And deep mud.
A diff pumpkin is a PITA at times.
The independent suspension means going much slower in a D4 or you will hit stuff on the ground. That is the main thing you learn when going from a Patrol in my case or a Defender in this thread. The traction control and smarts usually make up for any lack of speed.
The first time I drove my D4 off road I smacked the front cross member into the ground really hard by driving through a rutted hole at the same speed as I would in a Patrol. Since I realised this I simply slow down and clearance is never a problem on anything I could drive my 2inch lifted GQ on 33's through.
You can replace any door (ouch $), you can replace the two front fender panels, you can replace the bonnet; tailgate & hatch and all the plastic add-ons (bumpers and wheel arches) .... no question.
Ding anything from the tail lights to the engine firewall on the main panel .... you've cracked the egg.
However .... chances of doing that are?
Actually, very good point Andy ...Bugger All chance of that being an issue :-)
Actually a good point has been raised, repairability.;)
Simple item like a rock through a windscreen/side window. In a defender ( as long as you don't insist on a heated replacement)all you need is a good glazier to cut it to size using flat automotive approved glass, the kind most front end loaders use and a lot of trucks. In a disco it's a custom shape that has to be ordered, this could take days or over a week depending upon your location.
Panel damagability. What height do the panels start where they could be belted by a root or rock sticking out of an embankment on a slippery clay climb?
In a disco the panels curve out from the base , as is the current style, but this makes the far more susceptible to being damaged, in a defender the sliders stick out 2 inches wider than the vertical panels, and if your allowed ;) the same parameters as Terry's disco , with -25 mm offset wheels and 315 tyres your tyres also protrude several inches outside the body further reducing the chance of panel damage.
Cost, if I dent a rear or lower panel, ( in sme people's cases entire car:D )IMHO it looks fine to have a bit of aluminium cheq plate pot riveted over it costing about $20-50 a few pot rivets and cut to shape/size or order pre cut . I haven't seen any disco 3/4 drivers try that yet.:D Now what's the cost of a new panel under doors, a rear side panel, rear bumper and spray paint to match in a d4 ? And again how long to fix?
Hahaha this thread is just getting silly.
Keep it up [emoji106][emoji41]
Frantic again and again you keep bringing up stuff that relates to old pre Puma Defenders.
I'm not saying it wouldn't happen but I have never seen a $50,000 Puma with chequer plate pop riveted to its lower panels either so why compare a 20 year old Defender to a almost new Discovery when it comes to repairs?
I can just imagine the resale value of a two or three year old Puma with 300mm of chequer plate pop riveted to all its panels.
You seem to conveniently keep forgetting that its Puma's that are in part being discussed here not old Defenders. So how about you give it a rest, fair enough?