Plans for the future...

During the early part of 2006 I found myself seriously considering whether to replace my Discovery with something newer. This was partly because, with one or two minor exceptions, it was basically finished. When I bought it I had a very clear idea in mind of how I wanted to develop it and that's pretty much exactly what I'd got. Mostly though, it's because I'd come to realise that it wasn't getting any younger and most of the time (and money) that I'd spent on it during the previous 12 months had been on repairs rather than the fun stuff.

I then found myself facing a dilemma as to what I'd replace it with.

I originally wanted a 110 and part of me still does, but if I'm honest with myself it would be a step backwards in terms of passenger comfort as a daily driver. So, head overruled heart and it was crossed off the list.

I'm not keen on the complexity of the Discovery II and the fact that the vehicle seems heavily reliant on dealer (franchise or independent) diagnostic equipment for even the most basic of faults. Whilst it might have some benefits in terms of extra creature comforts, as a package it's not really for me.  

Finally, I couldn't justify spending the amount of money required to buy a Discovery 3 at the present time, although I may well end up with one at a later date.

As all this effectively left me back at square one, I've come up with what I hope will prove to be a cunning alternative plan. I'm going to spend a reasonable sum of money, maybe £3k or so, and refurbish and enhance my current Discovery with a view to keeping it for another four to five years. This will include carrying out preventative maintenance by replacing many parts that are likely to be worn as well as upgrading some parts in an attempt to either improve performance or reduce future maintenance requirements.

All of this will take the form of a 'rolling restoration' as the vehicle will still remain my daily driver, although in fairness it isn't so bad that it warrants the 'restoration' tag. What it's not going to be is a ground-up rebuild. My plan is to hopefully reverse any current deterioration and prepare it for another 4 to 5 years hopefully trouble-free use, by which time even the D3 will have been replaced and my choice of a new vehicle will be even more difficult!

For more details of what I have in mind, follow the Detailed Plans link above and if you've any ideas for things I may have missed - particularly regarding preventative maintenance - then I'd be delighted to hear from you.