Michaels's Discovery

michaels

Explorer
i don't really consider this a "build up" or an expedition vehicle for that matter. however, i do use it for my daily driver, offroad toy, and travel vehicle all in one.

this particular disco was owned by the father of one of my friends. he bought it two years old, with only 18,000 miles on it at the time. over the next two years, it was garage kept, washed weekly, and driven to only 39,000 miles. it was immaculate, to say the least.
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i kept it stock for a good seven months. i wheel it a good bit and was very impressed with its capabilities. finally it was time to start modifying it. so naturally, i built some rock sliders.
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a few months later, i found a good deal on a used SD rack. however, it was rusted badly and was covered in a horrible looking coating of herculiner. so i sanded the whole thing down, and repainted it.i then added farmtek chicken coop flooring held down by 175lb zip ties. it's a perfect platform for stowing my tent cot, bike, and/or relaxing in a fold out chair.
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i drove it around like that for several days while i waited for my rovertym goodies to arrive. i ordered:
  • front and rear diff guards
  • old style front bumper
  • RR4 and RR3 2" springs
  • Ome shocks and steering stabilizer

i had originally ordered the RR1 rear springs, but they sent me the wrong ones. i was antsy, and was leaving for school in a few days, so i went ahead and installed them. the ride is nice, but for heavier loads, i eventually want to go with the heavier duty springs. i chose 255/85/r16 BFG MTs mounted on some stock rover wheels that i bought off dweb. they fit nicely into the DII wheel wells; however, i found out the hard way that when fully compressed in the rear, the sheetmetal WILL eat some lugs. so out comes the dremel this weekend...

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michaels

Explorer
i removed my stock washer bottle, and not wanting to lose the ability to clean my windshield (not that it really helps much anyways), my father and i built a new washer bottle out of pvc, and position it beneath the radiator, between the frame rails. the fill-tube goes behind the grille.
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since then, i have mostly been at school studying. i did take a few trips, wire in a backup light, mount a pair of hella 4000 cornering beams on the front bumper (to be wired still...), and do some general maintenance.

next i will move onto my "expedition cargo setup." in other words, i'll be replacing the cargo door panel with stainless steel, incorporating a fold-down table, and hopefully remove my jumpseats in order to add a set of drawers/cubbies to store my recovery gear, tools, and miscellaneous items i always keep in my truck. my goal is to make what i can myself, and buy only what i can't.

anyways, i will update this as it progresses. i have some actions shots i'll upload later on today.
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cheers,
mike
 
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Alaska Mike

ExPo Moderator/Eye Candy
I like what you've done so far. Your solutions have been quite interesting, and I especially like the washer bottle. Keep us updated.
 

pangaea

Adventurer
Nice truck... of all the D2s, the 04 is by far the best one to pick up.

I third the solution for the windshield washer fluid, interesting idea. :clapsmile
 

michaels

Explorer
well the washer bottle wasn't my idea. i just tweaked it a little bit. it works perfectly and is definitely nice to have. the only problem is that i can't see when it's getting low. i guess when it stops squirtin water i'll find out. :)

i'm heading on a camping trip tomorrow night, so i'll use that to figure out what my needs are.

i have a tent cot that usually just keep on the ground, but i'm thinking about throwing it up on the roofrack. i tried that when i got it, but it felt really unstable. i think that if i just strap it down this time, then it'll be better.

i have some plans for my rear cargo area. i'll post up pictures of the plans once i finish drawing them.

cheers,
mike.
 

ChuckB

Expedition Leader
pangaea said:
Nice truck... of all the D2s, the 04 is by far the best one to pick up.

The more I see the '04 D2's the more I like them. This one is awesome! I saw one around here the other day that had a lift and arb on the front...very nice looking.

Just curious what makes the 04 D2s the best?
 

jeff_wright

Adventurer
First off they have the 4.6L and in '04 they LR reincorporated the difflock in addition to the ETC which makes for an awesome "out of the box" setup. They're also known to lack some of the issues the '03s have had with low-mileage head gasket issues and a couple other recalls.
 

FourByLand

Expedition Leader
michaels said:
well the washer bottle wasn't my idea. i just tweaked it a little bit. it works perfectly and is definitely nice to have. the only problem is that i can't see when it's getting low. i guess when it stops squirtin water i'll find out. :)

i'm heading on a camping trip tomorrow night, so i'll use that to figure out what my needs are.

i have a tent cot that usually just keep on the ground, but i'm thinking about throwing it up on the roofrack. i tried that when i got it, but it felt really unstable. i think that if i just strap it down this time, then it'll be better.

i have some plans for my rear cargo area. i'll post up pictures of the plans once i finish drawing them.

cheers,
mike.

Mike,

I have the double and I put it on the rear of the safety devices with straps and well... I guess I was a sissy. Mine stayed on the ground... be safe and how about a side profile with the 255's? Thanks and looks great by the way!
 

pangaea

Adventurer
jeff_wright said:
First off they have the 4.6L and in '04 they LR reincorporated the difflock in addition to the ETC which makes for an awesome "out of the box" setup. They're also known to lack some of the issues the '03s have had with low-mileage head gasket issues and a couple other recalls.

Jeff pretty much nailed it: Bigger engine, diff lock and the most reliable of the D2s.
 

michaels

Explorer
decided to go a little more expo style. built a cargo box:
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a drawer is soon to go on the left.camping supplies go on the right; tools, recovery gear, and tie down straps on the left. it also slants to the angle of the rear seats:
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ripped out the jump seats for space for extra doodads.:
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got some hella 4K cornering beams. man these things rock in the mountains:
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made a road trip up to Blairsville, GA for the 2008 Southern Appalachian Expedition:
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stopped for some scenic photos:
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got to the camp ground late, and woke up to this:
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and it was really enjoyable:
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