Assist on whether car is worth purchasing

[phrogers123]

G'day team,

I've just had a Discovery 2a Classic TD5, on 293000 have its RWC inspection as a pre-purchase precaution. Asking price $4800. No rego, no RWC.

Unfortunately it has come back with a long list of recommendations. As someone who is just starting their Land Rover journey, I am apprehensive to purchase.

I'm asking for advice as to whether or not these jobs are worth doing for the vehicle, or any solutions you may have to offer. I am willing to do a lot of the work myself, however, I am a novice when working on cars. I have not yet been quoted for the work. However, my guess is close to the asking price for the car at best.


The list of work needed (in the words of the quote):

Big oil leak from engine rear, front and transfer case
Coolant leak from top of the engine Rh
Both front CV joints need replacing
Both Front lower ball joints need replacing
LH/F Tie Rod end split
Steering Box leaking
Rear brake rotor undersized
Rh/F Link pin worn

There are quite a few superficial items as well such as drivers seat replacing which are very simple to do myself. They total around ($300).

Any advice on these jobs listed and whether or not I should continue to purchase would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[trout1105]

G'day team,

I've just had a D2a, 293000 Classic have its RWC inspection as a pre-purchase precaution. Asking price $4800. No rego, no RWC.

Unfortunately it has come back with a long list of recommendations. As someone who is just starting their Land Rover journey, I am apprehensive to purchase.

I'm asking for advice as to whether or not these jobs are worth doing for the vehicle, or any solutions you may have to offer. I am willing to do a lot of the work myself, however, I am a novice when working on cars. I have not yet been quoted for the work. However, my guess is close to the asking price for the car at best.


The list of work needed (in the words of the quote):

Big oil leak from engine rear, front and transfer case
Coolant leak from top of the engine Rh
Both front CV joints need replacing
Both Front lower ball joints need replacing
LH/F Tie Rod end split
Steering Box leaking
Rear brake rotor undersized
Rh/F Link pin worn

There are quite a few superficial items as well such as drivers seat replacing which are very simple to do myself. They total around ($300).

Any advice on these jobs listed and whether or not I should continue to purchase would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Dont walk away from this deal, RUN away from it as fast as you can[thumbsupbig]

[DieselLSE]

Not sure what you mean by D2a Classic. Classic only refers to the original shape Range Rover from 1970 to about 1994 when it was replaced by the P38a.
The problem with buying an unregistered vehicle in Victoria is that a new registration will be more stringent than just getting a RWC for a rego transfer and you may well have to have the car taken "over the pits" at VicRoads. A previously allowed repair (like, say, on the chassis) may now be deemed as illegal and not pass. I'd probably just clarify with your tester if there could be any nasties along those lines.
It's hard to advise as we are all different, but if you were familiar with D2s and had heaps of tools and spares lying around, then you may well be able to bring the car back to life. Apart from the engine oil leak (which could be anything from simple to catastrophic) the other bits aren't a big deal for the mechanically minded. You don't say what the engine is. If the V8, they don't like overheating and if the coolant leakage is related to that you may have a cooked motor. Mind you, if the leak is from the TD5 head, that could be nasty, too.

[shack]

Not sure what you mean by D2a Classic. Classic only refers to the original shape Range Rover from 1970 to about 1994 when it was replaced by the P38a.
The problem with buying an unregistered vehicle in Victoria is that a new registration will be more stringent than just getting a RWC for a rego transfer and you may well have to have the car taken "over the pits" at VicRoads. A previously allowed repair (like, say, on the chassis) may now be deemed as illegal and not pass. I'd probably just clarify with your tester if there could be any nasties along those lines.
It's hard to advise as we are all different, but if you were familiar with D2s and had heaps of tools and spares lying around, then you may well be able to bring the car back to life. Apart from the engine oil leak (which could be anything from simple to catastrophic) the other bits aren't a big deal for the mechanically minded. You don't say what the engine is. If the V8, they don't like overheating and if the coolant leakage is related to that you may have a cooked motor. Mind you, if the leak is from the TD5 head, that could be nasty, too.Sorry, that's not actually correct, the last ones of the discovery 2 model that were sold off pronto because of the impending arrival of the discovery 3 were branded "classic".

It was a run out type situation, you could get DVD players, 18 inch wheels etc etc etc.

So... All it means is that it was one of last!

Of course being such a long time ago , the actual maintenance fine by the owner is of far more value than being a year or 2 newer.

That said, the "classic" had all the updates that were some along the way, which is worth having for sure.

Cheers
James

[phrogers123]

Not sure what you mean by D2a Classic. Classic only refers to the original shape Range Rover from 1970 to about 1994 when it was replaced by the P38a.
The problem with buying an unregistered vehicle in Victoria is that a new registration will be more stringent than just getting a RWC for a rego transfer and you may well have to have the car taken "over the pits" at VicRoads. A previously allowed repair (like, say, on the chassis) may now be deemed as illegal and not pass. I'd probably just clarify with your tester if there could be any nasties along those lines.
It's hard to advise as we are all different, but if you were familiar with D2s and had heaps of tools and spares lying around, then you may well be able to bring the car back to life. Apart from the engine oil leak (which could be anything from simple to catastrophic) the other bits aren't a big deal for the mechanically minded. You don't say what the engine is. If the V8, they don't like overheating and if the coolant leakage is related to that you may have a cooked motor. Mind you, if the leak is from the TD5 head, that could be nasty, too.


Thanks for that, I have updated the post accordingly. The vehicle is a Discovery 2a 2004 TD5.

[101RRS]

Not sure what you mean by D2a Classic. Classic only refers to the original shape Range Rover from 1970 to about 1994 when it was replaced by the P38a.


Not correct - I can remember the Bush Tucker Guy flogging the D2 Classic in the early two noughties.

Here it is - Town and Country versions of the D2 Classic

Land Rover Discovery Classic - 2004 - Next Car Pty Ltd (http://www.nextcar.com.au/n.landrover.discovery.runout.04may.html)

[scarry]

Not correct - I can remember the Bush Tucker Guy flogging the D2 Classic in the early two noughties.

Here it is - Town and Country versions of the D2 Classic

Land Rover Discovery Classic - 2004 - Next Car Pty Ltd (http://www.nextcar.com.au/n.landrover.discovery.runout.04may.html)

I bought new, a Mayer Gold coloured "Town" Classic D2a,built May '04.Five seater,coils all round.
I left the 18" wheels at the dealer,and kept the 16's from the '01 D2 i traded in on it.

That Classic was by far,the best D2 i ever owned.
It was even less problematic than our D4,and cheaper to run,although the D4 was light years ahead in many ways.

[AK83]

is it auto or manual?

That list of jobs is easy enough to do.
Doesn't sound like OP would be the type to DIY tho .. so could be costly.

Rear main isn't hard to do, and as a precaution for future reliability I'd be inclined on a D2 TD5(if auto) is the flex plate.
To do so, needs engine and auto separated anyhow .. so to do the rear main seal is a no brainer.

I have a philosophy of not trusting previous owners, many of whom are total numbskulls when it comes to upkeep of their vehicles.
My current D2 is a classic example of neanderthalls at work. It was my brothers D2 for 5 or so years, and he's now got a new car, and prefers that, so I bought his D2.
I pulled most of the interior apart and found some previous owner had literally smashed the deep insides of the heater box/ducting to smithereens!

WHY!? what moronic psychopathic episode must they have had, to destroy the vent ducting down to about 20 individual shards of plastic. Took forever with epoxy to get it all straightened out so that air would flow nicely out of the fascia ducting again.

So buy cheap, and prepare to fix the stuff required and enjoy happy motoring for years to come.

Engine oil leaks are not always obvious, and many a mechanic has misdiagnosed what is actually leaking(myself included).
Needs a good washdown to see where from.
Transfer case is common, most likely the intermediate shaft. Can be replaced without needing a full rebuild.
Coolant leak from top RHS??? headgasket maybe. Or else could be fuel cooler spraying onto engine?? Sounds weird, and assuming RHS = drivers as per normal ... not as you are viewing from front of car.
CV joints easy to replace. Not overly common to hear of worn CV in D2s .. doesn't mean it don't happen tho. Boots do crack and wear. Either way not overly expensive.
balljoints, do all four! Again, not massively expensive.
steering: tie rod ends .. just replace them all. Steerign is probably leakign from the (lower) output shaft... should be easy fix, possible that it may be badly worn and needs a box .. second hand isn't too expensive to replace.
Brake discs .. they're quite cheap, I'd tell mechanic to replace them all too.
LHF link pin??? not sure what this refers too.

Really the only major issue you've listed is the coolant leak. Could be simply a hose clamp needs to be tightened .. or a full rebuild of the motor.

if you're willing to do work and make the vehicle a project, it can be a satisfying experience to learn how too .. and understand what's going on under your bottom!

I wouldn't say "run away" .. I'd say consider all your options.
The major caveat here I think may be the tans, if it's auto(and most are). Will need to be checked for trans fluid colour, and not easy to do as you need to get under it and remove the plug and all that. In the old days you had a dipstick you could check in a jiffy. If the vehicle has been so neglected .. good chance that an auto box has been too. But needs checking.


1/. maybe find one for a good $10-15K with a claimed service history .. then in a year maybe 18 months watch your bank balance drain away as all the small niggles appear, because some person has the ability to convince another that their word is gospel.
2/. buy the cheaper vehicle for 1/3rd that price range, put the $s into it, and then you KNOW .. that it's been done .. and then watch your bank balance shrink as it slowly builds up a list of niggles to take care of [bigrolf]

If it were my money .. I see a project car there. I'd negotiate a much lower price .. at the least closer to $4K. But really no reg and RWC more like starting at $3K and see how seller fares(how desperate to sell). And this supposes a good body, no rust and good interior(except the drivers seat) .. they all break down.

[PhilipA]

Big oil leak from engine rear, front and transfer case Most probably and common, rear could be rocker cover gasket and front the round plug at the front of teh timing case. But could be rear main.


Coolant leak from top of the engine Rh There are no hoses on the RH. if they really mean LH , could be water pump which is cheap . If actually RH then could be leaking head gasket and up to $2500


Both front CV joints need replacing maybe . Second hand from low mileage V8.


Both Front lower ball joints need replacing very common in vehicle that age. Probably expensive at up to $1000


LH/F Tie Rod end split cheap


Steering Box leaking hmm, could be just a seal , but maybe needs rebuild. Cheapest would be second hand from low mileage V8.


Rear brake rotor undersized No big deal parts $150 or so.


Rh/F Link pin worn I don't even know what that means but conjecture maybe anti roll bar rod. This is not expensive and easy to do.
Regards PhilipA

[chuck]

Recently purchased a D2a TD5 Auto for approximately 1/2 that price with similar km.

It is silver with black interior

Registered and owner has let me keep it registered while it is getting ready for roadworthy.

Had a dodgy fuel pump and lots of niggling repairs.

Probably going to cost about same as purchase price to get fixed, roadworthy.

Local specialist believes it is a good car & drives nicely & will be a good save.

Will get it back on the road, drive for a while and then do suspension, bull bar, winch & if budget allows lockers & compressor.

Used to have a nicely sorted 2000 D2 TD5 and it was very capable and did some fantastic trips.

Better in the snow than D3, 4, & 5 - i am talking real snow, light enough to get on top of 1 metre snow on Mt Skene.

Good Luck

[Keegan]

Run as fast as you can and don't look back. Just keep looking and you'll find a better one.

[PhilipA]

IMHO he is not likely to find a better one for that money.

There is a Unicorn on Facebook marketplace in Sydney at the moment but the bloke wants 20K.

After a lot of looking he could possibly get a better one for say 8K , but they are all very old now and not really a proposition unless the buyer can do most of his own work on the car.

My initial reaction after reading the OP is that if he has to ask then the D2 is not for him. Or maybe any D2 is not for him at their advanced age.

If the OP can do most things himself down to head gasket , injector reseal etc etc then Ok.

An acquaintance recently bought one to flip for $2K and it was OK after an ECU change which I helped diagnose and code , but several mechanics had given up on it.

Even My car when I bought it had reported failed Power steering and all lights on dash by PO ( $12.5K 8 years ago with 134KK) , and a mechanic had charged $650 and only changed the idler. It was a loose battery terminal.! LOL. But the alternator gave up soon as the brushes were full of oil from the camshaft plug.
Regards PhilipA

[reefmagnet]

I purchased a D2 in May because I nearly brought a new-ish one years ago and because I wanted a semi project to tinker on and, well, Land Rover has a great reputation from a tinkerer's perspective. Car wasn't in bad shape but was far from perfect, and I've been tinkering with cars for enough years that I can fix just about anything myself. I do like to fix things so they stay fixed, though, and so far this is a summary of the costs post purchase:

Servicing: 650
Repairs (parts only): 1500

Special tools and bolt on mods have cost about the same again. I'd estimate the labour for the repairs to date would likely be around twice that of the parts if paying someone to do it, and I'm not done yet. The moral to the story is if you need to pay someone to fix your car, buying cheap is the wrong strategy. You're better off putting the cost of repairs into the purchase price and getting something needing little to no fixing.

[trout1105]

After 17 years and nearly 300,000K's without a detailed service history this D2a is a pig in a poke.
My D2a is the same vintage and mileage BUT I know Exactly what has been reconditioned/replaced ( most of it) so I know for a fact that it is still in good shape.

[AK83]

.....
My D2a is the same vintage and mileage BUT I know Exactly what has been reconditioned/replaced ( most of it) so I know for a fact that it is still in good shape.

But this section of your reply is exactly why I replied to get the cheapest one(in good bodily condition) and spend the $s on getting it up to scratch.
From what I can gather(just an assumption) is that you are careful and meticulous with your servicing regime .. whether you do it yourself or get others too.

But even so! .. you still reconditioned "most of it".

Hence .. service history as a form of security of vehicle purchasing ends up becoming meaningless records of past endeavours ... not some form of guarantee that it will make the vehicle any more reliable.

Really, the only item of note to be mindful of is rust!(and body dings and trim condition). These are the obvious things that only the byuer can assess whether that specific vehicle is worth the effort.
D2's have a bit of a habit of leaking from the plenum scuttle into the interior. Assume that this one would be no different, so lifting the passengers carpet to check for how bad the rust is, would be prudent.
Also check the A pillar for rust on the same side if there is a lot of rust in the passengers floor area.

Mechanically, just expect that you need to replace 'most of it' so try to get the lowest price .. and spend the time to 'restore' it back into good shape.

If the OP is near by, I don't mind assisting in viewing the vehicle, when current situation down here allows.
OP has mentioned that they are willing to do some of the work, and with the right assistance a lot of the work that will be needed shouldn't be too hard to work out.

[trout1105]

But this section of your reply is exactly why I replied to get the cheapest one(in good bodily condition) and spend the $s on getting it up to scratch.
From what I can gather(just an assumption) is that you are careful and meticulous with your servicing regime .. whether you do it yourself or get others too.

But even so! .. you still reconditioned "most of it".

Hence .. service history as a form of security of vehicle purchasing ends up becoming meaningless records of past endeavours ... not some form of guarantee that it will make the vehicle any more reliable.

Really, the only item of note to be mindful of is rust!(and body dings and trim condition). These are the obvious things that only the byuer can assess whether that specific vehicle is worth the effort.
D2's have a bit of a habit of leaking from the plenum scuttle into the interior. Assume that this one would be no different, so lifting the passengers carpet to check for how bad the rust is, would be prudent.
Also check the A pillar for rust on the same side if there is a lot of rust in the passengers floor area.

Mechanically, just expect that you need to replace 'most of it' so try to get the lowest price .. and spend the time to 'restore' it back into good shape.

If the OP is near by, I don't mind assisting in viewing the vehicle, when current situation down here allows.
OP has mentioned that they are willing to do some of the work, and with the right assistance a lot of the work that will be needed shouldn't be too hard to work out.

Not much change out of $20,000 over the last 6 years for my D2a, I doubt that the OP is interested in that sort of investment .

[Kaaaiju]

Mine d2a mods and repairs will be as on Monday $58,000 not including the disco haha once your hooked your hooked