offroadmad

offroadmad

Active Member
hi im thinking of buying a disco, would like some advice if poss !
Ive been looking at v8,s with lpg as they appear cheaper to run than a tdi.
Im a little concerned with the common overheating issues with the v8,s
I really want a reliable vehicle & dont want to be throwing money at it every five minutes.
I am also aware that the tdi,s are very slow, lack power and are not very good on fuel but seem cheaper to buy.
Im going to be using it off road mainly if this makes any difference and any advice would be very helpfull, will be buying within the next couple of weeks.
Please help as i dont want to buy a vehicle that bankrupts me.
If discos are mainly money pits then please advise accordingly.
Really love them & hope i get some good advice from you guys.
thanks for reading
stu
 
whos told you that **** ,tdis the most economical engine i come across in discos ,far more so than v8 even with gas, very reliable as lr engines go ,diesel is best for off roading if wading ,blocks dont crack like v8s ,biggest weakness is rad but only £100 for a new one, rust under body is biggest concern sills ,rear cross member,floor, wheel arches front and back
 
jamesmartin said:
whos told you that **** ,tdis the most economical engine i come across in discos ,far more so than v8 even with gas, very reliable as lr engines go ,diesel is best for off roading if wading ,blocks dont crack like v8s ,biggest weakness is rad but only £100 for a new one, rust under body is biggest concern sills ,rear cross member,floor, wheel arches front and back
Click to expand...

Here Here..... I'll just add put a V8 any were near anything wt and they dont like it...and you can runn the tdi on veg....try that in a V8....if you like the more meaty sound, i ve heard a few meaty tdis as well....
 
right... if you dont want to spend money on it.. dont buy a disco.

what kind of money are you looking to spend?

if you intend only to offroad it... go tdi, v8's dont like water
 
Totally agree with JamesMartin... Just go careful and be very very picky. From my experience, if you get a bad one. They can be money pits, but if you get a good one, then you get a real cherry that goes forever. What is your budget?? That is the question...

If you are mainly off roading, consider a defender. I have had series 1's 2's and defenders as well as my disco. I love my disco, but you cannot beat a defender for off roading capability. Saying that, Disco's can seriously hold their own!

Disco parts are cheap as chips and fairly easy to fix by comparison. My ideal would probably be a clean 200tdi owned by an enthusiast who has loved every inch of it.... I own a TD5 2000.. I have had a few teething problems with it, but now it's clean and restored to its former glory, it's my love of my life..

Somebody once made a comparison to the Japanese stuff.. The Jap stuff may be reliable, but parts cost more than gold itself. "Landys may be emotional at times, but they cost a beer of two to fix"

Saying that I have spent lots, but that's cosmetic!

Hope this helps...

MudRat
 
thanks for the advice guys, looks like its the diesel for me, im looking for a disco 1, and have a grand tops, what do you think my chances are of getting something half decent for that ? really not worried what it looks like as long as its mechanically soundish !!
also what is the difference between the 200 & 300 tdi ? appart from rust is there anything else i should look out for ?
I really appreciate the help cheers
 
offroadmad said:
thanks for the advice guys, looks like its the diesel for me, im looking for a disco 1, and have a grand tops,

1 -what do you think my chances are of getting something half decent for that ? really not worried what it looks like as long as its mechanically soundish !!

2 -also what is the difference between the 200 & 300 tdi ?

3 - appart from rust is there anything else i should look out for ?
I really appreciate the help cheers
Click to expand...


1, very possible if you know what you are looking for

2, 100

3, rust anywhere (sills, inner wings, bulkhead, boot floor, inside rear doors) and usual checks for knocking, smoking, gear changes etc.
 
offroadmad said:
thanks for the advice guys, looks like its the diesel for me, im looking for a disco 1, and have a grand tops, what do you think my chances are of getting something half decent for that ? really not worried what it looks like as long as its mechanically soundish !!
also what is the difference between the 200 & 300 tdi ? appart from rust is there anything else i should look out for ?
I really appreciate the help cheers
Click to expand...
Sounds as if you are wanting a donor car and want the moon:rolleyes:
 
Good suggestion mudrat but the defenders out the question as i have a number of offspring to house in the vehicle, 7 seats is pretty much a must !!
Also quite like my shoulders & not a fan of beating them off the inside of a defender lol
They also seem more pricey than discos, and im on quite a tight budget !
They are extremely good off road tho done salisbury plain in a 56 plate defender.
The second time we went we were up to the bonnet in water along with a RRC v8 ! funnily enough the defender went in to limp mode after the second drowning yet the old rangie v8 did us proud and as much as it didnt like it ( coughed, spluttered & stalled ) when under water. it even started whilst underwater ! admitedly we had to wait for all 8 cylinders to start firing but every time it pulled us out of the flood. unbelievable !! ended up towing the defender back with it !
So thats the reason im fond of the v8,s but seriously guys after your advice its a derv for me !!
 
cheers guys, mixed reaction to my budget but i refuse to spend more than that to play in the mud ! im looking to green lane it for a year then buy another & do the same, not looking for it to last long term, & seen plenty including v8,s go for that & a lot less on ebay.
 
it's the driver! Sorry, but the defender will always out perform a disco or rangie off road... End of. If you broke a defender, then that is a sad day and you need to be ashamed of yourself. It's only that the rangie showed you mercy and grace in spite of drowning the blimin thing. Poor defender...

Why not a 110 defender? Im 6'2 and chunky.110 will fit 7 easily.

If it has to be a disco, considering your budget. Go for a 200tdi. The difference is that the engine is different. The other bods will tell you the technicals but some consider the 200 to be more reliable. I found from my experience that they are. Some might differ.

Good luck for a grand though. You will find one, I don't know how clean it will be. Clean ones retain their value, I would expect to pay 3 - 4k at least for a lovely immaculate 200 tdi. I paid 7k for my 2000 Td5 and needed 2k worth of mechanicals.

MudRat
 
Honestly with the cost of runnning a tdi you'll be tight enough, let alone V8. Search for a thread saying V8 in the title (poor fuel economy iirc) from last week from a guy who'd just bought one. Shocking, 10 mpg :eek:
 
keep looking you WILL find one , recently paid £1050 for my 1995 300tdi 5'speed mot and tax till next year , very tidy and had new boot floor and any welding done for last mot
even air'con works
 
difference between the 200 and the 300 is:

round headlights on the 200, square on the 300
interior is different - radio position, dash style, etc
gearbox are different, 200 has LT77, 300 has R380, on the 200 reverse is next to 1st gear, on the 300 is below 5th gear

engines are similar, alternator sits lower on the 300 which will get wet more often, people say the 200 is more bullet proof than the 300, my ex disco had 210k miles and was still going... (was a 200)

300 suffers from P gasket failure, 200 doesnt have this gasket
300 has EGR, which most people blank, the 200 doesnt have EGR
300 has square airbox, 200 has cylindrical

rust...both suffer from it in the same places
boot floor, sills, rear cross member, front inner wings, rear inner wings, etc..etc..
 
Tarantula said:
A grand? Good luck
Click to expand...

To be fair, it's not unreasonable right now. No idea why but the 2nd hand Disco market has taken quite a hit in the last few weeks. Lots of bargains to be had.

As soon as the first snow arrives, prices will soar (earliest prediction is for end Oct) and so the rollercoaster begins all over.
 
yeah im a bit worried about the snow predictions too as it will put the prices up, im just hoping i can find a reasonable one for the money, this also swings on my van selling which im also a bit concerned about in todays market but i guess we,l see.
I really appreciate all the info guys and was shocked at the amount of info & how quick you all replied, fair play !!
 
Oh and another quick question for you all :)
Can you change the 200 front to a 300 as i prefer the look but im not sure if i can afford a 300 ??
 
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