guy is definitely interesting. I've sold parts to him in the past

 

Wait. Master of Discovery is an actual guy??

 

Yep. Hes a guy in the area who sells britpart parts at 100% markup. Wouldn't call him the "master" though as everyone on this forum has more knowledge, eg had no idea watts links were rebuilable(ironicly he sells rebuilt links now), couldnt figure out why someone would want a 180° tstat etc. Peek his other ads.

 

Here in the western US, 2004 D2's are listed on Craigslist for $3K to $5K asking prices. Kelly Blue Book on D2's range from $1000 to a little over $4000. Non-running Discoveries are regularly given away free if you can tow them, but they can have significant parts value.

There will always be some people that have spent a lot on a project car hobby and then hope to sell it for a price far above market value. While a lot of people can buy a Disco for a couple thousand bucks, there are not many fortunate enough to keep it running for several years without spending many times that. Just a new set of tires can cost as much as the car. A head gasket job can cost as much as the car's worth. A used transmission and swapping it in, same thing. Mod it with bumpers and sliders and you'll probably spend the purchase price again. Replace the leaking break booster, worn out water pump, rod the radiator, replace the fan clutch, fix a falling headliner, ripped seat bottoms, O2 sensors, broken cats, saggings springs, worn shocks, broken axles, split CV boots, leaking steering hoses and failed steering box. It's all but inevitable with time and the costs are always adding up. There is no harm in the guy who's paid his dues asking a high price, but there's nothing that will force the market to pay it.

 

 

I lost my Disco 2 to an accident 3 years ago. It was a gas guzzler and by most people's standards an unreliable POS. But to me she was my baby and I enjoyed working on her. Disco's are hobby trucks. What sucks is that at the time of my accident I had the cooling system converted to a chevy 180 tstat, new heater core, brass waterpump, fresh HG's, beefy fan clutch. Was running 183-185 all the time. She was running right and was going to run right for a long time, plus I had an ARB bumper waiting to install.

It really is a case by case basis I think depending on how much you want the car or not. Personally, I'm not paying more than 4-5k for a Disco 2 unless it has at or under 100k in great shape or at least some mods.

If I was in the hunt for another 03 DII I'm already going to factor cooling system overhaul in my purchase.

What will be interesting is how well the D2 will hold value as the LR3 and LR4 depreciate. I will have one again one day no doubt.

 

Anyone thinking of buying an 03/04 DII should budget for the eventual engine replacement.

 

Oh how true! My block cracked after owning mine just over a year. After getting my Turner long block it feels like a new truck though. It's a large investment, but well worth it if you plan on keeping the truck long term. I hope prices go up. I will never sell mine, but at least I'd feel it is worth closer to the $20k+ I have in it. Wishful thinking, I know. I only paid $5k for a very clean 04 when I bought it. That just goes to show how quickly a new engine, cooling system, full suspension, brakes, tires, roof rack, etc. can add up. I have replaced so much stuff on my truck it is damn near a restoration at this point. It is nice having more power, no leaks, no codes....just a great running Disco!

 

A buyer might be willing to pay you $5K for it now (no offense intended, I'm in the same boat). So you fixed a cracked block, but originally you expected to get a vehicle with an uncracked block for $5K. Had you known the block was cracked or would soon crack, you wouldn't have bought it at all. If someone paid you $5K for the fixed truck, they'd still have to expect to double their expense if they run it for a few years. A reman long-block is a good foundation, but there's still failing crank sensors, cracked exhaust manifolds, dead O2 sensors, faulty MAFS, and broken injectors, and those just in the vicinity of the engine. Besides, just because you fix or replace something doesn't mean it won't fail again. Most everything that fails on Discoveries fails between 40K and 100K miles, so it's never long before it can be expected to fail again. I have 140K on mine and it's on its third transmission. The first one was replaced under factory warranty (by PO). Anyone who thinks they've sorted their Discovery so that it's now a solid truck is just deceiving themselves and obviously hasn't owned one for very long.

 

Uh, ok. Well sorted trucks with new engines are selling for well over $5k, and rightfully so. Most issues with these trucks, once sorted out, don't reappear for quite some time, if ever. If I had it to do over, I'd buy a clean truck with a blown motor for under $2k and start the rebuild process from there, new engine and all.