Thread: Novice’s imminent purchase of Disco TDI auto - what do I need to know??

if you are unsure of the timing belts history you get that done asap

that can be a $600-$700 job on it's own

who inspected it? a land rover specialist or ?

Originally Posted by AJC

- Vehicle overdue for a service (what am I up for in a full service at 215K - labour and usual parts?)

They weren’t able to check the transmission oil. Everything else was rated satisfactory for its age.

There will be many here with far more experience of D1s that will be able to answer the rest of your questions but these two would worry me.

D1s and D2s thrive on servicing. I used to service my D2 myself, and would change the oil and filter between services, a small investment in peace of mind and reliability. Most of the Land Rover horror stories that you hear will be as a result of poor/irregular service history. You make no mention of service history, but the fact that it is currently overdue would raise alarm bells for me.

The Auto transmissions, at least in the D2s seem to be preferable to the manuals from a reliability and durability point of view, but again they need to have their ATF changed at least as required by the manufacturer, but more regularly if towing or used for serious off road work, which it would appear the one you have found has not. But in your shoes, I would want to get this checked out.

The front end damage would worry me too.

I am happy to be corrected on this, but to my mind, $10k is a fair budget for this age truck and you should be able to find something that ticks all the boxes with none of the major concerns.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by AJC

Hi all,

New here, well sort of...I posted below on Disco 2, to be told its a Disco 1...!

So, I've re-posted here (hopefully the administrator will close the Disco 2 post ... please and thankyou).

I've found a 01/95 Disco 2 TDi auto with 214K on the clock. It’s standard and hasn’t been kitted with off-road accessories so that suggest it’s been more of an urban runabout than off-road tourer. Its within my $10K budget for a truck, govt charges and a service. I've had a pre-purchase inspection done with the following comments:

- repairs or replaced bonnet / driver & passenger front guards; bumper & grill (yep, suggests its rear-ended something, perhaps reasonably hard. Is there any tell tale signs of 'too hard' ie. would chassis rail damage show up and where?)

- Antenna is broken (I imagine a reasonably cheap fix / replace?)

- Oil dampness at lower engine part (suggest a leak somewhere - is this typical or a worry? Also, where do these engines mainly leak from?)

- Vehicle overdue for a service (what am I up for in a full service at 215K - labour and usual parts?)

- Check engine mounts after servicing when vehicle idles smoother (yep, suggest broken mounts - could this be related to a shunt, or is it just age?)

- Engine idle affected by Air-conditioning - idles roughly (is this typical or unusual??)

- Minor oil dampness at rear axle/differential (same question - usual or not??)

- Steering wheel noisy (squeaky) on rotating (I’m guessing usual and a simple fix?)

- Dashboard is cracked and off mounting (I think its a reference to the centre consul, not the dash, and that its pretty usual?)

They weren’t able to check the transmission oil. Everything else was rated satisfactory for its age.

It’s going to be a second car for local running and the occasional 500km round trip – coast / snow / bush / camping. If all goes well and proves reliable, it might get kitted for some longer trips with a camper trailer in tow.

Any advice / comments will be appreciated.

Due to your description I would suggest that you not pay more than $5K for this disco and use the rest of your budget of $10K to fix any and all problems, I would replace timing belt and tensoiners without any proof of when it was last done. I would relace serpentine belt, Tensioners and Fan bearing, have the transmission serviced, change oil, filter and fuel filters, have the cooling system checked and the radiator rodded or recored and when it is all done get yourself down the coast and I'll show you some great trails and camping, Regards Frank.

i got my for just over 10k with a way smaller list of to do jobs... you seem to have a few k of repair jobs to be done...

the above car is barely worth 5k like tank said and will cost you 5k to repair the list of problems..

just be patient the right one will come unless you want to do the whole repair job thing..

Hi,
I have recently bought a 95 v8. Therefore I cannot comment on the engine but...

I paid 4k for mine which is an ES with 153k on the clock. I have a leak from the sump which is a relatively easy fix if you can drop the oil and have the tools.
The recommendation I was given regarding D1's was to always look after the air filter so as already mentioned, the lack of a service could be an issue. Check the floors for rust under the carpet and if it is like mine, especially check the sides of the footwell by the a pillar as I had to have a new plate welded in.

Check the heater core as this is a $700+ fix due to dash removal.
With the age it is at, listen for a clunking noise when selecting reverse and drive as this is an issue which could be costly.
Like I said, mine is the same age and the bushes are starting to show signs of wear, I have replaced my sway bar bushes and rear shock bushes.
Also check the seals on the rear door window and rear 3/4 windows as these were a pig to replace as the 3/4's have a double lip.


At the end of the day, I would say that compared to mine it seems expensive with the work that needs doing but if you have the time, patience and the inclination to restore this disco or any other, go for the one that makes you smile when you sit in it!

Phil

$10k for a 95 model is too much - I agree with above. You can get a 97/98 mod for that price. Also agree with making sure you get everything checked out and then counter offer accordingly to get the price right down.

best of luck.

I paid $3000, for a 1996 TDI Auto in Victoria and drove it back to Townsville after I had it serviced including Timing Belt. I have not had a problem other then a Diff whine which i'm working on and i could leave it if i was not anal on noises. plenty of quality vehicles for under 10,000 if you prepared to shop around. My advice get it checked by racq or your equivilent before you buy. I had one checked for sale by a dealer and the NRMA would not even test drive it as it was that dangerous brakes ect. The list of faults was 3 pages long and this was a roadworthy vehicle.(NOT)