Land Rover Discovery TD5 - Overlanding Budget Build

[Inmused]

We at Boobook love our Overlanding, but we do it on a tight budget. So I present to you our Land Rover Discovery build.

The Vehicle:

• Year 2000
• Land Rover Discovery Series 2 Td5
• 5-cylinder, in-line
• Capacity: 2,493 cc (152.1 cu in)
• Fuel injection: Lucas Electronic Unit Injection
• Induction: Allied Signal GT20 turbocharger
• Power: 136 hp (101 kW) @ 5,000 rpm
• Torque: 221 lbf·ft (300 N·m) @ 1,950 rpm

We bought it 18 months ago for AU$8000 (which was a bit too much). It needed a bit of work but it was straight and had been a road tourer its 15-year life.

It was very much a factory car. Plastic front and rear with an alloy a-bar up front. The original suspension was still fitted.

Over the past 18 months I have learned how to fix my own car; a steep learning curve. I have:

• Fitted Falken Wildpeak AT 175/70R16
• Replaced the rear self-leveling air suspension with Terrafirma coils.
• Replaced the rear factory bar with a Terrafirma steel bar with Garmin rear camera in-line with the hitch.
• Replace all factory turbo pipes with silicone
• Installed a Mann-Hummel engine breather filter
• Blanked the EGR
• Removed and cleaned the intercooler
• Replaced the radiator
• Replaced the injector harness
• Replaced the factory front bar with a custom steel winch bar.
• Installed Garmin navigation on a custom mount
• Installed GME 5w UHF with a 6.6db whip
• Built a custom single draw in the back

On the list to come:

• New suspension (2")
• Steering gear protection
• Rock sliders

All up this rig is now very reliable, capable and all up has only cost around $16,000 (A new 4wd in Australia costs upwards of $50k-$80.

By buying a second-hand fixer, I learnt a huge amount about my car that I would not have had I bought new.

I'll add pictures of some individual items below.

Over the coming months I'll be writing some articles on our overlanding system including our off-road trailer.

 

[Inmused]

My latest work on the Land Rpver this week has been the installation of a GME UHF radio on the headliner and a DIY rear drawer for under the fridge.

The Radio.
Pretty simple install. The whole thing came as a kit with head unit, ariel, and all wiring and mounts. The +ve was made using a fuse piggyback and the ground was piggybacked on the ceiling light ground post.

GME UHF TX3100 with a 6.6bd fibreglass sprung whip.

The Drawer
We needed a single drawer that still gave access to a third-row seat, had space for a second battery install and could hold a fridge. I used 18mm/3/4" film ply and 12mm/1/2" marine ply.

The runners are polyurethane slides used on boat trailers and the work great. I have used them previously on a 1.3m long draw in the trailer.

It is a simple design that maxamises space and requires no maintanence.

 

[Inmused]

So back in January the harmonic balancer on the Discovery 2 separated from the crankshaft and ended a ten day trip into the Victorian High Country. We were looking at a bottom up rebuild as the pully had scored and reduced the crankshaft diameter.

So we decided to scrap the Discovery 2 and buy a Discovery 3 (LR3). $30,000 later we had one. It lasted 40 minutes before a piston overheated, expanded and destroyed the block. We are now in a legal battle to get a refund from the dealer.

So the D2 is back from the dead. The harmonic balancer was bored sleeved and bored again to match the diameter of the reduced size crankshaft. Work beautifully as a fix. Since then we have gone over the truck with a fine-tooth comb. We have:

• Bilstein shocks all round.
• Replaced all 10 exhaust manifold studs with stronger studs after 3 were found to be sheared off.
• The coolant system was flushed and suspect hoses replaced.
• Drivers and rear door stays fixed.
• Handbrake fixed
• Fixed rotor oil filter housing threads

To do:

• New steering drag link and track bar (heavy duty)
• New front seat squabs/diaphragms and upholstery
• Rewire all accessory electrics through a dedicated fuse box
• Respray the roof
• New driving lights
• New awning