Should I Buy This D2

**Barney2803** · 7th July 2011, 07:59 PM

Hi,

In short, I'm with BIG GUY and was going to write the same, but he beat me to it.

Mate you have asked all the questions and got all the answers. IMHO you have done your research now make your decision based on that information. If you didn't want people's opinion then you shouldn't have asked. I know you're looking at an older car, but if theres one thing that I have ALWAYS put weight on when I buy cars is, its history, and you seem to have is its ENTIRE history in front of you. Let me explain a little history here:
~Brother in law's first car: $45000 lancer, straight out of the showroom with every conceivable mod and accessory. It was back in the workshop more than it was out. He sold it 2 years later for $23000 or something ridiculous like that, bad choice!
~Brother in laws car 2: AU Falcon from VIC. We drove there, inspected it, got its history, paid a deposit, drove there again next weekend picked it up. It had 70km on it, cost $13k and went like a dream for 5 long years, sold it for $8k.
~Current car: 08 STX Navara, 70km on it, cost $30k, hoping for many years of trouble free motoring, again, bought it sight unseen from Victoria, but full service history and owners history who had done everything at Nissan where his dad worked..servicing.. repairs.. accessories..
~My recent cars: Nissan patrol 02 3.0 with 180km on it, flew to sydney, paid over the net sight unseen from a holden Dealer, drove it home. It had a full history, went like a dream for 3 years, sold it for EXACTLY what we paid for it.
~My 3rd last car...Falcon AU SR wagon, bought for $7000 from a salesrep from TIPTOP who'd had it from new. It had 240km on it, heaps for a petrol engine, we put it on LPG, had it for 4 years, put another 50km on it, and sold it for $5000, and had spent NO money on it, again, heavily based on its verifiable "history"..
~My second last car: 03 Navara STR deisel ute, bought locally for $14k with....280km on it. Had service history, one owner, needed new tyres and a newclutch which we did and it went like a dream. Interiior was spotless, a few scraps and scratches on the outside from its previous life as a landscaper's truck towing 2T trailer all day, but went like a dream. towed our 2T ski boat up to the river with ease and did a few 4wd trips wonderfully. It was perfect until I drove it into a tree on a shooting trip (queens bday long weekend...yep 3 weeks ago) and....its dead...but thats another story but insurance paid us out to the negotiated value which we couldnt complain about in the end.
~Currently just got my 04 disco TD5 and LOVIN being back in one. I had a TDI years ago (bought and sold in 2 years, lost $10000 in resale...bad purchase from overpriced dealer) but we loved it and for many reasons we've gone back to a disco. Our new one is great, except trying to find bull bars and snorkels is like finding a pork chop in a synagogue! Fingers crossed it continues to be great... it was owned by a middle aged bean counter in perth from new, who sold it to upgrade to a brand new series 4 TDV6, and although its not in perfect nick, its exactly what we want. In SA theres one other MY03 "classic" for sale for DOUBLE the price at a local dealer who shall remain nameless... yep DOUBLE what we paid!!!! We're taking it from stock to: bigger tyres, lift kit, bull bar, XGT lights, CB, power chip, snorkel etc etc but it will still be the daily driver for the most part. All this will be done in the next 2 weeks ready for the Border Track, and we're excited. I just have to watch out for trees when I'm reversing!

In each one of these car purchases, we took a gamble, based on many factors, the major one of which was its history, both the history of its owners and its service history and in most cases, that gamble paid off.
My advice to you, is: take a risk..spend your $9000 and if all else fails, sell it, make a loss and welcome to reality.

Whatever you do, buy something, then stop looking at carsales or where-ever, dont doubt your decision. When you make your decision, I wish you all the best and I'm sure everyone on here will be keen to know what you did and how it went.

Enjoy!!!

PS: If your decision turns bad or good...post it here too and you never know someone else might be able to use that to help them make a good decision in the future.

**Fluids** · 7th July 2011, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by technophile

sure it's nice, who is the member.

wrong state, dont want auto, dont want V8 and leather will just wear and expensive to replace. apart from that, it is great. and really i need to add another 4 grand to that to get gas. where as my uncles will cost the same, a bit less, after its fixed and i have added some performance mods. the performance of the td5 will be close to the V8, but with way better economy

most of the stuff that has been replaced on the ebay listing i am going to replace on my uncles.

which one is better, my uncles or this one?

ps
is active ride suspension the same as ACE?
if not what is it?

Discobaker is the seller - http://www.aulro.com/afvb/marketplac...0-d2-ebay.html

I looks like a pretty good deal for $9k. Add gas and it'll be cheaper to run than a Td5 ... but won't do the range the Td5 can do. Don't want V8, auto, wrong state ? OK, this was just for comparison. I wanted a manual ... bought an auto! (glad I did).

Is it a better truck ? I can't answer that. A V8 on gas that never goes offroad won't have range issues and would be a great tow vehicle ... you can't get lpg in lots of out of the way places ... so a Td5 would be better if that's where you're spending your time ... ultimatley, you weigh up your needs and make your choice from there.

I bought a Td5

Yes, that is ACE.

**technophile** · 7th July 2011, 09:40 PM

although i really would like to get the D2 on ebay, due to having a engine that has never overheated and with all the other replaced parts, i feel that the TD5 will suit me better as i will be travelling long distances with a boat.

eg. perth to shark bay and perth to margaret river

also i do intend to do some off roading

**Landover** · 7th July 2011, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by technophile

although i really would like to get the D2 on ebay, due to having a engine that has never overheated and with all the other replaced parts, i feel that the TD5 will suit me better as i will be travelling long distances with a boat.

eg. perth to shark bay and perth to margaret river

also i do intend to do some off roading

Looks like you have answered your own question, go for it and enjoy. Even after fixing it up if you decide it's not for you, you could always sell it and recover your cost. Can't really go wrong. As other have said if you don't want it other would snap it up, that must tell you something.

**technophile** · 7th July 2011, 10:25 PM

only the D1's had alloy panels right?
or does the D2 also have them?

where are the key spots to look for rust on a D2?

**Wil2k** · 8th July 2011, 06:12 AM

Hey Techno,

My two c worth (for what it's worth). Knowing exactly what has been done to a vehicle and how it has been treated / maintained is worth THOUSANDS of dollars.

We wasted over $10k on our first D2 buying it through a car yard. It blew a head gasket, did a tail shaft, had a leaky SLS bag and burnt the compressor out.

Our second vehicle we got privately and knew it had had the head done recently by a Brit specialist mechanic. Everything else I could check out myself. It was a gamble that has so far paid off.

If you have the head done you KNOW it's condition. I think it is money well spent to know where you're at with a TD5 head :-) as you'll possibly end up doing the head on another vehicle anyway.

Don't know if that's good advice or not, but that was a deciding factor for our current D2.

:-)

Cheers,

Wil

**Wil2k** · 8th July 2011, 06:15 AM

Originally Posted by technophile

only the D1's had alloy panels right?
or does the D2 also have them?

where are the key spots to look for rust on a D2?

D2 has alloy body panels too. The roof seems to be steel though. Mine has a rust spot !!!!

**big guy** · 8th July 2011, 07:37 AM

Originally Posted by technophile

yeah...leather would be great. slippin all over place

most people have covers anyway

Oh really? that must be what you have discovered in all your research you have done in 2 weeks!!
Ever seen the hide in a D2 or a D1 for that matter. The D2 is absolutely brilliant, give great support and resale is higher.

Make statements all you like, just make sure they are not off the cuff and based on some sort of facts.

Go buy the Disco now, take some pics along the way so we can follow your build.

Good luck mate, its worth the journey. I have done it many times and so have most people on here. Go forth and buy!!!!

**technophile** · 8th July 2011, 10:18 AM

yes thank you, everyone, for all you help and patience

i am seeing my uncle this monday, because we bought a new nissan patrol and is fitting air bags.

will have a quick look over and if all is good will go for it.

will post some pics.

i found one site that said the D2 had aluminium panels, but couldn't find any other sites that confirmed this.

does it has aluminium panels?

**rovercare** · 8th July 2011, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by technophile

yes thank you, everyone, for all you help and patience

i am seeing my uncle this monday, because we bought a new nissan patrol and is fitting air bags.

will have a quick look over and if all is good will go for it.

will post some pics.

i found one site that said the D2 had aluminium panels, but couldn't find any other sites that confirmed this.

does it has aluminium panels?

Just some of the outer skins, means they rust from the inside out

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