| Author | Message | ||
     Benjamin MacRae (Ben328isp) New Member Username: Ben328isp Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2003 |
....<posted>.... I am new to the board here, over visiting from the BMW forums I normally frequent. Anyway, I am trying to educate myself about Disco IIs as I think I'd like it to be the next vehicle I buy, perhaps a couple years down the road. I'm a big BMW fan and drive a '00 328i. I do much of my own maintainance and consider myself a decent DIY mechanic.....I'm comfortable doing brakes, exhaust, routine maintainance, maybe a window regulator, etc.... I am very familiar with the upkeep and maintainance required to keep a BMW running past 100k as we've had several in the house...front suspension parts that wear out ever 50k, window motors, brakes, etc etc. I consider them to be an awesome, though relatively high maintainance car to drive but I wouldnt trade it for the world. So.....I'd like to add something 4WD to my garage....something I can drive in the snow we get here in Michigan, tow a small sailboat, and use as a light trail rig for camping and light wheeling trips. It does not need to get great gas mileage, nor does it need to ride like a 740iL on the highway. And, I prefer to drive something that not everyone and their uncle has. A Disco II sounds like it might fit the bill. I would be buying a 2-3 year old, 50,000-ish mile Disco II (by the time I do it, probably a 2003 model) for around $15-20,000.....something a soccer-mom leased, hopefully didnt beat the snot out of, and never took offroad. I like working on my vehicles.....something about rolling around in the slush in the garage floor in sub-zero temps that makes one feel as if bonding with a vehicle....but I digress  Anyway, I have no problems owning something that is approximately as high maintainance to run as a BMW or such, though I've been reading on the board here and the Disco2 site about lots of oil leaks from the Buick V8, AT problems, electrical gremlins (does the '03 still have Lucas electronics?) and so on. So be honest with me......is this a *reasonable* vehicle to own, or is it an absolute maintainance hog that I'll be lucky to keep out of the garage???? I figure there are at least a few of you who are able to deal with the quirks LOL Thanks for the help! Ben | ||
| John Moore (Jmoore) Senior Member Username: Jmoore Post Number: 419 Registered: 10-2002 |
Sounds like your the right man for a D2. D2's have a bosch engine mgt system (No more Mr. Lucas!) and the ZF trannys are strong. But it helps if you know how to turn a wrench. There are other BMW owners on this board. Sounds like you have the right attitude to own a Rover. Go get it... | ||
| Ron Brown (Ron) Member Username: Ron Post Number: 78 Registered: 04-2001 |
"though relatively high maintainance car" Compared to a disco a BMW is a honda in this respect. Rovers are maintaince pigs. Neglect them at your peril. If you are ok with this then they can be very rewarding. If you expect them to be made like a BMW then you need to look elsewhere. They are very quirky. You need to accept that things will for no apparent reason pack up and stop working, then start working again . . . or not no matter how well the truck is cared for. But if you want a vehicle that is built to withstand amazing amounts of abuse and still keep going a rover is the way to go. Everything is overbuilt and overly british engineered (read it works but the engineering has no real logic) and they are pretty much hand assembled and meant to be hand disassembled. Even the 03 disco is very much this way, a rover, a britsh truck, with all its benifits and trappings. Ron | ||
| Benjamin MacRae (Ben328isp) New Member Username: Ben328isp Post Number: 2 Registered: 02-2003 |
John and Ron; Thank you both for your helpful answers. As I said, I've been reading on the board here, looking at other posts concerning reliability and problems often encountered......and I remember reading someone saying that you either will look back years from now about owning a Rover and be satisfied that it was the best thing you'd ever done, or else you'll wish you'd never bought the damn thing ....depending on how well it was cared for, and how much you enjoy fiddling with it constantly. Someone mentioned that the way in which Discos are assembled and engineered is relatively straighforward and DIY-repair-friendly, in that parts are relatively accessable for replacement and repair, which sounds great. This sounds like a direct contrast to an Audi A4 I fought and battled with, which was obviously NOT intended to ever be taken apart in any way, shape, or form after it was assembled A Disco sounds like it might be just the thing I am looking for.....thanks again for the help, guys! Ben | ||
| Matt Williams (Ltmatt007) New Member Username: Ltmatt007 Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2003 |
Ben, I have a 99 DII with 55k miles. It is very reliable, yes I have done a lot of maintenance, but overall it is a great truck. If you enjoy working on your cars then the DII will make a great addition to your garage. Get a certified one from a dealership. I have been very lucky as far as service from dealers. Land Rover Austin (TX) and Land Rover North Point (Atlanta) are fantastic. The warranty that comes with a certified LR is very good and you can buy additional years up to I think 85K miles. When something major goes wrong IE..valves the dealer usually asks no questions they just fix it and while I wait I drive around in one of their new Discos. Plus the people you will meet if you look around for local clubs are great people. Good luck.. |
