I just bought a well-maintained 01 w/ 70k miles. I will post the ad so you guys can see what has already been done. And my question is what should I be looking to do either immediately or in the next few months, as I would like to stay on top of things. Thanks for any advice.

FIRST.....HEAD GASKETS....It's not a matter of "IF" the original Land Rover head gaskets fail, it's just a question of WHEN. They usually last about 60,000 to 70,000 miles then they start leaking. Land Rover now makes an updated head gasket that solves this problem. When I get a Land Rover in with 60K to 70K on it, I just replace the head gaskets regardless. I WILL NOT sell a Land Rover to a customer when I KNOW those original gaskets are going to fail. It is NOT the way I do business. So...If your looking for a Land Rover and the head gaskets have NOT been replaced with the updated version....you WILL be replacing them in the future, and it ain't cheap! This Discovery has had the entire head gasket set installed. I use the complete head gasket kit from Atlantic British, it isn't cheap, but it comes with everything you need to do this job RIGHT! That includes NEW cylinder head bolts, NEW valve guides and seals, and every gasket for every sub assembly in that motor. Do it ONCE and do it right! The cylinder heads were removed and sent out to a top notch machine shop to be pressure checked for cracks, (they were perfect!) and then they were machined to insure a completely flat mating surface. I have photos of EVERYTHING. Pictures include the entire tear down process AND the finished machined heads. I also have the receipt from the machine shop that did the work and receipts for the gasket kit. A new sepentine belt, new water pump and thermostat were also installed. While the heads were off, a few things were done to ensure reliability. First....the spark plug wires were replaced with upgraded Magnacore wires. All spark plugs were replaced with Bosch Plus 4 platinums. The entire cooling system flushed, and the hoses were replaced. THIS ENGINE DOES NOT LEAK A DROP.....OF ANYTHING!!!! I always drive these cars after doing the heads to ensure everything is working properly. I've put 1500 miles on this Rover since the work was completed and it runs PERECT....No leaks, no drips, perfect idle, starts immediately, NO IDIOT LIGHTS...just a great ready to drive Land Rover.
Next up....
Brakes....NEW low dust ceramic brakes installed 500 miles ago. You may hear of people having problems with the ABS warning light on Land Rovers....That's because they NEVER flush the brake fluid. This Land Rover has had a complete flush done to factory specs. If you flush the brake fluid you'll never have ABS light problems.
TIRES.......4 NEW TOYO Open Country Radials were installed 500 miles ago. All wheels were balanced and a computer 4 wheel alignment was done. I have ALL the receipts and this Land Rover drives LIKE NEW....No shakes, No pulling, QUIET, SMOOTH, PERFECT.
Drive shafts......If your buying a Land Rover MAKE SURE the front driveshaft has had the Universal joints replaced!!! This is a TIME BOMB on Land Rovers. Here's why......The front drive shaft U-joints on a Discovery runs right next to the catalytic converter. Land Rover uses SEALED U-joints on the front shaft. At some point the heat from the converter boils the grease out of that joint and because it can't be greased (it's sealed) the joint fails. The shaft breaks loose at whatever speed your driving at, and it RIPS a $7000 hole in the side of your transmission and transfer case!!(OUCH). The guaranteed fix for this is SIMPLE.....Replace the stock SEALED U-joints with upgraded GREASEABLE units. This Land Rover has just had ALL the Universal joints upgraded and replaced with GREASEABLE joints. (less than 500 miles ago) You will never have to worry about the dreaded front driveshaft failure in this Discovery.
I try and make my vehicles perfect for the next owner. Everything in this Land Rover works. The A/C is nice and cold. the heat works perfectly, all switches work as they should, and the vehicle just drives like a new car. Also....IT'S NEVER BEEN SMOKED IN!!!!! NO stains, NO smells (except leather!) Perfect headliner with NO sagging. Just a great car.
All Fluids have just been changed using AMSOIL Synthetics. From the Engine, to the Transmission (and filter) , to the front and rear diffs, to the transfer case, to brakes....ALL FLUIDS are new, and there are NO LEAKS.
Buy this Land Rover and drive it ANYWHERE.....It is ready to go, has no signs of ANY paint work ANYWHERE, Absolutely NO RUST and it is LOADED with options.
If you buy a WELL MAINTAINED Land Rover you will LOVE IT. They are built like TANKS!!!!! If you buy a Land Rover that HAS NOT been maintained......You'll wish you bought this one!!
You won't be disapointed with this 70,000 mile California Land Rover.

 

Sounds like an extremely rare knowledgeable PO! Even if you paid more than standard fare for this thing it sounds like he has dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's. Is it an SE7 (seven seater) or an SE (5 seater)? How much did you pay for it.
Many people will chime in on this, but change your coolant every 2 yrs w/ Dexcool and you won't ever have to worry about the head gaskets. Use premium gas only! If you plan on wheeling, you probably have a Center Differential Lock (CDL), but you will need to get a transfer case shifter from an '04 or a D1. You can engage it manually, but it requires you crawling under the truck to do it. I think the late model year '01 did not have a CDL. Download and burn a copy of the Rave CD. It is basically the LR Service Manual.
Great find and welcome. This forum is a wealth of information.

 

A lot of people seem to think serviceable u-joints are a magic bullet. They aren't. You need to service them with your oil changes. Only then will they last.
https://landroverforums.com/forum/sh...4&postcount=17

 

thanks for the response-

I paid a bit over 8k...which i know is high for this year and mileage, but there is something to be said about peace of mind..i have been looking for 3 months....not being wrench myself, i was willing to pay for a vehicle that seemed to already have the major issues taken care of...this gentleman really knew his LR stuff and seemed to take pride in providing a vehicle that could provide enjoyment more than headaches...but yes Im glad i made the purchase and I look forward to learning more about the cars...the truck came with the Huge LR D2 manual along with a CD...couple questions...how do you know if your 01 has the CDL? is it a VIn check? and what are peoples thoughts on the ACE system, is it troublesome or a nice function to have? thanks again.

 

seamuspg, look at the door and see what month it was built..also you can crawl under the rover and feel for the nipple on the transfer case..it should be just behind the front drive shaft up on top.