Discovery 2 / 3 / 4 Advice please

I totally get what you’re saying, and I’d never dream of spending £9k, I was meaning that’s a dream world price - right?!

I need a 7 seater that’s going to have 7 forward facing seats, so really it’s only a Discovery, because to get 7 forward facing seats in a Defender it would be a puma 110 which would be mega bucks wouldn’t it? I would be open to this option, but the road tax on these is £580 a year!

I think if I look around I can find a reasonable D2 for around £3-5k, for a reasonable example. I’d not want to have any issues with insurance as you’ve quite rightly suggested lynall.

I might have to go and check out a D3 as well, but I’m looking for one that’s pre 23/03/06 to be in the lower road tax bracket.

Thanks for the great, and comprehensive advice si click!

What are the alive remains like? Do they make much difference?

I’m ok with having a few small issues to sort out, putting some graft in like changing seats/retrimming doesn’t phase me, also things like ragged gear leaver gators that look awful when trying to sell a vehicle, but take the least of time and effort, but makes a whole host of difference!

Also depends on included toys

Does it have a working centre diff lock?
Coil, converted to coil or air.

And so on.

Leather gaitors are available very cheaply on EBay, and as you say are easy to fit and make a big improvement. Most things on a D2 are like that, straightforward to sort out and parts are readily available. Gearboxes and transmissions as exchange units are very cheap compared to a D3 or D4. You can even swap an engine for a used unit for a few hundred quid. The chassis is their biggest downfall, but even then half chassis can be welded on, or you can replace the whole thing with a galvanised one.
TD5s take remap really well and their are a number of companies with good reputations - Alive, Empire, Stormtuning to mention a few. They make it much more driveable, but do not expect it to perform on the road as well as a D3 or D4. It also pays to keep tabs on the engine temperature as tuned TD5s will naturally run hotter when being driven hard and if you fit larger wheels this makes it worse.
For me there is a sweet spot in the development of cars that sits between 1995 to 2005. They have all the capability and comforts you might sensibly want, but they can still be fixed by a competent DIYer or Indie garage and can be sustained almost indefinitely (future of diesel notwithstanding). The longevity of later cars is bounded by the cost of their reliance on sophisticated dealer facilities and by continued support to the electronics. The D2 is inside that sweet spot and that is what makes it both an excellent long term family vehicle and a decent overlander. The D3 and D4 (and every subsequent Land Rover product) sit outside.

Thanks again si click, what you’re saying makes a lot of sense!

I’ve driven a Defender 90 with the later Tdci engine and 6 speed gearbox, in comparison it makes the Td5 and R380 seem very noisy and asthmatic. Do you know where a D2 with a slight/simple tube would sit against the Tdci Defender?

Also in relation to D2’s if the air suspension is swapped out for coil springs on a 7 seater doesn’t this make the vehicle un-insurable/unable to pass an MOT as the 7 seat version isn’t type approved on coil springs??

Si Click said:

Leather gaitors are available very cheaply on EBay, and as you say are easy to fit and make a big improvement. Most things on a D2 are like that, straightforward to sort out and parts are readily available. Gearboxes and transmissions as exchange units are very cheap compared to a D3 or D4. You can even swap an engine for a used unit for a few hundred quid. The chassis is their biggest downfall, but even then half chassis can be welded on, or you can replace the whole thing with a galvanised one.
TD5s take remap really well and their are a number of companies with good reputations - Alive, Empire, Stormtuning to mention a few. They make it much more driveable, but do not expect it to perform on the road as well as a D3 or D4. It also pays to keep tabs on the engine temperature as tuned TD5s will naturally run hotter when being driven hard and if you fit larger wheels this makes it worse.
For me there is a sweet spot in the development of cars that sits between 1995 to 2005. They have all the capability and comforts you might sensibly want, but they can still be fixed by a competent DIYer or Indie garage and can be sustained almost indefinitely (future of diesel notwithstanding). The longevity of later cars is bounded by the cost of their reliance on sophisticated dealer facilities and by continued support to the electronics. The D2 is inside that sweet spot and that is what makes it both an excellent long term family vehicle and a decent overlander. The D3 and D4 (and every subsequent Land Rover product) sit outside.

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That is an old mans views

When I was a kid and the Montego/Sierra got electronic ignition, even back then people were saying they do not want us to be able to fix our own cars, yet look at what engine swaps people are doing diy nowadays, some are simply amazing.
Late 300 tdi eith edc people scared of them, same when the TD5 was current, D3 and D4 all the fixes are being simplified and made much cheaper.

Remember sgar wars and the young Luke making that flyer thing from scrap? well thats where we are headed.
What scares us does not phase the younguns.

lynall said:

That is an old mans views

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Yes and no. Yes in that most young "guns" would not look twice at a 15-25 year old car. No in that most young "guns" these days just accept that their cars will be maintained by dealerships.

Your implication is that I am an old man who cannot adjust to computer controlled cars. That is not true, I have a Hawkeye Total for the D2, a Foxwell NT530 for the Jag (and the D2), a VIDA DiCE for the Volvo and a VAG system for the Skoda. Computers are really useful in diagnosing issues and in themselves make maintaining a car easier. The problem comes when the electronics themselves are no longer supported or are designed so that only a dealership can fix them. For instance the Infotainment system on my 2008 Volvo only controls FM radio and a CD player - no DAB, no Bluetooth. Also it has failed. On the D2 I was able to easily replace the original head unit with a £150 generic one so that I now have DAB, USB, Bluetooth and handsfree phone connectivity. On the Volvo the Infotainment system is designed so that generic units cannot be fitted and it can only be replaced by a Volvo dealership as they need to inject the code that will prevent the car being permanently immobilised. This will cost £1200 and no, you cannot have a newer version with DAB and Bluetooth as your car will only accept the original version with FM radio. After about 2005 manufacturers started to design cars that were increasingly dependent on main dealerships and which will be difficult to sustain in the longer term as they die once their electronics are obsolete and no longer available. VW were trying to position themselves as the supplier for electronics for many manufacturers and had they achieved this there would have been reduced numbers of bespoke electronic systems and much improved commonality and sustainability. Unfortunately, they screwed themselves over the emissions issue and US buyers especially will be wary of buying cars based on VW systems. Sadly my "sweet spot" cars will eventually be undriveable without a full electric (fuel cell?) conversion.

SR4x4 said:

Also in relation to D2’s if the air suspension is swapped out for coil springs on a 7 seater doesn’t this make the vehicle un-insurable/unable to pass an MOT as the 7 seat version isn’t type approved on coil springs??

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You are fine. There was a thread recently which covered this.

SR4x4 said:

I’ve driven a Defender 90 with the later Tdci engine and 6 speed gearbox, in comparison it makes the Td5 and R380 seem very noisy and asthmatic. Do you know where a D2 with a slight/simple tube would sit against the Tdci Defender?

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The Tdci is a more modern engine and was designed for purely on road use. That said, while they have their problems, they can do huge miles and seem capable off road. The TD5 is an older engine designed by Land Rover for the Defender and Disco and intended to be supportable in the field and driven in Africa - ie in harsh conditions with minimal maintenance. With regular maintenance and careful modification it is pretty bulletproof, though starting issues can take a while to resolve. In Defender form it is a bit underpowered, but can be remapped to around 180bhp without too much difficulty. The D2 will be less stressful on the road than a Defender as it has better soundproofing and lower gearing, but my advice is to avoid the straight through pipe as the droning noise is dreadful IMHO.

I’m familiar with the Td5 engine in the Defender, so I’m not put off by a Td5 engine in a Discovery. The extra soundproofing is a welcomed improvement over the Defender, as it can get quite noisy, but that’s part of the character.

si click do you have any advice or experience with D2’s that have had one or more sunroofs sealed? Is it a major issue to fix a front leaking sunroof on a D2?

Mine has two sunroofs and neither leak. However, I have gone round the edges of the plastic seal with sikaflex and I do not open them.
It also helps that I have a Bundutop roof tent mounted over the top so rain rarely touches them.

For many people they can be a real pain and if they do leak the only real way to fix them is to remove the headlining, take them apart and replace the seals. When they are angled forward the two forward drains are designed to catch any rainwater that falls on them. However, they also catch twigs, grit and insects and become blocked allowing water into the cabin. The plastic can become brittle with age and they can snap also causing a leak. There are metal replacements available.

Best bet IMHO is to keep the air con serviceable and never open the sunroofs. Fitting window deflectors also helps as you can comfortably drive at up to about 50 with the windows open.

Agree about wind deflectors on D2 before I fitted mine anything from 30mph resulted in a gale force wind entering, I didn’t mind to much apart from when it had rained and water blew from the A pillars back into the cabin but fitting deflectors has made a huge difference and in my opinion discos suit them.

SR4x4 said:

Thanks again si click, what you’re saying makes a lot of sense!

I’ve driven a Defender 90 with the later Tdci engine and 6 speed gearbox, in comparison it makes the Td5 and R380 seem very noisy and asthmatic. Do you know where a D2 with a slight/simple tube would sit against the Tdci Defender?

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We had a work LR experience as a Christmas do. Two of us wanted to take our own around but couldn't.

Last one I drove was a Transit Defender then my Discovery 2 and the D2 was much nicer.

The TD5 was definitely gruntier and nicer but is remapped.

One interesting thing is that for ultimate power a Transit will never match a TD5.

What remapping have you had done to your D2 MJI?

SR4x4 said:

I’m familiar with the Td5 engine in the Defender, so I’m not put off by a Td5 engine in a Discovery. The extra soundproofing is a welcomed improvement over the Defender, as it can get quite noisy, but that’s part of the character.

si click do you have any advice or experience with D2’s that have had one or more sunroofs sealed? Is it a major issue to fix a front leaking sunroof on a D2?

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They have simple leaking issues, main fault is broken or blocked drains. Fixable.

First DDG search
https://www.steveparkers.com/produc...drain-tube-repair-kit-trim-clip-removal-tool/

I fixed mine with good 2 part epoxy and an old pen body as an internal splint.