I'm totally new to land rovers ( but not 4x4s) and was looking to get a D1 out here in Las Vegas. With that said i have lots of questions on what i should look for and am looking for input from the experts on what to watch out for.

I was thinking a D1 because it has the CDL and the D2's dont right? I'm going to be using it for a trail rig here in the high desert so that's a must for me.

I also though they all came with the 4.0 motor from 96 to 98 (i think) but i just saw one listed in LA that says its a 98 with the 4.8.. is that possible from the factory or has someone done a motor swap?

other than the CDL's was there a lot of differences in the D2? any worth the extra price they seem to be asking to go to one and were there any d2's with CDL?

With the discoverys in general what are the weak points i may be able to spot when i go look at one and during a test drive and whats liley to being getting warn out on a 120-170k miles land rover.

Sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance for all the help!

Dave

 

Yes, all DI's have CDL, but some DII's do as well... sort of... The 04's have it stock, however, for year range 99-mid01 you can easily add it through a simple shifter upgrade. Late01's and 02-03 do not have the ability to add CDL in stock form, but it can be done with some $$$.

Since you will be using you truck for all the right reasons, stay away from 02-03 and late 01's.

As for the 4.8 motor... it is certainly not stock, and most likely a typo. Unless they've done some crazy upgrade, I doubt it has a 4.8

I drive a DII and love it, I added CDL and it has made all the difference. The weak point of DII's it the electronics. There are more bells and whistles so there is more to go wrong. At the same time, the bells and whistles are a positive to the DII as well. Also, DII have air suspension in the back that will eventually fail one day. The solution is to just get rid of it and add normal suspension.

To me, it really comes down to what you like best. Personally I like the refined look of the DII, but I love DI's and would love to own one myself. I'll let some DI owners chime in with negatives and positives of their trucks, but I hope that a good start to answer some of your questions.

 

Some D2's have CDL. The 2004 has cdl with the shifter. And the earlier 99-01 have cdl in the transfercase but they do not have a shifter. It is just a matter of installing a shifter. The D2's have Bosch electronics rather then Lucas. The 03-04 have a 4.6 that is probably what was swapped in that 98.

Willie

 

I have a 97 Discovery I 4.0. If your primary purpose is for the trails, I feel the DI is the better choice IF you can find a solid one that is not on it's last breath. If you get one that has a lot of miles and HAS NOT been well maintained, you will be replacing almost everything, so look it over good.

Ask for any and all documentation, service records, receipts, etc.

If it is rough lowball the hell out of them or walk, better yet run away from it.

A few things to look at: lift the carpets and pad in the rear cargo area. Is the pad wet or dry? Is the floor all rusty or in good condition. The little black cover in the middle of the floor is the fuel pump cover, is it rusty, remove the screws and lift that cover. The fuel pump is right there. Are
the connections intact or are they corroded together into one solid piece? See pics of fuel pump top below.

Also lift the carpets in the front floor board and check for rust and signs of leakage.

Make sure the Transfer case Shifter will freely move from CDL lock to unlock (side to side) and High to N to Low on the gear range. They will corrode and freeze in place if not moved regularly. If it is frozen in place you have to tear out the center console and do a lot of little linkage disassembly and cleaning to get it going smoothly. You should get a dash light when the CDL does lock.

Get underneath with a flashlight and look it over good for leaks, and accumulated mud/grime/oil/grease on everything. Check the grease fitting on the driveshafts (3), do they look like they have been lubed or neglected?

Also open the air filter box, is the air filter white or solid black, mine was black throughout, lift the filter, is there a lot of dirt and debris under the filter? Mine looked like dried mud.

Look at the brake discs (rotors) and pad, are they good or shot. An all around brake job can cost a good bit, especially if the calipers are shot, my rear ones were severely corroded.

Drive it real slow and listen real close. Drive it on and off road, see how it shifts and performs off-road, if the CDL works consider yourself lucky.

If you get really serious about a certain one, drain some fluid from the diffs and transfer case and check it for signs of problems (metal shavings on the magnetic drain plugs). Is the fluid fresh or real nasty?

Have fun.

 

Make sure you read through the write up section.

 

Fantastic, thanks lads! great info and with the rest of the stuff i have read tonight from the site i think i can go and at least know a little of what to look for..

I'll update you with what i find.

Thanks again.

Dave

 

there are plenty of D2's without air suspension.

drive it long and hard, stop, crawl under it, and look for leaks.

be on the lookout for that sweet coolant smell.

 

Saw a horror tonight, 97 D1 150k, Great Condition... said the ad.
Running hot when i got there, owner would not meet at his house...
coolant leaking from around water pump
abs light on
shocks so bad could not keep it in a straight line at 50mph due to bounce on the freeway
brakes soft as snot
when we stopped coolant is gushing out of over flow bottle lid and where water pump meets the block, temp in the red, fans not cut in.
oil leaks all over the trans, rear diff and oil pan, not the same one either!
and the tranny knocked at low speed...
Other than that i think it was worth every bit of the $4,000 he wanted NOT!!!

 

Hahaha, tales from another broken home, range time. I test drove a LOT of Discos. Some are tight, some are not.

The first one I ever test drove was an 04 that just felt loose. It had no acceleration (I believe it's called '*****'), the suspension was rough, and it just wasn't fun to drive. It was a pleasure to get back in my 2000 Jeep XJ.

I was baffled, but still in love, and a month later I was lucky enough to test drive "one of the good ones"- a 2002 Disco in Grand Rapids, MI. It was owned by a single older gentleman, and was definitely set up for old people (running boards etc.. yuck!).

But it drove like a dream, and felt like an Audi TT, '*****-wise'. (Is that proper?)

I looked long and hard for the two that I have- I got one in Chicago, and one in Rhode Island. You really just have to look and drive a LOT of them. And if you live near one of the Gods here, like I live near Spike555, see if they want to go with you for the drive. These seasoned veterans can spot a lemon from a mile away, and it makes all the difference.

Otherwise, just don't settle for anything that doesn't FEEL right. I drove many Discos hoping they would be the ones, and they weren't. I spent money on airfare, and drove many miles before mine panned out.

Get a good one- they are worth it.

DISCLAIMER:

(I have almost $9,000 into repairs for my 2004 at this point, so take my advice with a grain of salt.)

 

Right, I should have worded it "Alot of disco's have air suspension"
Range_time you can find one without it like oysterhead mentioned, they're just a little harder to come by IMO. I've prob seen 3 out of 50 DII's that didnt have air suspension stock. I've seen plenty of people convert away from the air suspension though...