it did. I got completely ripped off by the mechanic and could say nothing because he was a "friend" to my father's girlfriend. He has a legit business, but it took him months to do the work and cost me 40 hours when Rover would have charged me book time for 15. I also know he ripped me off for an additional grand that I gave him part way through that was never reflected on the receipt.
Yes, I ripped him a new one on the local business sites and I have steered a lot of people away from him, but it still leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I do not take it out on the truck, it was just my bad luck. Everything else works now that I sorted his sloppy wrench handling out. When the bolts holding your oil pan on fall out, you know he was not a good mechanic
Cotton
PowerDork
4/21/18 7:31 p.m.
In reply to mad_machine :
Yeah man, I’ve been there. I drove a truck to a ‘restoration’ shop and ended up having to bring it home using two trailers, with my truck bed also full of parts. It cost me thousands to fix the mess they created.
My brother in law bought a Discovery a few years ago. He’s not a car guy, and had to pay a mechanic to deal with the issues. In one year he dropped like $5k on air suspension, various electrical issues, and trying to pass Ohio emissions. He never succeeded with the emissions part, failed like four or five times. Sold it at a pretty big loss.
I guess someone who was good with a wrench and had copious amounts of free time could deal with one of these. For me, no thanks.
ShinnyGroove said:
My brother in law bought a Discovery a few years ago. He’s not a car guy, and had to pay a mechanic to deal with the issues. In one year he dropped like $5k on air suspension, various electrical issues, and trying to pass Ohio emissions. He never succeeded with the emissions part, failed like four or five times. Sold it at a pretty big loss.
That is the main issue with these. They were expensive "luxury" vehicles. People who own them do not do their own wrenching. They take it to the dealer or to an independant. Then they get sticker shock, sell the truck, and bad mouth it up and down 7 days a week.
mad_machine said:
ShinnyGroove said:
My brother in law bought a Discovery a few years ago. He’s not a car guy, and had to pay a mechanic to deal with the issues. In one year he dropped like $5k on air suspension, various electrical issues, and trying to pass Ohio emissions. He never succeeded with the emissions part, failed like four or five times. Sold it at a pretty big loss.
That is the main issue with these. They were expensive "luxury" vehicles. People who own them do not do their own wrenching. They take it to the dealer or to an independant. Then they get sticker shock, sell the truck, and bad mouth it up and down 7 days a week.
This ^^^ is my former boss. Bought one new (weren’t they like $50 or $60k?) Will NEVER stop maligning it. I spoke to him for the first time in a long time recently and made it a point to tell him I’d bought one. I thought his Head was going to explode...and again when I told him what I gave for it. :)
Also, of note, there’s a company on ATL CL that advertises working on rovers and specifically pinning sleeves.
A friend had one for several years. From what I gathered as long as you're willing and able to wrench, relatively resourceful, and don't mind the stray fluid leak the issues can be conquered. FWIW, he has a Land Cruiser now....
Cool trucks and great to drive. I'd love to have onw, but I'm not sure I want to OWN one 
^ I live in ATL. I should get a cheap Disco just so I can watch my BIL’s head explode like your old boss.
markwemple said:
In reply to Wally :
LOL. Reliability and Jeep? You're kidding right? Right up there with Harley Davidson. Chrysler and HD are the antithesis or reliable.
Whenever I get discouraged working on my Grand Cherokee I go read LR Discovery threads to make myself feel better. At least I know I could have made a worse choice.
But seriously, i think they're similar situations- higher optioned vehicles that go to hell with neglect. The LR is higher tech and the parts are more expensive and less common , but it's probably not any worse an actual vehicle.
Unlike many vehicles, the LR is also designed to be rebuilt "in the field". How many other vehicles are out there where not only can you rebuild the power steering pump, but you can still buy the kits to do so? They are not difficult trucks to work on and with the later "thor" Bosch Fuel injection, there is less to go wrong than earlier ones.
mad_machine said:
it has a 100 inch wheel base which is not too bad,
Bear in mind, this is shorter than the last four generations of Camaro, maybe all of them.
One note, parts in GB are waaaaaayyyyyyy cheaper than they are here. If you can work out the shipping issue, you can save big money. In GB they are trucks, not "luxury vehicles." If I had more money, ok a lot more, I'd set up a business importing parts for these and knock out all the over priced parts businesses on this side of the pond.
I had toyed around with the idea of a little lr2 for SWMBO as a daily, but not sure the pros/cons. I think it's on the escape platform? Maybe? I'm too lazy to search
I’m the late 90s I did roadside assistance for a number of manufacturers. I have more Discovery recovery stories than pretty much anything else. Most memorable aside from the lady locking in her car in her garage were brand new cars having issues on their way home, pulling one from the off-road obstacle course at the dealer and a tow they approved for an angry owner from eastern Long Island back to Virginia on a Saturday night. He sent along a long letter for me to give the service manager that was the one of the most elequent go berkeley yourselves I’ve ever read. I don’t know why they were so much worse than the Defenders or Range Rovers but I almost never saw them. I still think about buying one but I hate myself and enjoy a painful adventure now and then.
Nothing to a defender, Wally, and not many sold in the US, that's why they are worth their weight in gold now.
The LR to really avoid was the "Freelander"
In reply to mad_machine :
Well E36 M3. Any particular reason? Both generatuogeor just the 1st?
I'm so confused by the auto correct on this phone. Generation.
So what you are saying is that this would be a bad idea?
2002 Freelander for $1800
In reply to stanger_missle :
Yes! Freelander has nothing to do with the other Rovers. It has 3 timing belts and are usually very poorly maintained. We had one new and it was great, but we only owned it for the first 60k. They are usually used nightmares.
stanger_missle said:
So what you are saying is that this would be a bad idea?
2002 Freelander for $1800
That's actually a monumentally bad idea even measured by people's monumentally bad ideas that manifest themselves into cool builds on this board.
Aww, comeon guys. How could a 16 year old Land Rover with 170K miles that has been overheating possibly be a bad idea? I mean, all it needs is a thermostat for like five bucks at O'Reilley's.
Oh god 3 timing belts? Run away
In reply to MazdaFace :
Aznd one of them is in the rear. 75k service interval too!
Dr. Hess said:
Aww, comeon guys. How could a 16 year old Land Rover with 170K miles that has been overheating possibly be a bad idea? I mean, all it needs is a thermostat for like five bucks at O'Reilley's.
You mean, other than said engine being a Rover K-series that at least for the four bangers has a reputation of the heads going soft if the engine overheats properly?
In reply to mad_machine :
I was surprised there aren’t more around. The north shore of Long Island must have gotten most of them because they didn’t strike me as that odd. The only call I did for one was a flat tire. The lady that owned it apologized for calling but had tried changing it herself and couldn’t get the lugs free. They are beautiful trucks I wish I had the money for.
