Sixpack nailed it. I learned this lesson the hard way on a D2 many years ago.

 

I bought a D2 for $3k...that snowballed into an even bigger money pit than I ever expected, lol

 

“crate motor” but no mention from where or any details about it. Also sold AS IS so must not be a reputable rebuilder. What you need to be looking for is a good frame at minimum. Assume the engine is junk even if the seller says otherwise.
You can get 3 D2s for under 5k and just swap parts around to make one good one. That’s what I would suggest to do (and plan on doing shortly). Get an engine from Atlantic British or Turner if you want peace of mind, rebuild yourself or have a trusted indie do the work.

 

+1
And the frame is crucial
My 04 had one ugly spot on the passenger rear of the frame, behind the axle, typical spot where the frame is boxed(rest of the frame is fine).
It was solid when I hit it with a hammer before buying it almost 3 years ago(I didn't care what the spot looked like).
Even a few months ago it looked the same, until seemingly overnight, that spot evaporated, lol
No pieces on the ground, nothing, just a big hole in the side and bottom of the frame.
Now, it won't pass state inspection, so I have to repair or replace it first(after I fix 20 other things).
The body and interior on mine are great too, but it's looking more and more like finding a non running truck with a good frame and body, and swap the rest over, will be the cheapest and easiest route.

 

It looks to be a nice trucc but seems er'body here just tore it apart...ive found with disco 2's, its hit or miss...i bought a 2003 se7, 7 seater, with 127k, from a friends father for $300...that was 3 years, & 25k miles ago...its my daily driver & all ive done to it was the water pump, pads, rotors, & calipers all around, belt tensioner, reg. Oil changes, top off all fluids, i also put 22" stormer rims on it,
(jus cuz i found them on cl for $400) & thats it, shes been sooo good to me & i absolutely love her for it...i actually just drove it from new york to lorton va. Where i got on the auto train & moved to fla...the gas mileage is bad, like 11mpg, but i wouldnt have it any other way...she got 152k on her & i hope to get another 150k out of her...i know, its good to dream...still my favorite trucc out of all the vehicles ive ever owned, even if she does have weird british qwerks...im one of the luccy ones.

 

I'm tearing that D2 apart due to living in the area and knowing what that dealer gets their hands on (auction vehicles), then they dress them up with cheap accessories, a detail job, and add 10K to the price. I've looked at their vehicles for a few years now and each one is made to look good, but they NEVER hardly ever show under the hood.

Now I have absolutely nothing against spending good $$$$$ on a good LR. I've bought an 02 Kalahari with 200K on it for nearly 5K (jumped in and had fun instantly) as it needed nothing but upgrades. Mechanically perfect. I've bought a rusty 97 XD (1 of 26 Eco Challenge vehicles) for 2.5K that needed a lot of TLC just to go down the road, but while it's rusty I absolutely love it. Then I've recently just purchased an all original 95 D1 in great shape for 2.9k that needed some engine work (piston was damaged due to an ignorant mechanic in 07). All of the ones I paid good money for I knew exactly what I was getting. Most of them were jump in and enjoy them vs buy them and piece em together. The D1's both needed TLC at first, but I sorted that out very quickly and after that they're both mechanically solid.

On the other end of the spectrum I've bought a few cheap LR's that the owners just didn't need anymore. However they were very well maintained up until the owners just no longer needed them. My 99 D2 was 1.5k and I drove it 4.5hr home at 80MPH after just installing a new alternator and a new battery (had both as spares). It's been excellent and has needed nothing major for the past 3-4 years. You can sometimes find LR's cheap, but be aware that normally the 500.00 wonders will need lots and lots and lots of repairs from HG, exterior, paint, frame, drivetrain, to interior pieces, and by the time you're done you'll be up into the 6k area quickly.

So if you want a project sure a 500.00 D2 can be fun. However if you are new to LR's and just want to enjoy one I highly recommend buying one from a LR enthusiast or independent LR Shop. DO NOT buy one from a used car lot that makes em look good, but mechanically they're a total wreck.

 

this is very accurate

 

Assuming the motor is a trusted builder motor - what other vehicle are you going to buy remotely similar to a D2 for that price, in that condition?
An honest question - just curious of anyones thoughts on what THEY would spend that same money on.

 

Those roll bars are for looks. They don't work. They will bend and break. You can't add a roof rack with those roll bars.

This looks like a car dealer got it for $1000. Added $3000 for looks. Then added $10,000 grand.

This is a stupid deal. You could do this work yourself.