I'm thinking about buying a southern rust free donor 04 Disco. Wanted to know what you guys think. I've been thinking about my frame for awhile now and I fear that eventually the New England salt will eat its way through... And I still want that ACE put in my truck. So having seen some guys do it on a YouTube vid (my inspiration) I think I could cut a major corner and save some $$$$ by getting my hands on a rust free ace equipted Disco, and switching the frame over to my shell. Id use my existing engine and drive train, and my own brakes and suspension. ACE would already be fitted to the donor frame and I'm thinking it would make for an easier swap over. Just have to do some programing, mount the pump to the engine and update any bad ace lines. Then paint and wax coat the fram and it should be golden for many more years to come.

So my question. Can an earily D2 frame with ace be fitted to the 04 Disco or should I narrow my donor to a 04 to be on the safe side?

How much do you think it would cost to have the shell hosited and swapped over? I could always rent a tractor capable of lifting the shell up, but I'd prefer to find a shop or person with the equitment on hand.

Swapping to a used southern frame vs hunting down a new d2 frame? Is it wise? Does anyone even make d2 frames anymore?

I figure a junk donor d2 with ace and clean frame be be whole hell lot cheaper than buying new frame and ace parts seperatly ....

I wonder if this could be done for under $7,000? I'd be doing most of the work, with some help of course. This would be a good project to commit to maybe next year. Maybe by then ill have a LR3 if I'm lucky so could afford to take the D2 out of commision long enough to do the job.

 

TRIARII



"
reminds me of a dude on here who wants to add ACE to his Disco..... lol Go for it man."

 

I dunno, wouldn't it be easier just to buy the '04 with ACE and move whatever you liked about your current car over to the '04. For example, if you had a '99 with CDL, swap the 04 LT230 with yours.

Even if it was a top-hat engine swap from the '99 to the '04, that sounds easier to me than pulling the shell off an early model, plus removing the body off of the '04, swapping the bodies, connecting the equipment, and doing whatever programming is required.

As the other poster said, (I read where the guy wanted to add ACE), just search and search and find one with ACE, even if you have to travel to get it.

You could do what you suggest, and I'd love to read about it and see pics, but it'd be much easier (if not a tad boring) just to buy the one you want..

 

Julian, you could also just grab a galvanized D2 chassis from us, at a discount of course

 

Why are you starting another thread about this? You know, two threads by the same person about the same thing.

 

Neither of my D2's had ACE. Does it really make it that much better? Still don't want it, just more electrictickery to go wrong, just wondering.

 

I think the comparison is like sports car handling to caddy handling (something like that)
I have both w and w/o. I do like the ace handling a tad better, and it seems to have more articulation.

 

Not sure how it would have MORE articulation, the sway bar was like 30% thicker

 

maybe it is just my imagination. same suspension on previous d2 (gave it to my nephew, I still ride in it every once in a while) but sure seems like it, the few times we trail together.

 

The bar thickness has noting to do with articulation, the hydraulic actuator does. At low speeds it puts no no load on the bar allowing more articulation.

From the owners manual: The ACE system automatically compensates in
off-road conditions to provide maximum articulation and improved traction.