My 02 has 229k and I go to 5.5k from a dead stop often. If it's gonna go it's gonna go no need to baby it...... If ya baby an older LR V8 and drive it like Mrs Daisy, it's gonna get all carboned up. The old P38/D2 test at the LR Dealership was so easy when people complained their LR was down on HP. Take it for a test drive & drop it into 1st gear and bounce it off the rev limiter. If it looked like you were rolling coal = needed a LR Fuel System Cleaner.

I drive all my vehicles hard & I don't have carbon build up lol. Plenty of power & no maintenance issues.

I've towed with a RRC/D1/D2 and it wasn't bad. Just increase your speed steadily & drop it into 3rd vs OD. It'll handle it!

 

I think people get scared that their car is going to break if they push it too hard. It's crazy talk of course, an old fashion Italian tune up does wonders.

 

My 01 is terrible at towing also and I'm only towing a light trailer with 2 atv's on it. I usually tow with my 2000 Nissan Frontier instead. It has less power on paper (170hp) than my disco, but it does a lot better on the hillls. The Nissan has a manual transmission with 4.67 gears.

 

Well I'm beginning to think that my land rover days are over. A remanufactured engine replacement is around $12k which starts me looking at LR3's, but I just don't know if they're up to much towing. I'm getting the opinion that they spend too much time in the shop. Lots of expensive things to go wrong. And to be fair, their first purpose is not towing.

I think I'm looking at a pickup.

 

If you genuinely intend to tow more than 3000lb on a regular basis then I would have to agree that you are better served with a full size pickup.

 

Where are you getting 12k quotes? Get the 3k turner short block, buy a $300 cam, and switch over the heads from your current engine. Port and polish them yourself with a die grinders. Hell, skip the polish. Bing bang bam.

If you want to go for more power than that you can do headers for $220 plus high flow cats and exhaust back: say $750 total including headers and $120 for a CAI with pod filter, but you don't need them.

In-line mod costs like $50, electric fan conversion costs $40. You're in for less than $4500. You're only in for like $3500 if you skip on the exhaust and intake which will only show maybe 20hp in gains. You'll have plenty of power without.

I'm with best4x4, though. Try the old Italian tune up. Maybe a seafoam treatment before hand and clean the MAF with MAF cleaner spray. I'm betting those alone will show you some gains.

 

I have an 06 HSE LR3 & it tows very well. 6spd & 300hp, not to mention it'll ride level thanks to the EAS.

 

It should not cost 12k with a long block that only needs to be dropped in.

If you are going to tow, I would really prefer the LS Swap. You could find a good used engine, and rebuild, or buy a crate or rebuilt very easily. The shop in Ohio does it for 10k I think.

You've got 229k miles on it, and I would imagine the engine is ready for a rebuild anyway. If you like the vehicle, and it's just towing, putting in a new engine is not worse money than the same amount on a Truck you don't have history on.

That and it's fun to modify these babies. I would love a small block, even though I am happy with my Turner 4.6. Can never have enough power.

 

there are several shops that build performance rover engines as well. 5.0 and 5.2 liters if you want it.

I really wish we could get a detailed writeup on a the LS swap those guys in ohio are doing. If there was a comprehensive parts list and wiring instructions that swap could be done for half the price, if not less.

 

I think they are going to hold on to that for some time. They are businessmen not enthusiasts afterall.

Would love a kit, as rebuilding an ls and swapping it in would be a really fun project to imagine down the line.