a week from @Extinct or perhaps a LR shop during the PPI) then you can get a feeling on whether option B will do it or more work is needed on sensors/slabs etc. Not a showstopper

The lack of service history, I mean, after 20Y these trucks have likely passed through various owners, I think most buyers need to live with uncertainty and bet on the shop know-how during PPI. It’s 6k, yes but it’s not 20k, it allows for some uncertainty

you might want to check what type of miles it’s got, highway or off-road, are there signs of off-roading other than steel bumpers? Steel bumpers are not necessarily off-road tale tellers as there aren’t OEM options. I don’t like off-road specimens, they usually have been treated roughly

i don’t think head gaskets have to be “definitively” done, unless you see signs of a blown HG during PPI, are there leaks underneath? Can you hear any knocking? You mentioned he switched to a lower temp tstat, how long ago? If he did 20k miles ago then HG might be all right, hard to tell but I think “none-offending” HG should not be changed preventatively

on the paint, that’s a big ticket, if not rust and you don’t want it pristine then go for it, if you at some point want to paint it then it’s at least 2-4k you need to budget.

good luck

 

Some good input here, most of which I’d agree with.

You mentioned the last one was a D1. First I’d decide if you want a D1 or D2. They are different enough to matter, so that’s worth exploring (I went down the same route and decided on the D2).

Regarding other stuff, it is key to know how good of a shade tree mechanic you are and how well equipped you are in terms of tools. If this is a toy to start with and you have a back up machine while you sort one in addition to the tools, time, and patience, mileage and service history mean very little at this point if there is no rust, the body is straight, and the interior is in good shape.

All resources are out there for manuals and this forum in particular to basically fix anything, so in your search I’d focus on stuff that is hard to fix/replace. My ‘04 HSE is north of 180k miles and after I replace the dash and refinish the wheels (Comets) it’s worth well north of $10k.

I have long said that no matter the price paid and the perceived condition, it will take a minimum of a year to get a D2 to a really good place. This is because the more you drive it, the more you learn what was neglected, and thus what needs sorted. ALL issues are documented to the nth degree, and the resources are out there to fix any issue you have assuming you have the tools, time, and patience to sort them.

Things like needing a full cooling system overhaul, changing the front drive shaft to a serviceable one, adding an external temp gauge, and whole host of other issues that are givens (and head gaskets are NOT one of them) and I can promise you will need to be done- regardless of miles or owners (unless you buy one from an idiot like me). Expect a couple door lock actuators, possible sunroof leaks, window regulators, MAF, O2 sensors, cruise control that doesn’t work, possible ignition coils (PITA to do), plugs and wires, probably suspension, in addition to any fluid in the vehicle needing to be changed aer all part of this “getting to know you” phase. Ball joints and tie rod and drag link are in there too. I’d expect brakes too.

I’m on my 3rd and 4th D2 now and feel I know the platform well, so what it boils down to me in terms of possibles are primarily the option set on the vehicle, and how much of a project I want. Part of why I chose the D2 over the D1 is that the options available for the D2 are substantially greater. If I were to look at a pre-facelift one, my criteria are:
- Pre ‘02 (and some of ‘01) for the CDL
- Rear AC
- Air bags (controversial, but I love them)
- ACE (hideously expensive, but a wonderful system)
- Harmon Kardon stereo
- preferable to be non-SAI

Face lift machines:
- ‘04 for the CDL (just reduces the hassle of changing T cases)
- parking sensors
- all the stuff from above (ACE is a real unicorn)

Other options I’d add if not present, but not a deal breaker if not original and are key for my use are a heated windshield and seats (I had to add both to my current ‘04 HSE). I’m actually going to convert my ‘04 Trail Edition that is next on the list back to air bags, and it has every single possible option (except the rear video screen) ever offered on a D2 that I’m aware of.

The engines get a bit of a bum rap. They are far from a powerhouse, but acceptable. They aren’t ultra perfect for reliability, but aren’t as fragile as everyone makes out. Keep it cool, with proper (and regularly changed) oil, and keep various emissions systems sorted to include the EGR valve or whatever it is, and they will run forever.

Hopefully that gives you some food for thought, and once you determine its use case, can guide you in the direction of what’s important. They are an absolute addiction- so much so, I’m typing this from Europe while mine are in storage in the States until we move back.

 

Unless you have another one lined up in same condition, Buy it! It's an 04 and rust free, and you get all the 04 extras. Then commit another 3g's to the updates needed. then enjoy it!

 

10000% AGREE. TODAY when swapping tires on an LR3 due to a sidewall cut while wheeling, I realized my rims on the D2 were the wrong size. They're actually LR3 rims, which have a bigger cut out for the hub so the entire weight of the vehicle is on the studs...... I just replaced the 5 year old tires last week which have lots of tread left, but terrible dry rot. $2.3k spent for 5 KM3's, install, alongside life time alignments for the vehicle. Now I have to investigate the safety, security, and cost of new rims. The guy I was with was concerned with the safety of it. I've put about 1,000 miles on it and done several rock crawling trips in it.

Since owning the vehicle I've replaced a rear driveshaft, axle seals, the axle flange was straight up loose and fell off the shaft, fix the windshield washer motors, sunroof leaks, replace the headlights and numerous other tiny fixes. Oh and I still have to put on the sway bars, re adjust the steering box, and replace the exhaust due to cracks and less than ideal welded on cats and y pipe.

I've had the vehicle for 10 months... Love the vehicle and more than happy to do the work, but there will always be work to do on these vehicles. Especially if you take them off-road (highly recommend doing )

 

All I am saying these trucks are between 20 and 25 years old, they're generally worth about $3K, you can get them run-down for as low as $1000 but always with major problems. The most finicky thing on this truck is the engine. It hates high temps and is kind of prone to near overheating, after which is tends to blow head gaskets at the very best case scenario. I got mine 2 years ago with the Three Amigos cheerfuly on, have so far put about 17,000 miles on it, the Three Amigos are still on and I really don't care about that. I did have some issues with the breaks that I resolved, but this had nothing to do witht the Amigos in question. As long as the motor is good, the truck is good. Trans is pretty reliable as it is, and generally I would look at the owner and how he/she serviced the truck, does it look like they at least changed the fluids and stuff. By the way, my truck has well over 200k miles on it, so 120k is not bad. But I suspect the previous owner has done a head gasket job on this truck though. If so, they probably did it at about 180k+ miles, shortly prior to trading it in. Why did they trade it in? Probably because of the Three Amigos and they were tires of spending big bucks on this rig, that's why )))
P.S.
In a 2004 you have an actual CDL on that transfer case, which is super cool. Mine is 2003 and does not have it. So that's a big plus.