Vehicle & Technical > Discovery

buying a disco

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90Mike:
Hi there folks i am toying with the idea of buying a discovery mainly to be used off road but must be road legal for short trips and travel to events so the family can see what i get up to i will be planning on doing all of the work my self over a period of tme but the problem is i dont know much about the disco i am more of a suzuki man myself  :D so i have a few questions that i could do with answering  :oops: if any one can help before i make my mind up i should have a budget of about £1500 after selling my suzukis
1. whats the diffrence between a 200 tdi and a300 tdi
2. any one know the insurance categorys of the old V8 and TDI
3. is there a speical insurance avaliable for part time use of a 4X4
4. how good are they off road i am looking at doing a set of wheels / tyres and suspension lift to start off with
5. is it the same diesel engine in all the discos until the td5 or are there more optiions and what are they like off road i would of liked a V8 but a bit costly in many ways
6. is it possable to fit front and rear difflocks to these
i would look forward hearing from you all even if its to tell me how stupid i am many thanks mike

MudRat:
Firstly, my disco is as good off road as my 90, it has a longer overhang, but nothing to worry about, if you do then cut it back.

For 1500, you can get a reasonable 200tdi, the 300's start at 2k+ essentially a 2" lift and set of muds can cost as little as 400 quid, use the site and 2nd hand can reduce that cost. you can get limited insurance try Adrian Flux, and stick with a diesel, i have had V8s, petrol and diesel engines, you name it i've had it, V8s with an EFI are tempremental off road (guaranteed you will get loads of emails to tell you V8s are best!! and i am wrong!! :lol: ), V8s do not enjoy water and are a little thirsty, I prefer and will keep driving Diesels!

Look out for rust on the inner wings and sills, outriggers and rear x member, otherwise good luck![/quote]

Skibum346:
Mike, can't answer all your questions exactly but my best guesses are...

1. whats the diffrence between a 200 tdi and a300 tdi
300Tdi has an Exhasut Gas Recirculation valve (EGR Valve) that most people remove and blank off to improve performance, other than that, not sure of the diffirences
2. any one know the insurance categorys of the old V8 and TDI
My V8 costs us about £300 for insurance, not sure of the category.
3. is there a speical insurance avaliable for part time use of a 4X4
There are lots of specialist insurers who advertise in the Land Rover mags, check them out as they have lots of options depending on a) what you want & b)what you can afford!
4. how good are they off road i am looking at doing a set of wheels / tyres and suspension lift to start off with
Although every vehicle is only as good as it's driver, and you'll notice the diffirence form the Zuke... they are as capable as defenders but a whole lot more comfortable!
5. is it the same diesel engine in all the discos until the td5 or are there more optiions and what are they like off road i would of liked a V8 but a bit costly in many ways
AFAIK the options are 2.0 Mpi, 3.5/3.9 V8, 200tdi, 300tdi & td5. Diesel is great for being able to trundle along and will pull you out of anything, V8 sounds great is nippy on road and has stacks of power off road but the elctrics can be vulnerable in water.
6. is it possable to fit front and rear difflocks to these
Yes, front and rear lockers are available for Disco. Same basic chassis & transmission as RRC & Defender

Hope this helps.

Skibum

freeagent:
for £1500 you'll find a sound 200Tdi disco (upto and including 'L' reg) but i think you'll struggle to find a sound 300tdi (from 'L' reg onwards) for that sort of money..... you might be lucky.. and i'd certainly look for a 300 if you can because they are a bit nicer (slightly more modern front end and interior) and i prefer the 300Tdi engine. :lol:
don't buy a V8 unless you realy want one, as they can be tempremental and generally require a bit more looking after... :?

my Dad will soon be selling his 'J' reg disco 200Tdi, its done around 150k, is structurally sound and in tidy condition with 10 months MOT, i know he wants £1500ish... 8)

...where as, i bought a loverly 300Tdi 'N' reg in april, 101k, FSH for £2200.... 8)

Dsico's are superb off-road, with 235/85's and a 2" lift, they'll go most places a similarly equiped 90 will go... as the others said, the only weak point is the overhangs, but that can be delt with...

Discotel:
Hi Buddy,

Right here goes

Firstly please take this advice if nothing else, buy the best you can afford and NOT the newest you can afford, I looked at a few H & J plate ones in good order but bought a K plate one because it was newer, and had a few probs with it and it is a little rougher than the older ones.

And if you are going to use it offroad, including wading and water holes then please please buy a Diesel TDI...I have both a V8 petrol and TDI...The V8 has loads of grunt but HATES water, infact if you spit on it t will stall....The TDi however can swim the channel and not even cough...GO FOR A TDI........Petrol engines use a spark (sparkplugs) on diesel engines they use heat (Coreplugs)....water will kill the spark but not the heat so that swhy Diesel engines are better in water.

Hope this helps, Terry

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