Whats your thoughts on a td5 disco?

[muddyjames]

I have a nasty feeling in my waters that I may have to sell the disco I have (some nasty vibrating going on which could be expensive to repair) and it isnt very good at towing my caravan anyway being an auto.

Also the insurance is coming up quickly and that is looking to be £450 3rd party fire n theft.

I am slowly thinking my best option is to sell the disco (once mended) and sell my rover 620 (love this car and has very sentimentle ties with my dad) and get 1 car.

I am thinking about a td5 disco. If I did have to go down this route then my top whack I could afford is 6k.

What kind of disco could I get for that money? I have been watching various discos on ebay and around the 5-6k mark seems to be W reg discos. (1998)

For example there is this one http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270121997749&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=017 which hasnt sold twice and is at buy it now for £5200. His reserve is lower so he is obviously willing to take less for it. If it is in good shape then would this be a good marker to base other prices around?

The other down side. If I got a newer disco the days of off roading would stop dead. Not having another car to fall back on if the disco needs mending would be stupid to risk breaking it off road and have no transport to get into work the next day.

Any thoughts on td5's re repair costs, reliability, towing heavy trailers with one, mpg. Also thoughts on anything else above mentioned re selling my disco and rover.

I just do not know what to do at the moment and hate being forced into situations like this. If I had a quote to mend the disco or even knew what was wrong it would make the process easier!

How easy is it to convert from auto to manaul if it is my gearbox that has gone?

so many options and no idea which to do!

[Skibum346]

I'd keep the 620 assuming it's a runner and go for a 300tdi disco... cheaper to buy, cheaper to repair (Wheel bearing for TD5... £200!) and 2nd car means you can still have fun.

[thermidorthelobster]

I like the TD5 but I wouldn't say it's a car you can just drive and forget about, particularly when the mileage and age start to go up.  Little bits will need doing here and there and they may not always be cheap.  I'd either save up and get a lower mileage, newer TD5 (the prices are quite low these days), or get a very good 300tdi instead.

Compared to S1 Discos, TD5s are quieter and more refined to drive.  They tow very well as you'd expect.  But the fuel economy is worse than a 300tdi.  The one you link to looks quite a fair deal to me.  But if you're trying to save money, it may not save you money for long as the mileage creeps up.

[muddyjames]

I'd keep the 620 assuming it's a runner and go for a 300tdi disco...

620 is a wonderful runner. Rebuilt engine 5 years ago and returns 33mpg. not bad for a 2litre car.

I already have a 300tdi disco!!! Do you mean fix this one then sell and get another 300tdi?

With the insurance going to be £400 this year for each car it is getting daft and I have spent £350 on caravan insurance). Also with Gordon Brown lining his pockets with road tax I am giving the govermant 2 lots of £180 each year too. Having 1 motor would be a saving of about 1k a year if you include mot and repairs. I have done very little off roading this year (to my memory 1 trials day). The disco very rarely gets moved andif it does it is to be left in a farm whilst I keep a voluntary work van here or to tow something. I want to take it off roading more but the damn thing is always broken when I want to go or I havent had the money to refuel it. Last tank of diesel I got 19mpg, thats 24p a mile!!!!!!! Would a auto to manaul convertion be worth thinking about or dont even go there?

[muddyjames]

Compared to S1 Discos, TD5s are quieter and more refined to drive.  They tow very well as you'd expect.  But the fuel economy is worse than a 300tdi.  

A td5 is worse than 24p a mile or 19mpg?  :shock:

[suggs]

i had one, never got on with it. noisey and under powered and not to good on mpg either, i swoped it for a V8 ES.

that said i also have a 300tdi on/off roader and much prefer it to the td5 lump.

i think what it was with the TD5, is that it was a luxury car but being a diesel and manuel it just didnt feel like one, were as the V8 totaly does.

but givern the choice of going out in the V8 or my 300tdi i take the tdi  most times. the wife on the other hand always drives the V8..

[muddyjames]

So mend the disco then and keep it?

It has done nearly 190k. Do I swap engine for a newer less used one? I unfortunately found that it towed horse trailers after I bought it. Can I test the power of it or boost pressure etc to make sure I am getting as much go out of it as poss?

What cost (appart from gearbox) would it be to swap it to a manaul from auto and would it be adviseable as I mostly tow with it.

[suggs]

thing is you need to find whats wrong with it. nasty vibration could just be a prop UJ, i had the same thing recently on my tdi felt like it was going to shake/vib it self to bits, cost about £50 to sort out.

you can up the power with a bigger intercooler and silicone hoses, fuel pump tweek, also an EGR blanking plate, twisted perfomance also do a few nice mods for the tdi to up the power, such as a tweeked exhaust system..

[muddyjames]

but i am guessing all those mods come at a price of lower mpg? im already getting low 20' high teens in mpg. dont really want it any less!

[suggs]

other option is a V8 on lpg

[muddyjames]

i get carried away going under water to have a v8! I used to have a v8 rangie and that drank fuel faster than i could fill it up!

[suggs]

just noticed your other thread about the problems, isit changing gear as normal? , if you put it in low box and boot it it will go up the gears fast, if the gearbox is working as normal then theres every chance that the problem is elsewere in the drive chain, diff etc. could even be a dodgy tyre, make sure theres no bulges in them at the back etc, does it still do it in diff lock..

[muddyjames]

put into diff lock with rear prop of and still does it. changed tyres to my grizzly claws and still did it so changed it back again.

when i go in 1st gear when cold it revs to 3k then drops to 2nd and bit ofa thud and off you go. always been like it for last 18months.

[suggs]

you may have checked aslready but hub bearing, jack it up and shake the wheels, see if theres any play.


try to think back when it started, had you been off roading etc.


thing is if your going to fix it to sell it, then you may as well keep it..

check the turbo hoses, when they wear the collapse under load, this will restrict the power, hence adding silicon ones.

[muddyjames]

drivers side bearings replaced very recently and then towed caravan about 100miles. other front wheel has small amount of play but landy mechanic (a chap on here too) said it is ok for a good few miles yet.

It has all started since towing caravan. Didnt do it with caravan on the back only when i unhooked then drove about 10-20miles. mainly came in when doing 50mph ish then slowly getting worse and speed is reducing on when it kicks in.

[suggs]

have you tried towing again, would be interesting to see if it done it or not..

[muddyjames]

Still no closer to finding out what is wrong. Im supposed to be away in my caravan this weekend but that is now a no go thing.

If anyone is free on Saturday and fancies a wee (or should that be wii) trip to banbury / Daventry area to have a look for me then please feel free. I have beer here and you can take some away with you (as I dont want to encourage drink driving ) then please feel free and pm me.

I got insurane renewal through today as well. £378 3rd party F+T with a years no claims and be being 25yr old. How comes it has gone up? I havent made a claim. Bleeding con artists the lot of em.