Gauging interest - 2004 Discovery needs engine

Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
I'm picking up an LR4 tomorrow. My 2004 Discovery is available. About 170,500 on the odometer which is more like 182,000 actual due to the larger tire diameter.

NOTICE - it needs a new engine! It currently drives fine and last Thursday/Friday I took it on a 250 mile work/off road/camping trip. Took the family on a 300+ mile camping trip over July 4th weekend. It has a slipped liner and exhaust gasses are over-pressurizing the cooling system. About once a week I bleed the system and top off the expansion tank and I watch the coolant temp with a scan gauge. On June 30th (500 miles ago) I had an oil change and had my mechanic install a new 180-degree genuine LR thermostat. This has helped dramatically with the engine temps, I haven't seen temps over 215 in the worst conditions (idling in traffic during 110+ degree day here in Scottsdale with the AC on full). Previously I'd get into the mid-220s while struggling to keep it at 65+ mph on the long uphills into the Arizona mountains. On this last trip I was in the low 200s on these climbs.

I have extensive maintenance records and a full spreadsheet I can share. I've put $48,410 into this thing in maintenance and extra shit not including the purchase price in 2008 when it had 49K miles. Original 2008-2009 maintenance done at a couple import mechanics but all maintenance since September 2009 done at RovNTechs (formerly RoverTechs) here in Scottsdale, Arizona - over $29k at RoverTechs alone.

Some of the highlights that go with the Disco:

-Safari Gard front bumper and skid plate with Superwinch EP9.0 with Custom Splice Diamond Line 7/16" winch rope, Hawse fairlead, Expedition Exchange shackle mounting brackets with backing plates, and two Hella Rallye 4000 cornering beams.

-Greg Davis rear bumper

-Welded-on diff guards front & rear

-Columbia Rovers fuel tank skid plate, stainless-steel rear door panel, and rock sliders

-An original, vintage, Kyle Van Tassle (KVT) backpack roof rack. Try finding one of these!

-OEM roof rails & rack cross bars

-A complete extra set of stock front & rear axles and CV joints

-Roverbones D44 spare tire carrier

-OME shocks front & rear & OME steering damper installed 10/2017 about 20,000 miles ago

-OME HD springs installed a while back in 2009 with about 55,000 miles (I've since renewed the shocks as noted above)

-ARB on-board air compressor in rear passenger side cubby with the ARB orange hose for filling tires

-Tom Woods front drive shaft

-Mantec raised air intake purchased new from John Craddock UK

-Knightsbridge Overland black tactical seat covers front seats only

-Carrs4x4 aluminum expansion tank, T-bleeder fitting, and 4-way connector

-Reconditioned headlights, no haze, look new, never installed

-RovNTechs replaced engine, transmission, and transfer case mounts in February 2020, about 3,500 miles ago

-Five Cooper Discoverer STT Pro tires size 285/75/16 installed April 2019 or less than 10,000 miles ago

Also lots of little things like homelink rearview mirror, D1 wipers, the older solid red taillights with reverse lights (instead of the 2004 tails with orange blinkers and no reverse lights), LED interior lights, LED reverse bulbs, 2 fold-out rear tables on rear door, relocated washer fluid reservoir, etc.

My maintenance spreadsheet shows all the other stuff like radiators, plugs, water pumps, steering boxes, etc. All the fun stuff that adds up to $48K.

I know it's taboo to list without a price so I'll throw $6K out there but I'm open to offers. I'm hoping someone who has a top-hatted 4.6 ready to go might want it so it can live on, or one of the professional parter-outers might want to pick it up and dissect it. This has been our family vehicle since 2008 and we are sad to see it go but I'm not about to put a third engine in at $10k. This engine came from a rear-ended grocery getter with 80k miles. It was installed in June 2013 with 112K on the clock so the current engine has about 150k on it.

Let me know what you think. I can send thousands of photos and full parts list and maintenance history to anyone who is seriously interested.
 

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Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
As it sits in my driveway today:
 

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terryjm1

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2011
1,486
375
Looks like a great deal for someone that is willing and able to install an engine. I have a spare 4.0, but not a 4.6. If I did have a 4.6 spare I’d be very tempted. Arizona is great place to pick up a Land Rover. My D1 that came out of AZ is amazingly rust free.
 

Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
Yep, rust is not an issue. I can peel back the carpets to double check but I’ve never given it much thought.
 

mgreenspan

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2005
4,723
130
Briggs's Back Yard
Presumably you don’t owe anything on the DII and I’m guessing you didn’t finance your used LR4. Why don’t you just buy parts for an LS engine conversion and slowly convert it over time? You’ve had the DII for a while and have built it up pretty well. If you’ve got the space you should keep it and enjoy it again under a new non-Rover power plant.
 

Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
Presumably you don’t owe anything on the DII and I’m guessing you didn’t finance your used LR4. Why don’t you just buy parts for an LS engine conversion and slowly convert it over time? You’ve had the DII for a while and have built it up pretty well. If you’ve got the space you should keep it and enjoy it again under a new non-Rover power plant.

I don’t want to even get close to that kind of headache.
 

Allez Mullet

New member
Aug 14, 2020
1
0
Santa Fe, NM
1st off, nice job. I've got a running. (smooth) 03 that I'm just starting out to upgrade. This could skip a bunch of nights in the garage in exchange for a bunch of nights in the garage swapping an engine. lol. I'm in Santa Fe, so it might be reasonable....
 

terryjm1

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2011
1,486
375
1st off, nice job. I've got a running. (smooth) 03 that I'm just starting out to upgrade. This could skip a bunch of nights in the garage in exchange for a bunch of nights in the garage swapping an engine. lol. I'm in Santa Fe, so it might be reasonable....
If you buy it and have a surplus 4.6 with a slipped liner I’d buy the slipped liner engine from you. I am often in New Mexico well within a short road trip to Santa Fe. I have a couple spare early 4.0 engines and would like to build one for my TR8.