Discovery Advice for a newbie

[snwbrd]

Hi there everyone,

I am very seriously looking at purchasing a 1991 Landrover Discovery HL as I have recently found one which is in very good condition and I would like some advice from people in the know https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ Im in Australia by the way and I have never owned a landrover before or even looked at one.

Details from advert:

1991 LANDROVER DISCOVERY HL
270000 km's
5 speed Manual
8 cylinder U Multi-point injected 3.5L
ARB Deluxe winch mount bullbar
full length aluminimum roofrack 6x driving light
2"king springs all new wheels swivel hub bearings & brake pads.
18mth old transfer case/rebuilt gearbox($4200)
new vaccum advance unit.15x7 alloys + 30x9.5x15 A/T tyres.
Recent fuel injection service($480)
all new tail shaft uni's


Im curious about a number of things:

1:Fuel economy whats it like around town? It's not intended as a daily driver but still don't want something using crazy amounts of fuel.
2:Is an LPG conversion an option and would it cost an arm and a leg?
3:Comfort? Ive been told they are like a truck.
4:Is 270000 too many k's and would I be looking at a re-build soon if so what would I be up for roughly?
5:Are they an expensive car to maintain? parts etc?
6:Im not sure what most of the stuff above means so Id love to hear from someone who knows a lot about discoverys
7:Is there anything that I should be aware of with the particular model? known issues?
8:Is $5000AU a good price for this baby? should I be concerned there is something wrong with it?
9:Is my missus going to hate driving it? hehe https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Any help would be greatly appreciated sorry for the long lsit of questions but Im very new and keen to buy a land rover.

[spudboy]

Fuel and economy do not go together on these engines.

I reckon 20L/100Km (is that 12-13 MPG?) would be a fair guess. You will prob only get 350Km around town from a tank that costs $100 to fill. I tried fittin extractors to my 3.5 Rangie, and that improved things a bit, but it was still very thirsty up and down the hills where I live.

270,000Km is pretty high, but then it is a 15 yo car, and it is only $5000. I think the "expensive to maintain" question is answered by the $4200 bill for gearbox work and the $480 injection service: Yep.

The 2" springs refer to a lift of 2" from standard height. Might not be 2" now if it has sagged a bit over time.

[Ace]

Ok here are answers to your questions

1) fuel economy will range from 15-25l/100km depending on how you drive it 25l/100km being the around town figure. These are figures i am re-quoting from other members on here who own v8 disco's, mine is diesel.

2) LPG is a very viable option and a wise one if you plan to drive it a fair bit, costs range somewhere beteen 2 and 3 grand.

3) Who ever told you they drive like a truck has never driven one. They drive like a car and handle alot better than a larger cruiser or patrol. Many people who swap to discos make comment almost immediately on how comfotable they are.

4) Its hard to say, the rover v8 is a good engine if looked after and mechanics have told me of cases where they last in excess of 500000km. Having said this if the engine hasnt been serviced regularly then chances are it will need a rebuild soon. Before you buy it find out if the owner has any service history, if not bargain the price down accordingly.

5) Parts, like any car can be expensive. But if you can do most of the work yourself and source parts from the plethora of Land Rover parts suppliers in Australia they are no more expensive to run than any other brand.

6) There isnt much to explain. The engine is simply a 3.5L capacity alloy V8 fuel injected engine. The deluxe Bullbar is good, these retails for well over a thousand bucks, the 2in suspension lift will come in handy if you want to go off road or fitt slightly bigger tyres, and are the same springs i am using in my disco. All new wheel bearings is good, saves you having to do them. The new transfer case is a bonus, but why was it repaired, and are the rest of the drive train components such as gearbox and diffs on the way out aswell? If it has been flogged causing the need for replacement then its likely, if it simply wore out then fine. The injection service is again, a good thing, will improve economy. Tail shaft unis are nothing major nothing to explain there.

7) There isnt anything inparticular that i know of the others might be able to suggest something. The main thing is to check the electrics over and make sure there arent any serious problems. Make sure everything like lights, dash lights, buttons air con if it is fitted etc etc.

8) V8 discos arent worth anything at the moment simply because of the price of fuel. Bargain him down and make sure you get it checked over, if there are problems deduct the cost of repair from the price. If you can get him down to 4000, however if the vehicle is good, 4500 would be good, never pay asking price, people factor in a bargaining figure when they put a price on a vehicle.

9) No your missus wont hate it. Once she has driven it she wont let you in the drivers seat. I am stuck with my missuses laser most days cause she reckons she needs the space in the disco (my arse she just hates driving the laser).

If there are any more questions you want answered post away. For more info visit my web page, the link is below. Follow the link in the menu on the left of the page to the buying a used land rover page. Its full of info put together from people on here. Matt

[snwbrd]

Thanks Ace for your very informative response it is much appreciated.

I have a mate who is very good with cars whom would maybe be able to help me learn more so I can maintain/fix things myself, I have always done simple things like oil changes on my previous Subarus and they aint the easiest cars to work on so Im sure the land rover will have just a tad more room under the bonnet so I would probably be ok.

If there is anyone with a similar model with an LPG conversion done Id love to know how you find the economy now Also if anyone has someone they can reccomend for the LPG conversion that would be fantastic. I did speak to someone about it and they advised if I could find a landrover wrecked with a LPG setup it would not be too much hassle to fit myself with help from my mate of course.

Good to hear fuel econonomy isn't too bad, I drive a 83 fairlane at the moment whic isnt fantastic on fuel https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ The idea is to buy the discovery as a holiday/camping car and to get into some offroading and then buy a little corolla or simialr for daily driving to/from work.

If anyone can add to what has already been said then please do so as I need as much info as I can get https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Great site too!

[Ace]

No worries, where abouts are you located? If you are in sydney i would be willing to help with any work/repairs if you could make the trip to lithgow. Failing that i am sure there are other members on here who would be willing to help with any major dilemas for a carton of beer.

As for the LPG expect to have fuel consumption marginally worse than petrol because of the way LPG burns. Some have said it is 20% less efficient. Even with that it is still worth getting if you do high km's. If you dont drive it often it will take you to long to recoup the expense of having it fitted $3000 will make up the extra expense of buying petrol over gas for a long time if you only drive it once or twice a week or on weekends.

As for reputable dealers for LPG installations when we know where you live someone will recommend someone. Matt

[D110V8D]

Yer missus will hate driving it if she loves driving trucks though! https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[Ace]

Originally posted by D110V8D
Yer missus will hate driving it if she loves driving trucks though! https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ Yeah going from a truck like cruiser to a disco is a big jump

[Caveman]

The main problem with LPG, is that unless you go to full LPG, and change your fuel tank as well, you have to fill up the LPG every 200kms or so.....which is a pretty limited range.

I guess if you combine the range of fuel and LPG on the hwy, you might get 600kms out of it.

[ET]

snwbrd,

I have a beautifull 96 V8i on gas and petrol. You need both fuels because in lots of country areas you can'y get LPG. V8 fuel consumption leaves a lot to be desired.

What all these guys are saying is very true.

If I was you I would go for a diesel.

Cheer,

ET.

[igould]

G'day snowbrd,
Welcome to AULRO.
I've got the 97 v8 Disco (280,000km) with twin scuba tanks between the chassis rails.
Holds around 70 litres and gets me 300-320kms. Most times it doesn't seem to vary much whether I drive hard or gentle.
The down-side is that I've only got around 35 litres of petrol. It's scary watching the gauge go down when I run on petrol.
Having said that, it's a beautiful drive. Smooth, reasonably powerful, gorgeous exhaust note, and still drives like a new car (almost). Absolutely love it.
Bought a 2000 Td5 Disco for my wife not too long ago. She was not keen when we got it, but is now a convert, and tells everyone who asks how good it is. She can't imagine how she ever got by driving Fairmonts and stuff like that!
I find it generally not much worse that our 2 Fords for maintenance costs. I do as much as I can myself, and find it pretty straightforward generally. I'm not a mechanic, but get by with the workshop manuals and advice from the guys on here.
There are plenty of parts suppliers who won't rip you off, if you're prepared to shop around. There are forums on this site for suppliers in each state.
The price doesn't sound too bad given the accessories and work done on it. Don't be frightened to shop around though. There's plenty on the market now, and you might pick up a later model/lower kms for not much more money.
Be warned though; Land Rovers are addictive. A lot of guys on here have more than one (including me). I'd never owned one before buying my 97 Disco.

Happy shopping. Look forward to hearing what you decide on.

Cheers, Ian

[snwbrd]

Yep Im in Sydney. I guess I need to make a decision on petrol or diesel. Only thing is Im not confident I will find a diesel around that price.

[DEFENDERZOOK]

<span style="color:blue">no...a diesel will be two to three times the price of a V8.....

probably work out cheaper to buy a V8 then do an engine swap for a diesel....


where abouts in sydney are you...?</span>

[George130]

If it helps I went from a 97 fairlane to my Landy and havn't looked back. I have had to do a load of work on it but then I also do 45,000 ks a year.
Take one for a test drive.
As for the getting into a little bit of off roading. I bought mine a year ago and it was my first 4*4. I love it and so do my boys.

[CraigE]

The V8s are magnificent to drive and if you drive a Fairlane, fuel economy will not really be an issue for you. If you are used to Ford and Holden motors then the Rover V8 will be a piece of cake for you. $5k sounds pretty good but still try and bargain. They are a great vehicle to drive compared to a Cruiser and will probablly return similar mileage to a diesel 80 series. Us LR diesel owners have got too used to exceptional fuel economy. I get about 12-13litres per 100kms, my father in laws hilux inter cooled turbo returns about 17.
The V8 will all depend on how you drive it. I really miss my RR V8.

[LoadedDisco]

I have a 2004 Disco V8 and on the Highway I get around 900 - 1000Km range from a 130Ltr tank.
I have not tested the range for a full tank off road yet.

[LandyAndy]

Hi Snwbrd
Not only is a $5000 Disco better to drive than a $5000 Cruiser,they are a hell of a lot more competent off road 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
Andrew

[DiscoMick]

A $5000 Disco is a lifestyle, but a $5000 Cruiser is just a mobile collection of spare parts https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[dungarover]

Originally posted by DiscoMick
A $5000 Disco is a lifestyle, but a $5000 Cruiser is just a mobile collection of spare parts https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Bloody ripper, and dead right as well https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Regards to a V8 Disco, fuel economy sucks big time. I own a 87 Rangie 3.5 and it's not too bad for a V8 but it's no diesel as far as economy goes. Weekend basher is the way to go for a V8 these days with fuel prices with a one way ticket up the price scale 8O

The way I see it, the more the bloke has spent, the better fot you as a buyer. T/Case rebuilds can be expensive and yours is already done, but like ace said, I would be concerned about the rest of the driveline. The mainshaft can wear and maybe that's why the transfer was out, but then the gearbox if a manual would of been rebuilt to suit.

I agre with ace on this also, don't pay full price. Haggle and get something off it, even $200 in your pocket is better than his. If the vehicle isn't right, keep looking as there's plenty of Discos around the $5-7K mark now.

Anyway, good luck with it.

Trav

[snwbrd]

Just reserecting this post I made quite some time ago. Ive been a bit of a lurker in the forums since and its blody informative to say the least.

Im now in the market for a 4x4 mainly for towing a boat. The boat will weigh close to 2000kg and I will be towing mainly short distances but 5-10 times a year I will be towing long distances.

Im hoping to spend around the 10k mark and have been looking mainly at diesels. I wanted to get some opinions on which discoverys are the best to go for?

I read somewhere that the series 2 (td5) discos had electrical problems and the older series 1 discos are a bit more relaible.

Only thing I see as an issue with the older diesels is the power 85Kw/260Nm compared to 300Nm in the series 2 diesels. While towing 2000kg it could be a long trip :)

Im buying this car with intention to replace it within a year or so, hopefully with a disco 3. So I want a reliable car that does not cost too much to maintain.

Curious about service intervals also are they 10000 or 5000?

Anything else I should look out for? known issues etc...

Really appreciate your help.