jw1951

New Member
Hi all, I have posted a similar thread on the freelander page.....I am after a discovery, I had one 20 years ago, ....but things move on......and would like to know your expertise on pros and cons. It must be auto, I have a budget of 2 to 3 k, including if anything needs doing to it....I have trawled the usual car sites and am taking my time looking any advice appreciated, or any links please

Many Thanks
 
You’ll probably struggle at that budget as most at that price will need work and possibly welding unless you can get one owned by an enthusiast. A D1 is simplist and cheapest to work on if you can get a solid one. D2’s can need plenty of ongoing maintenance and in my experience the bills are higher.

Having said that I really like my D2, we’ve just had a rough patch of having numerous problems appearing at once.
 
I own a D1 Anniversary model 300tdi, a D1 V8 petrol and a D2 td5.
The main thing to remember is that D1s rust in the body whereas D2s rust in the (rear) chassis. Next, the D2s are far more "sophisticated" i.e. they have far more electronics on them, so if you want to maintain one yourself you need to budget for a Diagnostic kit. Opinions vary on which one is the best, but you are looking at between £200 and £400 for one. And then that only gives you SOME idea of the fault(s), you'll still need to fix them and that can get expensive and/or tricky.
Td5 is a bit more powerful, has a bigger boot, traction control but no diff-lock unless you either manage to be lucky enough to find one (slightly later model) that had it specified by first owner or you can make it work yourself by doing various works to the transfer box.
D1s roll a bit unless you put gas shocks on and/or do work to the Anti roll bars, D2s usually have ACE which is great when it works but a pain when it breaks down. Ditto with Traction control, Hill Descent Control and ABS, whose lights can come on (3 amigos) leading to lots of fun, Not.
I have always found my D1 to be more economical, the leather seats are tougher but no more comfortable.
All of them are lovely and the V8 goes like stink and with lpg is reasonably economical although obviously it costs money to convert and get tanks fitted etc.
It really does depend on what you want to use it for, so a bit more info on that might help.
They ARE about and Japanese imports are often in great nick. Service history etc applies as usual though often you are well off with one owned by an enthusiast.
 
No rust under my D1, I wouldn’t own it if there was, well it only done 47,400 miles so not bad in my 23 years of ownership and D1s don’t roll when new I expect they may do with a very high mileage and been off-road a few times so then if they do parts need replacing, V8s on gas what ever next.
 
No rust under my D1, I wouldn’t own it if there was, well it only done 47,400 miles so not bad in my 23 years of ownership and D1s don’t roll when new I expect they may do with a very high mileage and been off-road a few times so then if they do parts need replacing, V8s on gas what ever next.
Hee Hee!!! don't knock it till you've tried it! OP will be lucky to find one like yours and if they didn't roll why would LR invent ACE? Don't tell me, i think I know what youre gonna say!!!!
 
I dont know which i prefer; my D1s or my D2. The 300tdi is a great engine and as above is economical. They go forever. But the TD5 is also a great engine that goes forever, its more powerful but more complicated than a tdi. If you could find a D1 with all new sills, boot floor, inner wings and arches, in tdi form it would be a great vehicle for up to 4 people. But there are 5 people in my family and i need 5 3x3 belts, so D2 it is for me. They are both really fun to drive and you get a similar all around experience imho.
 
Both are good, but D2 handles a lot better and a remapped TD5 seems to go better than the earlier V8

Mine has ACE and Difflock
 
The reason the D1 went and I got the D2 was the same thing. Proper seat belts on all seven seats, isofix, abs, air bags ac etc. The D1 was really reliable and I loved its character. Would have kept it if I had somewhere sensible to store it ready for a restoration but life gets in the way of these things so it went to someone else who is getting her back on the road.
 
So, as the question asked, what do you want to do with it? If no more than 4 people are ever going to sit in it then there is little to choose. We only very rarely use all five seats for people.
 
Also, re ABS, there are times when you may wish you don't have it. Or others around you don't!

Two years ago our D2 was run into by an idiot on a hairpin bend who had relied on his ABS to get him round the bend at a stupid speed. He actually tried to blame the accident on it not functioning. Yet if he had been on a skid pan training course, he would have known what to do and would have missed us, he nearly did as it was, but not quite.

ABS can extend your braking distance under dry conditions, and if you drive sensibly and know how to cadence brake I personally have never found it useful. But then that is what a skid pan training course teaches you, the limits of your brakes and how to drive on slippery surfaces.
You can only steer when the wheels are turning and turning freely, i.e. no brakes, no acceleration and no engine braking. So steering when you have ABS only happens in the micro seconds when the brakes are not applied during ABS activity.
Yet again, people are being treated as irresponsible idiots, not being taught how to drive in all conditions and being told to rely on an electro-mechanical system. Which cost our insurance company two doors, a new rear axle, a new tyre and various bits and pieces.
So, not a fan!
 
Also, re ABS, there are times when you may wish you don't have it. Or others around you don't!

Two years ago our D2 was run into by an idiot on a hairpin bend who had relied on his ABS to get him round the bend at a stupid speed. He actually tried to blame the accident on it not functioning. Yet if he had been on a skid pan training course, he would have known what to do and would have missed us, he nearly did as it was, but not quite.

ABS can extend your braking distance under dry conditions, and if you drive sensibly and know how to cadence brake I personally have never found it useful. But then that is what a skid pan training course teaches you, the limits of your brakes and how to drive on slippery surfaces.
You can only steer when the wheels are turning and turning freely, i.e. no brakes, no acceleration and no engine braking. So steering when you have ABS only happens in the micro seconds when the brakes are not applied during ABS activity.
Yet again, people are being treated as irresponsible idiots, not being taught how to drive in all conditions and being told to rely on an electro-mechanical system. Which cost our insurance company two doors, a new rear axle, a new tyre and various bits and pieces.
So, not a fan!

Actually he was just an idiot.

ABS is great on shitty road surfaces, but it is not a performance aid but a safety aid.
 
Also, re ABS, there are times when you may wish you don't have it. Or others around you don't!

Two years ago our D2 was run into by an idiot on a hairpin bend who had relied on his ABS to get him round the bend at a stupid speed. He actually tried to blame the accident on it not functioning. Yet if he had been on a skid pan training course, he would have known what to do and would have missed us, he nearly did as it was, but not quite.

ABS can extend your braking distance under dry conditions, and if you drive sensibly and know how to cadence brake I personally have never found it useful. But then that is what a skid pan training course teaches you, the limits of your brakes and how to drive on slippery surfaces.
You can only steer when the wheels are turning and turning freely, i.e. no brakes, no acceleration and no engine braking. So steering when you have ABS only happens in the micro seconds when the brakes are not applied during ABS activity.
Yet again, people are being treated as irresponsible idiots, not being taught how to drive in all conditions and being told to rely on an electro-mechanical system. Which cost our insurance company two doors, a new rear axle, a new tyre and various bits and pieces.
So, not a fan!
Big Edit, should have said "HIS insurance company" didn't cost us a penny.
 

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