2002 DISCOVERY 2 Td5
ROBERT KISS, WELDER/FABRICATOR, NORTHERN IRELAND
Where are you from? I am originally from Slovakia but I have been living in Keady for 12 years now.
Tell us about your Discovery I bought my Discovery over two years ago. It was not a planned thing. My friend Richard Myers had tagged me in a Facebook ad for it. It was looking a little tired and I always wanted a Discovery so I decided to take the risk and save it.
How is the engine running? The engine is running very well considering that it has already done 165,000 miles. I have not had any problems with it since I fixed the warped exhaust manifold. Regular servicing keeps it running sweetly.
What are your plans with it? Eventually I want to restore it to the best possible condition and then enjoy it, of course. My eventual plan is to transform it into a expedition vehicle and take it around Europe and maybe to Africa, although my number one destination would be Iceland.
Summarise the main bits you have done so far Despite already having a good chassis I wanted a new galvanised one, so while I swapped that out, I did some other jobs at the same time, including a new water pump, fuel regulator and injector loom. I also fitted a two-inch suspension lift, new steering box, clutch and flywheel, and reconditioned R380 gearbox with a slick shifter. Outside I opted for heavy-duty underbody protection, bigger tyres, winch bumper, rock sliders and LED light bars, while inside the cloth interior has been replaced with leather.
What are the next jobs you will be doing on it? I plan on changing the rubber bushes for polyurethane ones. I also want to remove both axles and completely rebuild them, install a battery splitcharge system and buy a roof rack. What has been the hardest part so far? It is the only car that I have, which makes it fairly stressful, so I have to plan ahead and make sure that there are no delays. I normally ensure that I have all the parts and tools ready before starting the job but from time to time I get it wrong and something is missing or else I need some special tool. The weather can throw a curve ball, too.
When will it be finished? Very good question. I can see a tiny little light at the end of the tunnel…
Who is helping you with the project? Trevor Cuthbert is my main man. Trev is a good friend and I have been fortunate enough to help him with many of his projects in past. He is very professional and taught me loads. I would also like to thank Martin Wit from WIT4X4, who has supplied me all the nice bolt-on bits, and, of course, my family – without their support I would not be able to build my dream car.