The Best Years... Discovery 2

I'd look at it from two perspectives. Either get a late one and hopefully careful selection will have you in something that will last and not have major issues that the budget can't cope with because of the higher cost. Else get something earlier and cheaper then use the left over for necessary stuff either as it arises or as part of preventative maintenance/replacement.

I can vouch for the second option, got a 2000 D2 V8 and in first 12 months replaced engine and all associated wear parts, now 4.6 and much better. Necessary as it died. Rebuilt auto, ended up being a faulty MAF (lets not go there), Tailshafts etc, all the little stuff that happens and will spoil a weekend possibly with a towing and repair bill.

Now I've spent about $17K incl purchase ($10K) but I know everything is new and can maintain it myself and hopefully it'll last a lot longer. I'd hate to have spent $20+K and still have to spend more.

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Originally Posted by stevo68

You started the dissention :p. Rest your case..Best in Class..pffftttt..you have to compete to start with ;). Post up your equivalent pics matey...Smokey ain't no show pony....

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/12/980.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/12/981.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/12/982.jpg

Regards

Stevo :cool:

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Pretty logical really ... Best in class D2 ... and my D2a wins ... what more can I say ? :D

Not only a Show Pony ... Used for the purpose intended too .... :p

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...15/03/1381.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/12/983.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...15/03/1379.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/12/984.jpg

... and then sometimes we just like to chill out.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...15/03/1380.jpg

1 all ... because I say it is! ;) D2a was the best years.

I'm done, 'cause uploading photo's at dialup speed is a bitch.

Ahhhhh, love the photos Stevo. Shots showing off the articulation (is that the correct term?) of the chassis and suspension are great. Crazy stuff. And the final pic looks pretty damn nice too.

Thanks to everyone that gave advice. I'll follow the 'Get the latest in the series' line of thinking. Lowest km's, stock, 'Toorak tractor' with proper servicing should wield the fewest issues (yeah, I said should -- good thing I work with timber *touches wood*).

I wont mind it getting dirty but I might cry at the first scratch, like I did with my guitar :mad: Oddly enough after that first scratch (ding actually but I'd rather scratch a Discovery!) that's when I started to learn how to play properly... go figure.

Thanks again everyone. It's much appreciated :D


Cheers

Mark

It is such bullocks to say that apart from the factory CDL there is any significant difference between the D2 and the D2a. Plain and simple. DOnt go quoting 500 and something changes. It's meaningless. Just as an example my 02 d2 manual v8 has been a far better ownership proposition than mates d2a 03 manual v8 and indeed my v8 has always sounded sweeter (before his blew up and 80k klms less than mine). Now his worked over 4.6 sounds good.

Buy on condition, service history and miles not year.

Cheers

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Originally Posted by ozscott

It is such bullocks to say that apart from the factory CDL there is any significant difference between the D2 and the D2a. Plain and simple. DOnt go quoting 500 and something changes. It's meaningless. Just as an example my 02 d2 manual v8 has been a far better ownership proposition than mates d2a 03 manual v8 and indeed my v8 has always sounded sweeter (before his blew up and 80k klms less than mine). Now his worked over 4.6 sounds good.

Buy on condition, service history and miles not year.

Cheers

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There are a substantially number of fixes and changes, some of them which listed as retro fits to the earlier D2's in LR Tech Bulletins to solve specific issues. A lot are fairly minor but include repositioning the rear diff breather from the rear wheel arch to behind the left hand rear tail light to prevent water entry into the diff. Sure you could put in a breather kit, but the D2a's are sorted out of the box. The D2a's (04MY in particular) have improved SLABS programming which addresses some causes of the 3 Amigo's. LR also claimed a 25% improvement in build quality for the D2a's.

Ultimately the MY04 has the benefit of fixes to problems found in the preceding MY's, and has to be considered the best of the bunch. Stevo will just have reconcile himself to owning the second best D2a.

It should go without saying that any D2 purchase requires due diligence.

Interestingly mine has the breathers up near the tail light cluster. Mine was one of the last 3 or 4 of the D2 in oz when I bought it new in late 02. Perhaps it had the updates on the line save for the silly front pretend range rover lights :)

I went through this process about 3 years ago. I spent 3-4 months researching AULRO and other online forums (read every D2 forum post back to front) ... the general concesus of this forum was buy the latest model D2a with the lowest km's you can find/afford ... with a detailed service history (not just a stamped serviuce record without details).

That advice has so far got me 2.5yrs of trouble free motoring ... apart from normal servicing & minor repairs (brake pads, fluids, hoses, etc) I'm aware of what issues may arise, have inspected for said issue's, and I guess at some point my luck has to change, but I'm on the watch, and the vehicle seems to be free from the "issues" that had me wondering in the early dys of my research ... "why on earth am I considering one of these POS !!" .

I also believe that the drivers level/understanding of the term "mechanical sympathy" plays a big part in the reliability of any vehicle.

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Originally Posted by ozscott

Interestingly mine has the breathers up near the tail light cluster. Mine was one of the last 3 or 4 of the D2 in oz when I bought it new in late 02. Perhaps it had the updates on the line save for the silly front pretend range rover lights :)

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You could be right ;) Tech Bulletin detailing the breather shift is dated 17.04.02. We can cross that off the list of D2a exclusives then. But then again the 02's would be on the bottom of my "Best D2" list due to lack of CDL internals :eek:

I fitted the output housing and its internals from a d1 to have the CDL. Its the only thing I have wanted versus the later ones but in terms of logic the newer the better generally in a given truck and as the d2a is a later discovery series 2 (and of course there are only Discovery 2's) it should be better than an earlier disco 2 all other things being equal. Cheers