Hello everybody,

I understand that my questions probably came up on this forum multiple times, but I will greatly appreciate your guys' input.

The number one question that I have is regarding the reliability of the vehicles - Discovery Series 2 to be specific.

If you'll do a simple search on google or visit any forum it seems that most of the vehicles have non stop problems, especially with engines and overheating.

Does this problem pertain to specific models/vin numbers/periods of time when the cars were produces? Or do enthusiasts just put up with all of the issues for the driving experience that these cars provide?


My second question is regarding a car that I am considering to purchase. I've always liked Land Rovers for their looks and styling. On top of that, I do a lot of camping/fishing and it seems that there is not any other car out there that suits this life style better than a Land Rover.

I am currently consider purchasing a 2000 Discovery with 150K miles. The owner had it for 3 years. Within the last year they replaced transmission on the vehicle. Recently, the car started to overheat and they took it to their mechanic. The mechanic replaced the water pump and while doing that, noticed that there was a substantial oil leak. The water pump did not solve the overheating problem and the mechanic suggested to get the whole engine out in order for him to see if it had a cracked engine block or blown head gasket.

Instead of dealing with all of that, the owner is selling the car for $1000.


I am seriously considering buying it, but I would like to get any feedback I can get regarding the costs that I might run into. From doing my research online, it seems that overheating can be caused by numerous things...

How much money should I plan on spending on top of the purchase price? Worst case scenario... And after the overheating problem is solved - are there any other weaknesses that these cars have...


Thank you for your help!


Aleksey

 

You have to ask yourself, Do I Feel Lucky? (like Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry)

What do expect to get for $1000? It is something that current owner just wants to get out from under and is hoping or would be happy to let it go for a grand.

Are you capable of doing repairs and maintenance on it yourself? or do you plan on using a Dealer or Rover Speciality type shop? Do you have lots of money to put in it?

Can you afford to walk away from it if it gets too much for you?

Engines are not cheap. Very little on any Rover is cheap.

If you can do a lot yourself, you may have a good project to do. I hope you have the skills and fortiitude, if so you may enjoy it.

If you are planning to use dealers or specialty shops you will need lots of money just to get started.

You may be better off finding one with lots less miles and problems for a much higher initial price. Realize the one for $1000 is just a start down a costly path, it will need lots with 150K already on it.

What are your plans for it long range? What kind of shape is it in otherwise?

Most people would prefer a DI for an off-road vehicle, if your needs are not as demanding a DII may satisfy you. Read about CDL's.

Don't jump too quickly, there may be alligators in that mudhole.

 

If you fall into the group of people that are highly mechanically inclined and can perform most of the repairs yourself, that vehicle could be a good deal, if it is in good condition otherwise. The most likely scenario is the headgaskets need to be replaced. They typically go at around 135k miles give or take a few. Very common on vehicles of that vintage, not just Discos. You can buy a whole headgasket repair kit from roverparts.com (I think they might even be on sale this month!). Generally, once you get the heads off, you can usually tell from looking at the gaskets or cylinders where the leak is/was. It's not a tough job to do, just takes time and patience. The oil leak is hard to determine. Discos are known for leaking oil anyway. It's probably the front main seal, ...might be the rear main seal ...or the intake ..or the steering pump ...or all of the above.

Of course, it could be worse and the whole motor might be junk. It would be worth calling the guy's mechanic and hearing what he had to say. My money is on the head gaskets. The L/R engines are durable and can last a long time. If you tore into it, you'd be better off putting all new gaskets and seals in it.

Beyond that, you'll probably need to install new brakes and some steering parts. Once you get beyond the first wave of repairs, you should have a rig that will go a while w/o a bunch of major repairs.

If you have to pay a shop to perform all repair work, this isn't the vehicle for you.

 

bring a good mechanic with you to inspect the truck. it will be worth the $150. the vehicle should be pressure tested to find leaks. head gaskets can fail at 60k or 100k. its not a set time. the transmission was replaced because the PO didnt take care of the drive shaft and it busted and took out the transmission and the transfer case. have the mechanic inspect the trainsmission to make sure its correct for the vehicle and installed correctly adn there is no damge to the transfer case. have him inspect the new drive shaft to see if it has greasable u joints with flush or regular zerk fittings.

if you have any mechnical skill at all you can work on this truck. it may be a recent model but the technology is a 40 yr old buick engine. expect to spend another $1,000 in parts if you plan on doing the initial maitenance yourself. $4,000 if you plan on having a dealer do it.

 

I think that if you start with junk, you end with junk. I hate to say it, but the vehicle sounds like it has had alot of issues and I think that after you invest the money into it, you could find one that has been down a better road. $1000 may sound good, but you need to factor in all the additional costs. For the rover transmission to fail, this vehicle has not been well maintained. Just my opinion.

Also there is a chart that took me forever to find, and I have lost it. But the the chart showed all the major system components and if they were trouble or not for that year. 1998 was the only year that had very few issues, Series 1

 

So heres what I think about it, My two cent if I may...

I recently purchased a 2003 Disco SE7... I got an amazing deal in my mind...

The things I have done thus far are preventive things, the PO took very good care of it. I have replaced the drive shaft (i did the work myself, $55 in parts and $30 to balance, saved a lot by doing it that way and I am in no way good with tools!) I flushed the cooling system and replaced the orange coolant with green, very simple to do! And, the last thing I did was switch the oil over to synthetic. I run Mobile 1 in all of my cars!! With all of that, I haven't spent more than $7000 on the truck. The purchase price was $6700. Right before I picked it up, the PO had the wires and plugs replaced as well as the coil. I know pretty soon, i'm going to have to replace the O2 sensors and thats all normal stuff, but what i'm getting at for you is this..

You have to ask yourself, for $1000 you can get what you already know to be a problematic vehicle. Problem with that is, you don't know what the problem is... If you knew what the problem was and you knew what you were going to have to spend to correct the problem, it might be a different story.. You would have a better understanding on what your bottom line/overall cost for the truck is.

Now, on the up side of things.. If you do go with this truck, you will be basically starting from the ground up. You will know exactly what has and hasn't been done to it from the start right.. So all of the problems that most of us have that purchase used Discos i.e. (head gaskets, thermostats, t-body heater gasket plates leaking and such) you will already have out of the way...

So all in all, if this is something that you have the time and MONEY to invest in, go for it, if not, there are plenty of other Disco's in the sea per se!!

Again, that is just my 2 cents, I'm a newbie to the disco game myself, i'm really enjoying it thus far and can't wait to see what comes along next!!

Take care and don't forget to keep us updated on what you decide to do alright!!

Regards,

 

I second all of the opinions expressed, hell if it is nice inside it could be worth it, but only if you can do most of the work yourself.

Don't be shy, they want to get rid of it, offer them a much lower price and see how they react. Buy it as a fun project, but be prepared for lots of aggravation as well as a challenge, but that is what life is all about.

Or go find a gentler, better maintained vehicle. If you want an easy go of things. Peace be with you.

"Drive it like you stole it"
, but remember, "Just Don't Flip your Rover Over!"

And if you buy it, Make Offerings to the Rover Gods Each And Every Time You Approach Any Journey. Be One With Your Rover My Son.

 

for reference i bought my 99 with 105k on it for $3000 and it needed every gasket in the book, drive shaft, plugs wires, tires.... so if you don't mind doing the work $1,000 is a great deal as long as its not rusting to pieces, the engine is not destroyed and the transmission was installed correctly.

 

One more thing I want to add really quick is this... DON'T be discouraged by all of the things you hear or see on this or any other forum.. We are not ALL of the Disco owners in the world.. There are thousand or probably millions or other owners who are not on forums and who have absolutely no problems with their vehicles! I personally don't have any problems with mine. I do all of the regular maintenance and and the few things I have learned on here and use common sense and you should be alright. There are always going to be cars that have problems, that is just the way it goes, but none the less, don't let it stop you from getting what you want. I didn't let it stop me and i'm glad that I didn't. I read and read and read. 2003 is supposedly the worst year EVER to get a Disco, #1 because of the oil pump problems (i'm outside of the VIN range, and #2, there is no CDL) yes, that sucks, but I have a great vehicle that my family (4 kids and a wife) and I all enjoy together. Its kinda hard to do that in my Porsche or on my bike.

All in all, follow YOUR heart or head, don't let others make that decision for you. Sure, its always nice to have the input from others, but you are the one that gets to see the truck and you are the one that has to pay for it so do what makes you happy..

Thats all and I hope you enjoy your decision either way.

Regards from sunny South Texas,

 

The number one question that I have is regarding the reliability of the vehicles - Discovery Series 2 to be specific.

I worked in Reliability Engineering for a major defense contractor for 10 years. Reliability deals primarily with redundancy, that means for a high probabilty of mission success, you need two of everything that may fail.

So make sure you buy a second Rover for when the first one fails.

I've always liked Land Rovers for their looks and styling. On top of that, I do a lot of camping/fishing and it seems that there is not any other car out there that suits this life style better than a Land Rover.

Make sure you carry plenty of provisions with you, especially if you get way off the beaten path, you may be there a lot longer than you planned. Also carry spare parts, tools and reference materials as well.

I would also advocate that you carry a mountain bike, trail cycle, or even a Vespa Scooter if you go out alone. Really you should never go into the wilderness alone, it may be a long trip out.

Instead of dealing with all of that, the owner is selling the car for $1000.

Gee, I wonder why?

How much money should I plan on spending on top of the purchase price? Worst case scenario...

About $10K should cover worst case scenario if the labor is reasonable for what you need to get done at a dealer or speciality shop. and you get a good deal on parts. If you pay full price.....

Also what is your tolerance for pain and frustration? If you enjoy a good challenge, jump in, but beware of gators in the swamp.

Have Fun
Aleksey[/quote]