About a month into my first LR, been reading these forums a lot lately and before I make my first post I figure I'll give an introduction first. I just graduated college last December studied Aerospace Engineering in Daytona Beach. I've worked as a propulsion engineer at NASA in Huntsville AL and now I'm working as a mechanical engineer supporting the rockets for United Launch Alliance in Cape Canaveral. Lived in Florida pretty much my whole life and I don't plan on living at any other latitude

Rescued my 2001 D2 (Black) with 82k miles off Craigslist about a month ago for $1800. Ran pretty great actually and felt amazing to drive, knew I was getting it the moment I put the thing in gear. It's in rough shape though. Front bumper and grill assembly is a bit smashed in (apparently the last owner had an incident involving a loose trailer at the top of his driveway...), rear bumper cover is cracked apart, paint is scratched, interior is pretty trashed, random trim components are either destroyed or missing, cruise control doesnt work, horn doesn't work, AC control system is finnicky, missing stereo, driver door lock wont electronically engage, windshield wiper motor is trash (along with arms), vacuum leak somewhere, some small leaks from the gearbox, u-joints need replacement, suspension sounds god awful when going over speedbumps, driver door frame is almost rusted in half to the point where it shakes at high speeds, and overall the whole chassis is rusted pretty bad.

So far I've changed engine oil/filter, changed diff oils, switched out the transmission filter and gasket and replenished fluid, replaced a broken side-view mirror, replaced the instrument panel cover, replaced a door regulator, and given it a thorough cleaning.

To sum things up, I'm thrilled to join the Disco scene, and I got a lotttt of work ahead of me. I can't wait to get this thing in tip top shape and give it the respect it deserves. Thank god I got the truck cheap because the hardest part of all this will be budgeting (especially with the student loans!!) but I will take it slow and methodically and ensure everything is done right. This is a fantastic community here and all the posts Ive read so far have been extremely helpful. I'll make sure I do plenty of research in the archives before I make any typical noob repeat posts.

Rock on, I look forward to the coming months

 

These Discovery's can be very trying at times, to work on, but you being a rocket scientist...surely will help.

Good luck, with your new projects. And post up some pictures when you get a chance.

Brian.

 

Welcome PNB - I'm sure you'll fit in quite well here

 

Hey making a rocket go can be as easy as lighting a candle and running out of the way. In my opinion cars are a lot more complex (in its raw physical form), almost a living organism in a way.

The big difference though is beer: makes working on a car much easier, however you do not want beer involved in making a rocket!!