Teacher on a budget--should I buy a D...

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Author Message   Samantha Maddox Posted on Friday, November 01, 2002 - 01:59 pm:    I've been keeping up with postings for months now. I'm a high school teacher who has been saving up to buy a Disco for years and I'm ready to start looking seriously now at '00, '01, or '02s. Question is, can a teacher's budget maintain the eccentric Discovery? Sadly, most educators can't afford to have those "weekend" cars. We have to have dependable transportation. Does anyone have a suggestion? Thanks very much!   Andrew Clarke (Aclarke) Posted on Friday, November 01, 2002 - 10:52 pm:    How about a D1? They're not that much $$ to buy, although of course if you take them to the dealer for maintenance you'll still be paying for it.   Jeremy Katka (Jkatka) Posted on Friday, November 01, 2002 - 10:57 pm:    Samantha, I have a 97 discovery. I bought it last January. The price on Discovery Series I's seems to be a great price point. I have seen a few lower mile DIs in the mid $10k range. The Discovery is pretty easy to work on. What are you looking to do w/ your Discovery? Drive it around town? Use it offroad on the weekends? This might help us in saying if it would be a good car for you. Also would you mind working on your car? JK   Todd Sanders (Sanderskog) Posted on Friday, November 01, 2002 - 11:02 pm:    I'd second what Andrew says. Seriously consider a D1 if you are working with a budget. I picked up a '99 D1 for $16,900. Great shape, good miles, lots of factory add-ons, and I am able to afford the maitenance (although I plan to do my own). The D2 is a nice rig but expect to pay much more up front. If your heart is not set on a D2 buy a '99 D1 and an extended warranty and you'll still come out ahead in the purchase price. Todd   Todd Sanders (Sanderskog) Posted on Friday, November 01, 2002 - 11:04 pm:    Come clean Jeremy. That '97 of yours sure is seeing a lot of shop time. Although... it wasn't a mechanical problem that put it there was it? Dang. Maybe I should have bought an earlier rig and saved some $$$. Todd   DChrismon Posted on Friday, November 01, 2002 - 11:34 pm:    Yeah but you need to look at fuel economy the Disco is not for someone on a budget..   Moe (Moe) Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 10:53 am:    "Question is, can a teacher's budget maintain the eccentric Discovery?" Probably Not. If you happen to buy a disco that develops a few problems, the dealer repair bill will bankrupt you, and the two weeks that it sits idle in the shop will drive you mad and maybe help you get fired . . . those poor children I say get a Honda or Acura (a true teacher on a budget car), hang around this site more often and find a local single dweb boy to take you out in his weekend car--if you are on the east coast, ignore the last advice   Andrew Clarke (Aclarke) Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 12:10 pm:    Yeah, from what I've read some of those "East Coast Types" posting here, you don't want to go out with them... j/k ... mostly ;-)   Jason Vance (Jason) Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 12:12 pm:    My wife is a middle school teacher, I am an grad student/lab instructor...we can manage to afford our Discovery (albeit a '95); though obviously with an earlier year, our payments are less and so is insurance. Also have an '83 RRC. Our combined income is not the greatest, but I do (all) the maintenance/repairs to keep service costs down. Can you turn a wrench? They are no more difficult to work on than any other vehicle!   Paul D. Morgan (V22guy) Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 12:27 pm:    Samantha, In your post above, you stated: "I'm a high school teacher who has been saving up to buy a Disco for years and I'm ready to start looking seriously now at '00, '01, or '02s." If you are serious enough to save for this particular vehicle for years, then you would not be happy with anything else. I recommend purchasing a certified pre-owned Disco 2 that includes scheduled maintenance and a LR warranty. As far as being on a budget with only one vehicle; there are many folks on this board that use their Disco's as an everyday driver. I say go for it. If you have problems in the future with either the dealer or the Disco; then post on this board for tips. Paul '00 Pig   Andrew Clarke (Aclarke) Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 01:44 pm:    I agree with Paul. If a Land Rover is what you really want, and you know what you're getting into (which you probably do if you've been following this board for long) then you can probably afford one. Especially if you're willing to learn how to fix it yourself. I don't know much about mechanices, but I do try... If you're not willing to "put up with" a Land Rover, then you will resent any money you DO have to spend on it and will not enjoy owning it. For instance, I had an '88 Jeep Cherokee I bought because I thought it would be cheaper than a Land Rover although what I wanted was an LR. 18 months and $9000+ in repair bills later, I realized that I could be spending exhorbitant amounts of money fixing the vehicle I actually WANTED, i.e. a Land Rover. So I got one. So far (knock on wood), it's cost much less than the Jeep to maintain, and I enjoy what I'm driving a lot more. A lot of people look at me like I am rich because I drive a Land Rover, but I only paid $14k for it out the door. That leaves me a lot of money to spend on repairs and still come out ahead over buying a "lesser" new vehicle and watching it depreciate $3k in the first minute of ownership... Likely a Honda Civic will cost you much less to purchase and own. It all just depends on how much you value what you "want" vs. what you "need".   Brian Friend (Brianfriend) Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 02:38 pm:    I started looking a lr back in 99. I really really wanted one but I could not convince myself that it was practicle so I bought a suburbon, a mini van and a car befre I bought my discovery. I don't have the suburbon...biggest peice i've ever owned, I don't have the car but I still have the mini van. every time something breaks on the van I hate it even more. When i need to do something on the disco it doesn't bother me a bit. the van is just transportation, the disco is something much more. If I had just bought the disco back when i first started looking i would have saved a ton of money on ars that i didn't really want. My mental block was that no vehicle is a good investment, but if you are going to spend money on a bad investment why not spend it on something you want?   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 08:12 pm:    Hi Samantha, I think everyone on here has one thing in common. They love their Land Rovers and have a special bond to them. They are truly a unique vehicle, from the style of the truck, to the sound of the engine, to stares and attention they get to the feeling you derive just from driving it. They have a very distinct feel about them. You could probably blindfold any these guys on here and make them drive a bunch of different trucks, and they'd be able to pick a Disco out easily...although I don't suggest doing that. As Paul said, if you've been saving this long for a Disco, it sure sounds like you already have Land Rover in your blood so I don't see anything wrong with buying one. At least you're getting something you actually want. You probably know by now from this board, that they CAN be a money pit depending on what you do with it. If it's a daily driver, then you probably won't be spending that much money on it as you would if you off-road a lot...which makes sense. But if you search around and scrutinize every Disco you look at, you will find one that is in very good condition. It seems that quite a few people on this board take theirs off-road and punish them a bit but I know there is a huge number of these vehicles that never see anything more than a speed bump. Go to the dealerships and poke around their lots and ask a lot of questions. Look for demo trucks or ones that are driven by staff. That's how I ended up with mine. Mine was originally driven by a LR exec in Toronto who had never taken the vehicle off-road. It just went to and from work. When the exec upgraded to a newer model, this truck (along with 4 other similar trucks) was sent to the dealership here in Edmonton where I picked mine up for a steal. A lot less than what anyone who's seen it thinks it costs. They do exist and can be found but do make sure that your budget is realistic. Everything will cost more; fuel, insurance, parts, repairs, etc. Fuel consumption alone will be a major difference...partly becuase it is a thirstier beast but also because if you're like any of us, you will find that you like spending time in your truck. Some of us like to tinker with them all the time (sometimes because they have no choice), some like to just lie under them and look at them (I'm not one of them...yet, but I've read on other threads that some of these guys do that ), and you may find that you just like to drive it. I fall into this latter group. I like to go for drives in the evenings, by myself, around wherever, with the stereo off just listening and enjoying the truck. Call me weird but these trucks can grow on you and you'll find yourself actually missing the truck if you're away from it for any length of period. One thing that I have noticed or is of my own opinion anyway, is that I think LR are great second vehicles. Have a daily driver like a little Honda or Toyota or something like that and then your Disco. Treat your Disco as your toy...that you can take out on weekends and play in the mud or wherever with. If it gets a booboo, then you can put it in the garage and nurse it back to health but you have your daily driver to get you around. HOWEVER, if it is your daily driver, I can say with confidence that you can trust your Disco to get you anywhere. If it's blizzarding outside and the school board insists on keeping the school open, I can assure you that your Disco will get you there. You won't have this nagging feeling of trepidation in tackling the elements. You Disco will get you there and take whatever nature throws at it with ease....and class. Do I sound like I love my truck...yup I do and I'm not afraid to admit it. I think everyone here does. We just show it in different ways. I probably didn't really help you decide which year to buy but if you had any doubts before, maybe this helped. I've been driving trucks for 10 years (I'm only 30 so that's most of my driving career) and I can say with reasonable confidence that as long as I can financially afford one, I will have a Land Rover for the rest of my life...unless Ford screws things up then I'll only have pre 2003 LR for the rest of my life. A   BJ Turner (Wturner) Posted on Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 04:46 am:    I am an Independent College Student that works part time. I have had my 1997 Disco for 1 year 8 months now, and seem to be doing fine. Sometimes I wish I didn't have the payment, but ALL the time I am glad that I don't have a Civic!! Every morning when I go to unlock my Disco and drive to school or work, I still look at it and smile! Even after 20 months. You take it from there!!   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 10:59 am:    How many of you still catch yourself looking at your truck as you walk away?? LOL A   KJ Posted on Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 11:06 am:    Alan, I am SO busted on that one..... Karen, , doesn't care!   KJ Posted on Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 11:10 am:    Samantha, I'd encourage you to do it. If you do and it's not for you, you'll know. If you don't, you'll always pine away and wonder. If after you buy your Rover it needs some work, date gp for a few weeks, he'll work on it for you. Karen   Jim Kemp (Jimkemp) Posted on Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 11:21 am:    If your in the Chicago area, check out "http://www.motorsourceinc.com". You will save $5-9k compared to the dealers. The place is owned by a father son team who are a pleasure to deal with. I purchased my 98' LSE Disco from them and I'll be buying another soon. They are real picky with the LR's they get. Also, if what you want is a LR, then there is no "substitute".   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 11:28 am:    Karen, LOL...me too. I also get dirty looks from people too though...especially when you pull up to another SUV. You have a pet name for your truck? I posted this question in the non-tech area and some people have some interesting names... A   KJ Posted on Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 11:30 am:    Alan, no real pet name, though sometimes I quietly call it "Woody", LOL! Karen ;)   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 11:37 am:    Woody??? Afraid to ask why... A   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 11:37 am:    perv   KJ Posted on Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 11:41 am:    Hey, HEY, it's the perv-y company I keep. Carter, go to bed. WHOOPS it's 11:-something a.m. Dayum, that won't work. Alan, ask Rob. It's always Rob..... Karen   KJ Posted on Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 11:42 am:    Samantha, on second thought, run away screaming. See what happens when you own a Rover and hang out on DiscoWeb? Karen   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 11:43 am:    Karen, it's always Rob who calls it "Woody"...what are we talking about now?? A   KJ Posted on Monday, November 04, 2002 - 01:07 am:    Whisper the words "Winch ownership" into Rob's ear, and it should all become clear.... Karen ; )   sg Posted on Monday, November 04, 2002 - 09:34 am:    Buy a toyota - You had better look into the cost of repairing these pigs - - $450 just for brake pad replacement - $50 for an oil change - you had better pray you don't need a valve job - common on older discos - at least $2000 You can of course just purchase an after market warranty and that will give a fixed cost on repairs - definitely recommend this - Don't get me wrong I love these trucks but they can be very costly to repair   Rob Davison (Pokerob) Posted on Monday, November 04, 2002 - 09:57 am:    Dont think i read all the threads, eh, karen? i never had a name for my disco, i just called it "the disco" for 3 years, but the range rover,,, well i really like the idea of "woody" first i need to own a winch again. i am actually about a month away from having a decent looking truck (compared to howe it started) the weekend the transformation occurs the there will be wood will be a plenty. i'll take pictures of course (of the truck) then i can finally have "woody" in my gallery rd   E Snyder Posted on Monday, November 04, 2002 - 10:03 am:    Samantha- Before you get one, try to find a repair shop in your area that has LR experience that is not affiliated with a dealer. If you get a late model D1, really just about anyone can work on it, if they are willing. If you have a garage you can trust, and are willing to be resourceful for parts (DWeb, various aftermarket suppliers, etc.) you can really save money on repair budgets. The dealerships will absolutely kill you. Have you thought about fuel consumption? High octane is recommended (although plenty of people don't run it) and you're going to get 15 mpg or less. Good luck. As most people above have stated, you end up suffering through any repairs you might have, because you love the truck so much! (That is if you have someone else's car to borrow when yours is in the shop!)   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Monday, November 04, 2002 - 11:16 am:    Karen...not sure I want to be around to see what becomes clear when you whisper that into Rob's ear... A   Rob Davison (Pokerob) Posted on Monday, November 04, 2002 - 12:09 pm:    "Rosebud...." rd   Bill K (Bill_K) Posted on Monday, November 04, 2002 - 12:12 pm:    sg, the prices you are quoting are standard for just about any car. Take a Toyota to a dealer and have them change the oil or replace brakes and you'll pay through the nose. As for the valve proble, thats only for certain years and it is not a problem with most Discos. The land Rover is a beast which, coming from its military/farm truck origins, requires a significant amount of maintenance. If proper maintenance is followed, and problems are identified early on, the Disco should last a long time (longer than a Toyota) and keep you happy. I commute over 70 miles a day in mine, and if I get into a 75 mph collision with a Toyota 4runner (or most other tin can japanese cars), I know I'll have the advantage.   Paul D. Morgan (V22guy) Posted on Monday, November 04, 2002 - 12:40 pm:    Samantha, Just do it! Rob, Keep your wood to yourself! At least that is what Garrett always tells me. Paul '00 Pig   Parrish R. Blackmon (Discoveryfl) Posted on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 - 11:08 am:    I like my Discovery, yet I hate the stupid things that go wrong. I hate the quality of small things (like rear view mirrors), and I hate having to replace items that should last longer (watch that 60,000 mile mark). I know I'm going to be crucified for this, yet my advice would be to buy another type of vehicle with a better service record. I bought my wife a 1999 Jeep Cherokee V8 Quadra-drive that kicks the ever loving hell out of my Discovery from start to finish. If you pay attention to this message board, you will find many of the expensive querks Discovery owners have to put up with. Bottom line - if you are not going to seriously use a Land Rover for off road travel and are on a budget, stick to a domesticated breed.   Bill K (Bill_K) Posted on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 - 11:42 am:    My sister in law has a Grand Cherokee V8 and the difference is night and day. The GC is faster, but thats the only perk. Her mileage is even worst than the Disco (about 13mpg) If this were baseball, the Rover would be the Yankees and the Cherokee would be the Orioles (I refuse to go to any of their games, damn loser Orioles).   Rob Davison (Pokerob) Posted on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 - 11:51 am:    i tend to agree with parrish, if you dont use the thing offroad i dont think it's worth the potential headaches. rd   Todd Sanders (Sanderskog) Posted on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 - 12:00 pm:    My .02 on the Grand Chrokee. My wife had one (1997, two years old and 20K miles when we bought it). When I bought it for some reason I opted to buy the extended warranty which is unusual for me since I do my own maintenance. Thank go I did. The transfer case seals had to be replaced 4 times in two years ($700 a pop at the dealer), the fuel pump went out ($700) and I had misc. other issues. One of my Managers who works for me has a 2000 and it is in the shop every other month. Don't get me wrong. I like Jeeps and have owned numerous Jeeps in my past ('53 M38A1, '87 Wrangler, '89 Cherokee, '93 Wrangler) and would love to have the Rubicon but I'm steering clear of the Grand Cherokee. Todd   Todd Phenneger (Toddp) Posted on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 - 12:13 pm:    Samantha, But the Disco, with a good warranty as some have recommended. THat protects you from the truly expensive stuff. Then set up a Goal savings Acct. (US Bank has them on the West coast, I'm sure east coast banks have a similar setup) where $50 is taken out every month automatically and put into a savings acct. That way when you do need to dump $600 on a repair it doesn't hurt so bad. Find a competent local mechanic who can do the brakes, lubes, etc and save the dealer for the warranty work. My sister is a teacher and wants a wagon and loves my DIsco. I told her to go for it, buy an older one and just plan on a higher payment with the Savings account as part of that payment. If you do it right you shouldn't be cought high and dry with a broken rover and no way to fix it. l8r Todd   Hltoppr Posted on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 - 01:41 pm:    Samantha, Just had the same experience. I really like the discos; where else can you get a V8, solid axles, four wheel disks, and the like. I have a great deal of experience with mechanics and do virtually all work myself on my rigs. However, in searching for a used discovery, I just didn't have any luck finding an older model without glaring defects (Southwest US). In fact of the several I test drove, most had items break during the drive. If you follow the posts here, you already know what those tend to be, windows, abs, sunroof, etc. My final decision was to go with what I know will get the job done and have better reliability: I found a 1992 FJ80 Landcruiser. Albeit she drives like an elephant, everything works, and that's with 172,000 miles on her! Cost is akin to what you'll pay for a 96-99 Disco for a 93 or 95 Landcruiser. Gas mileage is pretty close as well, and from my experience, insurance is about the same, plus you'll have less trips to the dealer. By the way, thanks to all of you who gave me great advice in seeking a used Disco 1. I've already turned a few Cruiser afficionados to Expedition Exchange for accessories! See you on the trails!   Samantha Maddox Posted on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 - 03:00 pm:    Wow, I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of the candid advice. No one in my family has experience with the Discovery, and I didn't much know who to ask/who to trust on such matters. You've given me some food for thought before I proceed. Thanks again, and thanks for the entertainment your postings provide!   Tom V (Cozmo) Posted on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 - 03:53 pm:    Samantha Yes buy a Disco. You'll regret not getting one more than any problems a Land Rover can throw at you. One warning after you get your Disco FORGET THE DISCO WEB. Erase all d-web files from your computor, get hypno-therapy to erase all d-web files from your head. Yesterday at around 6:00 pm my hitch rec. came. I then endured three and a half hours of agony(dinner, getting son bathed and to bed) until I could lay under my Disco with my mag light that I have mounted in my Disco thanks to something I saw on the d-web and install the hitch rec.. As I finished I started getting the shakes. Eight bolts wasn't enough I needed to do more. My mind was racing what else could I do. What other mods could I make. Samantha it's too late for me. Run, save yourself, before its too late......   Peter Carey (Pcarey) Posted on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 - 06:58 pm:    To counter Todd S. I own a Jeep GC right now that I got new in 98. Besides the things I've actively done to hurt it, it hasn't cost anywhere near what Todd had to for his. It's got 70K on it and I took it on a 2500 mile trip all the way down the Pacific Coast Highway tip to tip and no problems. 6 weeks ago I attempted to take my Disco, also with 70K on it, East of the Cascades and it didn't even make it to the Pass before being towed home. Looking back through my receipts, I've never had to pay for a "repair" on my Jeep other than a tuneup when it was running rough with low MPG. Heck, I even had the CD player throw me an error just after the warranty was up and they said it wouldcost $700 to replace the radio. I said heck with that and just didn't listen to CDs. Two years later it just started working again. And as for the MPG, they are about the same but in my case, the Jeep wins. BTW, don't do what I did and think you can sate your want for a Disco with getting a RRC. Cus then you'll just get the Disco as well and be more in debt. pwc   Greg French Posted on Friday, November 08, 2002 - 02:48 pm:    I am a high school teacher, and I drive a 97 Disco. I would suggest buying a Toyota, based on my experiences. As soon as I sell my Disco (Which I love to death!) I am getting a Toyota.   Greg P. (Gparrish) Posted on Friday, November 08, 2002 - 03:00 pm:    I would say that it depends on how good your schools shop department is...........   Max Garcia Posted on Friday, November 08, 2002 - 08:27 pm:    Samantha Get the Disco. Mine is a 97sd (Erica). I have put a rover tyme 2 inch lift, a second hand front bumper, and im now putting 410's and arb lockers. The cost is my own doing, as for break downs that my own doing also. Rear diff in Moab. The only other repair i've made is a water pump @ 96,000 miles. General maintaince is no more expencive then any other car i've owned. BTW my income is the same as a teacher. Max   Moe (Moe) Posted on Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 11:09 am:    I like Greg P's response. Let the school shop use it as their 'project' car I love my Disco and it has never let me down, but if it wasn't for the extended warranty upkeep costs would have been ridiculous. As a rough estimate in ~ 3yrs, 46,000 miles of ownership, I have collected around $5,000 + in extended warranty receipts.   Stephen Frawley Posted on Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 03:53 pm:    How is the reliability of the later model Discos, say since 2001? I'm wondering if Ford's ownership has made a difference.