Thread: Disco 1 questions - rust under Alpine windows, headlining etc.

Colin,

Check all of the electric windows - that they go up and down...

Check the aircon.

Check the trailer lights.

Low coolant alarm is good - but has the head been already shaved? I assume that you have checked the oil and coolant.

You can get trim kits for the seats.

Check the brake lines / callipers.

Check for moisture in the foot wells - pull up tye carpet if you can.

Check for rust in the boot floor.

Check for rust in the rear wheel arches.

Check the windscreen seal.

The rear boot window seals crack also.

In a RRC (fairly similar) yes the head lining comes out via the boot. It’s mainly the work of removing all the trim to get at it. Tis a pain but very doable.

I have a D1 interior here, it’s blue in colour.

Enjoy.

Timing belt at 80,000 ks and other belts and hoses.
Cooling system is pressurised to cool the top of the engine. The original overflow bottles had a joint around the centre which could split. An updated version was released.
Replacement radiator core cost us about $600 and was money well spent.
How is the fuel lift pump?

You've mentioned rust in the opera window, usually from a leaky seal. Easily repaired. Rust in front footwells and boot can be serious if neglected.
Plastic plugs in the top of the engine and radiator are one use and should be replaced with brass ones.
Does the manual gearbox have an internal filter like the auto which is often overlooked and needs replacing?
Headlights benefit greatly from a new set of Plus bulbs.
Bushes in suspension and steering are often flogged out, but a simple fix.
Heaters are permanently filled with coolant and eventually rust out.
With maintenance, they are reliable and capable.

My Alpines did this.
Windows out, treat rust, Pre-treat, Paint, windows back with sealant around metal edges. Job done. From memory rubber seals had split at corners. New seals done. Condition was not too bad & didn't need any welding.

I had to drive him back to collect it !

There is a small hole rusted through under one Alpine window.
Car drives well and everything except the rear windows work.

He's a trainee motor mechanic so he takes it to work tomorrow on a permit and they will do a 'pre-roadworthy' so he knows what he has to get done.
Stage 1, fix everything for the roady.
Stage 2, tidy up the rest, replace the cambelt and give it a full service.

Overflow bottle is the later black one (my Defender still runs the opaque one !).
The plugs for the cooling system I can get from work, just a 1/2" BSP blanking plug but change the O-ring from Nitrile to Viton.
He's already looking at parts from the local wreckers, tomorrow he'll have a list of the urgent stuff he needs.



Colin

Originally Posted by gromit

I had to drive him back to collect it !

There is a small hole rusted through under one Alpine window.
Car drives well and everything except the rear windows work.

He's a trainee motor mechanic so he takes it to work tomorrow on a permit and they will do a 'pre-roadworthy' so he knows what he has to get done.
Stage 1, fix everything for the roady.
Stage 2, tidy up the rest, replace the cambelt and give it a full service.

Overflow bottle is the later black one (my Defender still runs the opaque one !).
The plugs for the cooling system I can get from work, just a 1/2" BSP blanking plug but change the O-ring from Nitrile to Viton.
He's already looking at parts from the local wreckers, tomorrow he'll have a list of the urgent stuff he needs.



Colin

Overflow bottle is the later black one (my Defender still runs the opaque one !).

Bloody marvelous those bottles! You'd have thought that LR could have got this right over the years.
I hate to think of all the engines those crappy things would have wrecked. Even the Opaque ones seem to have a habit of committing hari kari & a lot of users went to Stainless Steel construction albeit at a price.

Personally, I blew three over it's life ( 1995 to 2019)) & the last one was one of the main reasons I got rid because I couldn't be sure what damage may have occurred when it went. Had quotes up to 10 grand + for an engine rebuild if it was necessary so out she went.


Having said that, yours could last for 20+ years Colin.

Hmm...i thought all the opaque and light colored overflow units were better than the oem black units known for failing?
I put an aftermarket light colored but barely opaque unit on mine some years back.
Are these failing now too?

Colin,
The headlining removal in a D1 is quite straightforward - remove side trim, sunvisors, courtesy lights etc and it comes out easily enough through the back door. I didn't bother getting mine recovered; I just removed the cloth and foam and painted the base board with a textured paint. It looks neat enough for my purposes.
Alan

Originally Posted by edddo

Hmm...i thought all the opaque and light colored overflow units were better than the oem black units known for failing?
I put an aftermarket light colored but barely opaque unit on mine some years back.
Are these failing now too?

My first failure was the Original Black. Tank & Cap replaced on #2 & a few years on, that also snuffed it #3 was opaque so that plus the D1 went.