I don't have a Discovery yet, but I've been looking at them and admiring them. I read that the Discovery I has a better engine (the 4.0/3.9) and a better departure angle than the Discovery II (4.6). It seems it would be ideal if the TD5 was cheaper to swap, but that doesn't seem like a cost effective option in the USA.

Because I always like to break even or turn a profit with my cars, I'm wondering at this point if I bought a discovery which would be the best year/model to make a profit after making improvements and upgrades so that I could sell it for a profit and providing the next owner with something quality and reliable.

Some questions I have are:

1. How can I bulletproof the engine? I've read about the cooler thermostat, and seen some of the billet parts in the videos. Is there a how to bullet proof a discover engine faq?
2. What kind of build/year/mileage/condition would create a Discovery that I could sell for $15,000 easily? I see some selling for close to $20,000 and then I see some selling for $1500 or even less and there doesn't seem to be all that much difference between the two.

I like to keep my cars as stock as possible, but I'm not against a lift and bigger tires, adding skid plates and armor, etc. I know that some years took out the cable for the CDL. Not sure if the locking center diff itself is still there in all models or you have to get it from a donor car. I've seen that the drive shafts can be upgraded to u-joints that are greasable or other options. It would be nice if there was a faq that listed everything recommended to do to your Discovery.

Thanks in advance!

 

https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...s-here-102491/

lots of info above and the search function is your friend, almost all of what you're asking has been gone over a million times. Simple answer no you can't bulletproof (whatever that means) a rover v8 all motors have flaws and there are some steps to mitigate issues but they are never fully resolved. The prices you'd be looking to fetch will need to be sold on an auction site and the cars will need to be pretty mint and people will want vehicle history. People seem to love the 2004s however personal preference is a 99 D2 with no sunroofs.

 

@discoveringlandrover there is a whole facebook page out of the UK dedicated to Rover V8's. Most of the work is down with the older Carb versions though.

At over 16 years there is no bullet proof other than a complete engine overhaul, then frame body rust check

 

Also the TD5 is not legal to import yet as we haven't hit the 25 year import law time limit.

 

For TD5 you would be better import a Spanish LH Disco then you get the whole package

 

To '' bulletproof'' the engine would take around $10,000 as it would need a Turner block and complete rebuild. You won't likely make money on a resale on that mod.

The cheapest way is to install the thermostat bypass mod, sticky at the top, and install some method of checking coolant temp. Either a dedicated Gauge or a method to read off the OBD. Around $200 to do both. That will significantly help with the weaknest port of the engine, and would be recommended even if you did the Turner block rebuild.

 

I've done my fair share of research before signing up to the forum and I'm by no means an engine building pro but I know a fair amount about engines. I still see some people reselling sorted out Discovery vehicles with a small lift, bigger tires, sorted engine, sorted interior/exterior, metal bumpers for as much as $19k. Is that a realistic price that I could expect to sell mine after I sort it out in the same way?

I saw this video and he says they are great engines, but I'm sure he's talking about the earlier smaller displacement Rover V8 engines, not the 4.6.

In the comments of that video someone says the problems with the newer Rover V8 engines is that the CPU of the new engines runs them lean so they detonate. A hot engine can also cause detonation. As most of us know you have to have just exact right timing, fuel/air mixture, pressure, and temperature for the combustion to work right in an engine.

Is there a single place that lists all the issues with the Rover V8 that lead it to be called a bad engine design and basically hopeless?

I have learned that many cars, even drag cars use(d) the Rover V8. Why would they use an engine that his hopelessly just a bad engine design?

This post covers basically two topics, the top end selling point for sorted and upgraded D1/D2 and trying to figure out why some people call the Rover V8 "such a great powerplant" and others call it "hopeless" and "a bad engine design."?

Thanks in advance!

 

How many of these are there in Spain and how much would one of those cost to my doorstep?

 

While a very small number of Discoveries sell in the $20k range, that's Ofen because of scarcity of ports on the vehicle.
For example, a 2004 Discovery with a safety Devices roof rack, Greg Davis bumpers and 5 ton Dixon Bate recovery points would cost quite a bit of money because you can't buy any of those mods new anymore.
There are rare and highly desired parts that greatly drive up the sale value of specific Discoveries that have those parts.
This isn't to say a person can't trick out a Discovery o and turn a profit, but those rare prices aro often due to rare parts.

 

You still have to wait a few years, as the 25 year mark has not passed yet.