PROJECT TIMELINE
1 Our Disco as bought: at the time the only petrol-fired early example we could find anywhere. The vendor had bought it for precisely the same reasons but was moving it on as he just wasn’t using it enough.
2 True to form, the Disco came with the obligatory box of Land Rover bits in the back, plus the original wheels. We preferred the look of the later alloys so we’ve kept them on.
3 I’m happy to admit that when we acquired the Discovery, Land Rover knowledge wasn’t my strong point. First stop was Land Rover specialist Nene Overland for an expert assessment.
4 With the car in the workshop, we were pleasantly surprised at its general solidity. Plenty of new parts in the braking and suspension departments suggested somebody had loved it in the recent past.
5 One thing we did discover was the source of the oily smell from the rear end: a failed hub seal was throwing axle oil on to the tyre and the exhaust silencer. It proved to be a simple and cheap fix.
6 After taking a close look at the assorted tyres it came with, we decided to fit new rubber on safety grounds. Landsail came up with the goods in the shape of their CLV2 design which are marketed as an SUV tyre with mild off-road capability and good on-road refinement and grip. Having put several thousand miles on them we’d say they offer exactly that and have lasted well too. Total cost of £75 a corner fully fitted makes them a good price too.
7 One of our first tasks was to tackle the several small but irritating glitches, one of which was a nonworking passenger door window. Having determined the motor was at fault I purchased a used item only to discover it was seized... but Avenger 4x4 in Peterborough then saved the day by supplying a good tested unit. Pop fact: the motor is the same as the rear window in the MkV Escort Cabriolet...
8 With either of the twin sunroofs open, the oily fumes were unpleasant, but this proved easier to sort than I’d expected: the gauze ‘flame trap’ in the crankcase breather was blocked with black gunge. A quick clean-up and we were done.