Hey fellas,

Im completely new to the site and to LR in general. I have been seriously looking to buy a nice 4x4 and think I have found the one. Thats where you guys come in. Im at a crossroads now in my decision.

Im torn between two trucks:

First- 1983 Toyota Land Cruiser BJ60 -188,000 on the clock , completely stock. Nice paint and interior. Gorgeous truck. $6,800

Second- 1996 LR Disco (not sure 1 or 2, I'll have my wife check the vin) 177,000 on the clock, snorkel, SD roof rack (i think), rear step, brush guard, other than that im pretty sure its stock. See photo. Im sure I can walk away with this one for $3,500.

See with that one I'll have a bit of loot left over for suspension and MAYBE tires...depending on the price of an OEM 2"

So.....what to do, what to do....


[IMG]local://upfiles/12620/4158241ABA104CAB9D693825206A37ED.jpg[/IMG]

 

NO CHOICE!!!!!!!!

Discovery wins !!! by a mile!!!

 

You sure your not just being biased?

 

I would choose the Rover too. If you go with the Rover and have some extra money left over, don't spend it yet. You'll likely need it to fix the little issues that pop up during the firstfew months. Used Rovers typically come with the "baggage" that the previous owner didn't want to deal with.

 

That is a 7 passenger Rover, the roof rack alone it worth $700.
While the Land Cruiser is nice a DI would be better. And this one is a DI.

A Toyota forum will tell you to get the LC not the LR.

 

Rover!!! It will be hard to find parts for a 25 year old vehicle. Plenty of resources for the Disco.
That's a nice looking Disco. Drive it... you will want it!!!!

 

Discovery hands down. The LR has a fuel injected engine where as the Cruiser has a carb. That alone is a major selling point for me. I don't understand carbs and try to avoid them whenever possible. And $6800 for a 25 year old vehicle seems a lot on the high side to me. Plus that Cruiser is one of the few vehicles on or off road that is going to get worse fuel mileage than the Disco.

A 2" OME heavy duty suspension is going to run in the neighbor of $800 with springs, shocks and steering stabilizer. My mechanic shop quoted me 4.5 hours to do the install so another $450 for install if you choose not to do it yourself. It's all coil springs so installation of the lift shouldn't be too tough with some mechanical skills.

The rear step is going to need some work but Atlantic British sells a repair kit for that pretty reasonable. The step should be up under the bumper with no weight on it.

For the price of the Cruiser, you can buy the Discovery, bring all the maintenance back to current i.e. oil change, filters, etc., put your lift and some new tires on, and still have some money left over.

 

Here are the common problems with the DI...
Cruise control not working...easy DIY fix
ABS light being on...expensive to fix, pull the fuse and be done with it.
Check engine light being on...98% of the time a good tune up is all that is needed to fix that.
Stereo volume not very loud...factory amp took a dump. Best Buy and a aftermarket CD deck takes care of that.
Power door locks not working...bad door lock actuators. DIY fix.
Sunroofs not working...leave them closed, expensive to repair.

You MUST use premium gas, condition the leather at least every 6 months, and above all else...enjoy the truck.

 

The Discovery definately!! And I am not being biased since I think the LC is quite the rig too.

 

Wow, thanks for all the reply's!!

I was already 90% sure of getting the Disco. I just needed some info to pull me over the edge!

Spike: you wrote that a "DI" would be better. And this one is a "DI" whats a DI?? Im not hip to the lingo yet. Oh, and thanks for the list of common problems. Although Im not mechanical at ALL, I plan on learning and would like to do much of the work needed on this rig myself.

AK: thanks for the help on the pricing. Its good to know what to expect for the parts that I want so I dont get the ol' shaft.

xb70valkarye: yeah, I agree. The LC is a gorgeous vehicle. Although I dont think I'll regret the choice with the LR.