Hello!
I'm in a bit of a bind. I found a used 2001 Land Rover Disco II with 110k miles on it and need help deciding if I should buy it. I am turning 17 this year and don't do heavy commuting. Through the summer and fall I operate a small lawn care company that allows me to make more than working at McDonald's. Transporting equipment isn't the problem, it's the reliability of a used disco. Would I be taking a risk in buying it? I'm not stupid in knowledge of typical problems with these truck.(i.e. Coolant, Tranny, Engine Block, Valves, etc.) Tell me what you think!

 

You said it. It is more of a risk than other vehicles. In your case, the smartest decision for you and your business would probably be to buy a used Chevy or Ford truck.

 

Finally, a thread I can contribute to and use as my first post (Like most, I'm a chronic "asker" before becoming a "contributor", so I figure I'd buck the trend here).

Anyway, I bought my '99 disco with full records, no rust, and OME 2" suspension (with new 30" street AT tires) for $5,000 (which was well over KBB.com for the year for an excellent copy.

Immediately, I shelled near $400 for a GBR front driveshaft, had to fix my front horn, and had to bleed the coolant system again due to the "waterfall" sound draining my coolant (I have the record for GBR doing the head-gasket last august, including machining the heads, which was one reason I bought it).

Finally everything works.

Since I'm from Utah, I grew up going to Moab, and the Discovery is an awesome Safari vehicle to get back their.

But long story short? NO WAY IN HADES would I recommend a Disco to a college kid or someone as an only car for that matter.

Face it, I dreamed of owning a Disco when I was 15 years old in 1995. Finally, I'm able to get one and afford it, and not worry if it is broken (currently it is our #4 car). The car is easy to work on, and it is full of quirks, one of which is the aluminum engine which is something like 40 years old technologically (think 15MPG tops), but because of tired tooling near the end of its run, it's not very reliable at all.

Do you want a multi-purpose Disco-like SUV that can do off-road? Get yourself a ZJ Grand Cherokee with NP-242 transfer case and the 4.0L straight six.

One will set you back about $3-4,000. You will get leather. You will get a center-diff without a $400 kit, you won't have to worry about drive shafts, you'll have better approach and deproach angles, better aftermarket support, superior drivetrain reliability (you can even throw in a locker without exploding your rear axles!), much cheaper prices, and you'll be able to get 19MPG to boot out of a rock-solid and proven legendary straight six engine. Oh, and the GC will be much quieter to drive, and you probably won't have a sagging headliner.

So one asks "Why did this new guy to the forum even buy a disco?" Well, in the end, the 100" wheelbase and seating position reminds me of driving my parents old CJ-7. I'm not joking, to me maneuvering the Disco is more akin to driving a Wrangler than a Grand Cherokee, and I like that a LOT.

The Discovery just reeks of its off-road roots. And despite it's flaws, everything I've done to it has been pretty straight forward and actually quite simple to work on. The Disco seats my family comfortably, and the greenhouse of windows and near-360 panoramic views are quite stunning. Plus, I can mod the Disco II, and even buy a top-hat sleeved 4.6L replacement if needed, for $10 less than a 4-door JK, which is what I would have needed to enjoy Moab these days.

In the end, the Discovery II is a great TOY, but please don't dump your hard-earned cash into this British Off-Roader as a first car. There are better, and cheaper options. Once you graduate from your chosen major, the D90s and D110s should be approaching 25-years old, and you should be able to import and license one of them, or even buy my already modded Disco for that matter (assuming I'll be interested in selling it for said D110.)

So, after that long rambling rant, I greet everyone in this excellent forum that I have been lurking in, and look forward to actually contributing and well as receiving all help from everyone here.

 

Based on your intended use, like MC04DII said, a no frills domestic pick up would probably be a better choice. My son had a 92 F150 in high school. Very basic, it was easy for him to work on himself, parts are super cheap and readilly available.

 

Thanks guys! I think I made my decision.

 

So, will we be seeing you here with your new Disco?

 

Probably not:-(

 

Save up for the Toro 455D with 126 inch cut, it is also 4WD....

 

What I wouldn't give for one of those. It is starting to get really tiring mowing my 1.5 acres with the 20" push mower..

 

7 blades on the deck. $800 electric PTO clutch. 55 HP diesel. High maintenance. One I had was pimped up with an add on sun shade. A better choice is two guys on two 72 inch mowers, which will fit thru more gates. Prices are about what a new Rover goes for.

Just like off roading, serious grass work has no limit on vehicle and repair costs.

I had a mower "fleet" that also had two Deere zero turns ($100 each from Corps of Egineers), two other Toro 6 foot diesel front mowers ($350 each from VA Hospital), and a Deere 407B with 150 hours ($500 from Marine Corps airfield, it was a magnet FOD tractor). Government surplus is a great thing.

A young guy with a lawn business. Rampant capitalism at its best. Get the dry cleaners to let you leave some business cards, the road warrior's suit of armour must be picked up at some point....