Land Rover ‘Disco’ Buying Guide
Up to seven seats, go anywhere 4x4, great badge. Disco 1s are still cheap… but hurry
All you need to know about buying a Discovery. The comprehensive guide.
The significance of the Discovery in the history of Land Rover cannot be under-estimated. Until the arrival of this game changer in 1989, Land Rover built agricultural off-roaders for farmers, and the Range Rover, which by this point was already a fashion accessory for the wealthy. If you wanted something in between there was nothing.
Based on the Range Rover Classic, the Discovery offered space, comfort and excellent towing abilities, yet could still dismiss difficult off-road driving with ease – the perfect inbetweeny. The Discovery was longer than a Range Rover, with the same suspension and a chassis carried over largely unchanged, complete with 100-inch wheelbase. But being far more affordable, the Discovery sold in much bigger numbers. However, the survival rate isn’t great because so many Discos led very hard lives.
Almost three decades after the Discovery made its debut it’s gaining a significant following. Enthusiasts are acquiring early examples and cherishing them, with some being restored to a superb standard. With three-door cars now very rare, these earliest models are the most collectible, with the press cars from the original launch already hugely sought after.
Although the Discovery 2 (1998-2004) looks similar, virtually nothing is interchangeable with the Discovery 1, so the focus here is on the original car made from 1989 to 1998.
Which one?
Anything that’s in really good condition, especially if the price is right, is worth a closer look. There are two types of Discovery owner; those who crave originality and those who want something modified, probably for greenlaning. There’s no overlap between the two types of owner or the two types of car, so work out what you want to do with your Discovery and as a result whether you want something standard or modified. If buying something in the latter category make sure that any work has been done to a high standard.
Most of the cars that come on to the market have a diesel engine – those with a petrol V8 tend to be the later 3.9-litre unit. Occasionally a Disco with the 2.0-litre T16 MPI engine comes up for sale. It’s reasonably powerful but can’t compete with the diesels or the V8s for effortless muscle.
Of the diesels, the 200 TDI (replaced by the 300 TDI in 1994) is the tougher of the two but it’s more agricultural. The 300 TDI is more refined and easier to work on, but can be more troublesome. A 3.5-litre V8 was fitted initially; this became a 3.9-litre unit in 1993. Very early 3.5-litre cars have carbs, the rest and all 3.9s got injection so it stays in tune and it’s more efficient. Some of the Discos in the UK have been reimported from Japan and these tend to have great bodies. Unfortunately, most have an automatic gearbox, so you might want to convert to manual (which is possible but involved). Buying a manual in the first place is cheaper and less hassle.
Bodywork
The Discovery 1 is effectively a two-door Range Rover Classic with very little changed aside from the outer skin. The rear crossmember is the only thing that’s significantly different with the sills, boot floor and wheelarches all carried over.
However, the Range Rover’s roof is alloy and the Disco’s is steel, so corrosion is highly likely; check the seams all round, although it’s not too hard to track down a decent used roof. Rot is easily the biggest killer of these cars so check everywhere.
It doesn’t help that these cars are often badly neglected. Just like the Defender and Range Rover, the Discovery is fitted with several aluminium panels, which means electrolytic corrosion is highly likely, especially on the edges of the doors, wings and lights. The door shells are steel, though, and they tend to dissolve, while their hinges wear if not lubricated, so see if they’ve dropped.
Expect rot in the rear inner wings, so get underneath the car and look for evidence of bodged repairs or recently applied underseal.
The sills and wheelarches are likely to have seen better days so feel for filler in the latter and where the former are concerned tap them with a small hammer or screwdriver and listen for a hollow ringing sound which suggests all is well. If there’s a dull clang they’re probably full of filler.
As an old-school off-roader the Discovery sits on a separate chassis that doesn’t tend to give too many problems as it’s very substantially constructed. But you still need to check it for corrosion caused by grounding.
Oily bits
Although the idea of a V8 petrol engine in a mass-market SUV might seem crazy now, quite a few Discoverys were sold with the classic Rover V8 in 3.5 or 3.9-litre form. Many have been converted to LPG; such conversions might be worthwhile if you’re planning to use the car regularly but the jury is out on how well these engines handle such fuel. If buying a Discovery that’s already been converted to LPG, make sure the job has been done properly by someone who knows what they’re doing. Ask to see a receipt and ideally a certificate of installation as you might need these to get insurance. The V8s tend to last no more than 80-90,000 miles unless meticulously maintained. The 3.9 can suffer from cracks in the cylinder bores, leading to a loss of coolant along with the oil and coolant mixing – more likely on cars that have been converted to run on LPG. All V8s can suffer from a worn camshaft and followers; regular oil changes are the way around this. Also check for failed head gaskets, often because of a lack of coolant changes.
Of the diesel engines, the 200Tdi is the most reliable as it’s all mechanical (there’s a throttle cable and mechanical fuel pump, for example); it just needs regular servicing. The 300Tdi is easier to service but significantly more complicated – it has a fly-by-wire throttle, for example. There’s also a gasket at the front of the engine (known as the P-gasket) which fails. This leads to coolant leaks, overheating, then head gasket failure, but the gasket is easy enough to replace.
The turbodiesel engines are fitted with a cambelt that Land Rover recommends is replaced every 60,000 miles on the 200Tdi and 72,000 miles on the 300Tdi. It’s better to renew it every 48,000 miles on regularly used cars but in most cases, they should be replaced every five years, regardless of mileage.
Until 1994 the manual gearbox was Land Rover’s LT77 unit; later cars got the R380. The earlier gearbox needs to be filled with automatic transmission fluid rather than MTF. If the latter is used instead, expect a really stiff gearchange.
Cars used for towing will probably have a tired transmission, so listen for whining and feel for clutch slip. High-mileage cars are likely to be suffering from worn synchromesh, with second usually the first to go. With so many Discoverys being broken, there’s no shortage of used parts, so serviceable gearboxes can be picked up cheaply.
As you come on and off the throttle there may be some driveline shunt. If there is, it’s probably because the mainshaft has worn, although the differentials can also suffer from backlash after a high mileage and the propshaft universal joints can wear too. The Disco’s weight takes its toll on the suspension so expect tired dampers along with worn bushes; the latter is given away by clonking as the car is driven over uneven surfaces. The steering might also feel vague and if there’s rear-wheel steering on the over-run it’s because the rear radius arm bushes need to be replaced. The brake discs can corrode from the outside edge towards the centre; it’s more of a problem at the rear. The brake pipes are also prone to corrode; putting the car through an MOT test should pick up on this.
The steering should be precise; if it isn’t it’s probably because a whole raft of components in the system have worn. Often, the worst culprit is the swivel on either side, which can be fixed relatively easily on a DIY basis. If the steering feels stiff it’s probably because the column needs lubricating. All cars have power steering and while it’s reliable it’s worth checking for leaks.
Trim and electrics
All early cars got cloth trim while leather was optional on facelifted models (from 1994). It’s all reasonably hard-wearing but if there have been water leaks into the cabin it’ll wreck the trim. If you’re undertaking a restoration it’s the trim that takes the most time to source but it’s all out there.
Just bear in mind that the 200 and 300 trim parts are different – the dashboard, headlining, console, steering wheel and seats were all changed, although they are interchangeable between the early and late cars. However, some facelift cars have airbags so swapping dashboards is tricky.
Most cars are seven-seaters but it’s easy to convert from five to seven seats. However, with the third row being side-facing fold-down chairs with
a lap belt, there’s no way to fit approved child seats.
The electrics are primitive – they’re less complicated than an MGB’S. Earthing issues are the most likely you’ll encounter but later 300s are more complex as they got ABS and traction control. Central locking was available from the outset and this can play up but if air-con is fitted (rare on the 200) it tends to work as it’s a simple system. Throw in instrumentation and switchgear that’s tough and available and there’s not much to worry about.