Discovery - let the flames commence!

Luke · 3 Jun 2010 at 12:24

Some good advice here, thanks.
A Rangey is just too big for my likeing and although the P38's are very capable I've seen friends get financially crippled by them!
Looking around I think I'll end up with a 1999/2000 TD5 with leather and mileage ~100k and bank the rest for when things go wrong!
I'm fairly handy with a spanner, replaced the engine on the Defender myself. May need to learn welding though!!!
Hoping to sort something out this weekend if all goes well.

Luke · 7 Jun 2010 at 13:36

A quick update, I bit the bullet and put a deposit down on one over the weekend.It's a 2000 Discovery 2 ES7 TD5.
I got the spec I was after, full leather, 7 seats, working air suspension etc.

I collect it next weekend and will report back on whether or not it was a good decision as times goes by!

4T5 · 7 Jun 2010 at 13:41

Did you look at a 110 emailiscrap ? Did you opt for comfy ?

Luke · 7 Jun 2010 at 13:43

Having owned a 90 before I decided long ago that a Defender as a sole car was just utterly impractical. Yes, comfy won. I'm clearly getting old

Scania · 7 Jun 2010 at 13:47

emailiscrap said:
A quick update, I bit the bullet and put a deposit down on one over the weekend.It's a 2000 Discovery 2 ES7 TD5.
I got the spec I was after, full leather, 7 seats, working air suspension etc.

I collect it next weekend and will report back on whether or not it was a good decision as times goes by!

The fact you mention the air suspension works speaks volumes about its reliability....

I hope it stays in one piece, enjoy the green lanes & invest in a winch.

Luke · 7 Jun 2010 at 13:51

It's just occurred to me that the 90 I had before spontaneously combusted whilst on the driveway. Luckily I was there to deal with it with minimal damage.
Hopefully my thread title isn't a prediction!

R420... the air suspension in these tends to go after about 80k miles. A lot of owners replace with coils at that point. Perfectly valid thing to do, but when using it as a 7 seater coils take it ouside the recommended configuration and there are potential liability issues in the event of an accident. The forums seem to be split 50/50 as to whether it is good/legal or not to replace bags with coils when carrying passengers in the 3rd row. As I will be I don't want to take the chance.

I think I shall follow the first rule of offroading - never go alone!

4T5 · 7 Jun 2010 at 13:51

emailiscrap said:
Having owned a 90 before I decided long ago that a Defender as a sole car was just utterly impractical. Yes, comfy won. I'm clearly getting old

Sold mine for the same reason, One of my fave all time Motors to own but it's a 2nd motor not an only motor.

I am sorting a more Radical off roader out for my Winter fun summit like my old SJ with an Exterior roll cage, I loved that thing.
Good luck with the Disco & if you do have any Big failures then shout me as there are a few around here in bits due to the heavy off road modding scene. :cool:

Luke · 7 Jun 2010 at 13:54

Thanks Malc, yes I followed your previous posts as I was considering getting an SJ41x as a toy not long ago. I shall continue to watch your progress with interest.

I miss my 90 hugely, but it was like Triggers broom - almost all of it had been replaced and it was still a nightmare. Vast amounts of character and pleasure, but a total labour of love

Scania · 7 Jun 2010 at 14:02

emailiscrap said:
It's just occurred to me that the 90 I had before spontaneously combusted whilst on the driveway. Luckily I was there to deal with it with minimal damage.
Hopefully my thread title isn't a prediction!

emailiscrap said:
R420... the air suspension in these tends to go after about 80k miles. A lot of owners replace with coils at that point. Perfectly valid thing to do, but when using it as a 7 seater coils take it ouside the recommended configuration and there are potential liability issues in the event of an accident. The forums seem to be split 50/50 as to whether it is good/legal or not to replace bags with coils when carrying passengers in the 3rd row. As I will be I don't want to take the chance.

Yes, I was going to bring this up, a mate did a similar thing to his Disco (Air to springs) and had issues MOTing it subsequently,I'd keep OEM to be on the safe tbh.

emailiscrap said:
I think I shall follow the first rule of offroading - never go alone!

Wise move mate, its a great day out. :cool:

4T5 · 7 Jun 2010 at 14:10

Pay & Play sites are where it's at mate for the best all round safety/trails/course/water/recovery/help/a Tow.
Last time I went in my 90 on my own, I must have Towed twenty motors out during the day but Everybody takes turns or whoever has the best suited motor.

Here's how we roll during Winter.

Luke · 7 Jun 2010 at 14:37

That just looks fantastic fun! Looking at the door handles I'm guessing that was a Disco 1 200/300tdi? Much better suited to that kind of immersion than a TD5.
Would I have the guts to do that in my daily driver? Probably not!

4T5 · 7 Jun 2010 at 18:10

This was my daily driver, I'd had it about 2 weeks & was on the Pay & Play site for around 7 minutes before I saw this hole, I didn't even hesitate & just dropped in.

4T5 · 7 Jun 2010 at 18:12

In the Back.

griffo_001 · 7 Jun 2010 at 18:13

emailiscrap said:
That just looks fantastic fun! Looking at the door handles I'm guessing that was a Disco 1 200/300tdi? Much better suited to that kind of immersion than a TD5.
Would I have the guts to do that in my daily driver? Probably not!

Yeah that's a Disco 1, defiantly a TDi..... Or maybe a no-longer-functioning V8

4T5 · 7 Jun 2010 at 18:31

Yep most of us run/ran 200TDi's, You can tell my 90 is coz the snorkel is on the left side.

They are cheap to get hold of from an old donor motor & take some serious stick without going bang. The 300 has more Torq but there is added weight & more electrics & belts to go wrong when you go swimming like we do.
I've never seen a 200 not do what a 300 can do but I've seen Plenty of owners of 300's Not do what we do.

mr tommo · 7 Jun 2010 at 19:19

Those photos are great!

Wish my dad had the balls to do something like that in his! He went green laning the other week and bottled it half way

flibbage0 · 7 Jun 2010 at 19:31

Felix said:
Land cruiser all the way.

I have to say that they are very comfy

griffo_001 · 7 Jun 2010 at 22:28

malc30 said:
I've never seen a 200 not do what a 300 can do but I've seen Plenty of owners of 300's Not do what we do.

What's that that they can't do then? Get into plenty of trouble?

mr tommo said:
Those photos are great!

Wish my dad had the balls to do something like that in his! He went green laning the other week and bottled it half way

He got a D3 didn't he? That's your answer there

Seen a G4 spec D3 on ATR's, an 02 Rangie and a brand new Sport at local play days :eek:

Road tyres are next to useless in those conditions :rolleyes:

Fun trying tho

mr tommo · 8 Jun 2010 at 00:21

Nope... Discovery 4! But I do think the fact he didn't want to ruin it or take risks was part of the reason he wimped out

I'm hoping to get on the land rover off road day because he doesn't want to go on it. Hopefully I can pursuade them to let me have his place. Been far too busy to sort it out but wrecking land rovers own vehicles sounds a lot more fun to me!

griffo_001 · 8 Jun 2010 at 00:30

mr tommo said:
Nope... Discovery 4! But I do think the fact he didn't want to ruin it or take risks was part of the reason he wimped out

I'm hoping to get on the land rover off road day because he doesn't want to go on it. Hopefully I can pursuade them to let me have his place. Been far too busy to sort it out but wrecking land rovers own vehicles sounds a lot more fun to me!

I'll give you £10 if you manage to break one of their cars

Its fun but I bet you could do it with a Panda 4x4 if you tried hard enough