Thread: In search of a Disco 1. All advice welcomed! :D

Look out for rust around the alpine windows, under rear cargo area carpet, drivers and passengers footwell. The TDI300 is prone to blowing the brake vacuum pump (drivers side of engine block) and will leak oil if damaged (approx $300 to replace). The fuel lift pump I have just discovered is also another weak area and mine is leaking (discovered Thursday) but cheap ($65) to replace, or can be removed and bypassed apparently (do a search on the site for fuel lift pump).

as with any car you buy, get one with as low kays as possible and a full service history, the service history is particulary important with LR's.

There are no real issues with the disco's that cant be fixed relatively simply with moderate use.

Its really only when you start going to 35 inch tyres, wild lifts and the such that reliability becomes an issue.

Rust as already said is only really an issue in the rear floor and roof as pretty much the rest of the car is alloy.

When you start looking at mods, best to ask for particular advice here in the disco section.

For my money -
suspension - suspension stuff in qld
spares - LRA or any good reputable LR guru near you - stay away from dealers
likewise, stay away from the likes of TJM and ARB for suspension but they are pretty good for your normal accessories like recovery gear, spotties etc
comms - I use prestige communications and they always look after you with price

I have had two D1's, both V8's and a RRC V8 and found them great for reliability and comfort on and off road, miles ahead of the jap stuff I have been driving for the last 20 years

good luck with the purchase and keep us informed. There are plenty out there but finding a good one is harder

I've been doing a bit of head-scratching and intensive research over the past few days. I've decided that I will definitely go for a 300tdi Disco, the budget is being raised to $10k, and I'll buy one as soon as I get back from hols in Europe.

The extra time will allow me to save a few more $'s, afford a better vehicle and get some extra gear for it. In that budget, there should be a few goodies already included which will cut-down the workload to get it ready. As I'll be so reliant on it up there, this seems a smarter decision for a few reasons.

Originally Posted by 2_door

When you start looking at mods, best to ask for particular advice here in the disco section.

Once again, thanks for the sound advice. Got a few questions now you mention it.

In a nut-shell, I'm going to be building the Disco as a tourer/daily-driver, but will be taking it through some calculated difficulties off road also. Mostly it's going to be doing road and dirt-track work, with see some mild mud on occasion. If it means risking damage or abuse to the vehicle, I'll probably think twice about it as I'll be relying on the Disco entirely in the NT, and honestly can't be bothered fixing stupidity. Things are not going to be like here in Vic where I'll have another vehicle and a sportsbike to lean on if things go pear-shaped...these toys are staying behind for a fair while. To be brutally honest, if I'm going to go nuts off road and explore capabilities, that's what the Jeep's for as it's far better suited for that kind of task.

Unlike a lot of what I've seen from other users rigs at a glance, mine is not going to be a bush-basher where regular breakages are acceptable or considered fun. I saw too regularly on the Jeep forums a preference for creating 'beasts' which constantly broke (from poor product choice or driver dumb), and I'd like to avoid this kind of mentality with suggestions for creating a touring Disco (more mature-minded owners here suggest this will be the case). Things like jaw-dropping flex, massive tyres, screwing every last HP from the donk, nuclear-bomb proofing the exterior with chequer-plate, etc. aren't my thing.

Suspension. I've been very impressed by the Koni shockers which are fitted to my mates GQ which was built for touring, and knowing these are also available for the Disco, I am wondering how they compare to other products. What other products can people recommend and why? What are the spring options for touring, particularly in the standard height and also the 2" raise? What are the likely issues to arise from such modifications, as well as peoples experiences?

Also wondering about other items like tyres. I'm tossing up between the Cooper STT and the Goodyear MTR's (marginally larger than the OEM sizing znd on a factory rim), and would like some feedback about these. I've seen the MTR's in 33's over a great variety of terrain so have a solid idea of what they can handle.

Other things I'd like some pointers for: Flat water tanks for the tailgate floor, detachable-face UHF's, mounting positions for aerials, speaker sizes and mounting depths, dual battery configurations, long range tanks, roof racks, side steps, etc. These are all the kinds of things which matter most, so if you have experience with these items or can suggest places to enquire, that would be fantastic. Pics of any of these are most welcomed!!! Like I said before, pics and details of the installations will be provided for the benefit of all.

g'day El Dude

My head's spinning just reading your previous post However I'll try and add a little bit of curry if possible , 1stly there is nothing wrong with a Timing Belt and they are relatively easy to change at 80,000k intervals.

parts are relatively cheap and 300tdi are extremely easy to work on , most of the maintanace of this vehicle you could carry out yourself if you can swing spanners .
Also as mentioned earlier look for rust around the footwells and alpines glass area , they rust , you'll have infamous baby nappies sagging roof fabric and it is relatively to fix also.

All the best if you buy the vehicle , take your time , build it up and enjoy it ....

Good luck buddy,

I put dyna mat on the floor and firewall of the cabin and the noise reduction is significant. Long trips and I do plenty... don't get so tiredm hear conversation + music better. Might seem like a little thing but I found a big improvement for $300 worth of sheeting.

Hope this helps, keep us posted eh...

Jay

My 2 cents:

• Dont rush in - there are lots available. (Despite what people tell you.)
• Buy a good one - I know derrrrrrrrr. But make sure it is good not just looks good. If you haven't got the knowledge pay someone who does. A couple of hundred spent on advice is money well spent.
• Leave some money for work - IT WILL NEED SOMETHING REPAIRED.
• Be Prepaired for disappointment - something will be busted. Hopefully it's just a speaker or door lock.
• Haggle Hard - walk off if they wont consider your offer.
  

So if your budget is 10k, I would start with D1s advertised in the 8 to 9K and offer 6 move to 7, be polite leave your number and move on.

If you can pick up a reasonable one for 6, spend 4K on springs, tyres, shockers, service. Then you are set....

My Disco1 cost 10K, spent 4 K in the first year on it
4 years later and no major expenses - I am happy now.
It's probably only worth half that now but still happy with it.

Good Luck