Hello All,

Looking at getting into a Land Rover Discovery. I am looking at 3 different trucks at the moment. First truck is 1996 White with 135,000 on the never rebuild motor for $2,500. I know the Disco I had less eletronic problems but not sure if they have the same temperature issues and blowing head gaskets.

Next is a 2001 Quote from owner "Completely gone through including new head, head gasket kit. Other upgrades include: Steel bumber, brand new 2" terra-firma lift, 32" A/Ts, HD bp-utah front driveline (lifetime warranty)" Cost is $4,500. I Dont know much about the lifts and if it removes the air suspension. I know that can be a little bit of a problematic area.

Last is a 2002 Land Rover Discovery ii. Quote from owner "It has 135,300 miles. I have owned it since November 2011. At 125,000 miles the engine was rebuilt with all new parts attached to the engine, including but not limited to new belts, water pump, thermostat, spark pugs, bolts, new head, radiator, gaskets, alternator, brake oil cylinder, all sensors and more." cost is $4950

My total budget as of right now for the build and truck is $5,000, I look forward to hearing some responses. I apologize in advance if this was not the correct place to post this. Thanks for the advice.

 

they all have overheat issues if not maintained, d1 is easier to work on period, its got full float axles and sealed swivels like military but expect it will need to be overhauled


I would drive any of them a good bit and leave idle with a/c on to see if it overheats, temp gauge does not work it is b.s. on these


if any have a 4.6 that's a plus, lifts and such can be had used cheap if you are patient

 

You'll need twice that budget for a D1 unless you get very fortunate. I live in a more expensive area for vehicles, but I would expect to pay $1500 - $3000 for a runner with no serious rust. If the head gaskets weren't just done, plan on doing it. This is simply a matter of routine maintenance. It's not a flaw. The flaw is cracked cylinder blocks behind the liners. That will blow the gaskets prematurely, and cause slipped liners, coolant loss and overheating due to the loss. Plan on R&R the radiator, flan clutch, water pump and hoses to prevent overheating.

My choice would be the D1 as a project, but I'd plan on $10,000 over the next 2-3 years. For $5000, you could plan to fix it up and run it for a few months, but if you spend on head gaskets, and cooling first, brakes and fuel injection stuff will come later. Then you've got battery, alternator, A/C, power steering box, p/s pump, hoses, transmission, drive-line, and so on. It's not likely to make it more than a couple years without needing most of that. If you want things like the headliner, the dash panels, and the seats to be in good condition, figure on replacing some of that too, and don't expect the sunroofs, window regulators, the window ECU, or door locks to function without doing some work and replacement parts.

If you want to wheel it, you can either double your budget again for the aftermarket parts like bumpers, sliders, diff guards, lockers, winch, or just add a few thousand for that stuff and figure the maintenance needs will accelerate 2X in terms of how soon they come.

The reason Land Rovers have a bad reputation is because people see they cost $2500-5000, and figure for about $5000 they could have a nice one. Forget it. If that's what you're expecting, you'll only get six months into it before you feel like you got burned by a money pit.

 

if you work on it yourself that will drasticly cut the costs and do good to stretch your budget farther, labor is the price killer not so much parts, between mostly cheap new parts and cheaper used parts


ypu will want to pull the carpets up looking for floor rust, the bodies always look good

 

for a build a D1

 

I agree with all the advice so far, but would still emphasize the cost.
If you wanted a mechanic to work on it at shop rates, it's not the right vehicle for you. I already assumed you would be doing all the labor yourself, and I still think $5000 for the truck and the build is no less than half the expense you can expect over the next two years. It is possible to drive around for less, especially in the short term, but your vehicle will have numerous malfunctions, won't be dependable, and you better have another vehicle when it needs to sit with a job half finished while you wait for parts, time to work on it, or money.

 

Thanks for all the great advice everyone. This is a second car for me and will not be a daily driver. I am doing all the work myself (or as much of it as I can).

Seems as if a D-1 for a build is the best way to go. Now its time to find one! Thanks again everyone!