Yeah - Im trying to avoid needing an IVA, partially because its quite complex and expensive, but mostly because it means that Ill need a Q-plate, and itll never be tax exempt. And as someone pointed out quite a while ago, its much more difficult to move around than your typical kit car Okay, so...

I just had a brainwave, although Im sure its probably not a good one. So the original idea of trying to fit a disco body on a defender chassis wont work because its like trying to fit a lego brick on a mechano set, the bits dont match, and to make them match you need to weld stuff to the chassis...

Thanks So are the chassis themselves identical? I read somewhere that theyre either built differently (normal defender being the same as a discovery, 2 C-shaped bits welded toghether) and the 3500kg versions either being 4 faces welded at the edges (Like a series) or being a normal chassis with...

Hi, Ive noticed that some hicaps have the standard defender GVM of 3000kg, and some have 3500kg. Other than the V5, is there any way to tell them apart? If I bought a 3000kg one and then needed a higher payload, can I do some changes and get the payload increased by the DVLA? On a less relevant...

I'm not a fan of the TD5 if I'm honest... And do MS have a significantly better reliability than the standard stuff? Possibly paired with electronic ignition? Yes, sitting inside next to the fire and typing into a laptop is much easier than going down to the carpark where its sat and mucking...

Still not looked at them - still not sold them. If I fix it and kept it long term, is there a more reliable system I can fit than the current EFI system? I cant fit carbs, because its a 1996, so it needs catalytic converters, and cats dont like carbs (No idea why Garfield ate lasagna). If theres...

Not sure if theres a way Im supposed to warm the engine up, given its not running. Perhaps giving it a hot water bottle? Relistically the engine isnt going to be at or above 10°C until spring/summer (unless it runs of course), so its a cold winter test or no test at all.

The coils? As in the ignition coil? Or do you mean the connector to the fuel injectors? They didnt do anything last time I checked...

Im pretty sure it isnt anyway, but Ill unplug the fuel pump just to be sure

One last thing, when I do the compression test, do I take ALL the sparkplugs out, or just the one that Im testing? (Obviously Im going to test all 8)

I hope your right. The wet compression will definately be fine.

Compression tester should be here soon. If its bad news, have I got to take the engine out to hone the bores and fit new piston rings, or can it be done with the engine in place?

Awesome, thanks. Ill bare that in mind

Just hypothetically internet wasting here - if I wanted to, could I fit a 200tdi to my disco as easilly as a 300tdi? Alternatively, can I put my facelift dashboard and interior in a 200tdi, including the adjustable steering wheel?

Yes yes. Ill get round to it soon. Im either busy, or its raining. (It being november in north wales, you can imagine how often thats the case) Its not raining right now, but Im supposed to be doing a uni assignment. Oh how wonderful a distraction a forum can be!

Yeah, some people thing of them as aluminium body cars with steel chassis, which isnt really the case. Its a steel car with some aluminium pannels (doors, bonnet, boot, wings etc) but the roof, floor, arches, firewall, bits of the doors etc are all steel

No more rustprone than a Discovery 1, surely? And the seller tells me its solid Theres no such electronic wizardry on a series, although if course being a land rover there are plenty of other ways in which it can break. But hey, my budget wont stretch to an 80 series landcruiser or a half...

If its got low dry compression but good wet compression because the bores are bad, what can I do about it, short of getting new sleeves/liners installed, full rebuild etc. In other news, someones just offered me a tempting deal on a 109 S3 5 door...

I had to google what a wet compression test was. Apparently its to spray some engine oil through the spark plug holes and do it again. I presume thats what you meant?

In that case should I skip the compression test and just start swapping bits?