WTB: Land Rover Discovery 1

[_ExpeditionMan]

Hello Everyone,


Very, very long time lurker here. I'm finally in the market for an overlanding vehicle and after much debate I've decided to start hunting for a clean Disco 1. They are pretty hard to find, especially in half decent shape, so if anyone has any leads on where to look for them or is selling one please let me know.

Thanks a lot!

 

[howirolla]

not sure where you are located, but out here in Oregon I have a buddy that has one that he doesn't really want last I checked. I think it needs a clutch, but aside from that it was a fine rig

 

[_ExpeditionMan]

Thanks for the comments guys. Honestly at this point I'd settle for a clean discovery 1 (auto or manual). Something about those looks gets me!

 

[_ExpeditionMan]

not sure where you are located, but out here in Oregon I have a buddy that has one that he doesn't really want last I checked. I think it needs a clutch, but aside from that it was a fine rig

I'm located in Texas but I don't have a problem traveling for or shipping the right vehicle. Have any pictures or more information on it?

 

[_ExpeditionMan]

RoverClassic.com generally has some nice Discoverys

I had heard of them and did some research and what I found was not positive at all. Their Better Business Bureau rating is a D+. Check out the complaints here: http://www.bbb.org/new-york-city/business-reviews/auto-dealers-antique-and-classic/vsb-enterprises-inc-in-staten-island-ny-136368/

 

[_ExpeditionMan]

Many a nice Discovery I met their end with the excellent $3 billion Cash for Clunkers government program. Because, you know, what is great for the environment is to crush a perfectly fine vehicle that has already been manufactured so you can make a new plastic car in Korea and ship it here.

"It led to a gain in market share for Japanese and Korean manufacturers at the expense of American car makers"

"A study published after the program by researchers at the University of Delaware concluded that for each vehicle trade, the program had a net cost of approximately $2,000, with total costs outweighing all benefits by $1.4 billion."

It is a shame that so many great used cars from the 90s got destroyed. It really left a large gap in the used car market and inflated the costs needlessly. This problem was not limited to the USA either. I remember watching a Top Gear quite a while ago where Jeremy Clarkson did a short segment on how terrible their version was and they had footage of old airports covered with "old" cars and a lot of them looked to be in really good shape. Luckily, there are still some Discos out there possessed by people who did not abandon them! I just need to find a clean one haha

 

[barley]

Interesting thread, would someone be so kind as to give some sources for importing tdi Rovers? Kind of in the market myself. Was thinking about buying a donor disco here and dropping a 300 tdi in it with the assistance of my bro who has done it before but I might be interested in going the import route instead. Thanks for any info.

 

[Rovertrader]

So, on the look for a nice Disco?! And yes, it is extremely difficult to find a good clean well sorted example. However, I do have one, a '99 D-I (last year) with 135k miles, though only 50k on the motor. Apparently the orig owner ran it out of oil, seizing the engine, and was replaced with new. I have no documentation to all that, except I bought it from an intermediate owner who is a long time Land Rover enthusiast. The truck is from Cali and is spotless!! No hint of rust anywhere. The only issue I addressed was some peeling clear coat which is common in Cali d/t the sun. I then lifted her 2”, tires, wheels, lights, rack, bumper, winch, new headliner, etc- all a very moderate build. The driver seat is fine except a small 2” tear which is not on a seam, hence the new expensive canvas seat covers.

Feel free to contact me if interested.
Cheers

 

[_ExpeditionMan]

Thanks for the help everyone. Stumbled on a clean 2nd gen 4Runner and fell in love.