Hi all, been a long time reader and can't say enough how much I've benefitted from the wealth of knowledge here. I've always been a fan of rovers, and I just now registered here as I am finally ready to take the plunge on a disco II. I've gone through all the must reads and learned a lot about what to look for, and I've found a good candidate that I'd like to run by all of you to see what you think.

The truck I'm interested in is a 2004 disco II SE7. I haven't been able to inspect the vehicle in person yet since it is pretty far away from me, but I'm hoping to check it out this weekend. In the meantime I'm trying to learn as much as I can remotely, and fortunately the seller has been very good about communication thus far. Here is the information I've learned this far:
-One owner, no accidents
-Winter package (heated windscreen, etc)
-18inch wheels (good for me as I want the ground clearance)
-Newly installed engine with 30k miles (body has 180k miles)
-No ACE or SLS (from what I've read that's a good thing, just less things to break)
-From the pictures the truck looks very clean, interior and exterior look to be in very good shape.

Now I plan on doing a phone call with the owner tomorrow to learn more, but one thing that is confusing me about this vehicle is that it is listed as having a 4.0L engine installed for the new motor, not the 4.6L. I understand the 4.0L was in the older discos, is there a reason why you would go with the 4.0L over the 4.6L? Thanks for the help, and I'll try to keep you updated about what I learn and if I pull the trigger. In the meantime I appreciate any advice you all may have!

 

4.0 is the better engine.
But with it can be many problems as the ECU would have needed to be changed too.

Different fuel may.

You may be buying a failed project.

 

Met to say different fuel MAP

 

Understood, I have the information about the place that did the engine install and I'll look into asking them about the details of what they did and if it was done correctly. If it was a successful install(and that's the big if), would it be the best of both worlds between the disco I and II?

 

I may be wrong but the 4.0 is in the early D2s as well. The 2004 has the facelift and also has a transfer case with the CDL linkage. Us early D2 owners are on the look out for those in the junk yards!

 

Put a pair of walking shoes in the trunk.

 

Your list is about on par with what I set out for to get my most recent Disco. I personally didn't allow myself to get hung up on the facelift body style. I love the 03-04's, but if I can buy an earlier model with the CDL swap already done, I'm happy.

You need a code reader or scan guage and enough allowance to test drive it thoroughly to see if those codes will trip. When I say test drive, I mean test everything. Hi/Lo range, CDL, each gear in tranny, sport mode, smell the exhaust, listen to the motor, check the water temp. It's easy to push every button and see if things light up lol

Pull the dipstick to check the oil for any milkyness. Your main concern points should be the following items
1. Motor Health
2. Tranny Health
3. Frame Rust

All the other stuff is easy and likely not a challenging fix. Hell, even most of those little electronic nuisances happen to the most maintained of discos.

I can tell you this. My current truck has 115K body and 35K motor with a strong tranny and as little rust as any 16 year old vehicle can have for being in Ohio. I take serious care of my truck and still battle dumb stuff on the daily.

Just make sure your drivetrain and frame are up to your spec and you should love what you get

 

Good points Zoltan! Definitely take a scangauge or other OBDII reader with you!

 

The cost of the block is the main difference in why one would choose a 4.0 over a 4.6

Recently was talking to some guys who do transplants and they say good used 4.6 blocks are getting harder to find and now costing around $3500. While a 4.0 block can be had for maybe $1500.

 

Thanks everyone for the advice, I'll be putting it through the testing gauntlet once I can take a look in person. Am I giving anything up by having the 4.0L installed instead of the 4.6L, or should that not be a concern assuming the job was done right? I'm going to be calling the owner and the place that did the engine swap, the shop that installed the 4.0L is specific to rovers and they have a good reputation.

If everything turns out looking in good shape, would you say $6500 is a fair price?