Entertaining a switch from Jeep to Land Rover. Have questions.

[Ray_G]

Adding in some thoughts for respectful counterpoints or alternatives, Kgh's views are borne from experience and thus stand alone in their own right but there are some things worth commenting on!

Some think the 2004 was the best ever of the DiscoI or II.

Some would say the 1999 D1 (i.e. some think 1999 was only the Dii, this is not correct-the last of the D1's came off the line then too and often have the best combination of features like no sunroofs and such) was the best year. At this point of the game, D1 or DII, the best year is the one that has been maintained.

By far best storage space: Defender
By far best manners: JKU Rubicon
By far best mileage: Defender 300TDi
Worst MPG: DiscoI
By far best comfort: LR4 HSE Lux
Best off road: Toss up!
Required most work and upkeep: DiscoI's followed by DiscoII (V8 DiscoI, always kept spare cap and rotor, they would crap out every couple thousand miles for some reason)

By far most fun to drive: Defender 110

Fascinating. Especially the comments about manners, I've only ever had a Rubi as a rental and thought it was..underwhelming. Significantly so. Coupled with how much people dump into their jeeps...but anyway this is about LR's so.

-The point about keeping a spare cap & rotor for a D1 is valid, only for the 94-95 MYs. That is the 14 CUX 3.9 engine model, 96-99 came with the GEMS system (coil pack) and the 4.0L (with far less HG issues than you hear about later in the build as the blocks get worse). If I were shopping for a D1 today I'd go 96-99, unless I wanted to swap in a diesel in which case the OBD I nature of the 94-95 may be more conducive. Of course if I wanted a diesel in this day and age...I'd just get a TDi Disco from Europe that is older than 25yrs, perhaps in the 3 door config...

Now looking for a 130 to build a true overloading vehicle.

Out of all of them I like the Defenders best. Not trying to push you away from a Disco, just sharing what my experience is.

If you go Disco, google "DiscoMike" and "Forum". That guy has links to lots of Disco related tech.

Good luck!

Ironic, I'd suggest going to Discoweb.org and searching DiscoMike, it will be revealing about that guy and his tech. To that point, if you end up with a D1 or a Dii, Discoweb is the resource for those vehicles. It is far different than here in terms of mannerisms, but that has nothing to do with the wealth of info on the site. It just lends itself to searching a lot as a newb and asking when you have a question that is unique enough to be current-anything that could be done with these trucks has been covered on there for over a decade.
r-
Ray

 

[XJLI]

Really? I have at least 40k on my cap and rotor. I bought new ones a few months ago and went to swap them out and what was on there was fine so I left them.

 

[Ray_G]

Really? I have at least 40k on my cap and rotor. I bought new ones a few months ago and went to swap them out and what was on there was fine so I left them.

14 CUX rule: if it is working, don't touch it!
Worth keeping the cap/rotor in the truck for when/if it does happen, but once dialed in I'd leave it be until you have a problem.

 

[Jeepinaaron]

I went and drove that white 2004 Disco II with 163,000 miles. First off, I would never buy a vehicle from the seller. He was obviously a crook and stated that when they bought a land rover and brought it to their "dealer" that they pulled the engine out of each vehicle and took them down to the block with new gaskets, etc etc. Well I looked at the engine, it was dirty as heck with the exception of armorall sprayed on every plastic cover in the engine bay. But that aside, I got a chance to drive the vehicle.

I was, as someone else put it, underwhelmed. Compared to my V8 Grand Cherokee I thought the vehicle was under powered. I did not think it rode better than my lifted Jeep, and thought the driver's seat was cramped. It seemed like the seat set too high and the steering wheel would not adjust high enough for me. Like has been mentioned here, the rear seat seems cramped and I thought it was difficult getting in and out of the rear, and I'm only 5'10". I also thought the steering was really tight and the brakes were super spongie, but that was probably just THIS vehicle. After driving this one, I'm not really feeling selling my Grand Cherokee for one.

But then I saw a lifted Disco I driving down the road today and just felt "I want one", so I may keep the search going and drive a different specimen to see if my opinion sways.

 

[XJLI]

14 CUX rule: if it is working, don't touch it!
Worth keeping the cap/rotor in the truck for when/if it does happen, but once dialed in I'd leave it be until you have a problem.

Thanks for the tip. They don't take up much space in the toolbox I carry.

 

[Colin Hughes]

My 95 D1 issue was vacuum advances, when through three of them. Always seemed when you needed it to work while off-roading. Still loved that truck though.

 

[crystalclear]

I am of the belief that very few people in 2016 will have a good first impression driving a d1 or d2.
The technical ability of any of these trucks in question is irrelevant, they are all plenty capable.

The looks will hook you, and the character will keep you committed. Its a slight leap of faith to jump into a 20yr old LR. But they are cheap to get into, cheap to modify, and fairly cheap to upkeep if you are a decent home mechanic.

Find a D1 with moderate miles for 2k and drive it for a few months. You will either be excited to move forward, or equally ready to dump it.

 

[99Discovery]

I'd like to toss in that '99 is a magic year for both the D1 and D2 (yes they were both offered stateside). The engine block of the 4.0 in '99 is allegedly a better cast than later 4.0s, and you also get the CDL. Yes, you can install the linkage (I did that), but trust me, just spend $300 and get an ashcroft plug-play cable unit. The cost is worth the saved frusteration (especially if you get damaged (I did) or missing (other have) parts when you get your CDL kit. The '99s are also significantly cheaper than the '04s.

For me the Discovery is fun to drive (more so off road than on-road). It isn't quite as soft on the road as my ZJ grand cherokees, but I find that a bonus. What I also like about the Discos is the 100" wheelbase. You wouldn't believe it, but to me the Disco behaves more like a TJ with poor overhangs off-road than it does a Grand Cherokee. The wheelbase difference between the Grand Cherokee and the Disco is significant, and the D2 behaves much more like a smaller wrangler in the dirt. Just be careful with your approach and departure angles.

Another thing that is nice about Rover v Jeep, is that Rover has better engineering with regards to keeping everything tucked up underneath. I was constantly hitting the bottom of my transfer case on rocks with my ZJ, I never think about it with the Rover.

They just like maintenance. If you can do routine maintenance (and somewhat enjoy it), then you will have no problem keeping a disco on the street. If you go to the shop, then it will eventually drain your bank account.

 

[kcabpilot]

The blocks were all tested by either ultrasound or eddy-current when they were produced and given one of three grades depending on how thick the casting was between cylinder bore and water jacket. The grades were Red, Blue and Yellow and administered with a daub of appropriate colored paint on the back face. Red is best and were used specifically on 4.6 liter motors, most likely for Range Rovers. Blue was second best and used for either 4.6 or 4.0 motors. Yellow was worst and used exclusively on 4.0 engines. By the time the old Rover V8 design had been upped to 4.0 and 4.6 liters they knew they were pushing the limits. The only real fix for this is to install flanged liners, also called "top-hats" This requires some modification to the block but the consensus is, after a number of years, that it does solve the block/liner/head gasket problems. You just have to be willing to make the investment.

 

[ProvinceOverland]

I have 3 land rovers , a 97 D1 , 01 D2 , and a 94 RRC .
They are all great vehicles . But if you asked my to choose just one
I would choose my D2 for a variety of reasons and here they are.

Fuel economy ; I average around 300 miles per tank on my D2 , the D1 is around 240 and the RRC is around the same .

Comfort : My D2 is just about as comfortable as RRC but In my D1 I might as well be sitting on a rock .

Space : The D2 is 5 inches longer than the D1 . And the added space has come quite handy more times than my D1.

Engine Management : Bosch vs. GEMS .... Frankly put the GEMS system is garbage when compared to the Bosch .

Transmission : The D1 has a hydraulically controlled trans the ZF4 HP22 . That was originally delveloped back in 1984 .....by the time the D2 rolled around it was in need of an update enter the ZF4 HP24 . The HP24 featured larger internal gearing in the areas where the HP22 had shortcomings , for example a larger forward clutch .

Electronics : everyone says to avoid the D2 because of the Electronics but I've had more electronic problems on my D1 and my RRC
(fighting with the Prince of Darkness is no fun task) than I've had on my D2.


97 D1
01 D2
94 RRC

Like our page at
https://www.facebook.com/provinceoverland