2004 Disco SE7 question

[brushogger]

Hey guys, I've had a lit of different 4x4s over the years but not any rovers. I've found one that seems to be a great deal but I need advice from the experts. It's a 2004 Discovery SE7 with 43000 miles on it. It looks and drive lime brand new. I know it's history and it had never even had low range engaged until I test drove it. It has the jump seats and dual sun roofs. He wants $12000 for it which is a little below book price. What issues do I need to look for on this truck. I have to make the decision by tomorrow, but I'm in the middle of unpacking from a move and don't have time to do the research I normally would. It only downside is it's a bronze color and not white. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Chazz Layne]

With that low mileage on it, there isn't much to worry about yet since you know it's history (good I'm guessing?). In about 20k miles you'll need to do a major service which you can do yourself for about $400 or have done for about $1200 (including rebuilding the front driveshaft with greaseable u-joints). You might want to go ahead and flush/replace all the fluids anyhow since the t-case hasn't seen much shifting... these trucks can get grumpy if you don't use them often enough.

Pop the hood and check the area directly underneath the throttle body for dried coolant. The TB heater on a 2004 can be either the old or the new design, the old one is prone to leaking. It isn't a big deal if it is, the fix is $25 in parts and about 15 minutes of your time.

You'll also want to hop on a creeper and check the underside for leaks and rust. The bolts holding the differentials shut have a habit of backing out and letting the gear oil leak. Since this one hasn't seen much dirt (and probably few water crossings), this probably won't be a big deal.

The big thing to keep in mind is that Land Rover ownership is a time consuming, high maintenance relationship... but if you're into it then it will be very rewarding. If you buy it, you'll either need to set aside the extra cash for overpriced maintenance or learn to do it yourself (worth it, both in cost and in learning the quirks of the vehicle). Because they are less common some mods will be more expensive. Others will be far less expensive because of the simple designs.

 

[brushogger]

Thanks so much for the great advice. I knew this was the right place to go. I think I'll grab the creeper and go look again tonite. I'll take some pics and post them. It is a gorgeous truck. Is the variable suspension ever a problem if you change the springs to OME, etc?

 

[Chazz Layne]

Thanks so much for the great advice. I knew this was the right place to go. I think I'll grab the creeper and go look again tonite. I'll take some pics and post them. It is a gorgeous truck. Is the variable suspension ever a problem if you change the springs to OME, etc?

Nope, I did that conversion on my own 2004... well worth it and very easy to do. The axles are identical regardless of option, and you can pick up the spring seats from Atlantic British: http://www.roverparts.com/Parts/9268D2HWK.cfm

If the SLS system is still intact when you switch to real springs, chances are you can get a few hundred back selling it. You'll also need a dealership or mechanic to turn the feature "off" in the computer (that, or live with the warning light). Unfortunately, the compressor is not stout enough to be converted for us as on-board air.

 

[brushogger]

I got the creeper out and looked at everything that was recommended. It is unbelievable for a 6 year old truck. Everything looks brand new. I have decided to pull the trigger on this deal pending an inspection by the local Indy LR mechanic. I found one locally who is from
S Africa and has over 30 hrs LR experience. Thanks again for all the help. It made the decision much easier. When I get it home I'll take some pics and get them posted. Any ideas on a good location for mounting the cb and ham rig? I think that's a good starting point for a build.

 

[AxeAngel]

Check for leaks around the heads and valve covers most importantly. They often leak from there, all the other leaks and stuff can be fixed relatively easily.

As for CB/HAM different people install in different places. Some install at the rear of the center console(by the rear ashtray), others do it up by the sun visor in that slot section, others do in between driver seat and central console. It all depends on the size of the radio(handheld or not). I have CB currently installed and plan on doing HAM in a few months.

My setup was rather involved as I also have a foldaway tablet permanently mounted in the rig and did the CB install at the same location.

 

[Chazz Layne]

If all goes well on the inspection: welcome to the club! :sombrero:


I'm probably the wrong person to ask about CB/HAM installs in a Disco...




Space seems limited at first glance, but after sitting in the truck for a while you'll start to notice all sorts of places to hide things. My temporary mount for the CB was to pop the radio out, pull the rubber tray above it out, drill two holes, and bolt it straight to the dash. The nice thing about this spot is if you ever want to (re)move the CB, it'll look like nothing was ever there.

HAMs are a bit easier as you can always get a model with a remote-mountable face... and there are tons of spots to put the face. The most common spot to put the body of the radio I've seen is to hide it behind the trim panels in the cargo area. This might be a little tougher to do since you have seats back there, but I'd bet there's still plenty of room behind the panels.


*2 on checking the valve covers... though at only 40,000 miles they probably haven't started to leak yet. When they do, more often than not the bolts have just come loose and can just be tightened back down. Same goes for the diffs. If you do want to replace the gaskets on the valve covers, this can be done while doing the 60k service for about $50 more in parts.


If you're the type that likes to tinker then start saving up cash now. There is no end to things that can be tweaked, modified, altered and fiddled-with on these trucks.

 

[brushogger]

If all goes well on the inspection: welcome to the club! :sombrero:


I'm probably the wrong person to ask about CB/HAM installs in a Disco...




Space seems limited at first glance, but after sitting in the truck for a while you'll start to notice all sorts of places to hide things. My temporary mount for the CB was to pop the radio out, pull the rubber tray above it out, drill two holes, and bolt it straight to the dash. The nice thing about this spot is if you ever want to (re)move the CB, it'll look like nothing was ever there.

HAMs are a bit easier as you can always get a model with a remote-mountable face... and there are tons of spots to put the face. The most common spot to put the body of the radio I've seen is to hide it behind the trim panels in the cargo area. This might be a little tougher to do since you have seats back there, but I'd bet there's still plenty of room behind the panels.


*2 on checking the valve covers... though at only 40,000 miles they probably haven't started to leak yet. When they do, more often than not the bolts have just come loose and can just be tightened back down. Same goes for the diffs. If you do want to replace the gaskets on the valve covers, this can be done while doing the 60k service for about $50 more in parts.


If you're the type that likes to tinker then start saving up cash now. There is no end to things that can be tweaked, modified, altered and fiddled-with on these trucks.

I got it!!!! Haven't had time to get pics yet, but I'll post them this weekend. I really like my current little Yaesu rig and can't really afford to buy another one right now. I do like the dash top box you have for the comm gear. Did you build it or buy it. I think I'll steal your idea at least for now, and make something similar. I have a couple of 1" 12v fans I can use to ventilate the box so I can put the CB and 2m rig inside it and use external speakers. Is there a build thread on your truck I can look at. I like what I see so far. Thanks again for all the help.

 

[Chazz Layne]

I got it!!!! Haven't had time to get pics yet, but I'll post them this weekend. I really like my current little Yaesu rig and can't really afford to buy another one right now. I do like the dash top box you have for the comm gear. Did you build it or buy it. I think I'll steal your idea at least for now, and make something similar. I have a couple of 1" 12v fans I can use to ventilate the box so I can put the CB and 2m rig inside it and use external speakers. Is there a build thread on your truck I can look at. I like what I see so far. Thanks again for all the help.

Congrats.


There are situations where more power than an HT can offer may be required, but depending on your needs you might be able to get by just running your existing HT with an external antenna (I did this for about six months myself). Of course, the trick is getting a decent external antenna on a Disco. Those ones that you put on a window, then roll the window up don't work because of the wiiiiiiiide gutter. For the same reason, gutter mounts tend to be unstable. It seems the only answer for this is the stick-on thru-window type, or drilling a hole. The other option is to use something mounted to the factory roof bars, but I haven't figured out a clean way to wire it up yet without drilling (which kind of defeats the purpose).


The box is built... though if you can find a way to get it shipped there is a company in Australia (which is where I stole the idea ) that makes something very similar: http://www.oppositelock.com.au/inde...ct_detail.php&product_id=8657&category_id=601
They can make it as shown, or vacuum-molded which looks just like the factory dash. Fans might not be a bad idea, as the box also has to handle the heat from the factory stereo (which vents right there as well). So far it hasn't been an issue as I only have one speaker (the other grill is open for ventilation).


No build thread yet, my pics/records are still somewhat chaotic. I might have to make one after the next series of installs. I have boxes of stuff stacked up for when I get the Disco back from the shop (someone ran into it). I do detail most of the installs and the more unusual maintenance items on my blog though: http://www.chazzlayne.com/topic/overland/discovery/

 

[HMR]

Congrats on the new Disco! Sounds like you found a nice one. We recently bought an '04 and are very happy with it.

I have decided to pull the trigger on this deal pending an inspection by the local Indy LR mechanic. I found one locally who is from S Africa and has over 30 hrs LR experience.

Heck, I spent more time than that just trying to find the engine block coolant drains. :sombrero:

 

[brushogger]

I got the creeper out and looked at everything that was recommended. It is unbelievable for a 6 year old truck. Everything looks brand new. I have decided to pull the trigger on this deal pending an inspection by the local Indy LR mechanic. I found one locally who is from
S Africa and has over 30 hrs LR experience. Thanks again for all the help. It made the decision much easier. When I get it home I'll take some pics and get them posted. Any ideas on a good location for mounting the cb and ham rig? I think that's a good starting point for a build.

I accidentaly dissed my mechanic! I meant 30 years LR experience. Took it on a 350 mi highway trip over the weekend and it did great hauling 4 adults and 2 kids. August 11-15 we'll be heading to Lyons Colorado for a music festival. It doesn't start until the 13th, so I hope to squeeze in some wheeling time in. Still planning the build. My daughter is getting married this Thursday and the play fund should start to rebuild after that.

 

[leeawalden]

I have some spare SLS bags if you need them. If you are going to keep the SLS setup its not a bad idea to carry a spare bag.

 

[brushogger]

Thanks for the offer. When I first looked at it I thought SLS was standard with the SE package. When I got underneath it I found it had coil springs. I did some checking then and found it was optional equipment on this model. I am really looking forward to trying it out