Hi, we have had several Land Rovers in our family over the past 10 years...I had one of the first Land Rover Freelanders (Now reborn as the LR2), which I traded in after a couple of years for a 2004 Discovery (more on her in a minute), and then my wife has a 2011 Range Rover. And, my dream car is a Defender 90.

We love the Land Rover brand and vehicles, there is a feeling about them that is hard to put into words sometimes, especially to someone that hasn't owned one before. I think part of it is the combination of the beauty of their design combined with the ruggedness of their utility. Beauty and Brawn!

One of reasons I came in here is to seek some advice on what to do with my '04 Discovery. She's been a great car...66K miles, and the ONLY thing I ever had to have fixed was to clear a clog in the air conditioning line. That's it! Until now...

All of a sudden, she wasn't running so well, so I brought her in for a check-up, and they came up with a few things that needed to be addressed:

1. Engine is misfiring on cylinders 4, 7 & 12
2. Ignition wires need to be changed
3. Mass airflow sensor needs to be changed
4. Oxygen sensor needs to be changes
5. Track rod and steering rod need to be changes
6. Also, the basic fluid change and fuel injection service.

I had her checked out at two places (our local Land Rover dealership, and a very trustworthy local mechanic)...They both confirmed the same issues, and both priced the repairs out at around $5-6k.

So, here's my dilemma: This is a second car for me...I don't NEED it, so it's hard to justify spending the $5-6k to repair her. Land Rover said they would take it in as a trade-in for something new (which I also don't need), but they said they would basically sell her for scrap. Even if I was looking to get a new Land Rover, I would have a hard doing this...I am very sentimental towards the car. If I was a gear-head, I'd fix her up myself, but I just don't have that capacity. If I'm going to send her on someplace, I want to make sure she's going to go to someone who will appreciate her and restore her, not sell her for parts.

So, am I crazy? Is there an interest in a '04 Disco with 66k miles that needs some work? I would think there would be, I'm just hoping to connect with someone on here that is interested, or that might be able to point me in the right direction. I hope it's clear that this isn't just about trying to sell a car...Since I can't take care of her, I really want to make sure she goes to someone who can fix her up and appreciate her for years to come.

 

I'd search for another mechanic. Even if you have to drive a little. Prices seem high if a head gasket job is not part of the package.

 

How do you feel about coming into the NYC area to get it looked at?