It has been 4 months since my last update and in that time I've made some progress with the D1.
I pulled out all the dirty carpets and used a pressure washer to clean them, it made a huge difference and they now look almost like new. I also completely removed the alpine windows, fixed the rust, and then re-installed them and sealed the window gaskets so they won't leak again. While the carpets were out I found some rust forming on the passenger side floorboards above the mudflap mount, so I used rust converter on that and then put on a coat of paint. The leak is coming from the cable gland going to the passenger door, so that should be easy to seal up. Luckily there was no other rust on the truck, the trunk floor is fine and the rust I did find on the alpine windows and front floorboards was not structural. What else... I installed the genuine Land Rover rear ladder, painted the hood flat black with Plastidip, and did a bunch of other mainly cosmetic cleanup on the inside and outside.
Mechanically the D1 is doing really well, except for the clutch drag issue. I used an inspection camera to look inside the bellhousing and it looks like the clutch fork has punched through at the pivot point, that would definitely explain the hard shifting issues.
The big question is what to do with the D1 moving forward. A new HD clutch fork is only $24, but it will take a full day to drop the transmission and re-install it. We are still in the middle of remodeling our house and I just don't have time to work on the D1 as much as I'd like to. I'm seriously thinking of selling it to someone else who has the time to work on it and who will enjoy the truck. At this point the only major issue is the shift fork, once that is done it is ready to drive (though it could use new tires).
So, I'd appreciate input on what a fair asking price for this truck might be if I were to sell it. Here are the relevant specs:
The good:
- 1996 Discovery SD (no sunroofs to leak, no power seats to break) w/ 175k on the chassis and ~70k since the engine was installed
- 300tdi installed by Pendy. Phillipe at Roverland in San Francisco checked it out last year and said it was a clean install.
- R380 manual transmission
- All four power windows and both mirrors work fine.
- Comes with the stock jack and the roof rack rails.
- 3 core radiator.
- Brand new power steering pump.
- Brand new clutch master and slave cylinders.
- The truck basically runs on a single wire (no computers), should get 25-30mpg, has two solid axles, and can run biodiesel. It might just be the ultimate zombie apocalypse vehicle.
- Titled as a diesel in California, this is extremely rare and means no smog checks and no hassles with registering it.
The no so good: (I'm aiming to be completely honest here since the guy I bought it from didn't fully disclose everything when I bought it)
- Needs the shift fork replaced.
- Could use new tires.
- Paint fading on hood and roof (standard for Discos).
- Windshield cracked, but not in driver's line of view.
- Headliner is sagging.
- A few plastic pieces on the inside are cracked or missing fasteners, these are cheap and easy to replace.
- Lift pump leaks sometimes, it is ~$50 to replace.
- Salvage title. There is no indication of any frame damage and Phillie didn't see anything off when he worked on the truck, I suspect it was salvaged due to theft or a break in.
Nicely modified 300tdi swapped D1s often are often listed for $12-18k, but my truck is definitely a project and worth nowhere near that amount. The engine and transmission alone are worth about $5000 (not including installation), and the CA diesel title is really the very rare thing about this truck. I'm thinking $8k would be a fair asking price, what do you guys think? I hate to sell it, but in the big picture I would rather work on the house and I hate the idea of this cool truck just sitting around and not being driven. I'd rather let someone else enjoy it.
- Matt
