SharkyMarc Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 I have the choice between a solid 1998 S reg 300tdi for £1500, or an early TD5 for around the 2k mark. This is going to be a weekend offroader, that can do trips to Wales etc. I have all the offroad bits on my 300tdi to transfer which would be easier but is the td5 that much better?? What would you guys go for??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimaquinas Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 hi i would stay with the 300tdi as 2 of my mates run td5s and they have nothing but problems always breaking down and expensive repares i can buy a 1999 110 td5 for 1800 euros but needs engine repare i will stick with my 94 300tdi hth brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off Road Toad Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 if you want a plodder get the 300, but the reliability is all down to the engines history. A mistreated tdi won't be any more reliable than a TD5. i converted my 1998 300tdi to TD5 (after 200k miles with the 300) and the TD5 is far superior in terms of performance and driveability in my eyes. I think the best thing you can do is drive both vehicles back to back before making your decision. A TD5 is nothing to be scared of, they're not that complicated. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimAttrill Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 I am thinking of buying a 1998 300tdi Disco with an overhauled engine ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 a TDI is reliable yes, but for gods sake DO NOT BUY if its an auto!! just drove one with a trailer on round the UK as a support vehicle for our tractor drive. overheated the gearbox many times, and ended up taking a 450 mile trip on the back of various AA trucks. the manuals are a diferent story. although as the 300 seems a bit more lazy than the 200 IMO and a TD5, although more electronic, is a great machine. the only downside is the loom problem and the gallons of turbo lag. both can be sotred though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 The autbox is ressentially the same as the one that sits behind the 190BHP 3.9V8, and are considered very reliable, I suspect maybe you had a duff one, you shouldn't be overheating a gear box in normal driving, or even during towing unless in extreme circumstances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 i know its usually a reliable box. this land rover hadnt seemed to be looked after particularly well. ARB hanging off one side, etc. my suspicions of towing at 10mph, (not much airflow to the cooler) even though only towing an extra ton so not a lot. Also the box isnt really matched to the engine. i.e. the power band fot a TDI is when its labouring and boosting whereas the box wants the engine to rev when its struggling. doesent feel nice for a TDI and also means the vehicle will end up revving its tits off at 30mph up a hill on the motorway when only towing 2.5 tons. the box is pretty decent behind a v8. but i suppose once the fluid cooks once. it needs changing before it damages the plates in the box. as it overheats easier and easier the more it cooks. when we rang up the owner to say it had cooked after not a lot, he did say, oh it does that. just keep going. to get back into brian and be able to travel at the limit with a trailer afterwards did feel great though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disco_al Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 i've always preferred the tdi's - but after driving my brothers TD5 (before and after remapping) i'm converted - would love one myself - if you do go for the TD5, get the silicone hoses, a remap and a decent intercooler - you won't be disappointed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 If the choice was between the two I'd buy on condition of the individual vehicle rather than the type. A good late 300Tdi will be a great buy, as would a good early Td5 but either could equally be a complete dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axlechorus Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I would agree with BogMonster that the condition is probably the most important thing as either one could be a complete dog and you could easily spend a lot more than the difference putting either one right. A few other points would be - You do have all your off road bits for the 300tdi so it would be worth factoring that in as a cost which you would save compared to buying/sourcing new parts for the td5 even if they were offset by selling your tdi parts. - Certain parts on the td5 which would be fairly consumable in the off road environment are much more expensive for the td5 than tdi. I am specifically thinking hub bearings here as a sealed unit on the td5. This maybe something to consider in terms of running costs perhaps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off Road Toad Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 How do the bodies hold out on D2's? i heard they were galvanised unlike the 300's notoriously tin wormy bodies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boydie Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 My 300TDi has the ZF4HP22 auto and it's done well over 30,000 kilometers of desert driving through some very deep sand dunes and in ambients well over 40 degress centigrade without a hassle so i'd guess that the auto box you had Mickey was stuffed to begin with. In our last trip we ended up towing a Toyota Troopy with a burn out clutch for over 60 k's and the auto oil high temp light never looked like coming on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boydie Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 As for the choice of a 300TDi or a TD5. If you are comfy with electronics then the TD5 would be the way to go, it's just that bit more sophisticated and the electronic brain takes care of a lot of things going on in the engine. If like me you view printed circuit boards with total confusion then go for the totally mechanical 300TDi, the only electrical thing on the "engine" is the fuel cut off switch. I've driven mine with friends who have TD5's and quite frankly apart from the higher and smoother top end speed there is no difference between the two, from comparison of historical records though my 300Tdi seems to be a bit more frugal on fuel consumption in the bush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 How do the bodies hold out on D2's? i heard they were galvanised unlike the 300's notoriously tin wormy bodies? Generally seem to be better than the D1 as they did away with a lot of the classic rot points on the D1 like the seam inside the second row door aperture. Mine is mint but I'd expect it to be as it's always garaged, rarely used in the winter and never used when it's salty, but I can't think of any I know that are holey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 the chassis themselves are starting to go a bit on the early models now though. so just watch out for rot on them, i dont know the places they like to go this is just what ive been told by a few poeple Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 the chassis themselves are starting to go a bit on the early models now though. so just watch out for rot on them, i dont know the places they like to go this is just what ive been told by a few poeple Richards Chassis are now starting to manufacture replacement D2 chassis according to their website .... so I guess that may be an indication that D2 bodywork lasts longer as they never bothered with D1 chassis as far as I know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 the chassis themselves are starting to go a bit on the early models now though. so just watch out for rot on them, i dont know the places they like to go this is just what ive been told by a few poeple Its the rear legs either side of the fuel tank that really seem to suffer. Mines been waxoyled and is pretty decent underneath, but i have seen some dreadful looking ones that werent that old! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 The problem is that the D2 never had a proper chassis coating like the old ones, Defenders kept it for a bit longer but then they went to the new "igh kwality" paint job too. Waxoyl is the best thing you can do, I still haven't done mine as I can never get it clean enough for long enough, but this summer I intend to try! I had the Ranger done with "Underseal with added waxoyl" when it was brand new and will be doing that with every other vehicle I ever buy in the future, it is much better to do it when all is squeaky clean and then it's sorted for life. I used this stuff http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/hammerite-6711403-underbody-seal-1-litre-p109573 it gives a lovely thick black finish which seems pretty resistant to stone damage (we have a lot of gravel roads here and I drive one daily to get home) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 my galv chassis is waxoyled for extra protection. just picked up a load of veg oil to run on, and it leaked out the back and thinned it out, meaning the waxoyl has half falln off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscoHere Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 ok so the general gist of this thread is .....Disco 1 for economy and MPG and replacement parts as well as low top speed and the Disco 2 if you like electronics and smooth ride. I recently changed from a 1 to a 2 and thats about the size of what I think too. I am still not convinced I made the right choice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscoHere Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 ok so the general gist of this thread is .....Disco 1 for economy and MPG and replacement parts as well as low top speed and the Disco 2 if you like electronics and smooth ride. I recently changed from a 1 to a 2 and thats about the size of what I think too. I am still not convinced I made the right choice Hugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimAttrill Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Disco II autos are dogs unless you muck about with the ECU map. My party trick with any D II auto was to start if from cold and, while standing outside the vehicle, give it full throttle. There is a slight hill by our workshop and the Disco would just stand there with the engine revving. It's quicker by push bike! Disco autos were sold by LR dealers as the sort of vehicle to tow a horse box. Don't do this in hot weather as the oil will overheat and then its bye bye gearbox. I have changed two. What we do nowadays is replace the DXII ATF with synthetic oil which doesn't break down at 120c. Castrol make a good oil which isn't too pricey. Unfortunately you can't drain all the old ATF out so the oil has to be replaced a couple of times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisbowler Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Not surprised you have changed two gearboxes if that is the way you treat them with your " party trick" Sympathetic td5 owner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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