Thread: D1 First Build - Melbourne

Originally Posted by D1 ACT

Hi.
I've never done any body work on a car don't really understand how they are built, but wonder why Discos have so much rust when they have so much aluminium in their construction???

Actually rust like that is uncommon, the misconception is that they dont rust but as they have a steel shell they will rust as much and no more than a neglected or beach loving vehicle.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using AULRO mobile app

Originally Posted by loanrangie

Actually rust like that is uncommon, the misconception is that they dont rust but as they have a steel shell they will rust as much and no more than a neglected or beach loving vehicle.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using AULRO mobile app

IMO compared to some other brands built in the 90s the disco 1 is a shocker for lack of corrosion protection. Steel panels are spot welded together with only seam sealer and overspray as protection. Once the seam sealer fails moisture travels along the joins and rots out the bare metal.

The few d1s out there that are not rotting carcass probably spent most of their life dry and garaged. Or were undersealed and cavity waxed.

It's a shame land rover didn't care enough to zinc plate or galvanise their steel like some other non 4x4 manufacturers started doing in the 90's.

Cinqmars2,
I admit I really must say........

Bloody good effort so far, keep it up
(and there was everyone thinking I was going to say something else).

When it comes down to it, everyone needs a hobby (its a sign of intelligence, so my Pa says anyway) and fixing up an old 300tdi Disco is prolly more useful than having say model trains...

Apart from all your labour, which you cant count anyway, as if you wasnt home working on your Land Rover u would be at the pub/club/out and about with all the rest of the nay-saying drunks a 300tdi Disco can be a relatively (I did say relatively) cheap-ish (I did say cheapish) project.

This forum is a wealth of info, if you cant find the info you need, google it (likely that AULRO will show in results anyway), A repair manual will assist you greatly, or if like me I prefer a CD/DVD to actual books, so I have everything on computer.

Do keep us upto date with your project

Regards
Daz

Curious as to how this project has been going. A few months since the last report entry .. hopefully getting close too or actually all done now.

Much admiration from me for folks that embark on this kind of project .. only because I used to do the same when I once had some $'s to waste on such hobbies myself.

I was recently talking to a pommie guy who's over here for a few years, he's a mechanic and has two disco's. He said its near impossible to find a disco in England that hasn't got substantial rust, and was knocked over when he saw little to no rust in ours. Possibly a lot due to the salt they put on the roads as in the US in some areas. He said the entire floor pan is steel, the upper is mostly aluminium.

Originally Posted by theNEWT

I was recently talking to a pommie guy who's over here for a few years, he's a mechanic and has two disco's. He said its near impossible to find a disco in England that hasn't got substantial rust, and was knocked over when he saw little to no rust in ours. Possibly a lot due to the salt they put on the roads as in the US in some areas. He said the entire floor pan is steel, the upper is mostly aluminium.

If you check out the UK sites some D2's are full of rust as well, saw one that the whole D pillar was like a termite mound.
Yeah the salt is a killer and often cars that are only a few years old are rusting out.

my girlfriend and I purchased a D1 a couple of weeks back for a song.. I am wondering if it was cool for cats.. ya know.. the song you had to sing.. The Indians send signals from the rocks above the pass
The cowboys take position in the bushes and the grass
The squaw is with the corporal, she is tied against the tree
She don't mind the language it's the beating she don't need

We really should be due for a progress report by now!

Regards
Daz