Definitely make sure that the locks work! If the guy says the key needs to be programmed, don't be fooled, it needs new locks. They always say that. And make sure that the front drive shaft was replaced or you will need a new one.

 

Alex_M is right go for the 2004 and the CDL. I reread and see you want it as an expedition vehicle. The electric fan is a really good upgrade as far as performance is concerned. I went with flex a lite as I wanted a kit, and support. I would have had to have learned a bit to wire the Ford fans in. If you are able to work with wiring and would be able to hook it up the Taurus SHO fan can be found cheaply on line. You would need to buy a control device for it obviously, but I there are write ups I was just doing a lot of other work at the time and needed to make it as easy as possible.

A lot of people give up on these vehicle at the 100k or so headgasket issue. You could get one used primarily on the road/highway in a big city pretty cheap with a blown headgasket. If you could somehow assure that the block was good that would be a good option if a head gasket job is within reach for you to do yourself. You could get the cylinder heads gas flowed while they are redecking it, too.

The 2004 will have the wider wheelbase and the 4.6.

If you find one with the airbags in back that are malfunctioning that may save you some money, and I believe it is universally thought that going to springs in back is the best route, and really easy to do.

Look at a lot of them. There should be plenty to see.

 

the 2004 has a wider wheelbase?

 

Wheelbase is NOT different on an 04. 99-02 (late 01/early 02) will have CDL nipple. I went the efan route on my H3 Alpha and I nearly killed that 5.3L LS3 due to that crappy efan setup. I'll stick with a fan clutch, and puller efan setup vs full efan setup here in TX.

If the electric locks don't work and the dome lights don't come on after the key is removed you've probably got a bad drivers door lock.

Most D2's your gonna find cheap will more than likely be trashed inside/outside or have a blown motor. Just keep your eyes open and a good one will show up eventually.

 

Actually, no need for a fan controller if you don't want one. I installed one because I already had it, but you could just as easily just wire it through a relay to your accessories circuit so it runs whenever the key is on.

 

Very true, and the controller I got with the flex a lite set up turns on when the engine is at 194, there could be a lag between the temp at the coolant sensor and the radiator where I have the temp sensor for the fan installed. Mine is wired to the alternator, as I did not want it on all of the time. Once you are at running temp it will be on most of the time anyway so I don't think there would be a huge difference.

 

Thank you, again, to everyone! I decided not to go with the 2002 Disco, it seemed there was more wrong than probably expected. I have done more research and found several other worthy contenders.
Currently, I have my eye on a 2004 Disco. I just checked it out and it seems to be in decent shape with 116k miles. It has minor cosmetic things wrong, but the sales man does not have any service records. I checked the engine bay, and undercarriage and saw no large red flags.
I am hesitant on this one because of the fact there is no service records to be provided. I am going to go back on Sunday to test drive it and see how it feels.

 

Service records on a car like this are really important. Be very careful on this one. But you could also CarFax it. That always helps when buying a used car.

Good call on test driving it. That usually indicates if there is something wrong with the truck 90% of the time.
Good luck.

 

Out of the 10 LR's I've ever bought 2 came with service history, and the others didn't. My current 224k Kalahari had nada zip nothing, and it's the best LR I've ever had!

You used to be able to get a LR's VIN # and go to a LR Dealership and have em pull up a service history.

 

Does anyone suggest getting it inspected? If so, does anyone know of someone I could bring it to in the Southern California area?

Again, I know its not going to be a brand new vehicle and I want to do work on it and learn about the vehicle as I go. But I want to try to minimize the risk of engine detonation or major issues as much as possible.

Thank you again, you guys are awesome! Loving the community already!