There's just something about land rovers. Love them forever. Weirdly they seem to be totally reliable on the trail but on the other hand you could be just cruising on the highway and have the alternator decide it's time for an early retirement. Quirky vehicles but there's something special about them
James Wisrik Yeah you have to plan financially to own one, but if you’re able to cover the costs I’d say it’s a great vehicle to own especially if you’re mechanically inclined
@James Wisrik I find it easy to keep mine up. Not much goes wrong. And the normal stuff is easy to fix. If you're at least a shade tree mechanic you'll have no problem up keeping one. Three amigos is a very cheap and easy fix. Alot of times it's a bad solder joint in the abs module. Just cut the brown wire to the shuttle valve switch, run one to a ground and one to the yellow wire to the plug and problem solved. The shuttle valve seals are also easy to fix. Other than that, get a 180 degree thermostat from a td5, upgrade your head bolts to studs and dont overheat it and it will be fine.
The ride in off road is superb, the v8 purring , how flex in rocks, the Alpine windows, and in some cases the manual trans... Sorry your diesel japan thing probably last more... But for enjoy is very boring. Still love some P38 or ZJ 5.2 or 5.9
Yeah... Maintaining this machines was easy and cheap, the only thing required was.... Never use them, leave it on the garage..for years...and Wow this keep them cheap to maintain.
My Disco 2's throttle position sensor failed on the way to work. I managed to get it there by switching of and on the ignition. Thought i could get it home after work using the same technique. Sadly not. Still got me the 12 miles home though! On tickover. I guess that must mean i'm part of the 10%... lol
I got my 03 Disco TD5 over 14 years ago , and still drive it today and love it! I drive modern 4x4's in my work , they may be quicker and more powerful, but they don't have the style or nice drivability of my Disco! ANd they break down too! Cheers Gregg.
Great video, Just spent the morning doing some work on my early discovery 1 while on corona lockdown here in New Zealand. Love the discovery 1 will never sell it. To work everyday, up mountains and through mud and rivers it does it all, great vehicle.
Got a 97 SE7 with 4.0 and manual transmission.Cross Canada with it on is 20th year and still live with a regular diet of snow ,gravel and mud...I love my old beast!
There are 1999 Discovery 1's...I know, I own one. Also, a part of the Discovery history is the Honda Crossroads which was essentially a LR Disco with Honda badging...Great video though! Very informative.
Just picked up a '98 Discovery 1 for a cheap second overland rig for the wife. What a cool rig it is, but I'm learning quite a bit about fixing other people's maintenance neglect--my driveway looks like someone parked the Exxon Valdez on it! It's stupid simple to work on though, and I'm actually feeling confident to tackle the head gaskets next weekend!
Although it is a few years since I watched this video, after watching it and Nathan and Nathan today, l now understand why l bought a 1994 Discovery 5spd two years ago. I'm still loving it. Thanks guys.
We had a red with tan cloth ‘96 series 1 with a 5 speed that we bought new in CT. It was the basic model (SE?), so no sunroofs or any of that, but we got a bunch of ridiculously expensive accessories like the bull bar, safari rack and rear ladder. Never upgraded the tires and didn’t have anything that you couldn’t by from Land Rover. The transmission sucked on the road, there are no two ways around it. However, the ride was actually pretty good and offroad that thing was unstoppable. We took it all over New England, drove it out to Chicago and Northern Michigan a number of times and even took a multi-week trip to Colorado for friends’ wedding before moving out to CA when it ultimately got traded for a Discovery 2 when the kids started coming (more on that). We drove on beaches, rocky trails (with Jeeps), mud, snow and a couple of Land Rover events. I can highly recommend the series 1 with a 5 speed for off road use. I can only imagine how unstoppable it would have been with a little after market gear. I remember when my wife was the only female driver at a Land Rover event to balance on the teeter totter - and they were shocked when they realized we had the only manual vehicle other than the guy with the Defender who practically wrecked a couple of times because he stopped listening after, “as fast as . . . .” We ended up having two different Disovery 2s and we had no end of electrical problems with both of them (when we gave up on Land Rover). The series 1 was agrarian and had some electrical bugs, but was mechanically bulletproof over 75K miles with us and I’d bet that thing is still chugging along out there somewhere. I may yet try and get myself another one if I can find one that has the 5 speed and hasn’t had the crap beaten out of it.
It's all about the D1. Get a well maintained '96/'97 that wasn't abused. You'll fall in love. The bad reputation comes from the D2, which was a disaster waiting to happen for a variety of reasons, especially at their initial price point. The D1 is simple to maintain/work on, and drives like nothing else. Land Rover hit it out of the park with the D1, and they should have just stuck with the same basic design, much like Volvo did with the 240. It's not a coincidence that both Land Rover and Volvo went down hill after Ford bought them.
Great video!!! I sold a 95 Disco a couple years ago due to blown headgaskets, slipped liner. I loved it like my loyal 5yr old Labrador. For the cost of a used replacement engine I purchased a clean low mileage 04 Grand Cherokee WJ 4.7L V8, 4" long arm lift on 33's, it's just as capable but more reliable. I will always miss my Disco but love my WJ.
I've off roaded in a ton of different vehicles and I think and feel like rovers climb the best out of them all..... I love my disco 1 with the 300 tdi conversion!
I have a 97 Discovery 1 with the 300TDi Turbo Diesel motor with a 5 speed manual. It's a shame you didn't get the diesel over there. Not a fast car by any means but more than enough torque for offroading and very reliable and have such a unique sound to them! I do enjoy driving my Disco with that commanding high seating position.
As the owner of a mostly stock and mostly pristine 03, I think you will find that the few that are still out there are the ones that were put together right and loved. I have had mine for almost 8 years now. Brakes, shocks, springs, headliner, and of course, a new engine (with top hatted cylinder liners to keep them from ever slipping again) and all is well. Except for the engine, it has been very trouble free all these years. I did see the three amigos, but that was the ABS sensors and easily repaired when I did the brakes. My biggest deviation from stock: The rear steel bumper. One aspect of the high mounted tails I hate is that when people are not paying 100% attention, they notice them a bit late. I replaced the stock bumper twice due to "love taps" and finally bit the bullet and bought a steel expedition bumper as it was cheaper and stronger. Great trucks if you take care of them, nightmares if you don't. I get a lot of compliments and people making offers, but I love my truck too much.
How did I miss this video? Super informative. I loved the way you presented the history, Tommy. I'm looking at adding a dedicated off road vehicle within next year. TFL's Disco and LR3 testing has convinced me to start looking in that direction. Thanks.
The three amigos are usually fixed by changing the shuttle valve ( a separate part) that is easily changed and costs about £60, about 7 small bolts, working from under the abs box which doesn't need the brake lines undoing even, the are long enough to unclip, easy
The common refrain in my large metropolitan area is, “Don’t dance with the Disco!”, meaning the LR Discovery. Most have been poorly maintained and run into the ground and little recommended maintenance.
I live in a rural area that is about 100 miles from the third largest city in the country, I've found that generally buying any older used vehicle from "city people" is a bad idea.
My Disco 2, purchased new, was a great vehicle once the dealer (under warranty) replaced just about everything electrical, the leaking windshield, the transmission, the..... i did love driving it, however, and modified it with a 2” OME lift, lockers front and rear, ARB bumper with a 12.5k winch, etc. it worked extremely well off road. Alas, replaced it with a new Land Cruiser.
My Discovery Series I runs fine with 100k miles. I just love my LR. 150% reliable. Just follow the schedule mantainance. The Landie will run forever. :) I will not replace it. Mint condition int/ext.
Great review, I have had 4 Land Rover products, 2 classic Range Rovers, a Defender TD5 and now a Disc 2 facelift, this has been the best all rounder. My facelift D2 has the 4.0 V8 and runs perfect. Yes it's not used and abused off road, and it does need looking after and if you are an old school DIY mechanic, checking and tinkering with the car then it ticks all the boxes. My Defender was the worst drivers car out there, but I loved it the best, sold it for more than I paid 4 years earlier. Land Rovers have a unique character and once under the skin you can't live without one. I am not sure about ones newer than 2005, but no doubt one day will have to make the jump. But for now my 2004 D2 will be around for many years to come.
I’ve crossed the Simpson Desert (Australia) in a series 1 MK2. 1100 sand dunes. 5 days to cross. Took 6 extra 10 litre fuel cans, but I could have done it on just the tank alone. Very able vehicle and the diesel was very fuel efficient for the period. 2001. Best 4x4 I’ve had. Followed by a long wheelbase Defender. The worst 4x4 I ever had!!
94 D1 here, it’s a lot of fun on and off road. Just did the head gaskets at 217kmiles last week. Updating the coolant tank this week (the head gasket over pressurized the coolant system destroying both the rad and expansion tank 😠) Being a 94 it’s simple to work on. Most parts need to be ordered or there’s a couple people locally that have used parts, one is a buddy of mine who’s run D1s for years and the other is a gentleman who works for Land Rover and has a line on some crazy parts that would otherwise be impossible to find. It’s fun but if your getting into a classic D1, make sure you know how to turn a wrench and have a little time and $$ to maintain it.
Might wanna get some spare parts built up in a bin with some oil and antifreeze. I'd say the same for any vehicle that could go off the beaten path but particularly Land Rovers. I love them. I have two and have owned 6. They never fail to fail.
The 4.0 and the 4.6 have the same bore size. The common theories about why the 4.6's have slipped liners more often than the 4.0's is that the tooling was worn out, and that for emissions, the engines ran a hotter thermostat. Also, when land rover went from a "3.9" to a "4.0" (they were actually the same bore size) they added block ribbing, and cross bolted main caps. This made the blocks a lot more sturdy.
Hi I am a land rover owner and yes they all come with their different problems but the discos inner steel body and chassis can rot spectacularly especially if you live in a country where salt is used on the roads in winter, but bear in mind we are talking about vehicles 15 to 30 years old, if you buy one learn to weld first.
95 5-speed manual Rover V8 Disco 1 with about 212,000 MI on it. I've owned it for about 8 years and absolutely love it. It is the hardest vehicle I've ever had to work on and strangely I don't mind. Awesome video.
The first Disco 2's came out in 1998, here in the UK anyway. The first one I ever saw was a dark blue one, and it was love at first sight when I saw it. 4 years later, managed to get the facelifted model in top trim and Td5 engine. And its still with me to this very day. Fun fact, subtle as it was there were over 700 changes between the Disco 1 and 2.
My uncle had one of the first Disco 1's after they came onto the market. He hated it, it was the diesel, kept breaking down. He took it back to the dealer made them take it back.
I have never had a Land Rover before, and just got a 1997 Land Rover Discovery for a few hundred dollars that actually looks and runs well. I'm looking forward to restoring it. Although I'm confused because the 4.0 engine doesn't look like if has a round distributor cap in the rear of the engine. I think I just need to crawl up there and take a closer look!
Nice work as always Tommy. Thanks for keeping the videos going while we are stuck at home. Can’t wait to see a full off road TFL review of the new Defender.
@@TFLclassics how much they paying you to talk up r/r,???..just lost a lot of subs..there too short & break often..the 110 is the only decent landi,but with the same weaknesses.diffs,transfer.some engines are garbage.
Love your videos. You should do a comparison between all your classics SUVs: the XJ, the Discovery and the ML. Also, you should consider adding an old MB Gwagon to your menu.
I bought a D1 98MY (one of the very last) with 300tdi as standard, a dual Battery from factory and added a 2inch lift. Definitely slow but it's got so much torque it pulls my camper trailer just about anywhere and it climbs like a tractor. I've seen obstacles on your videos that look a like ones I've faced and I don't think I ever needed to use the centre locking differential. About the same time my friend had bought a D2 and he was constantly having to grapple with airbags. I could never understand why ppl would want to rely on electronics in off-road conditions
Meant to add... electronics for traction control etc. I made that remark to my land rover mechanic and he said that about 70 per cent of their work on newer model Land Rovers is doing just that. I have also heard that the TD5s have a bit of a reliability issue. I had a water pump go and I had to put in a second hand transmission and do a few bushes which wasn't super cheap but for what I paid for the truck it's really been great and I agree the stadium seating is a lot of fun. And now it seems they're becoming desirable again for all these reasons. But anybody got a tip on how to deal with saggy headliners hmu.
Bought a disco 1 - last year shortly after you guys bought yours.....mechanically sound...just many quirks and lil electrical gremlins - here and there. I do my own repairs (often).... Call me crazy- I love this old disco
I have had my discovery 2 for 2 years now the most expensive part of ownership has been running premium gas in the thirsty girl. If you do your own work and avoid the dealership for repairs it’s not bad at all. The character of the vehicle and hitting the trails in style are totally worth it to me. Looking to get a Range Rover Classic someday too.
there is so much content on the discovery. in Aus there is a very knowledgeable group AURLO. which has technical anwser for everything. heaps of vid on TH-cam for mechanic servicing. lots of upgrades available still. all of issues Tommy talked about have all been identifed and have ways of rectifying it. if you do it your self and take your time, you will get through it. Don't by a LR and get a shop to do the work as it will cost more than what you buy the car for. The disco2 is the last of the mechanical discos. LR3 are electronic city. which is good and bad.....
Just to point out, the visual similarity between the S1 and S2 Discoveries wasn't just down to funds. LR surveyed their existing customers, many of whom had already bought more than one new Discovery, to assess their (at the time, our) views on styling and received the clear message that we liked the look just fine. They actually shared no external body panels so still involved the cost of new tooling and some door panels moved from Aluminium to steel. Inside the most obvious difference was the seating - 7 forward facing seats with head restraints and 3-point seatbelts - very different from what had gone before. That was also the point at which UK models had airbags fitted as standard. Here in the UK, LR's home market, the big news was the new diesel engine (V8s are a bit of a novelty here really - fun but expensive - the vast majority of UK Discoveries were diesel). The Td5 was a much smoother, more refined 5-cylinder engine than the 4-pot 300 Tdi although both 2.5 litre. There was a modest power increase too. And no, contrary to popular belief, it wasn't a BMW unit but a full in-house development, unlike the TD4 fitted to Freelanders. We were initially put off by its increased use of control electronics but it has proved to be reasonably robust, also fitted to Defenders long after the Discovery 2 had been replaced. These Discoveries are the family cars I grew up with through the 90s and into the early 2000s, part-exchanging every 2-3 years. In 2003 we bought our last Disco, in 2004 we looked at the new Discovery 3s and just didn't like them enough to warrant the price increase. In 2005 we bought a Defender instead (110 County Station Wagon with luxury appointments such as carpets, cloth seats and a cassette player). I bought it from my Dad in 2009, when he decided he preferred our old D90 for local commuting while I was doing regular motorway journeys. I'm still driving the 110 every day. Dad's still driving a 90 (not the same one - that accidentally demolished a granite wall a few years ago so was retired from service).
Camel Trophy Land Rovers were factory build from the bare ladder frame. They got stronger parts like Maxidrive shafts, CVs, 24 splines etc... Stock Discovery 1/RRC diffs got only two spider gears. Not four. Camels got additional guards, integral rollcages and more. But i own Discovery 200 TDI, and i loves it. Even if it brokes 700km from home, it could back on his own wheels whitout 5th gear.
@@RockmanDash Well not really. I was around 93 and 92 model whit new axle sleve like in later 300tdi... in the 93r model 200tdi, you can change the 10 milling shaft to 24, along with a new differential from 300tdi. Because the axle housing is the same as the newer type in 300tdi. I got this year model whit new axle housing but still only 10 splines inside.
I have a 2003 facelift TD5. The traction control is very good. Yes I have had the three amigos, I changed the hub and sensor. The three amigos are quite easy to evict. I just love it. There are plaenty of online resources to help with any issues.
My old P38 has been sitting up for over 6 months, hooked up the battery two days ago and cranked it up first try. The old school styled rovers are such beasts.
@@400Redsport My vehicles are strictly out door only. No carport, garage or even a sun windscreen shield. The P38 being predominantly CPU/ECU integrated proprietary parts are, for the most part, auto salvage resource whereas the D1 can use many adaptable configurations as it is mostly analog.
@@jamesstewart259 My P38 has been sitting in a field behind my other house out of the way for over 6 months. Other than a little dust, she brushed it right off. I moved into another house and couldn't take it right away, now it's under cover for the first time since.
We had a Discovery 2 that was bought brand new. Had a lot of issues unfortunately and ditched it in place of an 08 Hummer H3. The H3 hasn’t given me any major problems so far since we got it brand new. Still think the older Discoveries are cool though!
With all these older off roaders for some one to buy. You have to make the decision of do you want to fix something constantly or buy something more expensive and more reliable and dont have to fix as often. Very hard choices. Great video though
what do you consider "constantly"? My 03 has only needed brakes and fluid changes the past 2 years. It is due for a driveshaft service (replace) before it causes problems. Granted, I only do 7000 miles a year, but it is my daily
I love my Disco's. I've had 2 over the years, first one was totaled by a rear end collision by a semi. I've had my 2003 for about a decade and plan on keeping it forever. The main problem with these things is lack of proper maintenance. In my opinion is because they were expensive when new so first owners were primarily lease holders. After the lease was up the trucks hit the resale market and folks that couldn't afford them when new bought them only to find that dealer prices made maintenance very expensive. So they mostly just had basic maintenance and the minor problems kept growing into major problems. If you are a DIY person they are easy to work on, parts are easy to get and not expensive for the most part. There is a worldwide on-line support system through forums etc. . The engines are almost unchanged GM 215 Buick from the 60's, so you can't blame Rover. I've never had an engine issue. The electrics during the Ford years are no worse than any other manufacturer. All in all a good solid truck for the mechanically inclined, because shops will rape you.
Tommy, TFL talks a lot about Jeeps and Land Rover. What is the best all around model from each in your opinion and why? And which of those 2 would you rather have?
Now this is a well researched video, not many You Tubers mention Project Jay when talking about Land Rover Discovery history. Here in the UK the 200TDI and 300TDI was the D1 diesel engine of choice as it was far cheaper to run and more reliable than the V8. I follow someone on Instagram who has done 430K miles with his early 200TDI pre face lift D1. The other petrol engine available was the MPI which was a 2lt, four cylinder engine that was especially popular in some European countries due to taxation points. I have owned a three Discovery 1s, with either the 200TDI or 300TDI engine, and a Discovery 2 with a TD5 engine. They are all fantastic vehicles which have supported my growing family whether as the school bus, long distance holiday vehicle, the shopping car, they towed trailers, carried canoes and cycles. And in the week those Discos became my works van! In the US, if you are looking for an unusual classic Discovery, you might want to look at importing an early D1 (pre 1994) with a diesel 200TDI engine from warm dry country because here in the UK the main problem with the D1 is RUST!
I haD one of the remaining 2 D1,s with 3 doors in Namibia, manual, 3.9 efi. Sold that one again mainly due to rust and bought a 2004 D2, TD5 auto and am loving it. I also have 2 defender 300tdi,s and one defender TD5. The D2 is my daily driver.
Love my 2004 facelift TD5, 7 seat, bought it 11yrs ago with 31,000 miles on it, now covered just shy of 200,000! Re mapped, and with a better inter cooler (and completely dump the EGR system, and pipework), pulls well, and on long runs can return 40mpg!!
I've inherited a 1992 tdi200 discovery 1. My job now is to restore her as much as possible and keep her as original as possible. However out here they are luxury vehicles and parts cost a lot and are hard to find.
great little video. On a different topic, can you share the locations you are illustrating in the 7:45-9:10 mark? It looks like Colorado and I'm asking because I'm moving to colorado in Feb 2021 and want to start compiling some trails and routes to explore once I get there. I'm on All Trails. Thanks!
The series 1 Disco is the best cars I have ever owned. I drive the V8 model now and I have had a 4 cilinder deisel for 10 years and have had a 86 range rover. But I have owned a later virsion but as soon as cars started getting filled with electronics the less reliable the vehicles became
I have owned a disco series 1 200tdi, for 8 years it's got 2 inch lift, diff and steering guards . I live in the South of Spain, I have taken my Landy Disco to the Moroccan Sahara 16 times. I have done tens of thousands of km on tracks and cross country with few problems. It's very easy to jerry rig if you bash something. They are hard as nails. And beautiful to drive. I have had a series 2a, series 3, a 110, a Defender, and 1 Discovery. I loved them all but the Disco is my favourite.
Great video but don't forget the TD5 engines sold in the European market which don't have the same engine issues. I've owned one for 15 years, its done 250,000 miles and the only issues have been electrical which are the same with all Land Rovers but no engine issues.
Here in the UK i bought a RR classic as my first car when i was 17 for £800. That was 15 odd years ago and recently i saw my old rr for sale on ebay for 31k?!
I've had a '97 Disco I for 4 years - gotta say, it's been amazingly reliable. Yeah, the Disco has his quirks and it loves, loves gas but overall has been a good experience. Granted, George (as in the Madness of King George) only has 84k miles on him so my experience may be an outlier. Note: if you buy one, upgrade the radiator for more cooling capacity.
The ABS modulator in D2 had an easy fix (all 3 Amigos gone). It was discovered by the Hummer brigade that shared the same modulator. Google WABCO ABS Option B and Its a cheap fix. The front drive shafts were easy to sort. Remove the non serviceable stock ones and install a Woody greasable with 1810 unis. Cheap and very reliable. Cheers
I still have my Disco I.......back than I told my dad to buy one because I saw the Camel Trophy event, and it inspired me to get the Disco. So when my dad was looking for a new SUV; I kept nagging my dad to get one and we did (this was in 97). Everywhere we drove the Disco everyone would stare at us because there was quite a few Disco on the road and little known about the car. And by the way, the Disco price back than was affordable starting $25,000 or $27,000.
Owned a 2000 Discovery II that, WHEN WORKING, was a lot of fun to drive. However, with the air suspension crapping out at about 50k miles, which I then had converted to springs, and the head gasket blowing at just 70k miles, which forced me to replace the engine for around $4k, as well as the horrendous fuel mileage and severe lack of power, I couldn't justify not getting rid of it. I can't speak to the Discovery 1's or the later Series II's, but stay away from the early Series II.
D1 Tdi 300 with a 5 speed is the sweet spot or a Td5 D2 Series II with diff lock if you like a little more comfort. In Australia these are dirt cheap, V8 ones are worthless. Pick them up for peanuts. Tdi/Td5 with the 5 speed and diff lock can fetch higher prices but still reasonable though. My old man picked up a D2 SII slush box with all the extras except leather seats, sunroofs, rear A/C or the crazy 4 zone radio for $2500. Near 300k KM on it and some spare time in the shed to fix a few niggles it’s been super reliable. Even has heated seats! Now a daily driver. Always stealing the keys for it. Ironically all my Land Rovers 2x IIA Ex Royal Australian Army, 3 Defenders (2x Tdi 300 110s and a Td5 90) and the Disco have been very reliable. Toyota level dare I say. Maybe because they’re well maintained... and/or all the main issues have now been fixed.
I had a 1999 Land Rover ,Range Rover p38 with the 4.0 v8 , what a beast of a vehicle till the motor took a dump and I didn’t have that kind of money to fix it . Still sad to this day and that was 5 years ago 😞
Very good write up and review thank you. Although maybe the D2 deserves a little more credit for being a new vehicle. It shares almost nothing with the D1 apart from the V8 engine, transfer box and transmissions. The diesel engine (Td5) was completely new, as was the chassis, and the suspension and the axles, every body panel and all of the interior.
The V8 was new also in the sense of cross bolted main bearings and a totally new plenum, intake and injection system (Thor) that was state of art. The Bosch injection was pure BMW 8 Series and very very clever. So yes the block and heads were largely the same as D1 but a lot of changes were made including exhaust manifolds and exhaust, accessories etc. Cheers
You can't give them away where I live. Rust is a nonissue so there's a pretty good survivor rate, but parts aren't cheap in terms of purchasing power and few owners really are prepared to keep up with the maintenance schedule so small issues tend to snowball to the point where I usually just see them parked nowadays...
I had an 03 Discovery 2. It was a great car but it required a ton of maintenance. They'll turn you into a mechanic. One thing you should do is convert your cooling system to an inline thermostat. Get the motorad 180 tstat and itll save your headgaskets
I run a "desert spec" LR thermostat. Best investment every. usually about 85C around town and sometimes can get up to 91C on the highway when towing. Occasionally it will make the truck throw a code for "low coolant temp" that is rare.
I’d like to have a Discovery based on looks, but I would want a Ford 4.9L I6 or 302 V8, preferably a straight 6, and a Ford transmission and wiring harness. I’d even go for a 350 Chevy or 318 Dodge and their respective transmissions and wiring harnesses as well, just to be able to get parts at the local auto parts shop or junkyard, and have better reliability. I’ve always wanted one, but they always need more than they’re worth just to be roadworthy and pass inspection. I don’t have the resources for a swap, but maybe one day. I don’t doubt that they will be in demand and prices will go up, I just saw a $10K Bronco II that has 120K miles on CL, so anything can happen. Prices are getting crazy for old used up 4WDs
I was just thinking the same thing. When Tommy was talking about the issues with the 4.6 motor, I thought "why not just rip out that 4.6 and throw a Chevy 350 small block with a 700R4 automatic or a stick shift in it's place. Plenty of power and way more reliable"
I6 will never fit. The v8 is a tight fit. There is a company in Ohio who makes a kit to drop the Chevy LS5300 in. If this engine ever dies, that will be the route I will take
I have a 5speed 1995 300tdi disco 1 thats imported from Spain, i was thinking about selling it but maybe ill hang on to it abit longer ;) I’ve been through some tough canadian trails with it and its never let me down!
I had an old Discovery, blew a head gasket whilst the wife was driving up a big hill towing a horse trailer with two horses in it. Got it repaired and sold it, bought a 7 seat 3.1lt Izuzu Trooper and had no problems 😉. But, I'm on my 4th series 3 2/4 petrol. 1980. As I'm on lockdown in the UK at the moment, I'm going to give it it's first wash in a year. Stay safe Rover fans.
4 or 5 grand? in australia v8 worth about 4 or 5 hundred. diesel though that's wheres the moneys at Maybe a $1000 .... Seriously though a manual turbo diesel 4wd for a $1000 they're a good buy if you're mechanically inclined
I've got a '95 with almost 200k on the clock. No problems other than the typical car things like starter and alternator; oh, and the gas tank vent tube attachment point. I bought it in 07 and love it and will keep it forever. I am looking for a friend for my Disco, maybe another Disco 1 or a 04 SE7. Just wish land Rovers had a fraction of the aftermarket accessories Jeeps do. Still looking for good aftermarket offroad wheels with a better offset. Any suggestions?
There's just something about land rovers. Love them forever. Weirdly they seem to be totally reliable on the trail but on the other hand you could be just cruising on the highway and have the alternator decide it's time for an early retirement. Quirky vehicles but there's something special about them
James Wisrik Yeah you have to plan financially to own one, but if you’re able to cover the costs I’d say it’s a great vehicle to own especially if you’re mechanically inclined
@James Wisrik You've never owned one
@James Wisrik I find it easy to keep mine up. Not much goes wrong. And the normal stuff is easy to fix. If you're at least a shade tree mechanic you'll have no problem up keeping one. Three amigos is a very cheap and easy fix. Alot of times it's a bad solder joint in the abs module. Just cut the brown wire to the shuttle valve switch, run one to a ground and one to the yellow wire to the plug and problem solved. The shuttle valve seals are also easy to fix. Other than that, get a 180 degree thermostat from a td5, upgrade your head bolts to studs and dont overheat it and it will be fine.
The green ovals a wonderful thing 😂
The ride in off road is superb, the v8 purring , how flex in rocks, the Alpine windows, and in some cases the manual trans... Sorry your diesel japan thing probably last more... But for enjoy is very boring. Still love some P38 or ZJ 5.2 or 5.9
He's absolutely right. The Discovery 1 is not bad at all reliability wise. And one of the most capable off-roaders from stock ever built.
'97 D1 manual with cloth seats and no sunroof, its my baby, love sitting around thinking about how to fix it
Nice
I totally agree!! 90% of Land Rovers ever made are still on the road today! The other 10% actually made it home!!!
Yeah and the up keep cost as much as a toyota per year.
Yeah... Maintaining this machines was easy and cheap, the only thing required was.... Never use them, leave it on the garage..for years...and Wow this keep them cheap to maintain.
@@DonutsReview that's just not true. And look at the new Toyota's. Ugly and boring. The last Toyota you could buy that were cool were the J7s.
Donuts yep, the purchase cost a new Toyota each year.
My Disco 2's throttle position sensor failed on the way to work. I managed to get it there by switching of and on the ignition. Thought i could get it home after work using the same technique. Sadly not. Still got me the 12 miles home though! On tickover.
I guess that must mean i'm part of the 10%... lol
Dude stop making these videos. You're driving up the value of the Discovery
Good.
For real! That’s the main thing popping off in my head.
Cheapest one ear me is around $8k. Prices have gone up
@@boostdemon I'm about to buy one for 1400
@Blake Thacker lol what
I got my 03 Disco TD5 over 14 years ago , and still drive it today and love it! I drive modern 4x4's in my work , they may be quicker and more powerful, but they don't have the style or nice drivability of my Disco! ANd they break down too!
Cheers Gregg.
Great video, Just spent the morning doing some work on my early discovery 1 while on corona lockdown here in New Zealand.
Love the discovery 1 will never sell it. To work everyday, up mountains and through mud and rivers it does it all, great vehicle.
I agree completely, '95 D1.
Got a 97 SE7 with 4.0 and manual transmission.Cross Canada with it on is 20th year and still live with a regular diet of snow ,gravel and mud...I love my old beast!
There are 1999 Discovery 1's...I know, I own one. Also, a part of the Discovery history is the Honda Crossroads which was essentially a LR Disco with Honda badging...Great video though! Very informative.
Just picked up a '98 Discovery 1 for a cheap second overland rig for the wife. What a cool rig it is, but I'm learning quite a bit about fixing other people's maintenance neglect--my driveway looks like someone parked the Exxon Valdez on it! It's stupid simple to work on though, and I'm actually feeling confident to tackle the head gaskets next weekend!
Any update on how ownership has been so far? I'm considering picking up a 95 Disco 1
@@cameronrobertson9518 funny you ask, taking her out this weekend with another D1 and a Kalahari edition D2! Should have a video it soon!
@@MattKester LS swap it 🫖
Although it is a few years since I watched this video, after watching it and Nathan and Nathan today, l now understand why l bought a 1994 Discovery 5spd two years ago. I'm still loving it. Thanks guys.
We had a red with tan cloth ‘96 series 1 with a 5 speed that we bought new in CT. It was the basic model (SE?), so no sunroofs or any of that, but we got a bunch of ridiculously expensive accessories like the bull bar, safari rack and rear ladder. Never upgraded the tires and didn’t have anything that you couldn’t by from Land Rover. The transmission sucked on the road, there are no two ways around it. However, the ride was actually pretty good and offroad that thing was unstoppable. We took it all over New England, drove it out to Chicago and Northern Michigan a number of times and even took a multi-week trip to Colorado for friends’ wedding before moving out to CA when it ultimately got traded for a Discovery 2 when the kids started coming (more on that). We drove on beaches, rocky trails (with Jeeps), mud, snow and a couple of Land Rover events. I can highly recommend the series 1 with a 5 speed for off road use. I can only imagine how unstoppable it would have been with a little after market gear. I remember when my wife was the only female driver at a Land Rover event to balance on the teeter totter - and they were shocked when they realized we had the only manual vehicle other than the guy with the Defender who practically wrecked a couple of times because he stopped listening after, “as fast as . . . .” We ended up having two different Disovery 2s and we had no end of electrical problems with both of them (when we gave up on Land Rover). The series 1 was agrarian and had some electrical bugs, but was mechanically bulletproof over 75K miles with us and I’d bet that thing is still chugging along out there somewhere. I may yet try and get myself another one if I can find one that has the 5 speed and hasn’t had the crap beaten out of it.
It's all about the D1. Get a well maintained '96/'97 that wasn't abused. You'll fall in love. The bad reputation comes from the D2, which was a disaster waiting to happen for a variety of reasons, especially at their initial price point. The D1 is simple to maintain/work on, and drives like nothing else. Land Rover hit it out of the park with the D1, and they should have just stuck with the same basic design, much like Volvo did with the 240. It's not a coincidence that both Land Rover and Volvo went down hill after Ford bought them.
Great video!!! I sold a 95 Disco a couple years ago due to blown headgaskets, slipped liner. I loved it like my loyal 5yr old Labrador. For the cost of a used replacement engine I purchased a clean low mileage 04 Grand Cherokee WJ 4.7L V8, 4" long arm lift on 33's, it's just as capable but more reliable. I will always miss my Disco but love my WJ.
Rand Block well done. I shopped clean WJ, very hard to find good ones, ended up with a P38 rover (basically a Discovery II with a nicer interior).
Thanks again for keeping up the videos during a time of crisis.. Thanks Tommy...videos really help when your stuck in the house.
Yep 👍
I've off roaded in a ton of different vehicles and I think and feel like rovers climb the best out of them all.....
I love my disco 1 with the 300 tdi conversion!
Wow thats a sick setup
I have considered a tdi conversion but her 3.9 has yet to let me down.
I have a 97 Discovery 1 with the 300TDi Turbo Diesel motor with a 5 speed manual. It's a shame you didn't get the diesel over there. Not a fast car by any means but more than enough torque for offroading and very reliable and have such a unique sound to them! I do enjoy driving my Disco with that commanding high seating position.
As the owner of a mostly stock and mostly pristine 03, I think you will find that the few that are still out there are the ones that were put together right and loved. I have had mine for almost 8 years now. Brakes, shocks, springs, headliner, and of course, a new engine (with top hatted cylinder liners to keep them from ever slipping again) and all is well. Except for the engine, it has been very trouble free all these years. I did see the three amigos, but that was the ABS sensors and easily repaired when I did the brakes. My biggest deviation from stock: The rear steel bumper. One aspect of the high mounted tails I hate is that when people are not paying 100% attention, they notice them a bit late. I replaced the stock bumper twice due to "love taps" and finally bit the bullet and bought a steel expedition bumper as it was cheaper and stronger. Great trucks if you take care of them, nightmares if you don't. I get a lot of compliments and people making offers, but I love my truck too much.
Arthur Haberland
New motor 🤔🤔
How did I miss this video? Super informative. I loved the way you presented the history, Tommy. I'm looking at adding a dedicated off road vehicle within next year. TFL's Disco and LR3 testing has convinced me to start looking in that direction. Thanks.
I have an 03 Discovery I bought new- it's been a wonderful vehicle.
The three amigos are usually fixed by changing the shuttle valve ( a separate part) that is easily changed and costs about £60, about 7 small bolts, working from under the abs box which doesn't need the brake lines undoing even, the are long enough to unclip, easy
Unfortunately the shuttle valve kit did not fox the cracked circuit board. Google WABCO ABS Option B...that was a proper fix. Dead easy too. Cheers
The common refrain in my large metropolitan area is, “Don’t dance with the Disco!”, meaning the LR Discovery. Most have been poorly maintained and run into the ground and little recommended maintenance.
I live in a rural area that is about 100 miles from the third largest city in the country, I've found that generally buying any older used vehicle from "city people" is a bad idea.
My Disco 2, purchased new, was a great vehicle once the dealer (under warranty) replaced just about everything electrical, the leaking windshield, the transmission, the..... i did love driving it, however, and modified it with a 2” OME lift, lockers front and rear, ARB bumper with a 12.5k winch, etc. it worked extremely well off road. Alas, replaced it with a new Land Cruiser.
My Discovery Series I runs fine with 100k miles. I just love my LR. 150% reliable. Just follow the schedule mantainance. The Landie will run forever. :) I will not replace it. Mint condition int/ext.
Got a Freelander 2 and went on an off road all terrain course near chepstow. I was genuinely impressed with what the discovery was capable off.
The most in-depth video on the discovery ive ever seen, I own a series 1 so it's very good to hear the history behind it. Thanks for the vid.
Great review, I have had 4 Land Rover products, 2 classic Range Rovers, a Defender TD5 and now a Disc 2 facelift, this has been the best all rounder. My facelift D2 has the 4.0 V8 and runs perfect. Yes it's not used and abused off road, and it does need looking after and if you are an old school DIY mechanic, checking and tinkering with the car then it ticks all the boxes. My Defender was the worst drivers car out there, but I loved it the best, sold it for more than I paid 4 years earlier. Land Rovers have a unique character and once under the skin you can't live without one. I am not sure about ones newer than 2005, but no doubt one day will have to make the jump. But for now my 2004 D2 will be around for many years to come.
I’ve crossed the Simpson Desert (Australia) in a series 1 MK2. 1100 sand dunes. 5 days to cross. Took 6 extra 10 litre fuel cans, but I could have done it on just the tank alone. Very able vehicle and the diesel was very fuel efficient for the period. 2001. Best 4x4 I’ve had. Followed by a long wheelbase Defender. The worst 4x4 I ever had!!
94 D1 here, it’s a lot of fun on and off road. Just did the head gaskets at 217kmiles last week. Updating the coolant tank this week (the head gasket over pressurized the coolant system destroying both the rad and expansion tank 😠) Being a 94 it’s simple to work on. Most parts need to be ordered or there’s a couple people locally that have used parts, one is a buddy of mine who’s run D1s for years and the other is a gentleman who works for Land Rover and has a line on some crazy parts that would otherwise be impossible to find. It’s fun but if your getting into a classic D1, make sure you know how to turn a wrench and have a little time and $$ to maintain it.
Every time I watch your videos, I feel better about my D2. It’s also my Coronavirus apocalypse escape vehicle. 🚙
Escape in style. I completely agree, '95 D1.
Same here. Starting to love my '04 D2 even more!
96 with 95k miles and still kicking .
I'm looking for my escape vehicle too 🙂
Might wanna get some spare parts built up in a bin with some oil and antifreeze. I'd say the same for any vehicle that could go off the beaten path but particularly Land Rovers. I love them. I have two and have owned 6. They never fail to fail.
The 4.0 and the 4.6 have the same bore size. The common theories about why the 4.6's have slipped liners more often than the 4.0's is that the tooling was worn out, and that for emissions, the engines ran a hotter thermostat. Also, when land rover went from a "3.9" to a "4.0" (they were actually the same bore size) they added block ribbing, and cross bolted main caps. This made the blocks a lot more sturdy.
Dead right mate. And easily fixed by removing the bottom mount 3 way thermostat and installing an online top hose 75 degree C thermostat. Cheers
Hi I am a land rover owner and yes they all come with their different problems but the discos inner steel body and chassis can rot spectacularly especially if you live in a country where salt is used on the roads in winter, but bear in mind we are talking about vehicles 15 to 30 years old, if you buy one learn to weld first.
If you purchase any classic you'd better learn to do metalwork. But it's worth it once it's finished. :)
Fun Fact II - the rover/buick V8 is a very close relative of the Repco V8 which won four world championships with Bradham BT's.
Good advice. My day car is a Disco 1. I have no intention of changing it.
95 5-speed manual Rover V8 Disco 1 with about 212,000 MI on it. I've owned it for about 8 years and absolutely love it. It is the hardest vehicle I've ever had to work on and strangely I don't mind. Awesome video.
Hi I will like to see you disco
Tommy talks about the lack of 3rd row leg room in the DIsco's...Jeep Commander: Hold my beer. :D
Your vids convinced me to buy a 06' LR3 Tommy. Cheers mate
The first Disco 2's came out in 1998, here in the UK anyway. The first one I ever saw was a dark blue one, and it was love at first sight when I saw it. 4 years later, managed to get the facelifted model in top trim and Td5 engine. And its still with me to this very day. Fun fact, subtle as it was there were over 700 changes between the Disco 1 and 2.
absolutely!!
there where heaps of changes to the D2.
The Americans have no idea what they missed out on without the diesel option.
Ohh yes please make my Disco II more valuable.
My uncle had one of the first Disco 1's after they came onto the market. He hated it, it was the diesel, kept breaking down. He took it back to the dealer made them take it back.
I have never had a Land Rover before, and just got a 1997 Land Rover Discovery for a few hundred dollars that actually looks and runs well. I'm looking forward to restoring it. Although I'm confused because the 4.0 engine doesn't look like if has a round distributor cap in the rear of the engine. I think I just need to crawl up there and take a closer look!
Nice work as always Tommy. Thanks for keeping the videos going while we are stuck at home. Can’t wait to see a full off road TFL review of the new Defender.
Can’t wait either!
@@TFLclassics how much they paying you to talk up r/r,???..just lost a lot of subs..there too short & break often..the 110 is the only decent landi,but with the same weaknesses.diffs,transfer.some engines are garbage.
Sure, great car
A friend of mine has 3 to keep 1 running!!
Love your videos. You should do a comparison between all your classics SUVs: the XJ, the Discovery and the ML. Also, you should consider adding an old MB Gwagon to your menu.
I bought a D1 98MY (one of the very last) with 300tdi as standard, a dual Battery from factory and added a 2inch lift. Definitely slow but it's got so much torque it pulls my camper trailer just about anywhere and it climbs like a tractor. I've seen obstacles on your videos that look a like ones I've faced and I don't think I ever needed to use the centre locking differential. About the same time my friend had bought a D2 and he was constantly having to grapple with airbags. I could never understand why ppl would want to rely on electronics in off-road conditions
Meant to add... electronics for traction control etc. I made that remark to my land rover mechanic and he said that about 70 per cent of their work on newer model Land Rovers is doing just that. I have also heard that the TD5s have a bit of a reliability issue. I had a water pump go and I had to put in a second hand transmission and do a few bushes which wasn't super cheap but for what I paid for the truck it's really been great and I agree the stadium seating is a lot of fun. And now it seems they're becoming desirable again for all these reasons. But anybody got a tip on how to deal with saggy headliners hmu.
Bought a disco 1 - last year shortly after you guys bought yours.....mechanically sound...just many quirks and lil electrical gremlins - here and there. I do my own repairs (often).... Call me crazy- I love this old disco
I have had my discovery 2 for 2 years now the most expensive part of ownership has been running premium gas in the thirsty girl. If you do your own work and avoid the dealership for repairs it’s not bad at all. The character of the vehicle and hitting the trails in style are totally worth it to me. Looking to get a Range Rover Classic someday too.
You can run 87. Nothing will happen. I’ve been running 87 for 7 years with no issues.
Your enthusiasm is so infectious! I have a P38. I love hate it. When everything works it is sublime. If I mean. Not when.
there is so much content on the discovery. in Aus there is a very knowledgeable group AURLO. which has technical anwser for everything. heaps of vid on TH-cam for mechanic servicing. lots of upgrades available still. all of issues Tommy talked about have all been identifed and have ways of rectifying it. if you do it your self and take your time, you will get through it. Don't by a LR and get a shop to do the work as it will cost more than what you buy the car for. The disco2 is the last of the mechanical discos. LR3 are electronic city. which is good and bad.....
Here in the UK rust is a huge issue with D1&2's. Even the Discovery 3 body's and chassis are getting very crusty.
Stop putting salt on roads during winter snow
My old 93 disco 1 was better than my 2003 disco 2 by a long way.
Just to point out, the visual similarity between the S1 and S2 Discoveries wasn't just down to funds. LR surveyed their existing customers, many of whom had already bought more than one new Discovery, to assess their (at the time, our) views on styling and received the clear message that we liked the look just fine. They actually shared no external body panels so still involved the cost of new tooling and some door panels moved from Aluminium to steel. Inside the most obvious difference was the seating - 7 forward facing seats with head restraints and 3-point seatbelts - very different from what had gone before. That was also the point at which UK models had airbags fitted as standard. Here in the UK, LR's home market, the big news was the new diesel engine (V8s are a bit of a novelty here really - fun but expensive - the vast majority of UK Discoveries were diesel). The Td5 was a much smoother, more refined 5-cylinder engine than the 4-pot 300 Tdi although both 2.5 litre. There was a modest power increase too. And no, contrary to popular belief, it wasn't a BMW unit but a full in-house development, unlike the TD4 fitted to Freelanders. We were initially put off by its increased use of control electronics but it has proved to be reasonably robust, also fitted to Defenders long after the Discovery 2 had been replaced. These Discoveries are the family cars I grew up with through the 90s and into the early 2000s, part-exchanging every 2-3 years. In 2003 we bought our last Disco, in 2004 we looked at the new Discovery 3s and just didn't like them enough to warrant the price increase. In 2005 we bought a Defender instead (110 County Station Wagon with luxury appointments such as carpets, cloth seats and a cassette player). I bought it from my Dad in 2009, when he decided he preferred our old D90 for local commuting while I was doing regular motorway journeys. I'm still driving the 110 every day. Dad's still driving a 90 (not the same one - that accidentally demolished a granite wall a few years ago so was retired from service).
This is the best Discovery video on TH-cam!
I own a 95' D1 with the 5 speed(and leather!) , if I ever get it fixed up and running I'll get to drive it around again :)
Camel Trophy Land Rovers were factory build from the bare ladder frame. They got stronger parts like Maxidrive shafts, CVs, 24 splines etc... Stock Discovery 1/RRC diffs got only two spider gears. Not four. Camels got additional guards, integral rollcages and more. But i own Discovery 200 TDI, and i loves it. Even if it brokes 700km from home, it could back on his own wheels whitout 5th gear.
Jakub Strumiłło 🤫🤫 Shhhhh.... That’s classified information. Only for our forum eyes🤣
All the land rovers after 1992 had the 24 splines
@@RockmanDash Well not really. I was around 93 and 92 model whit new axle sleve like in later 300tdi...
in the 93r model 200tdi, you can change the 10 milling shaft to 24, along with a new differential from 300tdi. Because the axle housing is the same as the newer type in 300tdi. I got this year model whit new axle housing but still only 10 splines inside.
Jakub Strumiłło I was speaking for the US other markets might have been different.
@@RockmanDash i got French model, but in Eu its typical thing. Maybe V8 models got 24 splines faster.
I have a 2003 facelift TD5. The traction control is very good. Yes I have had the three amigos, I changed the hub and sensor. The three amigos are quite easy to evict. I just love it. There are plaenty of online resources to help with any issues.
My old P38 has been sitting up for over 6 months, hooked up the battery two days ago and cranked it up first try. The old school styled rovers are such beasts.
My '97 P38 is disintegrating (plastics and unavailable electronics) from Texas heat and time whereas my '95 D1 is still holding out very well.
@@jamesstewart259 Odd you say that. Mine is doing fine down here in Louisiana, I just fit a screen into it yesterday 👍
@@400Redsport My vehicles are strictly out door only. No carport, garage or even a sun windscreen shield. The P38 being predominantly CPU/ECU integrated proprietary parts are, for the most part, auto salvage resource whereas the D1 can use many adaptable configurations as it is mostly analog.
@@jamesstewart259 My P38 has been sitting in a field behind my other house out of the way for over 6 months. Other than a little dust, she brushed it right off. I moved into another house and couldn't take it right away, now it's under cover for the first time since.
We had a Discovery 2 that was bought brand new. Had a lot of issues unfortunately and ditched it in place of an 08 Hummer H3. The H3 hasn’t given me any major problems so far since we got it brand new. Still think the older Discoveries are cool though!
With all these older off roaders for some one to buy. You have to make the decision of do you want to fix something constantly or buy something more expensive and more reliable and dont have to fix as often. Very hard choices. Great video though
what do you consider "constantly"? My 03 has only needed brakes and fluid changes the past 2 years. It is due for a driveshaft service (replace) before it causes problems. Granted, I only do 7000 miles a year, but it is my daily
I love my Disco's. I've had 2 over the years, first one was totaled by a rear end collision by a semi. I've had my 2003 for about a decade and plan on keeping it forever. The main problem with these things is lack of proper maintenance. In my opinion is because they were expensive when new so first owners were primarily lease holders. After the lease was up the trucks hit the resale market and folks that couldn't afford them when new bought them only to find that dealer prices made maintenance very expensive. So they mostly just had basic maintenance and the minor problems kept growing into major problems. If you are a DIY person they are easy to work on, parts are easy to get and not expensive for the most part. There is a worldwide on-line support system through forums etc. . The engines are almost unchanged GM 215 Buick from the 60's, so you can't blame Rover. I've never had an engine issue. The electrics during the Ford years are no worse than any other manufacturer. All in all a good solid truck for the mechanically inclined, because shops will rape you.
Tommy, TFL talks a lot about Jeeps and Land Rover. What is the best all around model from each in your opinion and why? And which of those 2 would you rather have?
Now this is a well researched video, not many You Tubers mention Project Jay when talking about Land Rover Discovery history.
Here in the UK the 200TDI and 300TDI was the D1 diesel engine of choice as it was far cheaper to run and more reliable than the V8. I follow someone on Instagram who has done 430K miles with his early 200TDI pre face lift D1. The other petrol engine available was the MPI which was a 2lt, four cylinder engine that was especially popular in some European countries due to taxation points.
I have owned a three Discovery 1s, with either the 200TDI or 300TDI engine, and a Discovery 2 with a TD5 engine. They are all fantastic vehicles which have supported my growing family whether as the school bus, long distance holiday vehicle, the shopping car, they towed trailers, carried canoes and cycles. And in the week those Discos became my works van!
In the US, if you are looking for an unusual classic Discovery, you might want to look at importing an early D1 (pre 1994) with a diesel 200TDI engine from warm dry country because here in the UK the main problem with the D1 is RUST!
I haD one of the remaining 2 D1,s with 3 doors in Namibia, manual, 3.9 efi. Sold that one again mainly due to rust and bought a 2004 D2, TD5 auto and am loving it. I also have 2 defender 300tdi,s and one defender TD5. The D2 is my daily driver.
Love my 2004 facelift TD5, 7 seat, bought it 11yrs ago with 31,000 miles on it, now covered just shy of 200,000! Re mapped, and with a better inter cooler (and completely dump the EGR system, and pipework), pulls well, and on long runs can return 40mpg!!
Just got a td 5 like yours Steve. I’m super excited about it. Just getting it remapped.
What’s the egr system and pipe work? Is this worth doing?
I've inherited a 1992 tdi200 discovery 1. My job now is to restore her as much as possible and keep her as original as possible. However out here they are luxury vehicles and parts cost a lot and are hard to find.
Discovery 1❤
great little video. On a different topic, can you share the locations you are illustrating in the 7:45-9:10 mark? It looks like Colorado and I'm asking because I'm moving to colorado in Feb 2021 and want to start compiling some trails and routes to explore once I get there. I'm on All Trails. Thanks!
The series 1 Disco is the best cars I have ever owned. I drive the V8 model now and I have had a 4 cilinder deisel for 10 years and have had a 86 range rover. But I have owned a later virsion but as soon as cars started getting filled with electronics the less reliable the vehicles became
I was criticizing some of the videos with Tommy, but this is GOLD. Thx.
I have owned a disco series 1 200tdi, for 8 years it's got 2 inch lift, diff and steering guards . I live in the South of Spain, I have taken my Landy Disco to the Moroccan Sahara 16 times. I have done tens of thousands of km on tracks and cross country with few problems. It's very easy to jerry rig if you bash something. They are hard as nails. And beautiful to drive. I have had a series 2a, series 3, a 110, a Defender, and 1 Discovery. I loved them all but the Disco is my favourite.
Great video but don't forget the TD5 engines sold in the European market which don't have the same engine issues. I've owned one for 15 years, its done 250,000 miles and the only issues have been electrical which are the same with all Land Rovers but no engine issues.
Yeah I'd take the D2a td5 over a D1, or any v8 for that matter
@@MrSchulta absolutely!!
Me and my 98 300tdi disco appreciates this video 👍
I'm looking at a 98 300tdi now. What should I look out for? I know not all of them were driven and maintained the same, what were your biggest spends?
Here in the UK i bought a RR classic as my first car when i was 17 for £800. That was 15 odd years ago and recently i saw my old rr for sale on ebay for 31k?!
I'm getting Discovery 2 2000 4.0 v8 only has done 76000km. Can't wait to drive it:)
I've had a '97 Disco I for 4 years - gotta say, it's been amazingly reliable. Yeah, the Disco has his quirks and it loves, loves gas but overall has been a good experience. Granted, George (as in the Madness of King George) only has 84k miles on him so my experience may be an outlier. Note: if you buy one, upgrade the radiator for more cooling capacity.
Couldn’t agree more.... I put in an 8qt rad.
The ABS modulator in D2 had an easy fix (all 3 Amigos gone). It was discovered by the Hummer brigade that shared the same modulator. Google WABCO ABS Option B and Its a cheap fix. The front drive shafts were easy to sort. Remove the non serviceable stock ones and install a Woody greasable with 1810 unis. Cheap and very reliable. Cheers
Great video!! what about the Samurai project?
Hell yeah
The Camel Trophy challenge sounds as 90's as it gets. God I miss the 90's.
I still have my Disco I.......back than I told my dad to buy one because I saw the Camel Trophy event, and it inspired me to get the Disco. So when my dad was looking for a new SUV; I kept nagging my dad to get one and we did (this was in 97). Everywhere we drove the Disco everyone would stare at us because there was quite a few Disco on the road and little known about the car. And by the way, the Disco price back than was affordable starting $25,000 or $27,000.
One of my dream vehicles!
Disco's have already went up sharply in price just from a couple years ago. Like double or triple in prices, from 5yrs. Ago.
Dan B Yeah, my ‘94/5 probably has gone from$250 to $300 in value.
My '95 D1 has no monetary value what so ever. As in not for sale in my case.
Own a 1999 LR D2 with TD5 engine. Cool and decent universal car, even though it is not so reliable as Toyota. But with proper maintenance it lasts.
Owned a 2000 Discovery II that, WHEN WORKING, was a lot of fun to drive. However, with the air suspension crapping out at about 50k miles, which I then had converted to springs, and the head gasket blowing at just 70k miles, which forced me to replace the engine for around $4k, as well as the horrendous fuel mileage and severe lack of power, I couldn't justify not getting rid of it. I can't speak to the Discovery 1's or the later Series II's, but stay away from the early Series II.
Actually you have that backwards. The later models had more engine issues than the earlier D2's
What lift and tire is on the TFL discovery?
drive a 92 range rover classic. love it! eats up michigan winters. JDR
D1 Tdi 300 with a 5 speed is the sweet spot or a Td5 D2 Series II with diff lock if you like a little more comfort. In Australia these are dirt cheap, V8 ones are worthless. Pick them up for peanuts. Tdi/Td5 with the 5 speed and diff lock can fetch higher prices but still reasonable though. My old man picked up a D2 SII slush box with all the extras except leather seats, sunroofs, rear A/C or the crazy 4 zone radio for $2500. Near 300k KM on it and some spare time in the shed to fix a few niggles it’s been super reliable. Even has heated seats! Now a daily driver. Always stealing the keys for it. Ironically all my Land Rovers 2x IIA Ex Royal Australian Army, 3 Defenders (2x Tdi 300 110s and a Td5 90) and the Disco have been very reliable. Toyota level dare I say. Maybe because they’re well maintained... and/or all the main issues have now been fixed.
helps that the only part original is the lt230, everything else changed.
But the V8 is so smooth and powerful. Excellent fun. With the 5 speed manual 13.5l on the highway and around town is easily achievable. Cheers
I had a 1999 Land Rover ,Range Rover p38 with the 4.0 v8 , what a beast of a vehicle till the motor took a dump and I didn’t have that kind of money to fix it . Still sad to this day and that was 5 years ago 😞
Excellent video Tommy. You are the man 💪💪
Very good write up and review thank you. Although maybe the D2 deserves a little more credit for being a new vehicle. It shares almost nothing with the D1 apart from the V8 engine, transfer box and transmissions. The diesel engine (Td5) was completely new, as was the chassis, and the suspension and the axles, every body panel and all of the interior.
The V8 was new also in the sense of cross bolted main bearings and a totally new plenum, intake and injection system (Thor) that was state of art. The Bosch injection was pure BMW 8 Series and very very clever. So yes the block and heads were largely the same as D1 but a lot of changes were made including exhaust manifolds and exhaust, accessories etc. Cheers
I just got a 96 discovery for 1k with less than 100,000
You can't give them away where I live. Rust is a nonissue so there's a pretty good survivor rate, but parts aren't cheap in terms of purchasing power and few owners really are prepared to keep up with the maintenance schedule so small issues tend to snowball to the point where I usually just see them parked nowadays...
I had an 03 Discovery 2. It was a great car but it required a ton of maintenance. They'll turn you into a mechanic. One thing you should do is convert your cooling system to an inline thermostat. Get the motorad 180 tstat and itll save your headgaskets
I run a "desert spec" LR thermostat. Best investment every. usually about 85C around town and sometimes can get up to 91C on the highway when towing. Occasionally it will make the truck throw a code for "low coolant temp" that is rare.
I’d like to have a Discovery based on looks, but I would want a Ford 4.9L I6 or 302 V8, preferably a straight 6, and a Ford transmission and wiring harness. I’d even go for a 350 Chevy or 318 Dodge and their respective transmissions and wiring harnesses as well, just to be able to get parts at the local auto parts shop or junkyard, and have better reliability. I’ve always wanted one, but they always need more than they’re worth just to be roadworthy and pass inspection. I don’t have the resources for a swap, but maybe one day. I don’t doubt that they will be in demand and prices will go up, I just saw a $10K Bronco II that has 120K miles on CL, so anything can happen. Prices are getting crazy for old used up 4WDs
I was just thinking the same thing. When Tommy was talking about the issues with the 4.6 motor, I thought "why not just rip out that 4.6 and throw a Chevy 350 small block with a 700R4 automatic or a stick shift in it's place. Plenty of power and way more reliable"
@@Govt_cheese903 LS engine
I6 will never fit. The v8 is a tight fit. There is a company in Ohio who makes a kit to drop the Chevy LS5300 in. If this engine ever dies, that will be the route I will take
Worth mentioning top hat covers for the 03 /04 engine. BUT expensive.
I’ve had 2 discovery 2s. They were both amazing. Super capable and very reliable.
Had? I stopped at 1, my '95 D1, will never part with her.
@@jamesstewart259 well, so. I have 1 still. But I had another that I don't still have. There. That's better 😄
@@JosiahTech 👍
I have a 5speed 1995 300tdi disco 1 thats imported from Spain, i was thinking about selling it but maybe ill hang on to it abit longer ;) I’ve been through some tough canadian trails with it and its never let me down!
getting a 99 4.9 disco tomorrow..wonder if the Buick parts fit the 3.9..
I had an old Discovery, blew a head gasket whilst the wife was driving up a big hill towing a horse trailer with two horses in it. Got it repaired and sold it, bought a 7 seat 3.1lt Izuzu Trooper and had no problems 😉. But, I'm on my 4th series 3 2/4 petrol. 1980. As I'm on lockdown in the UK at the moment, I'm going to give it it's first wash in a year. Stay safe Rover fans.
4 or 5 grand? in australia v8 worth about 4 or 5 hundred. diesel though that's wheres the moneys at Maybe a $1000 .... Seriously though a manual turbo diesel 4wd for a $1000 they're a good buy if you're mechanically inclined
they must be in crap condition to be worth that!!
I've got a '95 with almost 200k on the clock. No problems other than the typical car things like starter and alternator; oh, and the gas tank vent tube attachment point. I bought it in 07 and love it and will keep it forever. I am looking for a friend for my Disco, maybe another Disco 1 or a 04 SE7. Just wish land Rovers had a fraction of the aftermarket accessories Jeeps do. Still looking for good aftermarket offroad wheels with a better offset. Any suggestions?