Thread: Advice on buying a D2 V8 manual?

Hi mate and welcome. Nice part of the world. Hope you fared ok the other week in the storms.

I have an 02 D2 V8 5 speed manual. I love it. I have owned it since new. They go a lot harder than an auto and get better economy if driven properly. I get 15.5l/100k in and out from Brisbane in a 60k round trip, including some peak hour driving. I have had it on gas for about 4 years and get 20l/100k on LPG on the same runs. Thats pretty good especially given that mine is an 02 controlled converter and main tap but with a single point venturi (old style) mixer in the intake. Mine has done just under 170k.

I have just done an alternator and brake master re-sleeve in the last 6 months. I have done clutch fan recently and thermostat also but thats just routine stuff. Its been a gem. Just watch out for the double cardon joint on the front prop shaft - they can let go if the warning signs of chirping go unheeded - they were nonservicable. I replaced mine with heavier duty greasable like most on this site.

One thing I did do was replace my front CV's. I have them as spares, but I was inclined to drive it a bit hard of the line cause it went so well, and the splines were a little twisted - not too bad, and good for spares, but I doubt I will ever need them cause I started taking off much more steadily.

Just make sure its got a good history and evidence of proper coolant being changed often.

They are a great truck and fantastic off road. The 2000 should be ok for re-fitting the CDL activator (it should have the internals) if you wanted to...mine did a hell of a lot off road without it before I re-fitted recently. Just have a search on here for the years where you will need an output housing with internals for the CDL - from 01 onwards to the D2A from memory. D2A had it standard in Oz. Its about $1500 worth to put in a new output housing cable's wiring etc if you get someone to do it if they know what they are doing.

Cheers

Maybe check out this other thread too:

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/discovery-...v8-2001-a.html

I had an 03 D2 V8 manual. Loved it. Put it on gas - the only system worth getting is injected ($5800ish) no loss in power but half the running costs. Only problems is that it wasn't a very goood tourer with the limited fuel range. If you are doing a lot of distance touring may be better not to be on gas. But for mainly DD gas is the ruler.
The worst thing is that i sold it and now own a PUMA

Having run a Falcon on gas for many years in Cairns (running in Newcastle was great), I can say that the price difference up here is just not worth it. You will use 30% more gas than petrol, however gas now is at 90 c/litre. Thats an equvalent petrol price of $1.20/litre. Now with all the gas running gear maintenance on top of that, you just wont see any benefits.

I bought a 2000 V8 D2 ES (every option) auto in Bris about 3 months ago, and I must say that I love it to bits. Just today I saw (and heard) a manual V8 accelerate away from BCF - awesome I thought to myself, though I am a auto convert these days.

6K seems a bit cheap for a D2 up here, better get one of the LR shops to look it over.

Don't you just love the rain!!!!

Originally Posted by Freightdog

You will use 30% more gas than petrol, however gas now is at 90 c/litre. Thats an equvalent petrol price of $1.20/litre. Now with all the gas running gear maintenance on top of that, you just wont see any benefits.

With an injected system you only use about 18% more [mine ran 16lt/100 on PULP and 19lt/100 LPG]

Also when factoring price remember that a D2 runs PREMIUM unleaded [$1.20??!!! in vic we would be paying over $1.50 now]

No xtra maintenance that i'm aware of other than regular services. Injected systems run their own injectors and ECU. Great system thats why it is so $$

Just be aware though with LPG that it is another system to maintain. LPG converters can and do get crap in them that require cleaning/replacement parts (not normally economic to get done) or replacement (they are not that dear). Likewise if you end up with a dodgy injector you wouldnt be the first but generally speaking they seem reliable.

Cheers

I thought of putting my D2 on gas but at around 5G's for the conversion I worked out I would have to do lots of miles and keep the old girl for a very long time to break even and there is the added hassle of lack of range on gas.
I came to the conclusion that all I would be doing is making the D2 a cheaper to run car for the next purchaser.

cheers,
Terry

Originally Posted by grover7488

Also when factoring price remember that a D2 runs PREMIUM unleaded

Hmmm.....depends. This from the user manual:

V8 high compression engines 95 RON unleaded to EN 228
V8 low compression engines 91 RON unleaded to EN 228

Mines a low comp model (according to my chassis number), and I found running PREMIUM 95/98 actually causes the (my) motor to run like a bag of nails!
I went back to REGULAR 91 and she just purrs again. Occasionally drop in some injector cleaner, though generally only at service time.
Not to mention the money saving.

I also thought about gas, but had the same thoughts as TerryO, and decided against it. Just something else to go wrong, and makes maintenance that little more involved.