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Today marks the 10th anniversary of my Discovery 3 G4 becoming part of our family.
It’s certainly been a journey, and (in the main) an enjoyable one!
Here’s some stats that are all firsts for me when owning a car:
* Longest I’ve ever owned a car.
* Most I’ve ever spent on repairs on car.
* First automatic I’ve owned.
* First orange car I’ve owned (and probably the last!)
* First car I’ve owned with more than 100k miles on the clock.
* The first time the list of maintenance costs has exceeded the purchase price of the vehicle.
* First vehicle I’ve run out fuel in…3 times now
* First vehicle I’ve driven in sand dunes
* First vehicle I’ve driven in the desert
* First time I’ve had a replacement engine in a vehicle (not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing!)
* First time I’ve done maintenance jobs twice or more (eg I’m on my 4th set of front lower arms)
* Most countries I’ve driven a car to:
- France
- Spain
- Luxembourg
- Corsica (well I know it’s not a country!)
- Belgium
- Morocco
- Andorra
- England
- Wales
- Scotland
* Most miles I’ve put on a car (99,651 miles)
* Most fuel I’ve put into a car (23,447 litres)
* Most importantly, first car I’ve owned that I will never sell.
She’s only been on a recovery truck twice since I’ve owned her, once when the fuel pump gave up in Corsica and once when the engine went. I think that’s pretty darn good in 10 years!
I’d also say she’s the most photographed vehicle I’ve owned.
Maintenance and mods that I can recall (in no particular order) has included:
* Numerous sets of wheels and tyres.
* 2 rear prop shafts
* 4 new drive shafts
* Timings belt and oil pump - twice
* 4 gearbox flushes
* 4 Diff oil and transfer box oil changes
* At least 10 services
* 2 remaps
* New HPFP
* New LPFP
* Air Reaervoir/ Tank replaced
* Full new G4 Decal set
* New fuel level floats (caused 2 of the occasions when I ran out of fuel due to giving wrong fuel levels on the dash)
* Replacement Engine
* New MAF Sensor
* New Map Sensor
* Allisport Off Road Intercooler
* Centre box delete
* At least 4 cranking batteries
* Silicone Intercooler/ boost hoses
* Underbody protection
* 3 sets of tree sliders
* Rear spare wheel carrier (now gone)
* At least 4 front wheel bearings
* 2 rear wheel bearings
* An “as built CCF” file flashed onto the vehicle with the help of Pat at GAP due to all sorts of electric gremlins….problem solved.
* Alternator (could do with replacing again to prevent issues on next year’s Morocco trip)
* New BCM
* Massive wiring issue fixed, that almost set the car on fire!
* Steering rack input shaft seal
* Gearbox input shaft seal
* Throttle body seals replaced
* New Xenon bulbs
* New heater matrix
* New torque converter
* Replacement Glow plugs x6
* 2 new water pumps
* Water outlet assembly
* Coolant header tank
* Most of the rear aircon pipes on various occasions
* 2 x Radiators
* Engine sump pan replaced due to rusting through
* D4 heated steering wheel with BBS boards
* Mantec Load Lugger
* D4 Denso screen fitted to give receding canes functionality/ ability to display
* Reversing Camera
* CarPlay/ Android Auto added to Denso screen
* BlackVue DashCam
* CB installed
* 3 sets of inner & outer track rods
* 4 pairs of front lower arms
* 1 pair of front upper arms
* 1 pair of rear upper arms
* 1 pair of rear lower arms
* Many, many 4 wheel alignments!
* Centre Valve Block
* Rear Valve Block
* Front Valve Block
* Winch Strip down & rebuild
* 4 air struts (what a difference they made to the ride and handling!!)
* I’ve lost track of how many sets of brakes discs, pads and shoes she’s had!
It’s had its ups and it’s had its downs but mostly ups! She’s been my daily drive for many years, and because now I drive the van to fix customer Disco’s, she’s been promoted to be a true overlanding vehicle. The plan over the next few months is to get everything setup so I can just grab the keys and head for the mountains or the desert without the need to hunt for kit in the loft or the garage.
Most importantly of all she has taken me to many events, shows and trips where I have met fantastic people and made some true friends
Here’s to another 10years of “The Tangerine Machine”
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Discovery 3/4 & RRS keys cut and programmed at your home or work
Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto retro fit - see it here
BAS Remaps/ EGR Blanking
Software updates/ enabling
Mobile Servicing & Repairs
Last edited by CDS on 14th Dec 2023 2:58 pm. Edited 1 time in total
13th Dec 2023 11:50 pm
Moo D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 14385
That's pretty cool. New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!)
Sold Volvo XC90 R-Design (known as Basil)
Sold - D4 HSE (Known as Gerty)
No longer the Old Buses original owner
231,000 miles and counting
05 S manual owned from March 2005
D4 Face lifted
Still original injectors and turbo
V8 Front brakes
BAS Remap, Allisport Intercooler and deCat
EGRs blanked
T-Max split charge
Hanibal Expeedition rack
Prospeed ladder
Duratrac tyres
IID BT
BAS FBH control
14th Dec 2023 2:28 am
J@mes
Member Since: 10 Nov 2008
Location: Bomber County
Posts: 4547
Great Post, Clive 2014 D4 XS
2005 D3 SE - Gone
14th Dec 2023 7:16 am
RogB
Member Since: 15 Jun 2018
Location: Mansfield
Posts: 1729
amazing history and some even more amazing pictures 2011 D4 XS 305 MY12 - gone but not forgotten
Love the way you slipped "replacement engine" between "fuel level floats" and "MAF sensor" .
Dean
====================================
2011 D4 XS - OBD port protection, RLD spare wheel protector, All LED interiors lights, Timed Climate enabled, iiD tool paired.
2011 D4 Landmark - Stolen from same dealer before I paid for it
2011 D4 GS - Stolen whilst at dealer ... All LED interiors lights, DRLs, Spare Wheel protector.
1996 300Tdi - Eaten by tin worms
14th Dec 2023 7:52 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73079
Brings out the warm and fuzzies in ya.
Plus you got a pic with JF getting ready to shoot something and Bodsy looking very thoughtful. Always a bonus.
14th Dec 2023 7:57 am
Farmer Chalk
Member Since: 06 Mar 2013
Location: Independent Republic of Kentishshire.
Posts: 4195
I have to agree with you… I have owned my G4 now for over 11 years and it is the most practical car I have ever owned… it does both rough and posh in equal measure..
From 7up trips to equine events in France, to being the perfect tow car for both horse box and race car trailer around the country, multiple rally tour bus transport, pulling down trees and recovering motorists it’s done it all…
Likewise this is one of the longest periods I have ever kept a car…
However (touch wood) I am also pleased mine has never had a replacement parts list as long as yours and in the main been superbly reliable .. my one now has 106,000 miles on of which I’ve done about 70,000 of those!
My replacement list is minute compared to yours:
Under warranty it’s had a new torque converter, new prop shaft, new rear axle and a wheel bearing..all of which were replaced because of a slight noise and I think they were misdiagnosed by the main dealer…
other than the usual servicing costs and pads and discs remarkably few items have failed
Pair of EGR valves,
Front lower wishbones
New water pump
A battery
Alternator
In reality it’s been stunning.. the only real expense of keeping a G4 is the VEL..
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14th Dec 2023 8:23 am
biskit
Member Since: 23 Dec 2009
Location: in my Mancave.
Posts: 1376
Brilliant Clive😳 how long did it take you to remember that lot? Mantec sump guard.
Prospeed tree slider/steps.
Flack duel battery system.
18"Compomotive/AT3 tyres
Brembo 4pot front brakes
I may have kept a spreadsheet of every job done on her
Discovery 3/4 & RRS keys cut and programmed at your home or work
Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto retro fit - see it here
BAS Remaps/ EGR Blanking
Software updates/ enabling
Mobile Servicing & Repairs
14th Dec 2023 3:00 pm
rrhool
Member Since: 28 Aug 2014
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 4519
I like a spreadsheet too. I might just have a list of all the things I've done to my SE, all the costs and all the fuel used! Richard
D3 SE 2007. Triumph 2.5Pi 1973. Ferguson TEA20 1948.
Discovery 2 4.0 ES 2001- Gone
Discovery 1 300Tdi ES '95 - Gone
Range Rover Classic '79 - Gone
14th Dec 2023 3:03 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73079
You have spreadsheets on the cost and you still run these cars?
14th Dec 2023 3:24 pm
ronp
Member Since: 29 Nov 2006
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 15263
Happy 10th Annivery to “The Tangerine Machine”
Excellent to see that it's had a proper life [so far] and is being used for what it's been made for.
Congrats.
14th Dec 2023 4:02 pm
GLYNNE
Member Since: 06 Oct 2006
Location: KENT
Posts: 4695
Congrats on sticking with it
It’s given you some great memories by the looks of it so worth every penny
14th Dec 2023 4:12 pm
tanters
Member Since: 24 Oct 2007
Location: Oireland
Posts: 4287
She's a beaut!
Worth keeping and fair play for maintaining it so well.A happy childhood ... is the worst possible preparation for life.
Absolutely! And I still would rather drive the G4 than the wife’s Disco 4! Don’t really why, I just think it might be that it has more character and the fact that so much of her is my own blood, sweat and tears !
Discovery 3/4 & RRS keys cut and programmed at your home or work
Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto retro fit - see it here
BAS Remaps/ EGR Blanking
Software updates/ enabling
Mobile Servicing & Repairs
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