Will I ruin my financial future? Potential first time buyer looking for advice.

[GrantD20]

I've been looking at Discoveries for about a year now (for obvious reasons). Some people seem to believe that this is the worst decision I could possibly make but I get the sense that the reputation is skewed by people who expected low maintenance or take it to a shop for everything. Obviously fuel and maintenance will cost more than a normal car but I want to learn to work on it myself and I don’t use very much gas every week. From some rough calculations it seems that it might not be impossible for me but I can only really estimate gas cost. I'm trying to get a better (real number estimate) idea of what to expect.

• I know that it depends on the specific vehicle and a lot of other factors but about how much should I estimate to set aside for maintenance every month?

Also, some general questions about what to look for if buying...

• How much should I plan on spending. I would hope to spend around $5000-7500 but less is better. What should I expect from that price range? I don’t mind if it’s a little bit worn cosmetically but I definitely need it to be solid structurally and mechanically. Is this even possible in my price range?
• Is it worth it to get a '98 or '99 Disco 1 since they are supposed to be more reliable or should I go with a Disco 2 which is easier to find near me and possibly cheaper.
• Any other general advice would be great either for either peace of mind or a reality check.

I hope there's enough specific questions in there to make this a useful contribution to the forum. Any advice or information from someone with experience is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.​

 

[ERover82]

Do you have a family? Another car? Will you depend on it as a daily driver? What kind of area do you live in?

 

[GrantD20]

I'm a college student in the Los Angeles area but I'm living with my parents so I don't have huge living expenses. I would depend on it as a daily driver.

 

[ERover82]

I'm a college student in the Los Angeles area but I'm living with my parents so I don't have huge living expenses. I would depend on it as a daily driver.

Do you have access to an array of tools and space to work on one? Some repairs (on any vehicle) can take hours, days, or weeks to complete. Would this place you in an unacceptable bind?

 

[GrantD20]

I have space and I can get/borrow tools but a week without transportation could be a problem. I've considered getting a motorcycle and Disco so I have cheaper gas option but bike insurance is so expensive for a young guy like me that it's not cost-effective. I guess for another transportation option it might be worth it. How often could I expect a week long repair ?

 

[Tugela]

This conversation has come up a few times recently. Here's a link to one of them:

https://discoweb.org/index.php?threads/disco-1-or-disco-2.99003/post-1108517

My comment in that thread may also be applicable here:

Based on this statement alone the best Disco for you is a Toyota Corolla. Even if you already have a comprehensive tool kit and the aptitude to do all your own work, buying parts adds up. Even when they're used parts. I've seen it often - a Disco sweeps a guy off his feet, he falls for the great looks and great ride, but the expense becomes a deal breaker. If you have disposable income, it's easier to keep the love affair burning along with the hole in your wallet. Plus, once you own a Disco, then you start looking at Range Rover Classics, and before you know it you have 4 trucks parked in your driveway, of which only one is running at any given time. It's a slippery slope.

 

[Nooner]

I would depend on it as a daily driver.

I don't know that I would want to depend on a D2 as a daily without some kind of backup. I think you could very well use it as a daily, but I'd want to budget in some reserves for a rental, or to Uber/Lyft, or something else to drive if you need to make repairs or the D2 breaks down.

A good option might be the D2 + a motorcycle, or the D2 plus a cheap subcompact. There is nothing worse than having a broken down car in your driveway that you absolutely MUST fix in order to get to work/class/etc.

...

Plus, once you own a Disco, then you start looking at Range Rover Classics, and before you know it you have 4 trucks parked in your driveway, of which only one is running at any given time. It's a slippery slope.

So true! I have 3 D2's now. All of them run, but all of them are also is some state of disrepair!

 

[GrantD20]

Yeah, you're probably right, Tugela.
I have always been mechanically minded and I enjoyed all the work I've done on my current car so a "high maintenance" vehicle wasn't a turn off for me but I don't want to get pulled into a black hole of expenses.
It might be too dependent on variables but is there any way to get an idea of what expenses could look like.

 

[pinkytoe69]

I don't want to get pulled into a black hole of expenses.
It might be too dependent on variables but is there any way to get an idea of what expenses could look like.

I think the only "normal" issue that would put you down for a week would be the head gaskets.

Most common maintenance items (brakes, suspension, exhaust, sensors, coils) can be taken care of within a day, 2 tops. One guy just had a bitch with his front ball joint tho...

Parts aren't crazy expensive. Most things will be <$200, especially if you have a pull yard near by.

 

[GrantD20]

In your experience, about how often do those regular maintenance items have to be replaced.
Would I want to budget $100 a month or $50, $200 or more or less? Am I way off?
I hope I’m not asking unreasonable questions I just have very little idea of what I’d have to expect.

 

[K-rover]

In your experience, about how often do those regular maintenance items have to be replaced.
Would I want to budget $100 a month or $50, $200 or more or less? Am I way off?
I hope I’m not asking unreasonable questions I just have very little idea of what I’d have to expect.

Thats the kicker, the more you drive it, the more you will need to do things. They make perfect weekend vehicles, but I wouldn't daily one again. I bought a little hatchback 6speed that gets 30mpg and hasnt needed anything but tires in 5yrs.. Its nice to work on the Rover as money and time allow.

 

[K-rover]

With that said, after a few years you eventually sort everything out. My 01 D2 with 199000 miles is arguably more reliable now than when I bought it 15yrs ago!

 

[GrantD20]

Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it.
For now I’d only have to drive it 100 miles a week and maybe a road trip or two a year. When I have time I’ll research how often I’d have to replace each of those common items and estimate the monthly cost.

Do you think I could find a relatively sorted out vehicle with a $5000-$7000 budget. Again, just trying to have reasonable expectations.

 

[ERover82]

You could easily find a well sorted example within that budget, and in LA it'll likely be rust-free. However, as with learning anything new, when a repair presents itself it will take you longer. You'll get halfway through a job and order the wrong parts, wait for them, return them, they'll be damaged in shipping, etc. The biggest issue I see is your reliance on it being your daily driver. The worst repair you could encounter is engine failure due to an unknown issue or unrecognized overheating. This would involve either a large sum of cash and/or time to rectify. A PPI, regular fluid checks, and maintenance will make this very unlikely. As mentioned, head gasket replacement, while less severe, could also fall into that category.

 

[Harv]

You plan to work on it yourself. The budget you mentioned should easily work. On any 20 year old vehicle I would expect to spend $1-2K when I first got it, as the PO probably didn't stay on top of it for the last while. I have a D2 as my daily driver, but I do have back ups. Once you've got it up to snuff, they're not expensive to maintain. Rock Auto carries a lot of the maintenance items, and ordering parts from the UK is generally cheap, even when you factor in shipping. If you're like most of us, you're going to end up really loving it.

 

[Harv]

And I forgot to mention Will Tillery for virtually any used parts, and many new parts as well.

 

[pinkytoe69]

In your experience, about how often do those regular maintenance items have to be replaced.
Would I want to budget $100 a month or $50, $200 or more or less? Am I way off?
I hope I’m not asking unreasonable questions I just have very little idea of what I’d have to expect.

Like K-rover said, it depends on how much you drive it, what has already been done, and luck.

Keeping fluids full is a biggie, especially the coolant.

I forgot one big cost item...if you have an AEL D1, the fuel pump will be $400.

Although in cali, your housing may not be destroyed from rust, so you may be able to replace just the pump.

 

[pinkytoe69]

Do you think I could find a relatively sorted out vehicle with a $5000-$7000 budget. Again, just trying to have reasonable expectations.

You should be able to find a vehicle that isn't a total shit show for $3000 or less.

Plan on having an extra $500-1000 for immediate issues.

Monthly savings is hard to say because it just depends on what goes wrong and what you can get used.

 

[K-rover]

Monthly savings is hard to say because it just depends on what goes wrong and what you can get used.

With any 20+yr old vehicle there will always something that needs replacing. Especially anything plastic or rubber.
Ideally look for one that was owned by an enthusiast. Someone who loved it and didnt neglect it. That will give you a huge head start.

 

[Tugela]

Someone more clever than me observed that the most expensive car you can buy is a cheap Land Rover.

I keep meticulous records on my Rovers. As one point of reference, I'll share some of my data. In the four years I've owned my current Disco (1998 D1), I have spent $8,485 on it above the purchase price. That includes everything except fuel and insurance: annual registration, emissions tests, detailing, oil changes, parts, tools, professional labor, and accessories/upgrades like roof rack, custom rear door table, cargo shelf, bike rack, jerry can, cam straps, lights, etc. I had one large expense for professional labor when I ran into problems changing the water pump, so if you exclude that then the number comes down quite a bit. Replacing tires and springs are other decent expenses, but when you only drive 7,000-8,000 miles per year those things last a while.

Will Tillery is my first call when I need parts, so purchasing used (when it makes sense) has helped to stretch my dollar.

Having invested this much in my Disco it's now running nearly flawlessly and it is configured exactly the way I want it. I'm past the point where I feel I can improve upon it further by adding more stuff. Now I'm just proactive about replacing things before they become problematic (drive shaft rebuilds, for example), or routine maintenance (filters, fluids, brakes) or if I don't have a history for them. Recognizing that there will always be more stuff to fix, I anticipate my average annual ownership costs to go down/level off at this point since I've done so much already.

There's another Rover cliche, which is that you're never finished with it, you just stop working on it. For some people that stopping point is further along than for others. Some people just can't stop and wind up with a fleet.

To answer one of your original questions, I chose a D1 because it's a simpler vehicle with some advantages off-road and its cooling system is more robust than that of the D2. Plus it has less of a risk of the catastrophic engine issues that have been common enough with the later D2s. And I like the styling better. But the D2 also has its strengths. I think a good approach is to identify what characteristics are important to you and pick the Disco whose advantages are best matched to those attributes you care about most. Either way, get one with the most comprehensive service history you can find.