Hi folks,
I have an old TD5 2003 plate Disco 2 that has been a workhorse for a number of years. It is still in decent condition and coming up on 100k miles now.
I think the time has come to have a play with it and add on some nice (but reasonably priced) upgrades.
It used to have ACE (on springs) but the pipes corroded so I got the system drained, removed the pulley and sealed in the fluid in so that in theory still has some hydraulic pressure on the necessary ACE bits that connect to the rams (or what ever they are). Far from ideal I know (budget constraints at the time) and now it handles like crap. I guess as a first upgrade / fix I should replace the anti roll bars for the std ones that went with the normal non ACE suspension. Will I also need uprated springs?
It has a fruity S/S decat exhaust (which amazingly passed the last MOT emissions test!). EGR blank has been done.
Chassis is OK (I think) and it has had some welding done in the past in one problem area.
It has some sort of tuning box on it (on there when I bought it) but I have no idea if it actually does anything. Would be nice to have a bit more torque and power and I'm not a fan of tuning boxes in general as I understand they are essentially generic to the engine rather than specific to the actual engine in the car. Do these diesel Disco engines remap well?
So my question is - what sort of upgrades might I throw at it to make it a fun and more individual car to mess around in? I'm unlikely to do any really serious off roading although having the ability is important as I live out in the sticks - I do quite like the idea of a 2" lift. The car is on General Grabber AT2s just now.
Very open to ideas. The alternative would be to sell it and get something different but frankly the law of diminishing returns tells me that a few grand spent on the Disco is likely to bring just as much fun as spending much more on a newer car like a Jeep Grand Cherokee. After all it works and it is only really used to take muddy dogs here and there, the odd run to the dump and the occasional longer trip when the other 2 cars (Landcruiser and Renaultsport Meganne 275 Cup S) are not available.
Also the power steering pump went last year and I got it replaced with an "as new reconditioned unit". Ever since then the steering has been underpowered. Is there any adjustment on the power steering box so that the assistance can be increased. It just feels like it can't cope at the moment and that makes the steering unpredictable and slow to respond to inputs.
So, more grunt, better handling and more individuality are of interest. I guess budget is around 1500 to 2000 if the results will justify the spend.
Oh and the gear change is getting a bit stiff after long journeys these days. Is this new gearbox time or are there relatively cheap solutions to this?
Thanks in advance
Humpty
I have an old TD5 2003 plate Disco 2 that has been a workhorse for a number of years. It is still in decent condition and coming up on 100k miles now.
I think the time has come to have a play with it and add on some nice (but reasonably priced) upgrades.
It used to have ACE (on springs) but the pipes corroded so I got the system drained, removed the pulley and sealed in the fluid in so that in theory still has some hydraulic pressure on the necessary ACE bits that connect to the rams (or what ever they are). Far from ideal I know (budget constraints at the time) and now it handles like crap. I guess as a first upgrade / fix I should replace the anti roll bars for the std ones that went with the normal non ACE suspension. Will I also need uprated springs?
It has a fruity S/S decat exhaust (which amazingly passed the last MOT emissions test!). EGR blank has been done.
Chassis is OK (I think) and it has had some welding done in the past in one problem area.
It has some sort of tuning box on it (on there when I bought it) but I have no idea if it actually does anything. Would be nice to have a bit more torque and power and I'm not a fan of tuning boxes in general as I understand they are essentially generic to the engine rather than specific to the actual engine in the car. Do these diesel Disco engines remap well?
So my question is - what sort of upgrades might I throw at it to make it a fun and more individual car to mess around in? I'm unlikely to do any really serious off roading although having the ability is important as I live out in the sticks - I do quite like the idea of a 2" lift. The car is on General Grabber AT2s just now.
Very open to ideas. The alternative would be to sell it and get something different but frankly the law of diminishing returns tells me that a few grand spent on the Disco is likely to bring just as much fun as spending much more on a newer car like a Jeep Grand Cherokee. After all it works and it is only really used to take muddy dogs here and there, the odd run to the dump and the occasional longer trip when the other 2 cars (Landcruiser and Renaultsport Meganne 275 Cup S) are not available.
Also the power steering pump went last year and I got it replaced with an "as new reconditioned unit". Ever since then the steering has been underpowered. Is there any adjustment on the power steering box so that the assistance can be increased. It just feels like it can't cope at the moment and that makes the steering unpredictable and slow to respond to inputs.
So, more grunt, better handling and more individuality are of interest. I guess budget is around 1500 to 2000 if the results will justify the spend.
Oh and the gear change is getting a bit stiff after long journeys these days. Is this new gearbox time or are there relatively cheap solutions to this?
Thanks in advance
Humpty
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