Most popular Land Rover to mod for overlanding.
- Thread starter Yulli
- Start date
Antichrist
Expedition Leader
Probably the Defender 110/127/130. It lends itself to a greater variety of configurations.
EricTyrrell
Expo God
Discovery 1 or Defender 110, depending where you are.
DefendersNW
Observer
1988
upcruiser
Perpetual Transient
I think for North America its hard to beat a Disco I ('94-'95 my specific favorite of the breed) for the price of entry compared to the legendary Defender 90 or 110. Alot of shared drivetrain components and pretty robust trucks for pocket change. Hard part is finding an example that has been kept up and that is not beaten.
evilfij
Explorer
Outside the us, the defender is the clean winner. In the US, North American spec defenders are very expensive (especially for a 110) and do not have the great 200tdi or 300tdi engines (they have thirsty V8s). Mechanically, a discovery 1 or range rover classic is basically the same as a North American spec defender, but the body is heavier, more prone to structural rust and does not have the excellent Salisbury rear axle of the 110.
The good news is that 25 plus year old defenders are legally importable. The bad news is that the dot has cracked down and they have to be original to import which compounded by the fact that none will legally have a tdi and most all are RHD and the vast majority are rusted out crap that needs a fair bit of work leaves any decent defender am expensive proposition.
The good news is that 25 plus year old defenders are legally importable. The bad news is that the dot has cracked down and they have to be original to import which compounded by the fact that none will legally have a tdi and most all are RHD and the vast majority are rusted out crap that needs a fair bit of work leaves any decent defender am expensive proposition.
ontheway
New member
I own an imported 110 -- but if I were buying a truck just to modify for overlanding I would almost certainly get a D1. I have a 110 because more than anything, I wanted a 110. I openly admit that a Disco would be more practical. Additionally, I would have save $10K in initial purchase cost, and could have a well-modified Disco by now for the amount of money I have into my 110... which is still pretty much stock with a slow-*** 2.5 NA diesel. Get a Disco unless you have loads of cash and lots of time.
uk trailer guy
Observer
Give it six years and I'd be tempted to sell mine to an overseas fan! 
jrose609
Explorer
Start collecting parts for LHD conversion, and you may very easily find someone to buyit.
Yulli
Yulli the Yeti
Are you not allowed to have RHD Rovers in the states? I've seen quite a few other vehicles with RHD here. I saw a JKU with RHD in it, no idea where they got it but it had WA plates on it.
Thanks for all the info guys. As cool as some of these LRs are. I would assume the easiest and most budget friendly would be the Discovery I? What is the difference between the I and the II? Did the II convert over to air suspension?
Thanks for all the info guys. As cool as some of these LRs are. I would assume the easiest and most budget friendly would be the Discovery I? What is the difference between the I and the II? Did the II convert over to air suspension?
Howski
Well-known member
I've got an imported Defender 90 now and previously had a Discovery 2. The 90 has basically zero creature comforts but its incredibly easy to work on. My D2 was more comfortable but had it's quirks. Luckily my ownership ended before the head gaskets blew or my ABS modulator gave up. Another advantage of the 90 is the diesel has allowed me to significantly reduce my travel costs. Where I was getting 10-11 mpg in the D2 I am getting 20+ mpg now. If you can find a well sorted Disco 1 with a TDI that would be a good compromise of the two. If I could do it again I'd have got a D1 instead of my D2.
Howski
Well-known member
RHD is completely legal. LHD is more desired by most people. I have a RHD and love it. They actually have a little more leg room than the LHD Defenders as well.
D1 would be the most bang for the buck. The difficult part is finding one that's been maintained well over the years. Some D2's came with rear air suspension (which I'd stay away from). If you do find one with air suspension, it is pretty simple to convert to coils.