Thread: I need some advice here please

I have rather quite a challenging predicament on my hands at present, I'm hesitating to make a decision and when I hesitate I make the wrong decisions.

As some of you may know the gearbox in my Discovery failed (officially on the 20/12/07). It has been laid up since. It can still be driven (minus 1st) but I've avoided it whilst its spitting out slabs of metal.

As much of my driving now is around town (It is used for work too) ideally I would like an automatic trans.

I've looked at a few 1997 + 1998 auto diesels (and pulled out of two potential upgrades) for the following reasons:

1/ I'm up for $2500 to get the current Disco into a saleable state. I'd be very lucky to get $6000 for it, so already we're at $3500. A nice 97/98 would be around 9.0-10k... so an upgrade would effectively put me $6500 out of pocket.

2/ Better the devil you know than the one you don't know. I've done a lot of work to my Disco and its in excellent condition. A lot of people comment how well preserved it is. I've also spent a fair bit on it.

5 new ATs
Updated sound system
Privacy glass
4 new gas shockers
4 new brake discs
new pads all round
EGT gauge
Turbo timer
new radiator
rebuilt intercooler
new injectors
fully serviced recalibrated injector pump
new fuel hoses
new steering dampener
dual batteries
new rubber bushes all round
new timing belt
new crankshaft pulley
new alternator
genuine electric front windscreen
cargo barrier
discovery "handbag"
keyless entry system
mores as it comes to hand.

I've lined up a few options but I really have NFI which to do.

1/Replace the damaged LT77 with an automatic and keep the car. - this has been lined up and will cost $4000~

2/Rebuild the current LT77, then flog the lot and buy an auto - $2500~ to repair. Then another $6000 to find a decent one

3/Replace the LT77 with an R380 and keep the car - $3000~ (Better than an LT77 but not really what I'm after)

How much have you ever lost on a coin toss? Call it gents...

After you add a Driveplate, the shifter mechanism, trans cooler, losing the clutch hardware and finding wiring for things like the park/neutral start lockout you will then find about 100 other little things that will need to be changed that you wouldnt normally think about.

The trans itself is only the core part of the conversion and I know a 300TDI ZF 4HP22 trans (nonchange over) will more than likely cost more than $4k in good nick as they are $3k to rebuild properly and that doesnt come with the hardware.

I would pull all your accessories from the one you have and then wreck it to get as much money back as you can off it (if you have the room) and then fit it all to another auto one.

I been told before that Im scared of Jeeps but lost around $10k on the last Jeep we had, a ZG as when we got it within a week the TC viscous coupling locked up as well as fuel pump died and about 20 or more other little niggling things stuffed up then the last straw was the computer died so I traded it on Mrs Mc's Carolla we have now, we lost 4k in about 4 months on the purchase price and near on 2k on repairs then lost a bit over 6k on the change over to the carolla the ZJ we had before that one was faultless and the inlaws are still getting faultless service from it.