Skizzer's Discovery: sad and fiery news

[Skizzer]

Morning peeps.

 

Tea and bacon rolls this morning at Skizzer central, because it's time to go and collect this from Andy18s in Shropshire:

 

 

Driving up with my mate Ripper, so no trains and few pics on the way, but more pics later.

 

Will it be A Midsummer Night's Dream, or just The Longest Day?

[purplebargeken]

Mmmmmm, nice.

[KruJoe]

Lovely stuff, very smart on those wheels. Is this the V8 LPG'd one? 

[hairnet]

you own the coolest car in the world now this??!!!!!?

[skattrd]

V8 Disco, the cheaper*/sensible* alternative to an RRC.

[Jim Bell]

I hope youre traveling back the whole way OOF RODE!

 

OLLIE

[Skizzer]

Wahey, back home at last.  Sorry for lack of live updates, there is no Vodafone 3G ANYWHERE between here and Shropshire.

 

Lovely stuff, very smart on those wheels. Is this the V8 LPG'd one? 

 

Yep, sure is - purchased from the lovely Andy18s of this parish.  Did the deal a couple of weeks ago, but it's taken until now to go and collect it.

 

I hope youre traveling back the whole way OOF RODE!

 

OLLIE

 

Of course.  YOLO, you know:

 

1999 Land Rover Discovery V8i by Skizzer, on Flickr

 

Just kidding.

 

Will do a proper post after I've had some food, but for now thanks to Andy for being a gent and very sorry for being late. Disco ran faultlessly for the four hour drive back and I am very, very pleased with it.

[skattrd]

Skizzer, I hope this is just a stop gap until we go and fetch our 3 door Rangies

 

I won't be able to get one this year unless something dramatic happens.

[EssDeeWon]

How do these V8 Disco's compare to driving a classic V8 Rangie??

[Skizzer]

Skizzer, I hope this is just a stop gap until we go and fetch our 3 door Rangies

 

I won't be able to get one this year unless something dramatic happens.

 

Fret not - it's for going to fetch classic Rangies in.  Amongst other utilitarian yet luxurious requirements.

 

Me neither.

[brickwall]

Thank the Gods it's a V8. Rumble on and be merry.

[Skizzer]

How do these V8 Disco's compare to driving a classic V8 Rangie??

 

It's been a while since I last drove a Range Rover, and that one was a bit fooked, but I'd say pretty similar.  Makes all the right V8 noises and is both smoother and quieter than I expected: it's not quite a Rolls-Royce though because at 60mph in a Discovery, the loudest sound you can hear is the ticking of the passenger door card.  It can feel a little topheavy in S-bends and you notice crosswinds and surface undulations at speed, but it doesn't roll too much (at least not compared with a Renault 16).

 

The Conran interior is more practical than luxurious, but that's fine and the seat was comfortable enough even after 4 hours of winding A-roads.  I did find myself wondering whether some teddy bear fur seats out of a classic RR might not be a pleasing upgrade though, since I believe they bolt straight in.

[brickwall]

Aye, the updated layout of the inside is a huge improvement over the earlier.

[Skizzer]

Right, here's the petrol station shot I owe you, since I forgot to take one when we filled up after picking it up from Andy.

 

Land Rover Discovery V8i by Skizzer, on Flickr 

 

The news on this is, there's no news - everything still works and it's a lovely thing to bounce around in.  It did the 150 miles home from Shropshire to the other side of Swansea on about half a tank of petrol, which wasn't too bad at all, and then did about four local trips on the other half, which was.  Clearly LPG is the way forward.

 

Oh, and two of the buttons fell out of the stereo when I went over a cattle grid this morning.  Blu Tak should provide a perfectly adequate fix, I reckon.  Otherwise all good: the remote central locking even locked every single door this morning, so I celebrated with a piece of coffee walnut cake.

 

Here are some more pictures.

 

Land Rover Discovery V8i by Skizzer, on Flickr

 

Land Rover Discovery V8i by Skizzer, on Flickr

 

Keith the Dog loves it because he can see out very well, although the bounciness makes him a bit car sick so the Renault is still his favourite.

[nacho man]

I have got a right hankering for a early disco at the moment.

 

I reckon every new purchase should have a dogs review.

 

I am glad Keith is happy.

[RobT]

 

Otherwise all good: the remote central locking even locked every single door this morning, so I celebrated with a piece of coffee walnut cake.

 

 

 

GR12 excuse for cake!  I must use it next time the Cavalier decides to lock all its doors for a change.

 

Does this have the Meastro/Montego switchgear, or is that only the early ones?  Lovely bit of switchgear (only here can I say such a thing...)

[Skizzer]

That's just the early ones I'm afraid, this one is all posh*.  (I can post up an interior photo later).

 

It does benefit from Maestro van tail lights, though.

[Sealtainn]

IIRC it's only the 200Tdi & 3-dr V8 era Disco 1's that had the Meastro switchgear

[Sealtainn]

Think I may still have a massive LR Workshop Manual for this, it was in something like 3 ring binders !!!

[mat_the_cat]

Oh, and two of the buttons fell out of the stereo when I went over a cattle grid this morning.  Blu Tak should provide a perfectly adequate fix, I reckon. 

 

Sikaflex gives a more lasting solution I've found; Blu-tak lost its grip on hot days...

 

Think I may still have a massive LR Workshop Manual for this, it was in something like 3 ring binders !!!

 

That reminds me, I have a copy of RAVE but at nearly 600Mb zipped, probably too large to email! CD at the next meet or through the post if you're interested?

[Skizzer]

That reminds me, I have a copy of RAVE but at nearly 600Mb zipped, probably too large to email! CD at the next meet or through the post if you're interested?

 

Top shout!  I'll take you up on that, thanks a lot.  Might have a couple of days up your way before the summer's over, so could maybe sponsor you a coffee/beer/summat in return.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Nice car,well bought.

I've been without a Discovery for almost 2 years and thought I was cured after 15 years with at least one around.

Seeing this and borrowing a 300tdi ES off my dad to go to Gatwick has made me realise I want a late v8 manual Jap spec or an early Carb V8 2 door before they go all Range Rover price wise.

Sorry to be pedantic but in your picture captions it says Discovery 2, that's usually used to describe the Series II, ie TD5. I don't know what a post 94 V8 should be described as, 300tdi V8 sounds daft,but I've just realised that's what I call them!

[mat_the_cat]

Top shout!  I'll take you up on that, thanks a lot.  Might have a couple of days up your way before the summer's over, so could maybe sponsor you a coffee/beer/summat in return.

You're more than welcome to drop in, and maybe try a bit of off roading on the old logging tracks. Plus I have a few bits of grey trim spare from the blue one which may be of use? Can't remember your interior colour.

 

I tend to call the post-94 models 300 series, regardless of engine.

[dollywobbler]

Official term is 95MY facelift. They should call them Series 1A really. If you want to take it laning around here, you're welcome - though hasn't it got underslung tanks? Might be an issue...

[dollywobbler]

How do these V8 Disco's compare to driving a classic V8 Rangie??

 

Disco is much firmer, as they did away with the marginal self-levelling of the Rangie. So, they don't roll as much, and you actually feel the bumps. My Rangie was staggeringly smooth, even when bouncing along a rocky greenlane.

[brickwall]

you can download RAVE from :http://www.landroverresource.com/

[Skizzer]

Sorry to be pedantic but in your picture captions it says Discovery 2, that's usually used to describe the Series II, ie TD5. I don't know what a post 94 V8 should be described as, 300tdi V8 sounds daft,but I've just realised that's what I call them!

 

My bad, as they say, I know fine well this is a facelift (ie 300 series) Disco 1 and not  a Disco 2 at all.  I was clearly having a senior moment, as I've hit the grand old age of 46 today.  Will correct it forthwith Have now corrected it - soz.

 

It does have underslung LPG tanks, pretty low ones, so any laning would have to be EXTREMELY mild (sadly).  Might have to wait until I finally score the OLLI weapon that is a Matra Rancho

[Noel Tidybeard]

My bad, as they say, I know fine well this is a facelift (ie 300 series) Disco 1 and not  a Disco 2 at all.  I was clearly having a senior moment, as I've hit the grand old age of 46 today.  Will correct it forthwith Have now corrected it - soz.

 

It does have underslung LPG tanks, pretty low ones, so any laning would have to be EXTREMELY mild (sadly).  Might have to wait until I finally score the OLLI weapon that is a Matra Rancho

sounds like you need some CHECKER PLATE- olli

[Skizzer]

sounds like you need some CHECKER PLATE- olli

 

Ha!  Is there an 'eat my own leg' option?  Because I think I'd prefer it.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

A couple of years back one of my brothers took an extremely road tyred, side stepped and under slung LPG tanked 3.9ES Auto,complete with fog lights in the front spoiler and a plough tow bar on the back, on a family green laning trip in DW's backyard. Didn't cause a moments problem, the diffs are still thel lowest point and Land Rover actually make even the most road orientated models off road capable out of the box. ( still found it easier to tow it through the deepest crossings on Strata Florida though- petrol engines and water do not mix)

 

Obviously a Rancho doesn't have the same limitations