Ive been reluctant to post to early as I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch - but I've stumbled onto yet another opportunity to get my hands on a late Discovery Series 2. This one is a 2003 S trim with around 117k. Apparently in great shape inside and out, but it does need two front exhaust 02 sensors. The owner lives only about 2 hours away! And he's willing to accept weekly payments for the rig! If all goes as planned we will arrange a lien ownership contract. He did agree let me take it home once I've put $1,500 down but seeing how I still have my 1999 Saab 9-5 4 cylinder wagon, I'll just drive that and leave the rig on the sellers property. The asking price is $5,500! I'm aware that the 2003 is notorious for a bad engine defect but I'm willing to take that chance - this may be a rare opportunity. Generally I'm not a fan of the S trim, gotta switch out the front bumper, add 2 sunroofs, add the ACE SYSTEM and a bunch of other stuff. But all in all its what I've always wanted so I'll take what I can get! I'm meeting the seller tomorrow so I'll be taking it for a test drive and taking loads of pics. Wish me luck all!

PS: when gas prices are tough I can rely on my 9-5, when roads are treacherous I can rely on my Disco! The best of both worlds

 

personally i like not having sunroofs. they all leak. and no real need to add ACE. wouldn't be worth the trouble and cost IMHO.
jon

 

Add sunroofs - many would be glad to not have them....

 

You guys guys have a good point. I love Land Rover but they do seem to make crappy low quality gaskets and sealants. On the flip side my 99 Saab 9-5 have a perfectly functional sunroof and even after all these years it still does not leak one drop! I'm leaning towards installing 2 aftermarket high quality sunroofs in this Disco if all goes as planned.

Regarding the ACE: I do not understand why people wouldnt want it! Body roll is a serious thing for the Disco and most other SUV's for that matter, personaly I want my Disco to have all the innovations set in stone by Land Rover. If you are content with just plain 4x4 then get a Jeep, if you prefer all the extra luxury and performance systems then get a Land Rover

I hear what you guys are saying, but I've been wanting one of these for years and you bet I want it to be loaded.

 

The ACE system is very noisey, it makes noise, and did i mention? it makes noise...

 

The ACE system is nice (when it's working), but (and this is a big but) adding it to a truck that doesn't have it will be a huge job. Think of it this way, it's like building a house and the contractor forgot to put in the plumbing, then you have to add the plumbing after all the finished surfaces have gone in. It can be done (I suppose, never tried it) but the work involved would be monumental. Rover installs the piping for the system on the chassis before they put the body on.

 

i agree with above. if you want all the options, don't buy the S. put the money away and save up for one with all the options you want. the cost and time put into an S to make it a higher model will never be made back in resale.
just my opinion.
jon

 

Yeah it may just be to costly to turn a S into a HSE, however it will never been my intention to resell the vehicle so once you exclude the resale value then it's a different story. Alternately I could get this S model, perform a full 100k service then see if anyone wants to trade their "leaking sunroof HSE/SE" for a simple well maintained and serviced S model. But I haven't gotten that far yet, all I know is that I've been looking for a 03/04 Disco for quit some time now. Any opportunity where I can make payments I'll gladly consider.


Unrelated: I met the seller of the 2003 S Discovery, everything went very well. We talked about how the contract will be set up and took the Disco for a test drive. Has a little crack on the drivers side rear bumper, needs two rear 02 sensors and the check engine bulb needs to be replaced - otherwise a clean looking rig. The seller pretty much agreed to reserve the vehicle for me, he would rather sell it to a enthusiast rather than a random buyer who doesn't really know much about these vehicles. Guy told me I could bring the vehicle home once I've put $1500 down so long as continued with the weekly payments of $300 and kept the rig insured - I opted to just leave the Disco parked on his lawn until its paid in full. I already have a daily driver so I have no issues with that. If all goes as planned ill have the Disco paid in full in mid December!

 

Did you ask him what repairs have been made to the truck? Has it been overheated before? Looks like the truck still has dexcool running in it. Has the front drive shaft been rebuilt? 5,500 isn't bad but you should really look into an SE if you want sunroofs and extra options. I've heard that ACE is nothing but a big hassle.

I hope it is solid truck for you. I just hope nothing starts to crap out before you make all your payments.

 

Thanks for the replies, all feedback and comments are greatly appreciated!

I inquired about the front driveshaft - asked if he experienced any vibrations is sounds while driving on the highway. He said there no vibrations or sounds apparent. Seller said he's pushed the Disco up between 80-90 MPH to see what it could do and everything ran smoothly. He never mentioned anything about overheating or any other issues save the needed o2 sensors. He has not had the rig very long but he said it had a recent oil change and the transmission fluid was flushed carefully. He explained that putting to much in the first time around effected the automatic shifting so he took out a quart and everything shifts smoothly now. We took the rig for a short test drive around his neighborhood and everything ran smoothly. The breaks were immediate and the shifting was firm, i did not notice any strange noises neither in the engine bay or the drivetrain - all in all this rig looks/sounds/feels/rides solid.

I could take your word and pass up this opportunity and hope for a HSE or SE, however here are afew things I need to consider:

- Seller is local to NH, and only about 2 hours away.
- This seller is willing to accept weekly $300 payments for his truck (Threw a contract) and this is the "ONLY" seller of a 2003/04 Disco, who's open to this arrangement. Everyone else just wants cash paid in hand now, and I'll be lucky if I ever find anyone with a HSE/SE who will take payments.
- The asking price is only $5,500! Most of these go for around $10,000.
- If I spend $5,500 to buy the 03 Disco, then over time put another $5,000 towards all the HSE/SE extras then The total I paid will still be no more then the total price it would be to buy a HSE/SE - $10,500.
- Winter is just around the corner, and I live in a higher elevation filled with steep hills, crappy dirt roads and tons on trees - I love my 1999 Saab 9-5 but that won't get me anywhere out here in that kind of weather! If I start the payments now then I'll have it paid off in mid November just in time for the winter season to hit.

I still have not made up my mind yet, and I have until the 20th to make my decision. I have a full time job with $11 per hour and that's plenty to obligate myself to weekly payments for a decent 03/04 Disco - but not enough to buy out a HSE/SE all in one wack. I've been looking for someone who will accept payments for their late D2 for over a year now. Had afew inquires and i lost $1000 in my first attempt with a prospect 2004 SE that was located in Canada. After all this time a I found an rare opportunity and I hope to shoot for it. Besides if the world really does end in December then I want to be able to say "well I finally got my dream car! 2004 Land Rover Discovery!!!!..... Now bring it on Mayan Calendar!" lol