A 1994 Land Rover Discovery Series 1 rebuild
Overland Bound – Discovery Series 1: the story so far
Read the full write-up at Overland Bound – Discovery Series 1: the story so far ↗
Photo: Overland Bound – Discovery Series 1: the story so farA 1994 Land Rover Discovery Series 1 project, interior and suspension
Nelspeth bought a well-used 300tdi Discovery 1 as a daily driver and project, then set about restoring the rotten interior and improving its off-road capability. The thread documents a new headlining fit with ambient LED lighting and a suspension lift kit added after the first green laning trip exposed its limits.
Specs
As stated in the original write-up.
- Engine
- 2.5 litre 300tdi diesel
- Suspension
- Terrafirma +2 inch lift kit, uprated dampers and medium duty +2 inch springs all round
Parts used
Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Suspension & Steering 1
- Terrafirma +2 inch lift kitTerrafirma
Uprated dampers and medium duty +2 inch springs fitted to all four corners to cure bottoming out and arch rubbing
In the shops
Steering Damper (Terrafirma) ↗
Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $72.00 USD
Steering Damper Assembly (Terrafirma) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $73.75 USD
Brake Disc Set, Front, Wavy Vented (Terrafirma) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $234.50 USD
Interior 1
- Fleece headlining fabric
Glued to the cleaned roof trim to replace the rotten original headliner
Electrical 1
- LED RGB strip lights
Fitted behind the front map shelf and in the rear roof cargo nets for ambient lighting
In the shops
LED Rear Running Light Strip (2024+) ↗
Flyin' Miata· $79.99 USD
LED Rear Running Light Strip (2016-2023) ↗Flyin' Miata· $79.99 USD
Other 2
- Snorkel
Added as part of the off-road preparation
- Tow rope
Added as part of the off-road preparation
In the shops
TRS Tow Rope ↗West Wales Rally Spares· £25.80
Tow Rope with Hooks ↗
MGOC Spares· £23.90
Tow Rope with D-Shackle ↗
Ralloy· £18.43 GBP
Photos
14 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from Overland Bound – Discovery Series 1: the story so far. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
Nelspeth · 2017-12-13T03:08:17-0800 2this post at Overland Bound – Discovery Series 1: the story so far ↗
Nelspeth · 2017-12-13T12:49:43-0800 6this post at Overland Bound – Discovery Series 1: the story so far ↗
Nelspeth · 2017-12-14T08:11:43-0800 2this post at Overland Bound – Discovery Series 1: the story so far ↗
Nelspeth · 2017-12-15T05:42:18-0800 4this post at Overland Bound – Discovery Series 1: the story so far ↗
How it was done
Starting condition
Bought as a project after the writer's previous car was written off. The Discovery had faded paint, 164,000 miles on its 300tdi engine, and a filthy, mouldy interior with a failing headliner.
Interior rebuild
The old side trims and rotten headlining were stripped out, cleaned of glue with a wire brush, and recovered in a fleece fabric. RGB LED strip lighting was added behind the map shelf and in the rear cargo nets, switchable with the original interior lights.
Off-road trip and suspension upgrade
After a green laning trip in Derbyshire on near-standard running gear, the rear suspension was found to bottom out and the arches rubbed under articulation. A Terrafirma +2 inch lift kit was fitted, transforming the ride and handling. A snorkel and tow rope were also added.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at Overland Bound – Discovery Series 1: the story so far ↗