Mad LWB disco idea (Now ultimate overlanding disco thread of rubbish

[LetsHopeItFits]

Alright, body mounts and chassis lengths.
Disco has 8 body mounts, correct? 4 between the wheels, and 2 behind the rear and 2 behind the front.
Ive been looking at the longranger kits, and Im wondering what my options are. Ive looked at the raptor garage disco build (just finnished watching) and I like it, but I want a bigger box, or 4 doors (or both!) so Im wondering what options are there?
Will the first 4 body mounts line up on a defender 110/130 chassis? I cant find any company in the uk that does chassis extensions, and I figure that there must be a reason for this? However I did see an isuzu rodeo/dmax (cant remember) that had a longer than stock wheelbase and some big machine on the back, and it was driving on the road with a normal numberplate

 

[Shippers]

However I did see an isuzu rodeo/dmax (cant remember) that had a longer than stock wheelbase and some big machine on the back, and it was driving on the road with a normal numberplate

As has been said before if it's a custom build it will probably have gone through a test...

 

[Hicap phill]

I’m sure there are more than 8 body mounts on a disco

 

[tilly2]

 

[Hicap phill]

There are 2 more fixings which they have not show…..

 

[LetsHopeItFits]

Ive seen alot of (mainly australians) talk about GVM/payload upgrades. Is such a thing available/legal in the uk?

 

[Hicap phill]

Ive seen alot of (mainly australians) talk about GVM/payload upgrades. Is such a thing available/legal in the uk?

Speak to dvla….

 

[Shippers]

Ive seen alot of (mainly australians) talk about GVM/payload upgrades. Is such a thing available/legal in the uk?

Iirc its called plating and refers to commercial vehicles...

 

[LetsHopeItFits]

Good news! My Disco passed its MoT!
Bad news - Ive done some significant paint damage to it on strata florida, and Im tempted to raptor it.
Also, if anyone is thinking of doing strata - SNORKEL! Ive got a muddy air filter and an airbox thats very obviously had water in it.
And dislocation cones are a must - my nearside rear spring came out of its mounting and required a very creative method to get it back it its place!
Also, has anyone know how much longer an RRC boot is than a disco 1? I know that a spare tyre doesnt fit in the boot of a disco, whereas it obviously does in an RRC.
Thanks!

 

[Shippers]

Also, has anyone know how much longer an RRC boot is than a disco 1? I know that a spare tyre doesnt fit in the boot of a disco, whereas it obviously does in an RRC.
Thanks!

Here we go again...why do you need to know the length are you thinking of grafting the rear end on to your Disco?...

 

[LetsHopeItFits]

So I can lie down in it.... not thinking about altering anything too much.
Although come to think of it, a split folding tailgate would be nice.....

 

[kevstar]

So I can lie down in it.... not thinking about altering anything too much.
Although come to think of it, a split folding tailgate would be nice.....

Roof rack.

 

[Hicap phill]

RR & disco are the wheelbase. So nothing achieved in length. RR roofs are lower

You can sleep in the rear of any landie if converted correctly.,yes it’s tight

 

[LetsHopeItFits]

Yes, I know the wheelbases are both 100", but what about the bit that sticks out behind the rear axle? The boot floor (with seats up) is bigger, or certainly longer, in a range rover than in a disco 1. The question is, how much so?
Thanks!

 

[Hicap phill]

Yes, I know the wheelbases are both 100", but what about the bit that sticks out behind the rear axle? The boot floor (with seats up) is bigger, or certainly longer, in a range rover than in a disco 1. The question is, how much so?
Thanks!

They are no bigger…..
Discos have the seats. straight back
RR has a spare tyre,sloping back



take the back seats out of the rear of the disco,make a raised floor it will fit a double air bed. All the camping stuff goes under the bed & can be assessed through the side doors

 

[LetsHopeItFits]

Thanks all for the advice and input so far.
Instead of starting another thread, I thought Ide just keep this one.
Now, as much as I love my V8, its using too much petrol, and I want to do a long trip in the next few years, so more economy is needed, both for cost reasons, and for longer range.
So, what are my options? A 200/300tdi swap is the obvious/easiest/cheapest/simplest solution, and Ide probably be better off selling my V8 and waiting for a tidy 300tdi to come up for sale rather than faffing about doing engine swaps.
But what about other options? OM606 is the one I see mentioned frequently, but this is certainly beyond my budget and skill level.
So, what about the M51 from a P38, with the mechancial fuel pump from a BMW E34 525td? The gearbox is the same (R380) which is a good start. Is it mostly just nuts and bolts, or is there lots of serious fabrication involved?
Any other options you lot can think of?
The "objective" is to have the least fuel consumption, so a massively heavy engine like a cummins isnt a good idea, as it will also eat into the payload significantly.
Power? Ideally Ide like 200hp, because fully loaded the car will be quite heavy, and I want to use it for towing etc, and Im hoping to fit 32 or 33 inch tyres for the UK (may go smaller for big trip, better mpg, lighter, easier to get spares etc etc)
Pros and cons of keeping mine and swapping the engine VS buying a 300tdi: Experience and knowing exactly how it goes together, I really like my current disco, I know that its relatively solid etc, plus finding a good, manual, relatively stock, solid, 300tdi with the suitable spec (non-abs etc) isnt as easy as you might think.
Anyway, the trip is to happen sometime in the next few years or so, so planning in advance is key. If the trip never happenes and Im left with a really cool landy, I can think of worse problems to have!
Thanks in advance for your inputs and advice!

 

[LetsHopeItFits]

Just a hypothetical question, are tubular front ends legal?
If so, would using a tubular front end on a disco body and defender 130 chassis mean that I could retain the 130 reg and not need an IVA?
Purely hypothetical because Ive not got the skill or the tools to do it, and Ive certainly not got the money to pay someone else to do it for me!
Thanks!

 

[FlatbedPilot]

IVA wouldn't be required but you'd need to go down the "radically altered vehicle" route which isn't really that onerous. I'm going through this process myself currently. Using the 130 chassis and original drive train would give enough points to keep the 130 reg. This is assuming no major mods to the chassis. If you start chopping the chassis about it's IVA time.

 

[LetsHopeItFits]

Thats awesome. Have you got a build thread or something?
From what Ive gathered, its all about the body mounts.

 

[LetsHopeItFits]

Quick question, dont want to add clutter by making another thread so thought Ide put it here.
1996 Discovery 1 V8i manual.
The rev counter doesnt work.
When I bought it, it worked fine. Then after a while it went very wobbly over 3000 rpm.
One day I changed the HT leads after a friend snapped one, and to my supprise the rev counter worked fine! Shortly after that it stopped working entirely.
Should add that Ive driven it loads since then, so it cant be the alternator because thats working fine.
Thanks in advance!