Worth the risk? Is there a risk?

[MFoltz]

Should I even be contemplating this move? 2001 Discovery II SE with 148,000 miles on it in great shape and up to date with work done to the truck. All records are in the hands of the current owner. I have always had toyotas, but have always been very bitten by the land rover bug. Never pulled the trigger as of yet. All current owners here, should I get this or not? What items should I look for? Thanks for the help!

[HillbillyfromAL]

First off if you start down this road it's likely to become an addiction. The other thing is what are you looking to do with this Rover? I do believe that the 2001's don't come equipped with the CDL. So if your buying it for mostly off-road use then maybe keep your eye out for an 03-04. You could always add the CDL later too. I'd check for rust first, then all your fluids. After your test drive let it sit running for awhile and see if it overheats. When I bought mine the thermostat, and the water pump was bad. It didn't register on the dash but the temp seemed like it took forever to warm up. It wasn't until I had it off-road going slow that it showed any signs of overheating then it went away after being able to speed up. The reservoir was full as well as the radiator but the block was dry. I fixed it as soon as the parts came in and now 15,000 miles later she's running great. I will tell you though it seems to have a way to become attached to you more like a good dog than a vehicle. They just do so much so well. I've got pics of mine on the last page of the post your Land Rover pics page.

[MFoltz]

This would not be a true primary off road vehicle, more of a DD. I have three kids that are all under 5 years of age, so running out to the mountains cannot be done all the time like in the past. I have a small truck that will be driven as well throughout the week. My wife has a sienna for the kids. So, the discovery will be driven roughly 3-4 days a week, and with the ocassional weekend trip (hopefully) to a couple of trails.

I would like to in the future make it a more true trail rig, but not at the moment. I am new to land rovers, so what is the CDL? Anything else I should look for?

[muskyman]

Most 2001's have the transfercase with the CDL they just lack the shifter needed to engage the CDL.

IMHO 2001 just might be the best year for the DII as they had very few problems other then the front driveshafts and the ABS three amigoes issues that all DII's suffer from.

03-04 might sound good but in the end the engine issues really make them a poor choice.

[PhyrraM]

......03-04 might sound good but in the end the engine issues really make them a poor choice.

Care to expand? I've read about a run of '03s that had faulty oil pumps, but never anything about the '04s? I'm in a similar boat and am deciding between a disco 1 or 2 (or a Montero w/factory rear locker).

[muskyman]

The oil pump issue is just as common on 04's as 03 DII.

People are now swapping 4.0 engines in to replace the 4.6 because there are not many good 4.6 out there.

[MFoltz]

Thanks for the info so far...I understand every vehicle has a risk when they are older. I have just heard from alot of people that discoverys are some of the trucks to stay away from. Maybe true, maybe not. Maybe I just have the bug, who knows.

[HillbillyfromAL]

With three small ones I wouldn't buy it unless it had the rear jump seats. My boys are 2, and 3 and they love to go up in the mountains on the trails. I don't go to any extreme places but it's more than just FS roads. The one thing the kids will live is the view from the back seats, because they'll really be able to see stuff. I don't think you could fit a booster and two car seats into the second row comfortably if at all.
Also the CDL is there without a control to operate it, as mentioned earlier. It wouldn't be necessary on dirt roads or stuff that's easy but on a loose hill climb it might prove to be necessary. The CDL sends power to both front and rear axles with a 50/50 split. Without the lock it would act like an open differential with power going to the path with least resistance. It's the same way with any permanent 4wheel drive setup that I've ever dealt with or seen. I would personally consider it effectively AWD without the CDL. There are after market options if you don't get it from the factory though.
The only other thing is if you work on your cars yourself then repairs are the same as with any other vehicle except you have to wait on parts more often. I've actually found my Discovery to cost less than my old 03 Diesel Excursion, or 04 F250. The way I see it is any car can have problems, so I go by the old Smiles per mile to determine what's worth fixing. The Rover I would fix anything that goes wrong with it even if it meant taking a loan out on it. Good luck

[muskyman]

"The CDL sends power to both front and rear axles with a 50/50 split"

actually this is only true when it is unlocked, when it is locked it allows 100% of available torque to go to either the front or rear.

[bullcrew]

Ive got a 2000 now and love it, it had some solid issues but that's due to neglect from previous owner. I did all major repairs and maintenance and now know what I have. Love the truck, I have 3 kids and its a bit small with them (4/12/16) bit they fit.
We wheel it pretty hard now and its modified now pretty heavily and getting more as the weeks pass for summer rock crawling and camping.

They are pretty straight forward to work on and fairly easy which is a plus.

I'm chasing down the last 2 mechanical bugs right now but they have only survived due to my lack of time or else they'd be do e withing a couple hours


They arent bad they do require maintenance but mechanically they are pretty solid electrical comforts can be a different this g ie wi does locks a eats etc.
ABS amigos, front driveshaft are the 2 main thi gs.