Igol

Thanks for the offer but I reckon the new postal prices will kill that option.

My tow bar is goingto be due some serious attention next year before the MOT. The strengthening plate inside the mount is now a pile of rusty flakes and theres other bits of corrosion around the arms. I could take it off and try to patch it but its going to be hard to chop out all the rot so I'm thinking of a new one. Yep could just take it off and from the title you'll see my occasional use for it, I dont think I've towed anything since I took a trailer to MPA many years ago, so I dont need anything fancy. Anyone any reccomendations? Without using the word 'britpart'

Definately could do with another photo sequence for the Disco. I followed the one on here for the Rangey, and its pretty good but would have felt better with Disco specific pics. Having said that, the job looked far worse than it actually was and the proceedure was actually pretty easy (how often can you say that for any job on a Disco??!)

I'm with FF rebuild your original ones for a fraction of the cost. I've just fitted one I got from a scrappy and reconditioned myself and am planning on getting a new kit and cleaning up the old lockheed one and sticking it on ebay.

I've replaced my cross member in the summer (YRM kit) and gave up with the plastic tophats and went for allen bolts screwed into rivits in the U channel. Seems to work ok for me though did need to source some pretty long machine screws.

Yep YRM. I did mine back in April and couldnt have been easier when it came to fitting the new YRM piece. You know its only going to get worse when you start cutting out the rot so save yourself the unnecessary work.

I went with 3/16 22g soft copper when I did mine last year and not had any problems...well not with the rear. The ABS light has gone out now I've fitted a brake caliper I got off a scrappy and reconditioned

I'm kicking around the idea of adding a second deep cycle battery to power a heating band on the fuel filter for the winter months when the old bus doesnt like eating veg oil. And for the nay sayers; yes I know that using veg oil means that I will be condemned to hell and my car will turn into Christine and go on a killing spree that I'm responsible for. As with previous poster I'm thinking an isolator to prevent the battery charging when the band wont be in use and a switch to turn it on 10/15 mins before I need to go anywhere.

Think your right guys plywood is the cheap and easy option. Problem with miniguns is ammo expenditure and the amount I'd have to store

I've spent the long weekend sticking in a new cross member and have just spent yet another happy day fettling and welding after I discovered that the wheel arch and body work had had a major falling out and were undergoing a trial separation (the inner sill is also having a bad time after having an affair with tinworm). So while sat there breathing in those healthly welding fumes and topping up my iron oxide content I started thinking if I really wanted to replace the dicky seats and the twin speakers in the back door? The dickies never really get used and the speakers need replacing if they're going to work so what else can I do to tidy up the load space? I quite like the checker plate door card but is there something similar that will fit where the dickies were? Any suggestions.....sensible ones preferably though if anyone can tell me how to fit 20mm hispanos in the grill to remove Micras from the road

And I've one to shift off mine next week so I'm hoping that the kit'll do the job then as well

Irwin kit worked on many bolts for me in the past, only problem is I've knackered one and would have to buy the full set to replace it And DONT get the silverline version.

I had a similar little hole on my bus that I patched up when I replaced the boot floor, I also patched up a body mount support when I first got it. Now my rear lists a tad and the back door had to be lifted over the bumper to open - YRM X member is primed ready to fit next month. Its a disco assume that when you go poking around it'll only get a lot worse and then things wont seem so bad

Ok, wrong choice of word, polypropylene webbing straps.

I've gone for the 10 mil nylon webbing and plastic buckle route with mine. Makes life a damn sight easier when your not fighting the rod that sticks up hooking the lip of the battery whenever you try replace the thing also a lot cheaper. As for MOTs; never even been mentioned.

Oh and as FF said; get a grinder, your going to need it for pretty much every job you'll ever have to do, possibly with the exception of pumping up the tyres....

I have to say theres a bit of a defeatist attitude in this thread, ok the boot floor is probably shot as well, the rear cross member will have gone too and the plastic shields are probably hiding a load of big holes in the front wheel arches...but its a disco isnt that what you/we expect?? I've a cheap nasty little gasless mig and my tame welder hates it; still does the job and thanks to watching my step son at it I'm pretty good now too. Theres plenty of replacement panels out there for the old bus, look at it as a learning experience and enjoy the perverse world of disco fettling, nothing will scare you after that. My mothers fiesta came back with a MOT fail and welding needing doing due to 'major corrosion' the hole in the chassis was a joke after owning a disco and a simple bit of welder play.

Checked the coolent yesterday and everything else that I could think of, in the weather we've been having the last thing I'd expect is for the thing to get hot when its meant too??!! Ever since I had it I expected at least 6-10 miles before the engine had warmed up enough to share a tiny bit of heat in the cab, thankfully the gale that blows in from the doors keeps things from getting to warm and uncomfortable

Anyone care to guess why my heater has started working? I've had the normal years of waiting til temp gauge reached halfway before anything reached slightly warm and since the start of the new year within about 2 mins warm air is coming from the vents...its worrying to say the least, aircon isnt on and you dont expect things to work.

And dont worry if you cant weld, you'll soon be able too.

Looked at the DIY biodiesel route a while ago, process is pretty simple and folk are buying waste glycerol around here, the only problem I found was the methonol required, you can get it easily enough with no restrictions, but generally only in an IBC which seemed a tad too much to keep in the yard. So running 50/50 svo right now.

And in the meantime get a new spring bought as it wont belong before it snaps and you need to replace it.

Had a little lay underneath and a look and first thing to jump out at me was the nice shiny metal gouges where the donut bolts had been hitting the prop and rear dif link. Turning the prop by hand showed a fair amount of movement in the donut and the assorted new cracks where there shouldnt be any. Probably explains why it started happening in last weeks cold snap though the donut and rear prop were all replaced last year at about this time so a little pee'd off its gone already, on the plus side I do have a nice new donut with the reassuring words GKN embossed on it unlike the current one. Hopefully this is the cause and not the symptom of something else I'll find out next week when I get time to do some tinkering. Also notice that the plate I'd bodged on the rear support a while back had dissappeared and hence the need to lift the rear door to open it, thats a job for the spring.

Trip back from work last night helped me narrow things down to transmission/props. The banging/judder only happens under load and comes from the floor, hand on the gear lever doesnt feel the knocking anywhere near as much as my feet do and my top speed is 50 and that takes some getting to. Had a quick look round last night when I got in but nothing obvious was showing, wheels arent glowing red hot or anything, I'm getting under her this morning to top off the diff oil and grease the nipples and see what nasty suprises are obvious.

New suspension and springs last year and the boot floor and sills sorted the year before. The list, mainly showing in the door, I'm putting down to the cross member on that side having gone. Any other ideas?