Setting a Disco I up for expedition travel

[David Harris]

. You just don't normally do things like that with a Disco or Rangie or there wouldn't be so many going to wrecking yards.

Yes. And no one is making replacement frames for these like Series/Defenders, as far as I know. However, I think it's more because of the market values of the vehicles than difficulty in swapping the frames. (You can just lift the whole body of a RR or Disco off the frame in one piece once you undue the body mounts, linkages, etc.) A Series or Defender is worth doing the swap on whereas, at this point, it is just cheaper to junk the Range Rover or Discovery and buy another one with a better frame/body. Give it some time and I think at least for the Range Rover Classic we may see people going to more effort and expense to keep them going as values continue to rise.

 

[Antichrist]

The Defender and D1 chassis is still very basic, steel plate welded together to make a box.

When I decide that the frame is too worn out, I'll just go out and buy a D110 frame, modify it a little and switch my 109 over to being a coiler. You just don't normally do things like that with a Disco or Rangie or there wouldn't be so many going to wrecking yards.

I don't think you'll find many Discos going to the wrecking yard due to chassis rust or chassis damage. At least I haven't seen many. Maybe it's more prevalent in the "salt" states.
In the 70's and 80's I saw tons of series rovers in scrap yards, most due to chassis rot. Very few to physical damage from a wreck.
On the other hand, Discos in decent shape are quite cheap, often less that Series basket cases, so it (unfortunately) often makes more financial sense to scrap it and buy another.

 

[96discoXD]

The Defender and D1 chassis is still very basic, steel plate welded together to make a box.

I don't think you'll find many Discos going to the wrecking yard due to chassis rust or chassis damage. At least I haven't seen many. Maybe it's more prevalent in the "salt" states.
In the 70's and 80's I saw tons of series rovers in scrap yards, most due to chassis rot. Very few to physical damage from a wreck.
On the other hand, Discos in decent shape are quite cheap, often less that Series basket cases, so it (unfortunately) often makes more financial sense to scrap it and buy another.

I've seen a few here in Michigan, most with pretty major rust in the usual places. I've never taken the time to look at the frames as I was usually pulling parts off them in the junkyard. I know cash for clunkers probably killed more D1's in a fell swoop than many years of salt exposure...

 

[Snagger]

RRC and Discovery chassis rarely seem to rust significantly, unlike the Defender. It is only their inner body shell which corrodes badly.

 

[Antichrist]

RRC and Discovery chassis rarely seem to rust significantly, unlike the Defender.

Interesting, I wonder what that is. I would think they would be about the same since a Disco and D90 chassis are pretty close to the same, outside of the rear cross member which has always been prone to early rot.

 

[Paladin]

Could just be the steel being used. Most people think all mild steel is the same. Some rusts more than others. The less impurities in the steel at the start, the less likely it is to rust. You can see this easily. Take a piece of HSS steel bar, some hot rolled 1040 bar, and some nice cold rolled bar, leave them all in your shop in the same conditions over time and see what happens.

Could also be different paint being applied. Etc. etc.

 

[UnfrozenCaveman]

Our well used 1994 Disco has lived in Iowa its entire life...the first ten years parked outdoors.

The body is slowly returning to bauxite, but the frame is in surprisingly good shape....yes, it gets a hose down with home-made waxoyl annually but really does look darned good for what it's been exposed to.

The Defender is not allowed out to play until all the CaCl / MgCl / whatever other nasty stuff is washed off the streets in the Spring.

 

[Antichrist]

Could just be the steel being used. Most people think all mild steel is the same. Some rusts more than others. The less impurities in the steel at the start, the less likely it is to rust. You can see this easily. Take a piece of HSS steel bar, some hot rolled 1040 bar, and some nice cold rolled bar, leave them all in your shop in the same conditions over time and see what happens.

Yeah, I know, but it surprises me they would use different steel for nearly identical chassis.

 

[David Harris]

A guy recently posted over on Dweb with a D2 which had a rusted through frame. He was from the Northeast somewhere. The salt is definitely a major factor in those states as well as the Midwest.

 

[Paladin]

Yeah, I know, but it surprises me they would use different steel for nearly identical chassis.

You'd be surprised. Could be different frame supplier if the one making the frames for the Defender couldn't take on the additional capacity for the Disco. It's amazing the differences that happen in autos, when you think they should all be the same. You could get major differences in steel quality even within a model year of a given model.

A guy recently posted over on Dweb with a D2 which had a rusted through frame. He was from the Northeast somewhere. The salt is definitely a major factor in those states as well as the Midwest.

Mine got about 3 winters on it in salty Montreal. The worst place is back near the muffler. The heat from the muffler and spray from the tires took it's toll. It's nowhere near rusted through. The paint all flaked off. I blasted the rust off as best I could and put on some more chassis paint. I park it in the winter now. It's just not worth it. It's basically illegal to drive offroad in the winter in Ontario anyway.