Worried:

I'm going to look at a 1999 Disco II; the seller says it has high miles--over 200k; He said he has service records, and it runs great and has no mechanical or body problems( that by itself--for any vehicle especially over 200k makes me suspicious) I am concerned about any vehicle over 200k, especially one with expensive parts. (I have a 91 Audi 20 valve Quattro--enough said?)

Does anyone have any clues for where and what to look for? I have done my own car repairs for years, but other than looking around this great site, I don't know landrovers or discos.

He is asking $2,350 and already said he will take $2k

I do plan to get the VIN and do a search( which he couldn't give me ont he phone today) before plunking down any loot. I plan to call again to ask for that before even going to meet him.

He wants to meet at a highway exit, for my "convenience"--that makes me very leary.

Thanks

 

Idk for that price it doesn't sound too bad if everything he says is true. Who cares if it has 200k.

 

I offer him $1,600.00 cash and tell him you are doing him a favor....

 

/this

At that price you can afford to lift it up, put AT tires on it and recovery gear. Then really have some fun with it.

 

I agree. I mean I would definitely inspect for major problems but a 99 with 200k isn't exactly the type of truck you need to baby around unless it's in immaculate condition. For that price I'd make it an off road warrior and have fun.

 

^ What he said. Don't worry about the VIN for a carfax report, that's a moot point.
Is the engine original? Have the head gaskets been replaced - how many times?

I wouldn't be worried about the meeting location, he's probably just as timid as you are, unless.....!?

If it doesn't feel right - keep looking, there's plenty of D1 - DII out there.

I'd pass.

 

Agreed with everyone above...

I'd want to take a look at it cold though...let the guy know that you'll come over to his place and to make sure that the Rover has been sitting for a few hours...hidden problems could be masked when the engine's nice and toasty...

 

@Disco Maddness, If you're new to Rover ownership and this truck is going to be something that you rely on, then I'd go one step further than DiscoRover and say that you need to take it to a good Rover mechanic and have them do a pre-purchase inspection.

Also, make sure you find out when the last time was that the head gaskets were replaced...they seem to last somewhere around 80k+ miles, so if they haven't been done recently, you may need to take that into consideration.

x2 even if it only had 100k I wouldn't baby it.

I know the 2004's are popular for the factory CDL and the 4.6L v8, but IMO the 1999's may be one of the best years and can be had for better $$$ than the other years. Add to that the fact that some people say the quality of the 4.0L block manufacturing declined toward the end (consequently the earlier 4.0L blocks were supposedly better) and this one sounds promising.

Something else to consider...Have you checked the Carfax on it? With 200k miles, I suspect that this truck hasn't spent a ton of time sitting in a repair shop, so hopefully it's one of the good ones and has been properly maintained. If it hasn't been a good one, you can probably see that it has changed hands a frequently. (i.e.- For a '99 with 200k miles I'd get a good feeling if I saw 4 or fewer previous owners (not counting dealers and auto auctions).)

The way the values of the 99's have bottomed out, most of the real problem trucks have been sent to the bone yards or are being sold with a 100k and blown head gaskets.

If you get it checked out, everything looks OK, and you get it for $2000 or less, I'd pick it up, do the 90k service (just so you absolutely know the age of the fluids/belt/hoses), and then drive it like I stole it...

I love my '99, but I work on staying current on the maintenance just about every week. At 200k, I'd expect that this truck will need more work on an ongoing basis, but if properly maintained it could be a great find...

 

I just wanted to thank everyone that took the time to give me such great advice and information. I intend to meet up with the seller if it is still around--and I go much better prepared. I have seen that the headgasket on the 400 engine did crap out at a certain point. The seller said he did have service records from a previous owner, and I do plan to make a very thorough inspection--not afraid to lay on the ground and get dirty. Hey one q: I have a OBDII code scanner( Harbor freight--if you don't know about that place--you should); I saw something somewhere that seemed to say that land rover's didn't "talk" to most of these--true?

Thanks again guys, John

 

The Rover will communicate with your HF OBDII scanner in a basic manner and you can use it to pull and reset many of the codes from the ECU.

What it won't do is pull or reset any ABS fault codes (a common concern for D2 owners) and it won't allow you to change any ECU/BCU/SLABS settings.