Roosterrs Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Looking at Discoverys but can't decide between a Discovery2 with TD5 or a Discovery3 TDV6. Discovery3 has a snappy crankshaft which puts me off. Discovery2 TD5 seems preferable but want a manual rather than auto. Are TD5 autos any good? Any advice gratefully received. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon_CSK Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 I have the TD5 and have had it for 6 years and have covered 60k miles in it with the total standing at 190k. It is a manual and I was steered away from the Auto because it is sluggish or so I was told. When I bought my car I discovered it had a very rotten chassis and rebuilt it on a galvanised one. At the time everything from the chassis down was renewed or inspected and never had a problem until recently. Now just components wearing out. This is my daily driver and I enjoy driving it. I did have a TDV6 as a coutecy car in 2007 and enjoyed it very much but like the fact that I can work on the TD5 easily and don't need to remove the body to chang the engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puffernutter Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 A friend had the TDV6 with a diesel pump that went recently. Granted he's no home mechanic, but it is an engine out job as it right at the rear (so he was told). He scrapped the car due to the cost of the repair. No experience driving them, I never graduated beyond a 300Tdi and I now have a 1989 Defender! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanco Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 I think Simon has touched on the key difference there, Td5 is a much easier DIY mechanic proposition than a D3, if you are thinking of looking after it yourself. If you are paying someone then the Td5 is likely to be cheaper. But buy a good one of either and you will no doubt be happy,..... choosing a good one is the key. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Drumstick Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 2 hours ago, Puffernutter said: A friend had the TDV6 with a diesel pump that went recently. Granted he's no home mechanic, but it is an engine out job as it right at the rear (so he was told). He scrapped the car due to the cost of the repair. That would seem like a rather knee-jerk over reaction. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Drumstick Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 12 hours ago, Roosterrs said: Looking at Discoverys but can't decide between a Discovery2 with TD5 or a Discovery3 TDV6. Discovery3 has a snappy crankshaft which puts me off. Discovery2 TD5 seems preferable but want a manual rather than auto. Are TD5 autos any good? Any advice gratefully received. What do you want to do with the vehicle? i.e. intended use. And do you want something to tinker on or modify? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Budget & intended use would be quite useful... D2 have rotten chassis, almost without exception. Also TD5's are surprisingly thirsty - for low miles you may as well have the V8 and enjoy it. D3 are very complex and do require money spending to keep them going but people have most of the major jobs worked out and parts aren't too bad, the aftermarket is catering for them and even "un-gettable" engine parts are being manufactured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roosterrs Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 Will maintain it myself hence TD5. Mainly road use as I want to replace my old defender. Budget around £5-6k. Just started to look but want something for the winter really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Drumstick Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 26 minutes ago, Roosterrs said: Will maintain it myself hence TD5. Mainly road use as I want to replace my old defender. Budget around £5-6k. Just started to look but want something for the winter really. Disco 2's are very good vehicles. But very much a traditional 4x4 with live axles and ladder chassis. This makes them pretty robust and durable for mixed use. They won't ride the best nor give a car like driving experience. But they are fully capable on the road. ACE (Active Cornering Enhancement) is truly impressive on them. They should feel like a step up from a Defender, but with a similar feel about them. They do have some electronics, but by and large all fairly simply and few things to truly stop you getting anywhere. Some have rear air suspension, which can be a bonus, but isn't a must have. Do watch for some chassis rot and leaking ACE pipes. As well as leaky sunroofs. Td5's are nice engines, although a bit of slug when coupled to an auto. The V8 is more juicy, but smoother, faster and more refined. However manual V8's are rare. The D3 is a superb bit of kit. But a totally different ballgame. It is a very different type of vehicle, much bigger and heavier and far more car like to drive. The Independent suspension make them ride quite differently and feel very different in the corners. They lack ACE however and can feel a bit rolly compared to a sorted D2. But they are vastly more complex in terms of electronics with a lot more that could potentially go wrong. The only manual in the D3 is with the 2.7 TDV6, however most are utter base spec models. Which is a shame as they don't have air suspension (they have independent coil) and you don't get the full Terrain Response system. Although on road you may not notice either of these things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roosterrs Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 The only thing putting me off a D3 is the crankshaft snapping. Found a few D2's ar Fredcars in Tewkesbury, a LandRover specialist. Seem to have a nice selection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanco Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 21 hours ago, FridgeFreezer said: even "un-gettable" engine parts are being manufactured. does that mean that DIY rebuilds are now feasible?, or still not really on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 2 hours ago, Blanco said: does that mean that DIY rebuilds are now feasible?, or still not really on? I've no idea TBH, I just know that someone commented there were engine parts which weren't available as genuine parts which are now being manufactured, possibly by the likes of Turners although I have a feeling Britpart have jumped on the bandwagon too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L19MUD Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 Rust would be the thing that would put me off a D2 now. Everyone I see now has either had major rear chassis surgery or will need it pretty soon! I personally would go for neither of those but buy a 3.6TDV8 Range Rover for 6k that has been well looked after. They have their own problems though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nonimouse Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 If you mooch about on Expedition Portal, it's interesting to see just how many colonials are using the D3 and D4. No , ok, they get the better engine options, but all say how parts have come down, dramatically, in price, thanks to the weak pound. One of the EP members runs a company that makes an excellent diagnostic app for D3/4/RRS; that is up to factory spec diagnostics. The D3/4 is an enormously capable motor - check out Andrew St Pierre White's trip up Baboon Pass in Lesotho, in a Standard vehicle. If I bought one, I'd probably still opt for the V8, but I can't shake the concerns about reliability and the problems with simple maintenance issues. I love them as a drivers vehicle and for sheer practicality. However that practicality is no where near that of my own D1 200tdi. I can tow all up weight, whilst also loading the vehicle to all up weight; rare that I need to, but it does happen. What to do when my 26 year old bus finally dies? I don't know. I've looked and looked. D2? No, not unless I change the engine and chassis. There's nothing Japanese that's better or as cheap to run. A long wheel base G would be nice - but £15k for a reasonable start of project, 30 year old bus - nope. Reminds me of an old friend, an ex pat in Spain, who owns a 30 year old RRC 200Tdi. He's inherited enough money to replace it. Upon looking around and doing some calcs, it's staying and he's doing enough work on to last another 20 years So I know what I need to do. But as to advice on what you should do..make a list. What do you need and do you want. What is it about your defender that makes you need to replace it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roosterrs Posted November 1, 2019 Author Share Posted November 1, 2019 Defender has already been sold and would like to replace it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon_CSK Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 I put a galvanised chassis on mine 6 years ago. I have put 60k on it in 6 years and the car is sitting at 199k on the clock. The inner wings need welding and the cills need welding. Then I need to do some minor maintenence and cosmetics (Sunroof, head cloth and a dented rear wing) to bring it back to a clean car. In the last year I have put 2 engines into it. One was a long term overheating issue, the other caused by a blown turbo. I also am going to change the gearbox and transfer box, not because they are essential but the gearbox jumps from 4th and the transfer box doesn't have difflock that I want to install. I am lothed to part with it. I costs me peanuts, it goes reliably most of the time however last week needed a lift home twice because of a broken fuel pipe that took 10 minutes to fix and a broken propshaft that took an hour. Since May it has done 10k If I need spares to keep it road worthy I can buy a complete car for £500.00 In summary I can keep the car going for next to nothing and I can fix it myself. Also I have a P38 as my weekend toy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nonimouse Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 It's a fair point. I was offered a clean, solid 15p vehicle the other day for £450.00 needed a replacement ECU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon_CSK Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 3 hours ago, Nonimouse said: It's a fair point. I was offered a clean, solid 15p vehicle the other day for £450.00 needed a replacement ECU And I have a replacement ECU 😅 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nonimouse Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 I have a 15P ECU, but 😃I'm avoiding projects at the moment; ;thank you anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roosterrs Posted November 2, 2019 Author Share Posted November 2, 2019 Been to look at a TD5 today, 53 plate. Nice car drove well. Only concerns were, 1, rear chassis. A bit flaky but no holes and felt reasonably solid.2, a slight ticking noise at tickover but seemed to be coming from the gearbox/bell housing area. Could hear it sometimes when driving off boost. My dad also has one of these so I called in to listen to see if it had the same noise, and it did. His has 133k on the clock and needs a new dual mass flywheel, so wondering if its this.When the boost came in, the car accelerated well and surprised me. Off boost, very sluggish. Chassis I know is 16 years old so not expecting perfect. Can you get a rear repair section? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 2, 2019 Share Posted November 2, 2019 1 hour ago, Roosterrs said: Chassis I know is 16 years old so not expecting perfect. Can you get a rear repair section? From a mate of mine's experience the rot got far enough forward that it was a massive PITA to do, in the end he'd have been just as well replacing the whole chassis given how much labour it took to do the back half. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanco Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 How far afield can you go? https://www.donedeal.ie/vintagecars-for-sale/low-mileage-discovery/23390019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L19MUD Posted November 5, 2019 Share Posted November 5, 2019 On 11/2/2019 at 9:13 PM, FridgeFreezer said: From a mate of mine's experience the rot got far enough forward that it was a massive PITA to do, in the end he'd have been just as well replacing the whole chassis given how much labour it took to do the back half. Also my experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon_CSK Posted November 6, 2019 Share Posted November 6, 2019 On 11/5/2019 at 5:56 PM, L19MUD said: Also my experience! And mine however I eventually did the swap and never regretted it. Only problem now is that I don't want to change it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roosterrs Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 Is there a manual for a 2004 TD5 D2? Can't find a land rover one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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