Have a chance to get a 97 Disco.

[jjs316]

It has a little damage to the left rear but it is easily repairable. i can get it for 6200. Is that good price? it has 80000 miles. Can anyone tell me some things about these trucks? options? bad things to look for? problems? also can someone explain to me what the V8i is? this one has it. it is green with tan interior. not sure what trim level it is though.

 

[SteveA]

It depends on what your idea of a good deal is. A vehicle like that in very good shape is only worth about $9000 retail. How bad is the damage? I could give you a long list of problems or bad things to look for. The V8i badge means it is a V8 engine (all US models were). Look for a verifiable service history. Repairs and parts can be very expensive.

My advice is read and study up on the Discovery before you get into one. This forum is a good place to start. What are you wanting to do with it? Drive it everyday? Fix it up and make money? Use it for offroading? If the plan is to try and fix it up and sell it for a profit, it's not going to happen.

Stephen

 

[jjs316]

I was going to make it a daily driver and probably do some off roading with it...you can look at the damage of the vehicle at http://importautosalvage.com/ under repairables.

 

[SteveA]

It looks nice enough from the pictures, but what can you really tell from that. Where did this car come from? Can he provide any service history? It looks like it has the original upper radiator hose on the car (it's hard to tell from the picture) but if that is the case, that would worry me. If that part has been neglected (it's an easy maintanence item) what else has not been done.

If the brakes are grinding, be prepared to do pads AND rotors. It may need it front and rear. Not cheap, check other threads about that.

I think I could live with the body damage. You'll probably do worse if you take it off road.

My advice, check the car out in person. Look for oil leaks and rust. Minor leaks are to be expected, and can be dealt with easily. Rust is not so cheap. Don't expect to buy it and drive it without spending money on it. At the very least budget $600 for brakes, $1200 if it needs front and rear, $600-800 for a service (change oil, trans, diff, t-box and coolant), tune up, hoses and belt, $1200 for tires (if needed) and see if this car still fits in your budget with money left over for emergency repairs. If so, it seems like it might be a good buy. If you can't afford to buy the car and still pay for these other items, pass on it.

Good luck!

 

[disco1]

Firstly, the V8i. The i after the V8 means "injected".
Now for my input to your question.
I would advise obtaining as much history as possible about the vehicle you intend to purchase such as age of owner. Is it a one owner vehicle? Look at the paint work, particularily along the sides for long faint scratches and under the door sills for dents as this can indicate off-road work. Check the condition of the interior trim and upholstery as this is a perfect indicator of whether the vehicle has been abused. If the upholstery/trim is in bad condition, you can bet that the owner hasn't cared for the mechanical condition of the vehicle either.
BTW, don't be put off by the mileage, I bought a 91 discovery 2 years ago in perfect condition inside and out and it had 192,000 miles on it.