| Author | Message | ||
     Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Senior Member Username: Leslie Post Number: 2248 Registered: 02-2002 |
Okay, just mulling over the future of the Discovery..... What if...... Let's say you pick up a pair of Disco axles, install a Detroit and a Tru-trac in 'em, get a set of springs, control-arms, drag-links, steering, etc., and retrofit it to a 2005 model? Just eliminate the independent suspension.... Hmmm.......... -L | ||
| Michael Slade (Serious_one) Member Username: Serious_one Post Number: 67 Registered: 04-2003 |
Leslie, Nice to see you thinking outside of the box!  I'd say if you're gonna go through all that work, you ought to at least move up to something marginally stronger than Rover axles (oh shiat, there I've gone and done it!). Maybe a Rover9/D44 combo, C303 portals, 60's, Salisburys, something at least stronger than even modified LR axles. But...I agree. Getting rid of the IFS would be the primary objective. Doing it the way that tickled your fancy would be the fun decisions. | ||
| Brian Friend (Brianfriend) Senior Member Username: Brianfriend Post Number: 929 Registered: 09-2002 |
or....if you are going to do all that maybe just buy a 04 | ||
| Paul T. Schram (Paulschram) Senior Member Username: Paulschram Post Number: 1573 Registered: 02-2002 |
Didn't somebody do something like that with a Series One? That seems like the better way to go. | ||
| Kyle Van Tassel (Kyle) Moderator Username: Kyle Post Number: 307 Registered: 11-2002 |
Problem is what you are hooking to... You can overcome it but unibody just dont like that shit over time... Kyle "Blow me" | ||
| Brian Friend (Brianfriend) Senior Member Username: Brianfriend Post Number: 931 Registered: 09-2002 |
Then...replace the unibody with a frame off a d1 and get some d1 body panells keep the lights and then you are good to go. simple really | ||
| Alan Yim (Alan) Senior Member Username: Alan Post Number: 489 Registered: 09-2002 |
all that just to end up with a D1 again... could have gotten there faster if you just replaced the headlights on your D1 with the new headlights... | ||
| Brian Friend (Brianfriend) Senior Member Username: Brianfriend Post Number: 932 Registered: 09-2002 |
you may be on to something Alan. BTW...anyone know how much it costs to install 03 headlights in my 97? | ||
| Neil Flanagan (Electriceel) Member Username: Electriceel Post Number: 131 Registered: 02-2002 |
Damn, Brian. You beat me to it. | ||
| Brian Friend (Brianfriend) Senior Member Username: Brianfriend Post Number: 933 Registered: 09-2002 |
got to be fast neil | ||
| Neil Flanagan (Electriceel) Member Username: Electriceel Post Number: 132 Registered: 02-2002 |
This is all hilarious really. Does anyone remember the "good ole days" on the RRO email list when the "leafers" used to get pist at the "coilers" for asking questions about how to fix their heated seat switch? Fuckin cracks my ass. | ||
| Jack Quinlan (Jsq) Senior Member Username: Jsq Post Number: 332 Registered: 10-2002 |
Wow Neil. You really dated yourself on that one. | ||
| Zach Jaggers (Mountenn) Member Username: Mountenn Post Number: 86 Registered: 03-2003 |
For real, though...how simple would it be to stick some of the new headlights in my '95? I've wanted to do this for about a month now, but somebody up there beat me to asking about it... | ||
| R. B. Bailey (Rover50987) Senior Member Username: Rover50987 Post Number: 576 Registered: 07-2002 |
You could just buy an Element and put a lift on it with monster tires. Then you could take the seats out instead of just fold them up. It would never break down. You could justify having a killer stereo system on while off-roading. You would still be under the price of a Defender. You could star in your own "road-trip" commercials and get your pants pulled down in front of your buddies. And you would never ever have to explain the difference between Land Rover and Land Cruiser 'cause someone would always be there to beat you up before a word ever came out of your mouth. ...sorry, I'm just slightly synical of the new LR's. | ||
| Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Senior Member Username: Leslie Post Number: 2250 Registered: 02-2002 |
Kyle, I thought it was retaining a frame, though.... Brian, While I agree, and, I'd love to run out and by the first '04, it ain't gonna happen for awhile (at some point, though.... ). The jist of my question is, come 2012, when the '05 Disco is a cheap vehicle, what would it take to make it into a trail rig? Michael, I'm just trying to see down the road. The thing is coming. What are we, as Rover-nuts, going to do with it to make it into a trail-capable Land Rover? Whilst our family most squarely fits the demographic that the new vehicle is aimed at, ie, the wife really is a soccer-mom school-teacher gal, we're, or rather, I'm, still what would be called an "enthusiast".... I am a Land Rover junkie. I'll have the 88" (if I can ever find time to finish it!) for "real" trail work, & the wife isn't planning on letting go of her her D1 anytime soon either. But, eventually, she'll want something newer again. At that point, I can play with the D1, but, then even further down the road, when all of the grocery-getter D3s start to be retired, I want to make sure that they, too, are known as being off-roadable. Yeah, it's gonna take more work, but, somebody's gonna have to do it. Getting rid of the IFS/IRS would be the first logical step. I hope the new engine will be decent, hopefully even an improvement. Gonna have to figure out how to get a winch onto the front, replacing a good portion of that bumper/spoiler/facia stuff.... I showed the wife the pic of the new Disco. I had told her about it beforehand, about how it resembled the Element. She pointed out that the Freelander and the CRV look similar, too, but that the Freelander still manages to be better-looking, a bit more classy, and quite a bit more capable off-road. No, the Freelander isn't a hard-core platform for offroading, but, it's not just a CRV with green-ovals stuck on it. So, the new Disco isn't gonna be a ricer-H with British walnut in it, it's gonna be a Rover. Yes, we know that live axles are better off-road, so, let's fix that once we get ahold of one. Then, it may just not be so bad. Yeah, I agree, an '04 makes a lot more sense, and if the right one comes along when we're ready to buy again, that'd be the way to go. But, sometimes a bargain can be had, and you can make of it what you need.... FWIW..... -L | ||
| Luis Constantin (Luisc) New Member Username: Luisc Post Number: 14 Registered: 02-2003 |
In Malaysia, it's all the rage to put the Vovlo portal axles under the Rovers, usually under SIII. Apparently they mate up real nicely with only a few mods. | ||
| Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Senior Member Username: Leslie Post Number: 2251 Registered: 02-2002 |
Hmmmmm............... An '05 with portals, now THAT would be fun.... -L | ||
| Pete Stefano (Pete_s) New Member Username: Pete_s Post Number: 38 Registered: 02-2003 |
What I am wondering about is if our D1s and D2s resale value will increase ala Defender style!! $$$$$ | ||
| Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Senior Member Username: Leslie Post Number: 2252 Registered: 02-2002 |
Pete: Not a chance. First off, there are WAY too many Discos out on the roads when compared to Defenders. Second, Defenders are coming down in price, not up. While the '93 D110 climbed in value, and the '97 Limited D90 has held it's value pretty well, the '94, '95, and the rest of the '97s are coming down in price. They get miles on them, they wear, they devalue. Third, look at the RRC. The P38 came out, and the RRCs all jumped down in price, although they were preferred for use as a field truck. Then, when the new Rangie debuted, the P38 jumped downward in price, and the RRC dropped even further. Nah, the price on the Discos isn't gonna go up, it's gonna keep going down. Kinda like that Alfa I'm looking at... it is a $500 car, when 20 years ago it was a $50,000 car... Rovers just aren't collectable the way a '64 1/2 Mustang is, they're just a leaky quirky 4x4, put together in Britian..... Yes, certain models are worth a good bit to a Rover nut, like a Pink Panther or a Tickford or a D130 in the US, but, as a whole, nah..... IMHO, FWIW.... -L | ||
| Max Thomason (Lrmax) Member Username: Lrmax Post Number: 169 Registered: 11-2002 |
Leslie, One off road shop in England put Freelander body Panels on a RRC chassis (and running gear, suspension, etc) that was tricked out. It has all of the high points of the older trucks with the style of the new . Max T. | ||
| Neil Flanagan (Electriceel) Member Username: Electriceel Post Number: 136 Registered: 02-2002 |
"Wow Neil. You really dated yourself on that one." Since when is 32 over the hill? This board needs some "old fart" clipart. | ||
| Neil Flanagan (Electriceel) Member Username: Electriceel Post Number: 137 Registered: 02-2002 |
And to further date myself, I read those emails from a Mac IIsi and a Compuserve account... | ||
| Brian Friend (Brianfriend) Senior Member Username: Brianfriend Post Number: 936 Registered: 09-2002 |
"For real, though...how simple would it be to stick some of the new headlights in my '95? I've wanted to do this for about a month now, but somebody up there beat me to asking about it..." for real your not for real right? Neil...32 is old, just ask my kids. And, btw...the 2 year old thinks I know every thing and the 10 year old thinks I don;t know shit. | ||
| Steve Cooper (Scrover) Senior Member Username: Scrover Post Number: 333 Registered: 09-2002 |
"It has all of the high points of the older trucks with the style of the new" Only problem is, there's more style in a '70 Rangie than any Freebie could hope to achieve | ||
| James (Jimmyg) Senior Member Username: Jimmyg Post Number: 291 Registered: 10-2002 |
True Trac in Front...Get the F@#$k out. Brian, I've come to think that you know better. CO, right? You need a TT for the street, not the trails in CO. A TT has a stronger cross-shaft and that is it.......... | ||
| Brian Friend (Brianfriend) Senior Member Username: Brianfriend Post Number: 939 Registered: 09-2002 |
James.....that came from left field. Were we talking about TT? And I run ARB btw. | ||
| Michael Noe (Noee) Senior Member Username: Noee Post Number: 652 Registered: 03-2002 |
James is just jealous cuz he wants a TT up front.... What's funny though, is how many cheesers are getting so excited about 2005 Disco. Ford/LR has it all figured out... | ||
| R. B. Bailey (Rover50987) Senior Member Username: Rover50987 Post Number: 577 Registered: 07-2002 |
You spelled "F@#$k" wrong. |
