A Saga of Disco 2, rust, dealers and things.......

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Frenchdame

Frenchdame

Well-Known Member
Posts
881
Location
Thirsk, North Riding
My old Dsco 1 TD 300 is still running well but my Disco II sort of ended up as a bad buy. Purchased it last November in Glenrothes, Scotland, having checked MoT history etc. Not a mingle advisory on the MoT - car registered in name of dealers mother for last three years so I accepted the dealers word. I had it checked when I got back home and it turned out that the chassis was completely rotten, part of it had been smoothed over with glass fibre resin and painted black, the front suspension was duff, the head gasket had gone, I had to replace the battery with one the correct size, and there were quite a few other problems. My local Land Rover Indie told me to get rid of it as it should not have gone through the MoT. In the same week sadly, my missus was diagnosed with Alzheimers and I sort of fell to pieces and never challenged the dealer so I totally accept that all the problems are mine and of my own making. Since then, in my odd hour off, I browse the dealerships and Landies for sale and I note that many of the Disco 2 vehicles, often described as 'got to be the best available' have actually got MoT advisories on corrosion. Can corrosion be caught in time, can it be cut out - one I saw this afternoon had corrosion of front cross-member - can that be replaced and is it a specialist and expensive job? I'm just curious and I guess that it is down to missing my old '2' and every time I pass one on the road I wonder if it's a good one or all they all rusting out?
 
Frenchdame said:
My old Dsco 1 TD 300 is still running well but my Disco II sort of ended up as a bad buy. Purchased it last November in Glenrothes, Scotland, having checked MoT history etc. Not a mingle advisory on the MoT - car registered in name of dealers mother for last three years so I accepted the dealers word. I had it checked when I got back home and it turned out that the chassis was completely rotten, part of it had been smoothed over with glass fibre resin and painted black, the front suspension was duff, the head gasket had gone, I had to replace the battery with one the correct size, and there were quite a few other problems. My local Land Rover Indie told me to get rid of it as it should not have gone through the MoT. In the same week sadly, my missus was diagnosed with Alzheimers and I sort of fell to pieces and never challenged the dealer so I totally accept that all the problems are mine and of my own making. Since then, in my odd hour off, I browse the dealerships and Landies for sale and I note that many of the Disco 2 vehicles, often described as 'got to be the best available' have actually got MoT advisories on corrosion. Can corrosion be caught in time, can it be cut out - one I saw this afternoon had corrosion of front cross-member - can that be replaced and is it a specialist and expensive job? I'm just curious and I guess that it is down to missing my old '2' and every time I pass one on the road I wonder if it's a good one or all they all rusting out?
Click to expand...

If you paid for it on credit card or finance, read Co-Pang-Yang's thread about his Jeep... https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/legal-help-for-buying-from-a-dealer.313092/

Also read the 'Crock of Shite' thread ... https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/buying-a-crock-of-or-if-you-already-have.76002/
 
I seem to remember you were interested in buying my D2 around November of last year, but didnt go through with it as you thought it too expensive,
Well, just to let you know it was traded in to a dealer for £6k which is more than I offered it to you, and had been fully sorted with new chassis, suspension, , tyres, wheel bearings, re map, ali sport intercooler etc,
Just goes to show, cheap is never cheap
 
Ten years from now any d2 will be as rare a sight as a d1 on the road is now.
 
Everything is repairable.... it's just on cars of this age, often the only way is DIY and not putting a £ value on your own hours... if anyone one this forum truly valued the hourly rate they are spending on their respective vehicles none of us would be able to justify the cost. D2's rust. That's a fact... but do you want one enough to pay a 3rd party for their time in fixing it?
 
Heartbreaking to have your Lady diagnosed like that, hope it doesn't go downhill too quickly for her.

The D2 chassis corrosion is well known, and I'd also be looking at that MOT to see if it was false.

Welding a new rear quarter chassis isn't such a huge job, we are about to do our '99 D2 V8, but you need the welding gear and tools, a yard to work in and the petrol tank has to come out.

Other than that, our D2 once sorted has been a great car and although we have just taken on a P38 Range Rover, we still have three D2 V8's in the family.

Any Discovery that is 16-18 years old is going to need work doing.

Peter
 
johnlad said:
I seem to remember you were interested in buying my D2 around November of last year, but didnt go through with it as you thought it too expensive,
Well, just to let you know it was traded in to a dealer for £6k which is more than I offered it to you, and had been fully sorted with new chassis, suspension, , tyres, wheel bearings, re map, ali sport intercooler etc,
Just goes to show, cheap is never cheap
Click to expand...
Hello Johnlad - I paid the same price as you offered to me. I just shopped around again, saw this one and we bought it. My mistake, yes, but it was eventually a matter of choice and it went horribly wrong. Only me to blame and I'm pleased you got your money.
 
brianconwy said:
So you are saying they will be everywhere?
Click to expand...

Not down here, d1 very rare sight, i bet I dont see one maybe 2 per month and the ones you see are mainly 300 if seeing a 200 is a real rarity.
Now d2 are cheap they are everywhere, but as they inevitably rot away that will change.
 
lynall said:
Not down here, d1 very rare sight, i bet I dont see one maybe 2 per month and the ones you see are mainly 300 if seeing a 200 is a real rarity.
Now d2 are cheap they are everywhere, but as they inevitably rot away that will change.[/QUOTE
Probably see double figures of D1 and D2 in a day but don't know difference between 200 and 300.
Click to expand...
 
No matter how much waxoyl or before and after you get done or whatever else,nothing will stop the corrosion process which is down to poor grade unprotected steel from the day it was rolled and seam welded.Add that to salt and water and it's happening to everyone.Cars aren't designed to last more than 8years from that era,they're all past that so have served their purpose in the eyes of the manufacturer.
Mine was a good chassis when I bought it,had the rear welded up at one side before I bought it and I did the other.the final straw for me was when I was under it the other day and big slices were peeling off and I thought what is the point?
 
andy85 said:
No matter how much waxoyl or before and after you get done or whatever else,nothing will stop the corrosion process which is down to poor grade unprotected steel from the day it was rolled and seam welded.Add that to salt and water and it's happening to everyone.Cars aren't designed to last more than 8years from that era,they're all past that so have served their purpose in the eyes of the manufacturer.
Mine was a good chassis when I bought it,had the rear welded up at one side before I bought it and I did the other.the final straw for me was when I was under it the other day and big slices were peeling off and I thought what is the point?
Click to expand...

So not at all negative then...........:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Cheers
 
I think the only examples that have escaped the rust mites are those were shipped to Africa and the middle east where roads aren't salted in winter...been 14 years, and not a patch of rust anywhere on mine. It's a shame these awesome vehicles are being scrapped off in such numbers on account of unsalvageable chassis rust.
 
ifloochies said:
I think the only examples that have escaped the rust mites are those were shipped to Africa and the middle east where roads aren't salted in winter...been 14 years, and not a patch of rust anywhere on mine. It's a shame these awesome vehicles are being scrapped off in such numbers on account of unsalvageable chassis rust.
Click to expand...

Start collecting them, you can sell them back to the UK..................:p:p.

Cheers
 
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