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This disco was brought specifically for a Moroccan Safari, Due to some personal difficulties I had it was getting very close to the off and I didn't have a suitable vehicle. I wasn't overly keen on taking the Menace (my former vehicle known to me as the 'ninety') as it is set-up as a play machine not a expedition vehicle. The disco came already expedition prepared buy the previous owner who to his credit did a good job so I paid my money and the rest is history.
I've been most impressed with the suspension set-up which performs well both off and on road with less of the wallowing you usually get with discos! But the big plus was that unlike the latter models it doesn't have all those 'advanced' features to go wrong. The only 'advanced' feature it does have is ABS , which I believe has more benefits than disadvantages. However surprise-surprise the ABS system broke in Moroccan confirming my view that simple is better as far as off roading is concerned!!!
'Technical' Specifications (Sort of!)
Body: Land Rover Discovery XS TDI
Colour: Blue.
Seating capacity: 2 - 5 seats removed, it was bus when I got!!!
Interior: Very comfortable and "fully loaded". Did look nice till the dust in the dessert trashed it, the air con now smells like a sand dune!
Chassis: Standard with scorpion racing bumpers front and back.
Suspension: Coil sprung with 2" lift and 25% stiffer springs Old Man EMU shocks
Wheels and tyres: 220/75R16 Goodyear Wrangler MT/R, they seem to be good all round tyres.
Engine: 300 TDI fitted with intercooler.not quite as powerful as the V8 or TD5 but it is adequate and copes admirable with high altitude driving. Its much more fuel efficient than V8 and doesn't seem to have that horridly long turbo lag you get with the TD5. So quite a good compromise with the big plus that its not too complicated :-)
Fuel system: Direct injection 80 litre tank with over 400 mile range - no jerry cans and less fuel stops
superb!!!!
Exhaust: err straight out the box.
Lights: 4 high level lights on the front of the roof rack. Two can be switched to main beam. I have mixed feelings about this high level lighting arrangement :-s
Weight: 2100Kg (kerb)
Wheelbase: 100 inchesFound to be nice and stable at speed off road and during towing with out compromising the turning circle and break over angle too much.
Ground clearance: 9 inches
Approach and departure angles: 44 deg / 32 deg respectively
Cost to date: Significantly more than the SJ but not bad considering how it's fitted out!
Performance:
0-60 MPH: Adequate.
Side slopes: The usual 45 degrees I expect but at least a scary 30 degree
Descent angle: haven't tried it out yet.
Ascent angle: as above
Safe wading depth: 22 inches, probable lot more but I hate drying out the carpets.
Pulling power: works for me ;-)
Accessories:
Roof rack - somewhere to stuff the jerry cans I'll never need to use - lol.
The usual array of Under body armour , steering, tank and diff guards etc
X9 Super winch (looks good on the front but in reality is a much over rated self recovery toy I'll probably never get to use in earnest!)
Split charger dual battery system for ancillary electric's.
Snorkel - an excellent device for use in dusty areas provided the top faces backwards. (why on earth would you want to turn it round forcing a load of rain, leaves and dust into your air intake for a marginal high speed RAM air effect?) Top tip: in really dusty environments improvise a pre-scrubber by covering the top of the snorkel with and oil soaked sock.
Tinted windows found to be a 'must have' for use in the dessert it really makes a difference to the interior temperature!
Wish list and things to do:
Needs better reversing lights the standard set-up can only politely described as "poor".
Loud horn - I've often found that people need to be aware of you when you off road and the air horn I fitted to the 'Menace' tended to get their attention when required :-)
Bigger wheels obviously!!
Fix the ABS .... or take the ABS warning lamp out ...... bloody MOTs.
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