Beginner Intrested in purchasing a Disco I--Help Please.

[cxavierc21]

I am currently 15 and, sadly, have a few more months untill I can drive. For as long I can remember I have been fasinated by off-road vehicles, Land Rovers in peticular. For the past two years I have been working to be able to afford a Discovery. I am planing on spending $3500-$5000 on the vehical its self, the cheaper the better(more money for after-market upgrades.) I would like information/advice on everything from selecting a vehicle to the order of upgrades. Here is a list of thing I would like to do(feel free to change it):



1.) Paint Job. Would be a good idea to do first?
2.) ARB Bull bumper. If I opt not to get the winch at first can I later?
3.) FULL roof rack w/ Jerri cans. Can someone recomend a specfic rack? Also is there a cheaper way to attach the cans to the rack than the $79.99 attachers?(Don't know what they are called)
4.) 2" lift. I liked the PRO COMP ones (because of the yellow springs, not any profesional reason haha) in this months Rovers North mail-issue, are those any good?
5.) A set of bad-ass looking off-roading tires. Being 15 makes asthetics paramount.
6.) Window Tint.
8.) Any Internal/Engine/Preformance Enhancing Upgrades. I don't know much about this.
9.) A differential. Locking? Limited Slip? English please?
10.) Skid Plates/Underbody Protection.
11.) Snorkel.

THANKS!

[TSR53]

Welcome to the RoversNorth forum. A Land Rover Discovery I is good choice for a first vehicle. Once you get this, what I would do is to go through the vehicle and make sure ALL the basics are functioning properly and ALL maintenance is up to snuff. This will get you familiar with the vehicle quickly and you'll realize that you may need to save a load more for the extra goodies later. If you intend to do all the work yourself, this will even more enhance your membership into the bloody knuckles club.

Safety First!
- Buy ALL the necessary manuals and read up.
- Brakes, pads, rotors, brake fluid flush, replace all as needed.
- Engine tune up, air filter, plugs, wires, cap/rotor (depending if you get an early 3.9 or later 4.0 liter)
- Change out all the gear oil, differential fluids, ZF trans filter, new ATF
- Electricals, all bulbs, lights functioning properly
- Any other safety driveability issues

Once it works as it should, and you've passed your driving test with flying colors, go out and get enrolled into a off-road driving school or find fellow Land Rover Owner's in your local area to learn from. Yes, learn how it drives bone stock. You will be amazed at the off-road capability it has.

Then later... you can start adjusting the attitude, look and accessorizing of your new Land Rover Discovery. Keep us posted on your progress.

[cxavierc21]

Welcome to the RoversNorth forum. A Land Rover Discovery I is good choice for a first vehicle. Once you get this, what I would do is to go through the vehicle and make sure ALL the basics are functioning properly and ALL maintenance is up to snuff. This will get you familiar with the vehicle quickly and you'll realize that you may need to save a load more for the extra goodies later. If you intend to do all the work yourself, this will even more enhance your membership into the bloody knuckles club.

Safety First!
- Buy ALL the necessary manuals and read up.
- Brakes, pads, rotors, brake fluid flush, replace all as needed.
- Engine tune up, air filter, plugs, wires, cap/rotor (depending if you get an early 3.9 or later 4.0 liter)
- Change out all the gear oil, differential fluids, ZF trans filter, new ATF
- Electricals, all bulbs, lights functioning properly
- Any other safety driveability issues

Once it works as it should, and you've passed your driving test with flying colors, go out and get enrolled into a off-road driving school or find fellow Land Rover Owner's in your local area to learn from. Yes, learn how it drives bone stock. You will be amazed at the off-road capability it has.

Then later... you can start adjusting the attitude, look and accessorizing of your new Land Rover Discovery. Keep us posted on your progress.

I am planning on doing the work with a local off-roading enthusist. How much do you think the above would cost to do?

[TSR53]

The cost of getting a Land Rover Discovery I back up to normal operating spec really depends upon the condition that it is in and what is needed when you purchase this. All the tools for getting a cost quote are at your finger tips.

Just for starters, Rovers North offers ProLine brake kits starting at $89.50 for the rear axle set on a Discovery I

Discovery I Front Brake Kit $99.75
http://www.roversnorth.com/store/p-4...scovery-i.aspx

Discovery I Rear Brake Kit $89.50
http://www.roversnorth.com/store/p-4...scovery-i.aspx

Discovery II Front Brake Kit $129.00
http://www.roversnorth.com/store/p-4...ds-rotors.aspx

Discovery II Rear Brake Kit $119.00
http://www.roversnorth.com/store/p-4...ds-rotors.aspx


Of course, we also offer Land Rover Genuine Brake Kits for Discovery vehicles.

[cxavierc21]

I would like to give it a matte black custom paintjob too. Is it all possible to do this my self, as a learning experence. Also If I can/can't what would the cost be.

[cxavierc21]

Anyone else? Any tips are welcome.

[Stephen99D1]

I would start as Thompson has suggested. Ensure the vehicle is in sound operating condition. You wouldn't want a great looking vehicle that is then stuck in your driveway (and not able to be shown off) while you save up for a potential major repair.

Then I would re-arrange your priorities like this:

4.) 2" lift. I liked the PRO COMP ones (because of the yellow springs, not any profesional reason haha) in this months Rovers North mail-issue, are those any good?
10.) Skid Plates/Underbody Protection. Diff guards and rock sliders.
5.) A set of bad-ass looking off-roading tires. Being 15 makes asthetics paramount. BF Goodrich Mud Terrains look good and perform very well, no matter the terrain. 235/85R16s on whatever stock wheels you're running.

The rest of these can come along at anytime and really in no particular order, but perhaps something like this...
1.) Paint Job. Would be a good idea to do first? Very much a personal preference, but you seem pretty enthusiastic about it, so we'll keep it higher in the list.
2.) ARB Bull bumper. If I opt not to get the winch at first can I later? Yes.
9.) A differential. Locking? Limited Slip? English please? Drive it a year or so, then we can have a long talk on here about drivetrain upgrades.
3.) FULL roof rack w/ Jerri cans. Can someone recomend a specfic rack? Also is there a cheaper way to attach the cans to the rack than the $79.99 attachers?(Don't know what they are called) Forget the can mounts. I have the racks for my Hannibal and they haven't been useful. Only serve to tear up the cans. Just strap the cans down to your rack with ratchet straps.
6.) Window Tint.
8.) Any Internal/Engine/Preformance Enhancing Upgrades. I don't know much about this. Just keep it well maintained.
11.) Snorkel. Looks cool and is handy in a dusty environment. Anything else... well, it looks cool.

THANKS!

The price range for everything above can vary quite a bit. For example, a paint job could be a few hundred bucks to several thousand.

You can check out prices for most of this in the catalog as stated. Tires normally run around $160 +/- $25 each; kind of depends on where you live and if you can catch them on sale. Many people will say positive things about Hi-Tec Retread tires (google it, I may have misspelled). They look good and folks say they perform well, and for about 1/3 the cost of a new set of BFGs.

Roof rack prices vary depending on which one you get. Also look into used racks. Brownchurch, Hannibal, and the ever popular but hard to come by Safety Devices are all favorites in the community.

Seriously, don't even concern yourself with axle upgrades yet (differentials, gearing, lockers, etc). Stock D1s with a mild lift and aggressive tires are very capable. You'll be able to beat the pants off any friends with Jeeps in a rocky or loose hill-climb (just be sure to lock the CDL).

Good luck!

[cxavierc21]

After some reasearch I found that I like the Safari Gaurd front bumper much better than the ARB but their website says it has been discontinued!? Is this true and if it is can I still get one some how.?

[cxavierc21]

Also the Paint Job, I am also thinking of a flat green, still matte. Any infomation of doing a flat paint job, how much would a good job cost.

[wRek]

Matte paint jobs are simple, it just all depends on how nice you want it to look.

Some people do it themselves with rattle cans. I've seen people paint cars with rollers... If you want something not too expensive, you can do the body work and masking yourself, and then drop the car at Maaco. They do decent paint, it's the prep work they usually screw up on.

OR, shell out good money for a reputable paint shop to paint it... But if you're going flat, I don't see the point. Unless you have a friend who works at a shop.