Got a 2.4tdci defender basic no frills, easy to work on....Great!

Dad looking at Discos to potentially replace his toyota.

I know sod all about Discos other than they should be maintainable to similar ease and budget as defenders.

However LRs ain't the most reliable and I hear discos have a lot more electrics to go wrong and do go wrong as well as maybe g.bx issues etc???

Looking to spend between £3000-£6000 on probably yr2000 or newer

Guessing thats a TD5

is a well serviced newer 150K motor going to last another 60K+ well over next 3 years or am I better with an older 80K motor say (but maybe with other age related problems)?

What miles are TD5s good for typically?

What faults do I need to look out for or be ready to fix.........in particular electrics?

Are there any model variations, spec options to aviod (not fussed about having alarms etc but maybe they are standard?)

Sorry I know this info is probably alreday here somewhere but I'm struggling to find it and short on time.

Anmy guidance or a point in the right dirrection greatly appreciated

If you are looking to buy a disco, then go and search for

Three amigos

Leaking sunroofs

rotten boot floor

oil in engine loom / ecu

These are just a start, but are all fixable as you will find out once you have done your :search:

On a D2 TD5 you don't normally have to worry about rust in the bodywork like you did on D1 - but the chassis are prone to rust, especially towards the rear of the vehicle.

Auto or manual? Both have their issues. If the driver is performance minded go for the manual as the std Torque Converter (TC) in the auto 'box is insufficient. A modification can be done which improves the auto box version significant by changing the TC - but it's about £700.

On the subject of mods, a remap transforms the TD5 into something really quite useful - Dynachip £250.

Mileage isn't usually a problem - I've had them at 165K and they still run perfectly. Like most things automotive, preventative maintenance is the way to go. Don't rely on a garage, do it yourself.

Pricewise and with patience you should be able to get a good facelift car (2002+) easily within the budget you stated.

Good luck Dave

adh said:

Sorry I know this info is probably alreday here somewhere but I'm struggling to find it and short on time.

Click to expand...

Short on time
I'm sure some kind fella will give up some of their spare time to search the forum for you.

Discodad said:

Short on time
I'm sure some kind fella will give up some of their spare time to search the forum for you.

Click to expand...

Sorry, thought some of you guys would be clued up enough not to have to search

And clearly you are....thanks a lot for the guidance, will follow it up with a few searches now and then have another look through the automarts
Cheers