People ordering parts from lucky8 doesn't mean they automatically know what they are doing or this truck is worth what he wants, and if everyone factored in time it took to order something online or the labor to install it every D2 would cost over $20k. I can't tell you the amount of labor hours I have spent under my rover. If I taxed that onto the sale price you could buy an LR4.

If he wants to blow $11.5 on a truck worth 7, maybe 8K tops the way it sits, then go ahead. Guaranteed he'll have to dump another thousand or two into it within it's first year no matter who owned it before him, it's a D2.

That guy is trying to get every single penny he has ever put into this truck and if the original poster wants to be a sucker and pay that then I guess he will, but he can find a better truck for the money.

It amazes me what people think there old Rovers are worth. Check out this "Hunters Dream" on sale for $12,500 right now.....LOL
http://waco.craigslist.org/cto/5192169796.html

 

I never said it automatically means they know what they are doing. But as I stated, I do a lot of business with him, and he has been around longer than most of us have been alive so in this case, he does know what he is doing.

With that being said, he does have to factor in the time it takes him to source and install parts because he is a dealer who has to cover a lot more costs than your average guy. This is why the cost is higher than what one person might normally pay. There are many people who would prefer to spend the extra money of purchasing through a dealer because they feel more secure than buying it out of Jimbobs front lawn based on his craigslist ad.

The OP asked for peoples opinions and I gave mine based on the experiences I've had with James.

 

Just wanted to update you guys. I really respect everyone's opinion on here and it really helped me make me what I feel like was a good decision. I went to atlanta over the weekend and drove a couple range rover sports and was not impressed. I had written off going to look at the disco I mentioned above but after some thought I decided to just go take a look and talk to the guys about it and see if it was worth (imo). I was VERRRRY impressed. This disco was actually an 03 and has had more than just the ad gaskets done. Without going into the long list of engine work id qualify this truck as "finished". Under the truck looks like it just came off the showroom floor, its that clean...Additionally,every accessory added was what I would've picked myself. I literally would've built the same ride if I'd done it all myself. I spent a couple of hours at the shop going over the build and drove it for about an hour and left. I picked it back up today and drove 5 hrs back home, she never missed a beat and rode better than the 08's I drove. I'm really excited about the new ride and hope to hear from all you guys in the future. I'll try and post some pics tomorrow. Yes, I could've spent less and done it all myself. But I truly felt like this rover was built for me. Thanks again for all the responses, u guys are a great resource

 

Kind of late to this thread but if you want a Discovery 2 that has been lifted and has aftermarket bumpers and aren't going to be doing the work yourself then you are stuck either buying one for cheap and paying someone to get it to where it needs to be or buying one that has already been built. Buying from a private owner that has built it up themselves is a possibility but you are taking more of a chance than if you get it from a dealer or indy shop. It sounds like this seller is a reputable guy so the truck is likely to be put together properly. Certainly, it will need to have more work done to it in the next few years and I hope you are prepared to spend some money getting it fixed by others. '03's have a reputation for engine problems, primarily with the oil pumps so hopefully that was checked when the head gaskets were done. They also don't have a locking transfer case but I get the sense that isn't going to be an issue for you.

Congratulations on finding a truck that you like. Enjoy it.

 

Good luck and congrats .. make sure to change the drive shaft if it hasn't been done already. . It will eventually snap!

 

Only the ones that fall between the VIN range of 3A771801 – 3A808362

And the oil pump isn't the actual reason, just the end result. The real reason it fails is because the dowel pins that align the front cover were off, causing wear and pressure on the oil pump and making it explode.

 

BTW oil pump failure is common to these trucks no matter the year.
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Not to mention, I imagine you would be hard pressed to find a vehicle in this VIN range today that has not already been repaired/replaced at a dealer or otherwise, or has so few miles that the pump has yet to potentially fail. If memory serves me right, most of these engines failed well before 80k miles.

 

That is correct! My Monte Carlo Blue 2003 failed at 76,061 miles. I purchased it with 76,062 miles on it. Needless to say I practically stole the thing.

 

My comment wasn't in reference to the problems associated with the mis-located pin, it was about these trucks and their oil pumps in general. All of the trucks "in the VIN range" have probably already had their oil pumps replaced and at this point are probably less likely to have an oil pump failure.

Maybe it's just me but it seems that most of the failed oil pump threads I read are for 03's. Regardless, I hope the truck serves the new owner well.