Advice - Disco purchase maybe?

[Bluey]

I'm looking around for a new vehicle, was going for a 80 series but now am also considering a discovery. I'm a complete newbie at rover stuff so some advice would be great.

basically I'm after a family sized 4wd (currently have middy cruiser but bit small (read only 2 doors with 3 kids plus associated stuff)) that needs to be safe, reliable and capable. Do some fairly hard 4wd'ing so it will end up with 35" claws or 36" simexs. only looking to spend 10k (can go higher i guess) so can spend more on mods esp driveline mods

I've read heaps of posts so want to check:
1. i guess to start off with, should i look at disco or rangie?
2. fairly sure tyres will fit with 2" bl and 2-3" springs?
2. would go for maxi drive driveline gear, what do i need to upgrade for 35's or 36's and what sort of dollars?
3. more than 50% convinced myself to go maxi drive portals, any issues running these on limited daily driver?



Cheers
Lance

[justinC]

Hi Lance,

Give me a ring on 6229 1102, got a cheap 94 disco Tdi manual for sale, I'm in Kingston.

JC

[Reddo]

Hi

Discos are quite OK, but much the same as rangies. Not as big as 80 series obviously, but this is an advantage off road and they are mucho cheaper to get into and part are readily available nowadays second hand or after market. I would feel guilty about scratching an 80 series!

Ensure gearbox has been modified to fix to output shaft lube issue, and the engine has been looked after and fixed when required, eg, dissy, vacuum advance, injectors etc.

Standard diffs/CVs tend to be a bit weak, although like any vehicle this depends how you treat them and what you drive on ie rocks or mud.

Best modifications to diffs to take 35's will cost you around 6k to do properly, eg, jac mac air lockers ($1200 each), later model axles in rear (40 bucks from wreckers), jacmac axles and nissan CVs/heavier drive flanges in front (most expensive part @3.3K) and 4.11 ring and pinion (say 1K)- if you want to get gearing back for on-road use. Off road, they are still very good with standard R&P.

You will need a body lift of over 2inches, 2 inch spring lift and will definetely need to trim guards to suit and fit flares.

After than sit back and enjoy the ride!.

[Reddo]

PS even with all of the above, Disco Dave came in around 10K.

PPS locallly made portals are way too expensive, will affect on road and I believe are illegal under the new Vehicle Mod Code. Having said that, heavier mods are mostly illegal nowadays!

[Maggot4x4]

Or you can go GQ front diff which is Bolt On, just need to make a panhard bracket on the diff or custom panhard, and steering arm

< 1k

80 Series rear diff, does require some welding but fairly straight forward.

< $800

You get 4.11's as standard, much stronger centres and axels, and airlockers / wheels are much easier to find.

Check out my members thread

http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... highlight=

[Reddo]

agree on the diff swap option, and would ahve done the same but here in little Tassie nissan front end cost 1500 plus, and was quoted 3k from wreckers (only ones I could find at the time) for front and rear before modding in. Mainland princes are cheaper cause there's more of em about! Could ship them in I guess....

[Bluey]

thanks for the replies

JunstinC: i have sent you a pm

Reddo: Disco Dave, is that the name for camoflage beast. doubt i'd get a bargain like yours reddo, but around 6k for upgrades is certainly not out of the question. i know the portals are prob too much, will have to call mal and see what you get for the $$$. would be awesome though huh!?

Maggot4x4: hadn't considered diff swaping, how much welding and stuffing around? would definately get some help if went this way, maybe even pay someone else to do it, dont know. i read your members thread, but no pics dont help. does this mean cruiserr rear/patrol front diffs work out to be around same strength as full modded rover stuff?


can anyone give me some idea of how big the boot area really is, maybe even a pic via pm/email maybe???


thanks guys
Lance

[ISUZUROVER]

Last I heard, Mal's portals were about $12000 a set of 4. You still need lockers and maybe inner axles as well. They seem to be well made but a lot of $$$.

If you want to do the toyota centre conversion, you can buy a bolt-in kit from Macnamara for about 6-8k front and rear including lockers, but you will have a low-pinion front. If you are happy to buy the toyota centres and other bits and do the mods yourself (or pay a mate), and just buy the axles from jacmac, you can get the cost down to about $3k.

Other mods like complete axle swaps (like Maggot is suggesting) may cost more or less depending on how much you can do yourself - but eitherway, budget an absolute minimum of $3k for complete axles and lockers.

[justinC]

Hey Lance,

If you go the Cruiser stuff, I'll fit it all up. Maggots write up is interesting, and not such a bad idea.

I'd go diesel, even though the 8's sound great, a Tdi with the big turbo and a 3" system sounds hot too. Torque is more than enough if you get the right gearing under it.

JC

[Bluey]

man, you guys reply fast around here


gotta agree about the v8, while it (all v8's) sound cool, i prefer diesels and i'm under the impression rover diesel are quite economical to run. something to do with 4 cycl 2.5l? instead of 6 cycl 4.2l. plus discos are heaps cheaper than patrol/cruisers second hand

the 80 series rear would be good for me as i already have a 80 series rear locker

[Maggot4x4]

Here is a pic of my rangie with 80 series f&r diffs, If I was to do it all again it would be GQ front and 80 rear.

I'd buy a cheap V8 then 4BD1 it, you can find them brand new for $4500

[justinC]

don't tell him that Ash, I'm not ready to do another Isuzu fit up yet!!

Still recovering from my epic auto adaption saga.

would make for a perfect rig though, with a turbo and intercooler on the 4BD1 it'd make twice the torque of reddo's 3.5 at half the revs, and use half the fuel.....

( I like to stir)


jc

[stinger]

I have both, a disco and an 80.

For ease I would mod an 80 from reading above, to much stuffing around to mod a disco.

Mine does not have a body lift, has a 6 inch suspension lift and I run 35s. I saw a new complete 6 inch lift kit for $2K on ebay today, bang on your 35/36s throw in your rear locker and away you go.

Price wise 80s have dropped dramatically in the last 12 mths even diesels. I reakon I could get a good diesel for less than 10k now by shopping around.

Fuel economy 80 (diesel, hairdryer, 35s, 6 inch lift, bar, winchs, slidders, kamar rear) gets 6.5 km/L disco (2003 TD5 auto, side steps, custom rear bar, bullbar, stock height & tyres) gets 7.5km/l, not much of a difference.

[Reddo]

yeh, will get around to painting it one day. Comments re 80 series are noted, but they are still more exe than Discos, and are bigger, heavier and prettier to scratch up and bang around. They also have issues with gearbox, diff (front esp), hubs and so on.......so you'll have to fork out for mods to stop probs with bigger wheeels.

...and everyone's got one, so there's nothing unique there!

Diff swaps are a good idea, but only if you have access to cheap units that don't require repairs, and you can weld or affo0rd to pay someone to do so. The stuff we used (axles, locakers, spring, shocks etc) was off the shelf and fitted by us and maintains the Rover 'benefits', eg, can rotate front housings to easily correct caster and has higher diff clearance than Nissan. So.....it's a matter of personal choice and ability and cash reserves!

[stinger]

They may be more expensive initially depending on what you get but the same can be said for a disco. And you do not need to spend time and money modifying it. If you want something light I suggest going for a zook, but you compromise on room. BTW 80s have a shit load more room than discos, but you compromise on the overall weight of the vehicle.

If you use any 4WD for what they are built for they are going to get a few love bites and scratches, I would rather scratch my 80 than the disco.

My 80 is pretty stock in the drive train and the only time I break anything is when I use testosterone to drive (read right foot) rather than using my head and I take my vehicle where they really should not be taken, but hey that is what I built and own it for. Extreme hardcore shit from mud, rocks, hills, water where most people do not follow.

I have trained my navi to remind me to drive it not floor it when I start getting to excited.

And if everyone has one it means second hand parts are plenty full and relatively cheap.

Bluey where are you? you can come around and have a look and compare the two side by side if you want.

[Bluey]

test drove one disco today, checked a few others out. was quite impressed with interior size, should be ample for what i want to do. was a 300tdi, you certainly know about the turbo lag

came across a 99 range rover, quite liked this and the wife loved it. later on i rang maxi drive to get some prices, very helpful i must say. among other things said to stick to disco or rangie classic (up to '95) and the hse was bit of a lemon

as for a 80 series, i know the drivetrain is stronger, and if i find a absolute bargain i might buy it. but, i find modded cruiser/patrols a bit boring. at least with my middy it was different to everyone else. considering i'd be betting diff locks for my next car no matter what it is, it is no real extra work to chuck in some new axles, c.v's and r&p to correct gearing.

[Bluey]

Oh yeah .. another thing is that heaps of people have 80 series cruisers and if I buy a patrol i'll end up owning a Nissan

[justinC]

Lance,

Don't forget the intercooler hose on Brads disco is leaking off a fair bit of boost at the moment since it split a fortnight ago...Slacko hasn't replaced it yet. That would be the excessive hissing under boost...

When you drop the gearing to 4.11's, even with 35's it will be lower geared and accelerate better anyway.

Fuel bill on these is about 24Mpg driven hard.

Sorry I couldn't speak with you today, I was fairly under the pump as you could probably tell! Any Q's feel free to Phone.

Regards,JC

[Bluey]

Last I heard, Mal's portals were about $12000 a set of 4. You still need lockers and maybe inner axles as well. They seem to be well made but a lot of $$$.

i was told $14k, for all the portal boxes, brackets brake hoses etc and the inner axles. so would need lockers (around 1200 ea as axles already supplied). cv's, r&p, transfer gears options on top of this

i'm pretty much decided on tyres 36" simexs (not vehicle tho ), so am i better with a disco or a late rangie classic ie steel coils


thanks again guys

[ISUZUROVER]

Last I heard, Mal's portals were about $12000 a set of 4. You still need lockers and maybe inner axles as well. They seem to be well made but a lot of $$$.

i was told $14k, for all the portal boxes, brackets brake hoses etc and the inner axles. so would need lockers (around 1200 ea as axles already supplied). cv's, r&p, transfer gears options on top of this

i'm pretty much decided on tyres 36" simexs (not vehicle tho ), so am i better with a disco or a late rangie classic ie steel coils


thanks again guys

IMO you would be better off with a defender wagon. Then you have the much stronger salisbury rear end, which can handle 36s much better than a rover diff could, and lockers are cheaper. But not everyone likes the defender seating position.

[SteveC]

Hi Bluey
I have an '85 4 door Rangie Classic with 2" body and 2 " spring lift.
Also has wheel arches cut and Rangie Spares flanges fitted.
Has new 33" MTS at the moment, will easily take 35's.
In excellent condition.
Looking for $5,500
Can email pics if interested, it is the same colour as Maggot4x4.
Steve