Thread: Newbie saying hello to all

hi harrone.
Welcome to AULRO ... and 300 tdi ownership.

just some observations with tdi's I've now had over a few years.
Not powerful for towing. Will do the job, but you will have wished for the V8 many times .. otherwise just accept that you won't be going anywhere quickly.

If you tow regularly, consider an additional(or replacement) trans cooler for the auto.
There is a small slimline type up front, and it does the job for non 3 ton towing, but in our summer heat, it don't look like it's enough for the ZF when towing heavy stuff.
And be prepared to change trans oil regularly(as opposed to never) .. many say approx 50K klms or so .. and trans will last well.

More importantly, be prepared to totally overhaul the cooling system. Tdi's can run hot under power stress situation. If cooling system is perfect, you shouldn't have issues.
Check your rad, full copper types work much better than the plastic/aluminium replacements.
I found that the waxstat thermostats don't work as well for cooling as do a particular Tridon replacement thermostat(I can find the part number for it if you want).
With that in mind, seriously consider adding either a proper coolant temp gauge or low coolant alarm, and also an EGT gauge for it.

Tdi's have some issues you will discovery in good time ... such as vacuum pump(for brakes) and cooling if not kept in good condition .. otherwise great little motor for a old banger.

There are so few D1s around now so welcome to the quietest section of AULRO.
They are in that window of being oldish but not collectable..I wonder if they ever will be collectible. Probably will - the D1 2 doors will probably be the forst.
Post the era of their release when they were 4WD of the year more than once I think..they have come to be seen as slow, unreliable and uninteresting.
I have had people openly point and laugh at my truck out on remote desert trips. I think this is amusing..everyone has the $50-70000 DC ute these days and changes them over every couple of years.
Oh well I wouldnt have my couple of houses if I was in that club.
The old D1 has a great heritage from the RR classic..so it is very well proven in chassis, brakes, drive line. I have found D1s to be very reliable..with just a bit of model specific knowledge and a bit of mechanical sympathy on the road.
Welcome to the ever shrinking club.

Originally Posted by edddo

.... I think this is amusing..everyone has the $50-70000 DC ute these days and changes them over every couple of years.
Oh well I wouldnt have my couple of houses if I was in that club.
.....

I'm thinking the 50-70K club is just the purchase price .. then add the $50-70K worth of what look like generally useless mods, or mismatch of mods.

So many of these utes around my neighborhood, primarily Hilux and Ranger types. Could be my imagination, but they're all lifted by at least 2", then fitted with 20(maybe 22) inch wheel tyre combos, and what appear to be maybe 45 section tyres.
So lift it .. lifts usually equate to off roading need .. then these stupid low profile tyres, which surely can't be any use in such situations.

There's got to be approximately a small one bedroom, Chinese built multiplex apartment's worth of earnings 'invested' in them vehicles I see(and have to deal with) every day here.

Welcome, and what everybody else said.

D1s are great, 300TDs are simple and reliable with a few caveats.

Unless you have a proven history that it's been done, I would recommend getting the timing belt done sooner rather than later. I would check the radiator for external blocking, as they can get full of grass and insects etc and it's hard to see. The intercooler/turbo hoses have a habit of delaminating or just plain blowing off ( you'll know ), so I'd suggest getting a set of silicone ones.
300 TDis tow fine as long as you keep an eye on things, which is where coolant temp and EGT gauges come in, and a proper tune on the injector pump.
All that may sound scary, but it's actually really simple.
I'd take my D1, or my D2 for that matter, over one of those common rail DCUs any day. They are comfortable, capable, the 300 is easy to fix, the visibility is fantastic and they have character.

Enjoy.

Thanks everyone for all the good advice. I've now got a "to do" list to go through. One thing I should mention is that I do have another vehicle that I've been using to tow my hobby items around to country shows and rallies. It's a 1988 Nissan Atlas 200 3.3l diesel tray back with dual rear wheels and a GVM of 4.2t. It's my little bump magnet due to the 4 wheel leaf suspension. That's the other reason I had to find a 4x4 with a more comfortable ride and towing capacity. I'm retired, with little income, so not interested in paying V8 registration for the rest of my life. As it was, Qld Transport charged me V8 rego on the Atlas as the GVM was over 4t. Now that it is 30 year old, it's suddenly a classic vehicle which I've been able to put on club registration of $250 per year. Even comprehensive insurance through Shannons plummeted to $211. I bought the old Tonka for $5000 and spent $8000 on it and have it insured for $15,000.

I'm wanting to get a set of slimline plastic weathershields for my D1 but can only find sets of 4 for D2's. Are the doors on a D2 the same size as a 98 D1?

Also, does anyone know where I might find a winch cradle/bar for a D1?

Cheers

Mark

[QUOTE=AK83;3068215]hi harrone.
Welcome to AULRO ... and 300 tdi ownership.

I found that the waxstat thermostats don't work as well for cooling as do a particular Tridon replacement thermostat(I can find the part number for it if you want).

Yes please, what is the thermostat part number that you suggest I get?

No idea on winch cradle sorry. A possible tip for 'ya tho. What happens if you try a search for the classic range rover too .. maybe could help broaden the search. RRC and D1 are pretty much identical in terms of chassis and running gear.

Tridon 300Tdi Thermostat TT380-190

Note that you can also get a cooler running 180(or 78°C) version of the above stat. I reckon it'd be way too cold running tho.

Originally Posted by harrone

....
I'm wanting to get a set of slimline plastic weathershields for my D1 but can only find sets of 4 for D2's. Are the doors on a D2 the same size as a 98 D1?
.....

Yep!

Originally Posted by AK83

No idea on winch cradle sorry. A possible tip for 'ya tho. What happens if you try a search for the classic range rover too .. maybe could help broaden the search. RRC and D1 are pretty much identical in terms of chassis and running gear.

Tridon 300Tdi Thermostat TT380-190

Note that you can also get a cooler running 180(or 78°C) version of the above stat. I reckon it'd be way too cold running tho.



Yep!

OK, I've ordered a set of 4 dark tint slimline weathershields from the good old Russian Federation for $107.
Never bought anything from Russia before. Should be interesting to see if I get 4 pieces or more and if they actually fit.