Disco 2 New to me disco 2

Have just recently got my hands on a 2000 discovery 2 Es auto. Was sat for about two years before I picked it up so no mot or anything, has some rust on the rear chassis next to the fuel tank but that’s it as far as I know.
No problems with the body, dual sunroofs but they don’t leak (also don’t open but will leave it this way). Engine runs well despite it having 190k miles on it.
Has a coil spring conversion on the rear as well as an egr delete, front winch bumper and was not fitted as standard with a cat.
It has the transfer box with the centre diff lock but no lever for it yet.
Since owning it I have changed the oil, all filters, oil cooler housing and gaskets as it was cracked. As well as the injector harness as it was leaking. Also bypassed the wastegate modulator as it was broken.

My main question is, what maintenance or things are there to look out for on a car this age, and what things would you recommend I do to it (preventative and modifications). I plan on using it mainly for some light to moderate off-roading (green lanes and pay and play days) as well as towing my race car around.
Sorry if this has been asked a million times but the search function wasn’t working.

Hooking a hawkeye or nanocom to it is a good start. Check scuttle, inner wings and sills for corrosion as they do go on the body. Re seal screen tops and gutters. Brake calipers can stick on. See if its had abs shuttle mod (reference for future).
They are generally reliable but on cars this age you do get sensors playing up. The diagnostic kit is the key there. Really then its leaks in and rust on chassis and possibly body. Td5 is reliable for sure but if its led a hard life, it can be an issue .More so on 10p engine.

Get the chassis rust sorted and protected first then get hold of a Foxwell, if you don't want to spend the dosh on a Nano or Hawk. I have one and it does me fine.
Apart from not having the third row of seats, mine is identical to yours and I can tell you some of the things I have had to do on it.
Main one is the exhaust manifold which will warp and then possibly pull out or snap studs. Recently been a thread on this, catch it early, i.e take it off and get it skimmed back then slit the webs. Don't let it get to where it is whistling then you may well have problems, I did but was lucky enough to sort it, others haven't been so lucky.
Hubs and sensors will throw the "three amigos" at you and this is where the Foxwell comes in handy.
Be prepared for the loom that passes over the gearbox/tranny box to wear through on the P clip and cause wiring problems which are difficult to diagnose.
If you still have a MAF on it, make sure it is a good (expensive) one, if not and it plays up, i.e. poor fuel econ and performance, disconnect it until you can get a new one.
Check the wastegate operating rod for free movement at the turbo and that the can is securely mounted with lockwashers, mine lost its nuts over Christmas once, away from home and it was a real PITA until I could find new nuts.
Leave the sunroofs closed and turn the handle beyond the official stop position, to where it feels tight. Strangely on mine, which are not sealed, it seems to keep the seal dry. Never read anyone else doing this though, most either strip, reseal and sort out the drain tubes, or else tape em over.
I'd also drain the Autobox, change the filter and refill it then do the oil again a while after to try and clean the carp out of it. One person on here who is a real expert suggests changing the oil once a year!
I used to hate mine for its fuel consumption atlthoug liking it for everything else but now I have a decent MAF I like it more. Use it mainly for long distance towing and driving in mountainous areas in France and the Dales in Yorkshire. The boot is much bigger than the 300tdi and its accesory plug is so handy for the giant cool box.
Tons of other advice here, +1 for @ronsealdeath and there are tons of threads on the Disco section. Best of luck mate, last of the Discos you can possibly work on on your own, but not as easy as 300tdi.

If it is a 10p engine (2000 model should be) then you can probably get away with an aftermarket MAF. Heresy around here, but the 10p engine is far less reliant upon a good MAF signal than the 15p. My son's 10p D90 has happily had a Bearmach branded one (£30) for the last 18 months and my 10p D2 has had a genuine LR one (£150) for the last year. There is little, if any discernible difference.

The biggest thing you need to do is assess the rust on the rear chassis. Surface rust is not a major issue, but the chassis rusts from the inside and if that rust has made it to the outside then you may need to act swiftly.

, mines a GS not as posh as an ES which has electric everything, but advice still the same!

Si Click said:

If it is a 10p engine (2000 model should be) then you can probably get away with an aftermarket MAF. Heresy around here, but the 10p engine is far less reliant upon a good MAF signal than the 15p. My son's 10p D90 has happily had a Bearmach branded one (£30) for the last 18 months and my 10p D2 has had a genuine LR one (£150) for the last year. There is little, if any discernible difference.

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I'd say that even if it's 10P(which i agrre that it's less MAF dependant) better drive with MAF unplugged than with cheap sh*t..... though if it's just little difference between your D2 and a defender which is less powerfull from factory(-14BHP) with a more rudimentary fuel map and without wastegate modulation then i'd say that your D2 is not well enough

sierrafery said:

though if it's just little difference between your D2 and a defender which is less powerfull from factory(-14BHP) with a more rudimentary fuel map and without wastegate modulation then i'd say that your D2 is not well enough

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It makes little discernible difference to either vehicle if you swap them over.

Re the rust, as soon as you can see it flaking a bit on the underside of the chassis where it dips down at the rear, then get it done. It'll be thin as heck but not visible. It rusts along the seam from the inside. I let mine go on a bith thinking it hadn't changed from the previous year, then this year it exploded and looked like lace. From flaky to extremely dodgy in no time. Not too difficult to weld if you are handy with a grinder with cutting discs, welder and a hammer. I didn't do my own, I have to work outside and will be 65 tomorrow so it was better for me to pay a bloke £240 all in to do it.
Anyway best of luck with it all.

Oh and watch out for the starter suddenly becoming difficult. I've just taken mine off to change the contacts. Famously the hardest nut to undue on the car is the top one holding it on!

first thing is how far off a mot? any lights on in the dash that dont go out, Brakes sticking and holes in chassis!