Thread: What are the reasons you bought your Disco

I started with a series 1 with a 308 v8, kept breaking axles and couldn't work out why! I was 18 at the time! Had a series 2a for 6 years and explored most of Oz in it with no trouble. Various other forbies in between then a 97 s1 disco. Great car, 300tdi auto, the wife loved it and with over 400,00k's when sold I spent very little on it. Shows what good maintenance can do. I sold it and bought a brand new '06 GU 4 with the ZD30 diesel. Did all the mods, bilsteins, 2" lift bullbar etc. Great car and no issues, did all it was supposed to do. THE WIFE WOULDN'T DRIVE IT!! So, after only 12 months, the only logical thing to do was sell it and go back to a Disco. We did, s2 auto td5 2000 model. Complete with blown exhaust manifold, wire loom leaking into ecu and shocks shot. With only 170,000ks on the clock and costing $8k from private sale, we thought, why not. About $1500 later, doing the repairs myself we are back in a Disco and the wife loves it so much she sold her Echo and drives it full time as her daily driver, even put her number plates on it, LYN58F. I get to "borrow" it on weekends and she reluctantly drives the Company ford Territory Ghia. We won't stray again and look forward to many years together!!!

The Disco and me I mean.

Why?
To tow a caravan around Australia, AND, when the van is unhooked, go see all those places that you cannot get to in a car.

Reason:

• second hand they're cheap (cf toymotors etc)
• I've always wanted on
• I like the style

Better or not

• in build quality they're a load of british rubbish
• in comfort they're streets ahead
• handling - nothing compares at base level

Lived to expectations

• I don't know yet...

Buy again? Maybe a td5 auto - late model - chipped and with the bugs sorted out

Because at thetime of purchasing no Defender was available

I bought my 200 Tdi disco new in 1993. I went for a test in a defender first but as I could hear anything other than engine at 100 km/h I then tried the disco.
I was changing from an FJ40 and my only requirements were coils and an economical diesel engine. The opposition at the time just weren't up to it.

The disco has done everything I wanted of it including a Canning stock route trip and lots of mud plugging in the Vic high country.
But that said I have recently ordered a new defender (doesn't come till July), hope it lasts as well as the disco.

Originally Posted by 29dinosaur

How did you go about doing this? Costs - savings - time frame to achieve??

Used a semi retired chap who used to be a buyer for one of the larger European dealership chains here in NZ. He's now based in Aussie and handles the purchase in Japan on your behalf...he's essentially a broker. He organises everything from shipping to customs clearance, all you have to do is tell him what you want and how much your budget is. He'll then find what you're after. He's a top bloke and very professional.

It took approx 5 weeks for the vehicle to arrive in NZ from when we won the auction. A couple of days to get it off the wharf and typically 2-5 days for compliance, tho we hit a snag with paperwork and it took 4 weeks to get it's cert of compliance and registration application...not a typical example.

Cost through auction was 1,450,000 YEN FOB (delivered on board the ship) , or approx NZ $17,500, plus the brokers fee (the chap in aussie) of NZ $1000, shipping, customs clearance, compliance, etc was $4500. And $350 for initial registration. All up a little over $23k kiwi...this for a grade 4.5 vehicle this is highest grading possible for a 5 year old vehicle, with 18,100kms...so she's pretty well brand new. Aside from a couple of small scratches it's in mint condition inside and out and drives superbly.

The same vehicle at one of the local Land Rover dealerships, with 45,000kms and 2 owners was retailing for NZ$36k. Ours would probably go for a bit more $37-38 at a guess with such low km's and in such good nick.

He'll import to NZ and AU.

Hope this helps, can PM you his email address as well as a site that lets you view up to 25000 cars for sale any given day in Japan.

Hope this helps

Importing from Japan must be good

My local Jaguar/Land Rover wrecker, buys container loads of both!
The best I've seen him import was a Bentley Turbo sedan, (his personal car)

I learnt to drive as a kid in an old Series LR Traytop in what is now Kakadu. Was brought up by my old man to know that the definition of a 4WD is a Land Rover.

Years later, bought one of the earlier Range Rovers with the intention of using it to tow a largish caravan I had at the time. It was probably the most unreliable vehicle I have ever owned, and was pretty much useless as a tow vehicle - but was a pleasure to drive and would go places that no other 4WD's available at the time would go. Sold it in Alice Springs.

Have always liked the look of the Disco, and bought a D1 V8 from a friend in Kal who is a mechanic. This thing was faultless, but getting a bit long in the tooth & needed a few niggling repairs (headlights only held in by plastic protectors & similar minor issues), plus it was chewing a bit of juice.

Saw current D2 in the local LR dealership (before they closed shop) and traded in the D1 on it. Main reasons for buying this one in particular, and Land Rovers in general -

Fuel economy in D2, driving position, off road ability without major mods, comfort (even SWMBO likes it) and to be different from the mob - everyone's got a Jap 4WD.

I've had a few Toymotas - an 80 series GXL, a 100 series, a 95 series Prado and three 120 Prados. Of these, the 80 series was by far the best, and I'd have another if there were still any good ones available at a reasonable price. But after the last three 120 Prados (all work vehicles), the Disco wins hands down on just about everything except for build quality - I can live with that.