If its made it this far is it likely to break?

[MJR]

Hey Guys and Girls,

I have the option to purchase a 2008 D3 TDV6 with 370,000 k's on the clocks. The car is a farm car, full of left over hay and fantastic farm smells and is being sold without a full service history.

Now I understand buyer beware but at the same time I also can't help but think that if its made it this far surely anything that could have gone wrong has, and that if its still running then if I put the money I save on the purchase into a full service and fluids etc then am I anymore at risk then buying a low k's car that has not had any issues arise yet?

I am mainly drawn to the car due to the options, rear AC and sat nav etc that you do not always find on the SE and I am fairly handy with a spanner and do work on my own cars.

I am wondering if anyone here runs a high K's D3 or 4 at all and how they have found it.

Is my logic flawed? (I am sure it is) can anyone politley show me why I am going about this all wrong?

Thanks in advance and also thanks for having such a fantastic resource for people who are looking for information on these cars.

[rocket rod]

What price?

[MJR]

What price?


They are asking $5,000. Most good lower K cars with the same spec are well over $10k from what I have seen.

[DieselLSE]

MJR, you have to assess potential gain against potential loss. In other words, are you happy to potentially completely lose the buy price (which presumably will be quite low) on the potential gain that you may have stumbled across a bargain?
If the car is a complete loss in, say, a few weeks after you buy it, will you simply laugh it off as a losing bet and never regret taking the chance? If so, and a few things on the car check out, then go for it. But if you will be devastated at losing a years savings or foregoing that family holiday or whatever (called the opportunity cost), then perhaps let someone else take the gamble.

[twr7cx]

With those kms you may find the regular killers of many of the TDV6 might not be a factor, but your going to be entering a realm of different high milage wear and tear items which will require maintenance and replacement. The problem with a cheap car is that when it needs $3,000.00 of work you get upset that it's more than half of the cost of the car that needs to be further spent on it - not a reason to avoid it, you just need to go in with your eyes open, realise that these vehicles have maintenance requirements and those cost. The fact that you purchased the car initially for cheap will not mean anything to maintenance costs being any cheaper - the parts costs will be the same as if you bought the $15,000.00 one.

[MJR]

With those kms you may find the regular killers of many of the TDV6 might not be a factor, but your going to be entering a realm of different high milage wear and tear items which will require maintenance and replacement. The problem with a cheap car is that when it needs $3,000.00 of work you get upset that it's more than half of the cost of the car that needs to be further spent on it - not a reason to avoid it, you just need to go in with your eyes open, realise that these vehicles have maintenance requirements and those cost. The fact that you purchased the car initially for cheap will not mean anything to maintenance costs being any cheaper - the parts costs will be the same as if you bought the $15,000.00 one.


My my thoughts were along the lines that if it hadn’t killed the car yet the money saved might go towards preventative servicing vs paying $15k and still running the risk of a gearbox or engine issue on a lower K car. I would rather walk away from $5k then have $15k needing something major.

i don’t believe in unicorns but just wondering if the higher K’s means the usual suspects are non issues and I can just work on prevention moving forward.

I also hear the point about buying cheap and then not wanting to pay $1,100 for a service etc and the cheap entry vs cost to maintain is the downfall of many European cars when they hit that 10 year mark.

thanks for the replies, food for thought

[Disco-tastic]

At least if you spend 10k on this car you know what's fixed. Spending 15k on a "better" example may still mean you need to spend more to fix things.

My biggest worry for D3 or 4 of any age is the engine and transmission. Most other things can be replaced for a reasonable cost.

If it were me and the car drove well i would take the chance for $5k. I think youd be up for a full service and maybe new suspension bushes which, if you're handy with the spanners might be an additional 1k plus time.

If you havent driven one before, maybe take a newer example for a drive to compare.

I hope you get it as im keen to see what 5k of D3 looks like!

[MJR]

At least if you spend 10k on this car you know what's fixed. Spending 15k on a "better" example may still mean you need to spend more to fix things.

My biggest worry for D3 or 4 of any age is the engine and transmission. Most other things can be replaced for a reasonable cost.

If it were me and the car drove well i would take the chance for $5k. I think youd be up for a full service and maybe new suspension bushes which, if you're handy with the spanners might be an additional 1k plus time.

If you havent driven one before, maybe take a newer example for a drive to compare.

I hope you get it as im keen to see what 5k of D3 looks like!

Thats basically what I was doing to rationalise the purchase, assuming the engine and gear box have gone this long then if I put even $5,000 back into it I know exactly what is fixed and working and if it all goes wrong its easier to walk away from.

I will keep you updated I am going for another look tomorrow.

[theelms66]

I bought a 07 rrs tdv6 for 10k only months ago and am up to 15k already belts,injectors,front diff etc.

[MJR]

I bought a 07 rrs tdv6 for 10k only months ago and am up to 15k already belts,injectors,front diff etc.


Is that $15k on top of the purchase? Are you doing any work yourself? What have been the main issues?

Appreciate your insight and feedback as it seems you are going through a similar project that I am looking at.

[shanegtr]

As has been mentioned the two big $$$ risks are trans and engine. I would at least count on a trans rebuild especially if there's no service history on it. But nearly everything else may very well effect a lower km car thats only 10K more expensive - you know all the usual suspects that are common known items on these cars.
I say if the body and chassis is in ok condition then I'd run the risk as mechanical can be repaired, especially if your handy on the tools yourself

[scarry]

I bought a 07 rrs tdv6 for 10k only months ago and am up to 15k already belts,injectors,front diff etc.

Pretty easy to clock up those sorts of costs,that’s why resale on these vehicles is so poor,no one wants them.

If you do the work yourself you could save a heap of dollars,that is if you have the time,expertise,and can put up with a vehicle being off the road at times,and probably being generally unreliable.

[Disco-tastic]

Pretty easy to clock up those sorts of costs,that’s why resale on these vehicles is so poor,no one wants them.

If you do the work yourself you could save a heap of dollars,that is if you have the time,expertise,and can put up with a vehicle being off the road at times,and probably being generally unreliable.Thats one reason i bought a petrol. Much less to go wrong. They were also about $7k cheaper at the time!

[4bee]

The Farm smells alone have got to be worth 5K.[smilebigeye]


Funny things smells. No really.

The house we are currently in has the original family's horse drawn Wagon stables from the old days aprox. 100' away.

When it rains we get the same Chaff perfume smell from the chaff dust that has obviously settled in the roof space which is not unpleasant, & a reminder of another age when horses were king.
The stables themselves have soil covered red Brick floors & one day I may get a bobcat in to scrape the floors. It has 14-16" Diameter Old Stringy bark Poles with a very high iron roof with a "Mezzanine" floor above where the Loose boxes were, where they used to store bags of onions in the airy & dry locations.


Suits us.

[eddy]

I would go for it,that's the price of a D2 similar Kms.Give it a full service,including transmission steel pan and handbrake adjustmentHopefully cambelts have been changed..Coolant flush and a new outlet LR073372.Change dessicant in the air compressor. Be prepared for suspension bushes to be knackered......brake pads/rotors.All straight forward stuff.

[MJR]

The Farm smells alone have got to be worth 5K.[smilebigeye]


Funny things smells. No really.

The house we are currently in has the original family's horse drawn Wagon stables from the old days aprox. 100' away.

When it rains we get the same Chaff perfume smell from the chaff dust that has obviously settled in the roof space which is not unpleasant, & a reminder of another age when horses were king.
The stables themselves have soil covered red Brick floors & one day I may get a bobcat in to scrape the floors. It has 14-16" Diameter Old Stringy bark Poles with a very high iron roof with a "Mezzanine" floor above where the Loose boxes were, where they used to store bags of onions in the airy & dry locations.


Suits us.

All part of the charm [biggrin]

[MJR]

I would go for it,that's the price of a D2 similar Kms.Give it a full service,including transmission steel pan and handbrake adjustmentHopefully cambelts have been changed..Coolant flush and a new outlet LR073372.Change dessicant in the air compressor. Be prepared for suspension bushes to be knackered......brake pads/rotors.All straight forward stuff.


Thanks for the info, obvious next question would have been what to focus on and fix so this is a great help.

Appreciate it.

[PerthDisco]

What I will say as owner of an MY08 tdv6 from near new that, compared with other cars I have owned to older ages, the cosmetics of the car are incredibly good. Other well garaged cars I’ve owned literally fall apart - internal trim panels fall off, door panels start to fail. Seats spilt, switches fall out and paint peels and the car becomes a POS.

The Disco not so. Other than centre console lid everything is tight and looks new car when clean. I put a dash mat on but eerything still works and looks good. Certainly zero rust issues on mine.

I do worry about things like aircon evaporator failure that might require dash removal but even this is ‘easier’ on a disco (especially older ones) compared to smaller exotic cars. (Only because this happened on another car we owned and no aircon is a nightmare)

Externally, a few faded bits of black plastic under windscreen and headlight washers - easily fixable if I cared to.

Outside of the engine and tranny the rest mechanicals are robust and well understood and fixable DIY in the main. Parts can be competitively sourced and with proper maintenance all items can and do go a very long way.

At those high kms some money has to have been spent on maintenance or replacement parts or else everything will be knackered pretty much you’d have to fear. You pays now or pays later either way.

A whole bunch of normal high mileage problems like wheel bearings and drive shaft and diffs (and even coolant leaks) give you heaps of warning and are not the end of the world to fix.

So, having owned a few boats you need to look at big failures as a not if but when contingency so outside of top quality annual maintenance allow an annual budget, say $2k so that after 5 years you’ve got $10k in a sinking fund for when something pops. Wishful thinking but a proper strategy for peace of mind.

For urgent immediate items right now I’d focus on working out what if anything has been done i.e timing belts and then outside of critical repairs put money immediately toward a thorough inspection and big refresh of suspension & steering and the cooling system.

Suspension & Steering:
Tie rods
U&L Control Arms
Air bag units
Compressor
Service the air valves
All wheel bearings
Check CV boots
Allow $7k

Cooling:
Replace radiator and check hoses
Replace suspect plastic engine fittings, coolant bottle etc.
Allow $5k

Full oils and fluid and filter change

Any rubber or plastic part you can easily change like flex brake hoses just change them. A good Indy will have these covered.

The status of the oils will tell a knowledgeable person what the insides look like.

If you did the above you’d still have a cheap car that looks great and drives and handles like new and had little chance of cooking itself over a $20 plastic fitting.

The rest is in the hands of luck or fate.

[MJR]

What I will say as owner of an MY08 tdv6 from near new that, compared with other cars I have owned to older ages, the cosmetics of the car are incredibly good. Other well garaged cars I’ve owned literally fall apart - internal trim panels fall off, door panels start to fail. Seats spilt, switches fall out and paint peels and the car becomes a POS.

The Disco not so. Other than centre console lid everything is tight and looks new car when clean. I put a dash mat on but eerything still works and looks good. Certainly zero rust issues on mine.

I do worry about things like aircon evaporator failure that might require dash removal but even this is ‘easier’ on a disco (especially older ones) compared to smaller exotic cars.

Externally, a few faded bits of black plastic under windscreen and headlight washers - easily fixable if I cared to.

Outside of the engine and tranny the rest mechanicals are robust and well understood and fixable DIY in the main. Parts can be competitively sourced and with proper maintenance all items can and do go a very long way.

At those high kms some money has to have been spent on maintenance or replacement parts or else everything will be knackered pretty much you’d have to fear. You pays now or pays later either way.

A whole bunch of normal high mileage problems like wheel bearings and drive shaft and diffs (and even coolant leaks) give you heaps of warning and are not the end of the world to fix.

So, having owned a few boats you need to look at big failures as a not if but when contingency so outside of top quality annual maintenance allow an annual budget, say $2k so that after 5 years you’ve got $10k in a sinking fund for when something pops. Wishful thinking but a proper strategy for peace of mind.

For urgent immediate items right now I’d focus on working out what if anything has been done i.e timing belts and then outside of critical repairs put money immediately toward a thorough inspection and big refresh of suspension & steering and the cooling system.

Suspension & Steering:
Tie rods
U&L Control Arms
Air bag units
Compressor
Service the air valves
All wheel bearings
Check CV boots
Allow $7k

Cooling:
Replace radiator and check hoses
Replace suspect plastic engine fittings, coolant bottle etc.
Allow $5k

Full oils and fluid and filter change

Any rubber or plastic part you can easily change like flex brake hoses just change them. A good Indy will have these covered.

The status of the oils will tell a knowledgeable person what the insides look like.

If you did the above you’d still have a cheap car that looks great and drives and handles like new and had little chance of cooking itself over a $20 plastic fitting.

The rest is in the hands of luck or fate.

Thanks for the solid advice and list of items to check and attend to. The centre armrest is torn on this one and seems a common issue easliy fixed. The car does not need to be on the road right away so I have plenty of time to work through solving any propblems etc and changing out parts etc.

[scarry]

Thats one reason i bought a petrol. Much less to go wrong. They were also about $7k cheaper at the time!

A lot can go wrong with a petrol,but generally a lot less than a modern diesel,depending on how lucky/unlucky you are.

The rest of the vehicle,same as a petrol, will still have repair/maintenance issues at that age and mileage,EAS,suspension arms,auto,diffs,transfer box,brakes,etc,etc.

Even half that age and mileage they can have some huge issues,petrol or diesel.

[Disco-tastic]

A lot can go wrong with a petrol,but generally a lot less than a modern diesel,depending on how lucky/unlucky you are.

The rest of the vehicle,same as a petrol, will still have repair/maintenance issues at that age and mileage,EAS,suspension arms,auto,diffs,transfer box,brakes,etc,etc.

Even half that age and mileage they can have some huge issues,petrol or diesel.Haha thats exactly my experience. Currently trying to get rid of a suspension error as well as replacing all the suspension bushes. Car has done 200k and almost everything was original.

Thankfully the engine and gearbox have not given me any problems.

[DiscoJeffster]

Haha thats exactly my experience. Currently trying to get rid of a suspension error as well as replacing all the suspension bushes.

Me too. I’m hearing my compressor running for around a minute after starting in the morning (which isn’t normal for me) so I suspect I have a leak somewhere. Will be doing some diag this weekend with leak detection fluid. New struts so I guess valve block or another connector somewhere.

[Disco-tastic]

Me too. I’m hearing my compressor running for around a minute after starting in the morning (which isn’t normal for me) so I suspect I have a leak somewhere. Will be doing some diag this weekend with leak detection fluid. New struts so I guess valve block or another connector somewhere.If the car doesn't settle overnight it may not be a leak. The dessicant in the air dryer attached to the compressor may be blocking the passage of air through the compressor, causing it to take ages. You can get rebuild kits for them off eBay. It may also be that the dryer cap has cracked.

I think with mine i will buy a rebuild kit and go through the whole thing. Its just such a pain to remove...

[DiscoJeffster]

If the car doesn't settle overnight it may not be a leak. The dessicant in the air dryer attached to the compressor may be blocking the passage of air through the compressor, causing it to take ages. You can get rebuild kits for them off eBay. It may also be that the dryer cap has cracked.

I think with mine i will buy a rebuild kit and go through the whole thing. Its just such a pain to remove...

I rebuilt mine a couple of years ago and recently had the exhaust error which led me to find wet desiccant which I remedied and the errors went. From that and now the long run time I conclude I have a leak which is why the desiccant is getting wet - constant in but no out ( if the system is sealed correctly then all air in equals all air out and thus the desiccant gets wet when inbound air is taken but dries when the air is exhausted - in a perfect world).

[MJR]

Seems like the common theme is that no matter what I spend there is every chance I am going to be spedning some money in repairs one way or another. Seems the idea of getting a cheap girl that has obviously had enough done to her to get her to 370,000 k's and then pouring the cash in from there could be the way to go.

One more inspection tomorrow and will decide from there.

[DiscoJeffster]

Seems like the common theme is that no matter what I spend there is every chance I am going to be spedning some money in repairs one way or another. Seems the idea of getting a cheap girl that has obviously had enough done to her to get her to 370,000 k's and then pouring the cash in from there could be the way to go.

One more inspection tomorrow and will decide from there.

Agree. Most problems occur with vehicles of all ages so the less your base cost, and assuming you are aware you might spend more on it, then you’re quids in

[PerthDisco]

Agree. Most problems occur with vehicles of all ages so the less your base cost, and assuming you are aware you might spend more on it, then you’re quids in

@cripesamighty has the highest km car I think as a roadmap but think if you did some heavy R&M before 250k km then set your sights on 500k km after that as a goal.

I’m on 6 monthly oil changes and coming up 3rd auto flush nearing 250k and touch wood everything stock and never an issue outside LCAs, brake parts, brake light switch and tail lights. I don’t tow I will say.

Doesn’t mean I don’t think about DazzaTD5 disaster tales every other minute and what I should do to preventatively. Still don’t have a fault reader and never had anything system fault (other than tail light cascade fault)

Now focused on suspension and coolant projects as described above.

Top notch car and fun to work on I would say.

[cripesamighty]

I took a fairly big punt with my D3 purchase. I bought it in vgc with 509,500km on it with little documentation at time of purchase. Most of those kms were racked up as a tourism vehicle doing big trips. The vehicles documentation I was supposed to get sent, got lost in the mail from Vanuatu, so I am running blind except the last few services I got permission to access through the main Perth dealer.

The thing that caught my eye was it had a Long Range gravity fed tank (no pumps), rear ladder, front barwork, and rear barwork with tyre swing arm, which I figured would help recoup any money lost if it went poopy in its pants two days after I bought it!

So far, so good, but a bunch of stuff is getting looked at or replaced in the near future due to time/distance factors or some glitches occurring recently. It will likely cost a pretty penny, but final amount depends on what needs doing, and how much I can do myself, of course! Either way I went in with my eyes wide open and contemplated the risks.

My theory of complicated/expensive things is - if I can’t afford to maintain a new one, don’t buy a second hand one expecting cheap running costs. That helps with most choices. Of course I also told myself I’d never buy an early D3 or RRS with single Canbus (pre 2006/7), with a high mileage TDV6, or without documentation, and in this case promptly did all three. Well, in my defence, it did have a green oval...

[BradC]

Top notch car and fun to work on I would say.

Far out. I'd love to see your vehicle history if you think a disco is fun to work on.

I reckon you need to be a double jointed under-fed oompa-loompa sized russian gymnast to work on the thing comfortably.

[scarry]

Far out. I'd love to see your vehicle history if you think a disco is fun to work on.

I reckon you need to be a double jointed under-fed oompa-loompa sized russian gymnast to work on the thing comfortably.

The TD5 D2 wasn’t that bad,but the D4 is an absolute shocker.
Everything is jammed in tight.

[DiscoJeffster]

Yeah. Awful to work on.

[BradC]

The TD5 D2 wasn’t that bad,but the D4 is an absolute shocker.
Everything is jammed in tight.

We had a 2.4Tdi D1 (first diesel sold in WA). I could almost walk around the engine bay in that. The D3 2.7 is tight. I can't imagine what the D4 3L is like as a package.
Unfortunately as the cars (and particularly the emission control) becomes more complex, the packaging just gets tighter and tighter.

The trade-off is, with the kids in the back and the van on the back, the D3 is just a much nicer tourer (when it's running). Actually I shouldn't complain, it hasn't faulted in a disabling manner for nearly 9 months.

[4bee]

Actually I shouldn't complain, it hasn't faulted in a disabling manner for nearly 9 months.


Blimey, thats' torn it, you never say **** like that without attracting the wrath of the gods.[bigsad]

[PerthDisco]

Far out. I'd love to see your vehicle history if you think a disco is fun to work on.

I reckon you need to be a double jointed under-fed oompa-loompa sized russian gymnast to work on the thing comfortably.

Oooops I’m never going to do fuel pumps and such engine work like you brave souls but I find for the rest (so far) LCAs and brakes, filters, alternator etc is fun and tdv6 has a lot more room in the engine bay generally than 3.0. Heaps at front of engine actually and less plumbing and turbo paraphernalia.

[BradC]

Blimey, thats' torn it, you never say **** like that without attracting the wrath of the gods.[bigsad]

Bah, I've threatened it more than once with leaving it on the side of the road in flames. There's a reason I call it the Antichrist. The only reason it hasn't winched itself up a tree is it doesn't have a winch. It does have a sense of humour though. The first thing that broke was 2 days into our ownership, and the passenger front lock motor failed locking my mother in law out of the car.

It is by far the most comfortable and least reliable motor vehicle I've ever owned.

[DiscoJeffster]

Bah, I've threatened it more than once with leaving it on the side of the road in flames. There's a reason I call it the Antichrist. The only reason it hasn't winched itself up a tree is it doesn't have a winch. It does have a sense of humour though. The first thing that broke was 2 days into our ownership, and the passenger front lock motor failed locking my mother in law out of the car.

It is by far the most comfortable and least reliable motor vehicle I've ever owned.

I do love mine despite EVERYTHING. What a car (when it goes).

[MJR]

I took a fairly big punt with my D3 purchase. I bought it in vgc with 509,500km on it with little documentation at time of purchase. Most of those kms were racked up as a tourism vehicle doing big trips. The vehicles documentation I was supposed to get sent, got lost in the mail from Vanuatu, so I am running blind except the last few services I got permission to access through the main Perth dealer.

The thing that caught my eye was it had a Long Range gravity fed tank (no pumps), rear ladder, front barwork, and rear barwork with tyre swing arm, which I figured would help recoup any money lost if it went poopy in its pants two days after I bought it!

So far, so good, but a bunch of stuff is getting looked at or replaced in the near future due to time/distance factors or some glitches occurring recently. It will likely cost a pretty penny, but final amount depends on what needs doing, and how much I can do myself, of course! Either way I went in with my eyes wide open and contemplated the risks.

My theory of complicated/expensive things is - if I can’t afford to maintain a new one, don’t buy a second hand one expecting cheap running costs. That helps with most choices. Of course I also told myself I’d never buy an early D3 or RRS with single Canbus (pre 2006/7), with a high mileage TDV6, or without documentation, and in this case promptly did all three. Well, in my defence, it did have a green oval...

Wow 500,000k's. How long have you had it for? I am not going into this purchase looking for a cheap car to run or maintain but rather figured a higher K's car would more then likley have had the main work done to it to get it that far anyway so was hoping that I might have dodged any major bullets and just need to focus on maintenence and normal wear and tear.

I do not have anything to tow I am just looking for some beach work a few times a year and need 7 seats. I like to be a little different so Toyota and Nissan don't really appeal to me. For context my current beach car is a 2003 Porsche Cayenne which I work on myself but get serviced when needed at the dealer.

[discorevy]

hehe , fun to work on , well..... you do need a sense of humour. If you'd like a fun working holiday near Albany come on down.... bring your boat and I'll take it out to make sure it works, while you have a fun time in the workshop[biggrin]

Brad , if you get a winch make sure it's a big tree that has all the roots missing from the opposite side[bigwhistle]

To the OP ,and more relevant to the thread, all the previous posts have truth , high kays aren't a bad thing when they are mostly done at operating temp on the highway if it's been serviced, but for your own sake , get an experienced eye over it pre purchase , then , if you want to go remote with it , get the top RAC or equivalent cover, because, aside from no one wanting to touch it in most rural areas , there are a few scenarios on these vehicles that you ( or anyone ) won't be able to fix on the side of the road.

Good luck with it

[INter674]

hehe , fun to work on , well..... you do need a sense of humour. If you'd like a fun working holiday near Albany come on down.... bring your boat and I'll take it out to make sure it works, while you have a fun time in the workshop[biggrin]

Brad , if you get a winch make sure it's a big tree that has all the roots missing from the opposite side[bigwhistle]

To the OP ,and more relevant to the thread, all the previous posts have truth , high kays aren't a bad thing when they are mostly done at operating temp on the highway if it's been serviced, but for your own sake , get an experienced eye over it pre purchase , then , if you want to go remote with it , get the top RAC or equivalent cover, because, aside from no one wanting to touch it in most rural areas , there are a few scenarios on these vehicles that you ( or anyone ) won't be able to fix on the side of the road.

Good luck with it

You mean "long kays" as one car salesman said to me when looking at a Paj with over 500 000 kays on it. I just laughed and walked away.

[PerthDisco]

You mean "long kays" as one car salesman said to me when looking at a Paj with over 500 000 kays on it. I just laughed and walked away.

At this stage if I ever get to 370k kms as per OP that will be another 150k kms and about 7-8 years so a 20 year old car. Would not be expecting much from the old girl after that.

Difference is I’m spending the same money (in theory) over 20 years vs the OP car over 11 years.

[theelms66]

Is that $15k on top of the purchase? Are you doing any work yourself? What have been the main issues?

Appreciate your insight and feedback as it seems you are going through a similar project that I am looking at.Thats only 5k on top of the 10k purchase. If you can do the work yourself and you have the luxury of a 2post hoist.,your laughing. I replaced my front diff . Trans steel pan and service. Had leaking rocker cover gaskets but my back is not up to hanging in an engine bay for that sort of work . So handed it to a friend of a friend with a workshop. They obviously dont do too many rangerover sport or D3/4 as they couldn't get covers off without taking body off. Luckily I was able to do the body off and on work which I must say is quite easy and saved me some bucks (shame you have to degas the a/c). But whilst the body was off he done both belts that weren't due for another 50k. BUT .BUT.
It cost me 2 new injectors and the other 4 cleaned and tested ok because the clowns didn't cap the injectors as soon as they removed the line and crap got in and they are a throw away unit.
So. 50 bucks worth of gaskets cost me a lot more in the finish. I have a l322 td6 with 170k and this rrs with 300k drives like new compared to it .

[DiscoJeffster]

It drives me mad. As soon as any clean opening is exposed I close it off. Whether it’s an intercooler intake pipe, fuel injector, anything. Sigh.

[cripesamighty]

Sorry MJR, I forgot to mention that I bought it in Sept 2017 and got it for $6K - so the right price for me. This is my first Land Rover with Terrain Response and I figured for that price it would be a good car to learn how these systems work and how they differ from traditional 4WDs, whilst in my own vehicle.

Plus if I damaged my baby while learning to use TR off-road, I wasn’t going to cry as much as if I wreck anything newer or shinier in Land Rovers lineup I might buy in the future. If the inevitable bingle happens, I will still shed a manly tear though as I enjoy driving it as much as my D1. I consider both my D1 and D3 to be venerable old gals that need a bit of TLC and so drive them, and enjoy them accordingly.

[MJR]

Sorry MJR, I forgot to mention that I bought it in Sept 2017 and got it for $6K - so the right price for me. This is my first Land Rover with Terrain Response and I figured for that price it would be a good car to learn how these systems work and how they differ from traditional 4WDs, whilst in my own vehicle.

Plus if I damaged my baby while learning to use TR off-road, I wasn’t going to cry as much as if I wreck anything newer or shinier in Land Rovers lineup I might buy in the future. If the inevitable bingle happens, I will still shed a manly tear though as I enjoy driving it as much as my D1. I consider both my D1 and D3 to be venerable old gals that need a bit of TLC and so drive them, and enjoy them accordingly.

Thanks for the extra info I appreciate it. I have a similar idea in mind, learning the terrain response and stepping up a little without the concern that I am going to kill a more expensive version. Wife is keen on a current Disco as both our cars are due for a refresh this year but I would like her to hold out untill I can get a look at the new defender but thats a different topic.

I go for a final lok at the D3 today and will let you know what I do and of course if I pull the trigger I will start a thread and probably hit you all up with a milion questions.

[DiscoMick]

Have the engine and gearbox been regularly serviced? They seem robust if looked after.
I would assume it will probably need plenty of bushes, belts and other consumables replaced at that kms.
Is it rusty in hidden places?
Does everything work?
Can you get an inspection by a mechanic for a list of the likely things to need doing?
At least then you would have a list of likely costs.
Don't assume services of $1000 are unusual - they're not.
Our Defender, which is a simple thing compared with a Disco, cost $2000 for the last service, despite being well maintained, and the only unusual major thing was a new vacuum pump, so costs can mount up.
You would be trading off a lower purchase price against likely service costs.

[trout1105]

If this has been used as a "Farm Hack" then there is a Very good chance that it has been severly "Flogged" and neglected in general, Personally I wouldnt "Walk" away from this deal i would RUN.

[MJR]

If this has been used as a "Farm Hack" then there is a Very good chance that it has been severly "Flogged" and neglected in general, Personally I wouldnt "Walk" away from this deal i would RUN.


Certainly the sensible option by far. At the risk of seeming a little cheeky, based on a majority of posts in these forums and on other FB groups no one in their right mind should ever by a land rover unless its brand new and covered by warranty and service plan.

Everything you have said however makes sense and I guess there is that part of me that hopes its a solid little find of a car and I am the 1 in 100 that snags a bargain. Wishful thinking I am sure.

[DiscoJeffster]

Certainly the sensible option by far. At the risk of seeming a little cheeky, based on a majority of posts in these forums and on other FB groups no one in their right mind should ever by a land rover unless its brand new and covered by warranty and service plan.

Everything you have said however makes sense and I guess there is that part of me that hopes its a solid little find of a car and I am the 1 in 100 that snags a bargain. Wishful thinking I am sure.

Haha. You don’t buy a Land Rover because it’s a sensible thing to do that’s for sure! You buy it because you want all your friends to be endlessly ribbing you for it, because you love pouring money into a bottomless pit, OH AND because no other car can match it for comfort and capability.

[MJR]

Gents, Thank you for the feedback.

I have decided to roll the dice on this car and will be picking it up, or towing it home tomorrow lol. I will post up some quick snaps here for those wanting to see the farm car as is and will then start a thread showing progress on cleaning up the car and getting it working as desired.

Fingers crossed it all works out but either way I am sure I will have some fun tinkering with it be fore it explodes in my face.

[PerthDisco]

Congrats, good luck and I feel this will be one of the most interesting projects and emotional roller coaster rides of 2020.

[4bee]

Gents, Thank you for the feedback.

I have decided to roll the dice on this car and will be picking it up, or towing it home tomorrow lol. I will post up some quick snaps here for those wanting to see the farm car as is and will then start a thread showing progress on cleaning up the car and getting it working as desired.

Fingers crossed it all works out but either way I am sure I will have some fun tinkering with it be fore it explodes in my face. & covering me in egg. [smilebigeye]

[MJR]

& covering me in egg. [smilebigeye]


Ha Ha yes, would not be at all surpised to find it was used as a chicken coop at some point, certainly smells like it.

[DiscoMick]

Gents, Thank you for the feedback.

I have decided to roll the dice on this car and will be picking it up, or towing it home tomorrow lol. I will post up some quick snaps here for those wanting to see the farm car as is and will then start a thread showing progress on cleaning up the car and getting it working as desired.

Fingers crossed it all works out but either way I am sure I will have some fun tinkering with it be fore it explodes in my face.Great. Look forward to reading your Members Rides thread.

[PerthDisco]

Ha Ha yes, would not be at all surpised to find it was used as a chicken coop at some point, certainly smells like it.

My dream scenario in this situation, assuming you were going to throw some bucks at it, would be to take body off and really go through it with a fine tooth comb.

Can fully inspect turbo, park brake, radiators etc and remove EGR plumbing and address any fluid leaks etc etc.

The labour saving on these and various suspension work would be of net benefit and your confidence levels would be sky high.

[INter674]

Get the farmer to lift the body off for you wif his tratrrr😆

[PerthDisco]

Get the farmer to lift the body off for you wif his tratrrr[emoji38]

I saw on Disco3 some Farmer Palmer did do a body off (conventionally) rebuild to his beloved D3 and went right through it which was a piece of cake comparatively.

Over there the steel brake lines rust through which cannot be fixed without body removal.

[MJR]

What do you get when you spend $5k on a Disco 3? A christmas tree on the dash lol

Picked up the old girl today and although she got me home (hour trip) I think every warning that could go off did LOL.

On the drive home I noticed there was a service sticker on the windscreen which indicated the next service was due at 375,000 k's and the car is currently at 370,000 so at least I know it has had some sort of service in the last few K's.

Rang and spoke to them and I am going to go in a see them and they will help me with history etc on the car.

The car stinks so bad, I am going to have to do some serious cleaning there was even Hay in the OBD port.

Finished the day going and getting a CTEK and hooking it to the battery. It indicated the battery was about 50% so i am hoping after a charge some of the issues on the dash may disappear. (wishful thinking I know.)

I wont post in this thread anymore and will start a Member rides thread called $5k Disco and document my journey there.

Once again thank you so much for all the advice and feedback its really appreciated.

[INter674]

Good luck...looks like a challenge that you are up to.

Reminds me of our attempts to save a beat up ex loggers ZD 30.GU Patrol ..but not quite as challenging in your case I'm sure☺ OMG Nissan parts prices 😐

[4bee]

Wot yer sayin' Willis, they are worse then Land Rover? You were correct inserting the OMG![biggrin]

[INter674]

Wot yer sayin' Willis, they are worse then Land Rover? You were correct inserting the OMG![biggrin]

Yup...full engine rebuild lasted almost exactly one year!! All with genuine parts too. It's still in the shed soaking up cash waiting on parts to complete the stupidly expensive TD42 conversion. We're in too deep now to back out🙄 but...never again....

[MJR]

If anyone is interested this is the link to the updated thread to follow progress and give advice

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/members-rides/276359-mjrs-5k-disco-3-a-4.html#post2966644