Should I just get shut of it???

colinl said:

Like someone has said these forums are usually about solving problems and are full of brainy people who when all get together can sort any problem you may ever have with any LandRover but hardly anybody posts about how reliable their LR is!
Yes there are plenty of pieces of s**t knocking about but there are also lots of fine examples of LandRovers as there would be with Toyotas or Mitsubishi but the main thing is that the LandRover is usually very cheap to fix and very simple to work on.

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In as much as I hate working on any car - the Disco is a pleasure to work on - even with the V8 Ive of enough room under the bonnet for an entire family of Badgers. Also lots of nice flat areas to put entire socket sets - not just one socket teetering on the edge of the wing!

Yea it sunny beach, damn we were close! we went to nessebar too, beautiful country! I've heard its not unusual to pay 50p a pint in the non-touristy areas?

Anglo Bulgarian, this is just a suggestion regarding your difficult starting in cold conditions.
Have you considered a Kenlowe Hotstart electric pre heater?
I've used them on our vehicles for many years.
Of course close access to a power point is necessary.

wust588 said:

Anglo Bulgarian, this is just a suggestion regarding your difficult starting in cold conditions.
Have you considered a Kenlowe Hotstart electric pre heater?
I've used them on our vehicles for many years.
Of course close access to a power point is necessary.

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I had not but its a brilliant idea!!

Also having a worm defrosted car would be a big blessing!! What people who have been to a ski resort (and this goes with +40 DegC for summer holiday makers as well) is -25 is cold and a big lough and a joke and a few mins later your in the bar worming up. It is a WHOLE different issue when you are living in it. I sutted the plugs up whilst trying to start it in -20 with a windchill to -40 and a full on blizzard. Me and the GF could between us extract only 1 plug and then run back to the house for 20 mins to warm up. Doing the difficult one at the back the GF nearly got frost bite and was screaming and screaming when we returned to the house as the blood returned. It took about 5 hours in the dark to clea all 8 plugs - this is why i say I NEED it to be reliable.

The only other point is there a bit expensive - im sure I can get one fabricated over here for £100 - there good at that here!!!

disco147 said:

Yea it sunny beach, damn we were close! we went to nessebar too, beautiful country! I've heard its not unusual to pay 50p a pint in the non-touristy areas?

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I am 10km inland due West from Nessebar! I live in a 5 bed villa with pool and my rent is £199 a month

My village is pretty much the centre of the Bulgarian classic Car scene (which is a lot better then you would have thought - LOTS of very nice stuff!) and thy are building a classic car museum at the entrance to the Village!

Anglo Bulgarian said:

Also having a worm defrosted car would be a big blessing!!

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Now thats an idea !!!!!

If you want to tow forget older hilux surf diesels, I've got a 94 3L TD one with 1kzte engine and it's for sale as they overheat and spending $$$$ on better rads etc is not always the answer and you constantly fear the head will crack. They all crack eventually. Petrol surfs drink fuel.

Older landcruiser great tow car drives like tank drinks fuel

Imho all the older 4wd need money spent every year to keep them going at least they don't depreciate.

But jap parts can cost $$$$$ compared to land rover better aftermarket suppliers around for land rovers.

Just my opinion

all parts cost £££££££ Here in Bulgaria.

Set of bog standard cheapo shocks - £360

Set of decent shocks - say Monroe - £650

!!!!

On the up side - beer is cheep, insurance is £100 a year, car tax is £26 a year - swings an roundabouts.

I think we should have a trip to Bulgaria.
I feel a road trip coming on!

:5bauto:

In the spirit of making Anglo Bulgarian feel better, I've started a thread so that we can all cheer about how reliable our Disco 1 really is.
Anglo, hope it helps

Sheeprus said:

In the spirit of making Anglo Bulgarian feel better, I've started a thread so that we can all cheer about how reliable our Disco 1 really is.
Anglo, hope it helps

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Thank You!!

Anglo Bulgarian said:

I had not but its a brilliant idea!!

Also having a worm defrosted car would be a big blessing!! What people who have been to a ski resort (and this goes with +40 DegC for summer holiday makers as well) is -25 is cold and a big lough and a joke and a few mins later your in the bar worming up. It is a WHOLE different issue when you are living in it. I sutted the plugs up whilst trying to start it in -20 with a windchill to -40 and a full on blizzard. Me and the GF could between us extract only 1 plug and then run back to the house for 20 mins to warm up. Doing the difficult one at the back the GF nearly got frost bite and was screaming and screaming when we returned to the house as the blood returned. It took about 5 hours in the dark to clea all 8 plugs - this is why i say I NEED it to be reliable.

The only other point is there a bit expensive - im sure I can get one fabricated over here for £100 - there good at that here!!!

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I think you have hit the nail on the head.
The "Hotstart" kits in the Uk are approx £300+ and in hotter places, that would buy a lot of fuel.
I can't imagine what -20 to -25 would be like, and I certainly wouldn't like to have work on a motor in those sort of temperatures!
One of the benefits I've found with kenlowe heater is that it'll fire up an engine with a not too good a battery.
Best of luck.

Just an update on this thread so far:

Ive put new shocks all round and new steering damper + polly bushes on all new stuff. Ive put new MAF unit on there and renewed the entire HT side. Ive put a new viscous unit and fan belt on there plus its had a full service with oil and air filters etc - Its cost me about £1000 to do the lot but it is a different vehicle!!!

I now get 17mpg and drive in comfort with the aircon on permanently (40 Deg C here at the mo!) so im hoping to get more when it gets cooler.

Ive just had the familly over from the UK for a week and I have to say not may other vehicles would have been as user friendly over such a wide range of demands i.e. off road, on the beach, on road over REALLY bad roads, up mountains, filled to the gunwales, filled with dogs and toddlers and MUD!!!

All it has to do now is START regularly at -20 deg C and ill be happy (still thinking of the heater unit!)

Anglo Bulgarian said:

All it has to do now is START regularly at -20 deg C and ill be happy (still thinking of the heater unit!)

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Here in Poland winter is usually around the -20 to -30ish mark in the colder months and my 95 Disco starts ok, just remember thin oil for the winter and push the clutch down in neutral when starting, the olis in the boxes can stiffen up something chronic when its cold, even out of gear you get a drag on the engine so dropping the clutch can help get the engine turning over easier.


good luck with it and i hope it works out for you, enjoy the sun whilst you can ,its 30 degrees in Poland right now and Im back in the feckin uk seeing family and friends and its not been over 18 degrees and dry yet, its rained everyday since we got here, christ i hate the uk and its poxy weather.

DiscoPol said:

Here in Poland winter is usually around the -20 to -30ish mark in the colder months and my 95 Disco starts ok, just remember thin oil for the winter and push the clutch down in neutral when starting, the olis in the boxes can stiffen up something chronic when its cold, even out of gear you get a drag on the engine so dropping the clutch can help get the engine turning over easier.

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Thanks - i appreciate the advice from someone living in proper winter conditions and the advice re the clutch is a good one!