Thread: Everyone says a Disco1 V8 on gas is trouble...should I be really worried about one?

Originally Posted by Young Angus

I've found a great D1 V8 on gas...at least it seems great. Everyone I speak to is telling me that the V8's on gas are some of the most troublesome and I'd be better off getting a TDi. I tried a TDi though and didn't like it because it had no guts at all and the V8 seemed really smooth and gutsy to me even on the gas. The gas system was put on in 2008 and the car itself seems mint. It's a 1998 manual SE with just under 200,000 on the clock (gas put on at around 130,000).

The money is just right and I can't afford that much more. Why does everyone keep bagging them so much, it seems like such a nice car to drive and that it's been kept in pristine condition...ie. nothing rattles, everything inside and out is practically new and it doesn't have any serious 4WD work done to it...if any come to think of it.

Can someone tell me these nay-sayers are just mad skeptics, this particular Disco seems like a really great one and I want to get it!

You need to understand that people who hate gas on cars don't understand gas. Simply put there are rules you follow on a gas car to make it run best on gas, don't tune it as if it was a petrol only car. Then you can get a great run out of gas, its main benefit is its clean running from a cold start. A car that does a lot of short runs will last longer if its on gas. Rover V8's have always been good on gas, they don't wear quickly like some hi-tech jap engines.

Originally Posted by Young Angus

Can someone tell me these nay-sayers are just mad skeptics, this particular Disco seems like a really great one and I want to get it!

Harden up mate, doesn't get any better ....
the naysayers and skeptics wouldn't really know, and have never owned or loved a landy.

Imagine how bad it'll be once you actually OWN a Land Rover.

BTW.... Annette's Disco 1 is on gas and all is fine

The Disco 1 V8 runs really well on gas. You just have to keep the electric spot on and have it tuned for gas and you shouldn't have any issues. There are a lot converted to gas and very happy. The D2 had a lot more issues on gas due to there electronics but even that has been sorted now.
It's a car people love to hate. Most of these people have never tried one, it's all hear say. Good luke with your car, I hope it treats you well.

Cheers, David.

115,000 trouble free kilometers of gas operation on my disco 1 3.5 bringing it to 260,000 in total now , still does not use oil. runs perfectly... just remember look after your coil and leads and plugs dont neglect maintainance here otherwise you will be copping gas backfires left right and centre.. only thing i do as a precaution is when going near water that is missfire territory is put it back on petrol.. a missfire on petrol is better than a backfire on gas... , remember lucas only for the high tension ignition bits.. you cant beat the price of the lpg and that fantasic note you make when you leave the tdi's behind in there own smoke cloud...

Had two rovers on gas.
ran perfectly and to my knowledge still do.
There are knockers who will dribble crap all day with no facts to back them up.

These cars run well on gas, are cheap to run and keep running.
My tip though is get it checked by a landy mechanic and you be laughing.

Originally Posted by Young Angus

I've found a great D1 V8 on gas... in 2008 .... and the car itself seems mint. It's a 1998 manual SE with just under 200,000 on the clock (gas put on at around 130,000).

it seems like such a nice car to drive and that it's been kept in pristine condition...ie. nothing rattles, everything inside and out is practically new

Disco seems like a really great one and I want to get it!

.... I can hear you running to the bank right now ... Hope it serves you well


Signed ... Mike 90 RR ... own a 93RRC 3.9 V8 Auto on gas .....

Originally Posted by bee utey

Simply put there are rules you follow on a gas car to make it run best on gas, don't tune it as if it was a petrol only car.

I've always wondered about that, most of the mechanics I've been to just tune for petrol because I've got an injection system. Would I be better off with a duel tune?

If so what type?

Originally Posted by black betty

I've always wondered about that, most of the mechanics I've been to just tune for petrol because I've got an injection system. Would I be better off with a duel tune?

If so what type?

I have never done a dual tune, run premium unleaded in dual fuel and you can run 10 degrees static advance on both fuels. Run a dual timing amp by all means but I have never seen a problem at 10 degrees.

The other tuning items are spark plugs, 1 step colder and 25% less gap needed for full gas performance, and leads should be of a premium spiral/inductive core type, not antique standard factory ones. LPG can also benefit from lambda sensor mixture control, not fitted to S1 discos as a rule.