Dixie Dean wrote:

Hi everyone. My D3 has done 125K now. It's had its big service done and the oil pump and tensioner were changed.

The gearbox was rebuilt last year due to me not changing the oil in it, having been completely taking in by LRs sealed for life nonsense. Sadly, it's back under warranty at the moment with the TC having failed again, but that's another story.

I'm not sure I want to spend 45K on getting a very low mileage D4, and my wife simply doesn't want a second hand car!

So this leaves me to think that in order to ensure my (57 year) D3 gets to 250K that I should get the chassis and underside of my D3 cleaned up and preserved, including the under body areas.

What do you guys out there think I should have done, how much would it cost, and who might do it?

What else might I consider doing, parts wise to improve it for longevity?

Thanks, all.

I to didn't upgrade to a D4 and probably won't upgrade to a D5 either. My old bus does everything i need it to do Just use it and maintain it well but don't go OTT. Mine is used for what it was designed for, looked after well mechanically but receives no special attention other than that. At 225k miles it is the most stupidly reliable car.

Also bear in mind its 11 years old and will soon be banned from most cities etc. I'm just running mine until its banned. It owes me nothing.

 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 

Discomadness wrote:

How do you mean cost me ? If you mean materials... the dinitrol kit was £150 ish. It needs a compressor to use which I already had and a 2 post ramp which I bought last year second hand for £500. To be honest you don’t need tons of tools. It’s frighteningly easy to take apart ! Cleaning wise I only used a wire hand brush, a wire cup brush on a 4” angle grinder and some scrapers.

If you mean labour wise. I’d hate to try and put a figure on it. I will probably try and do some sort of hypothetical costing once I finish. Hope that helps, anything specific you want to know give me a shout.
To be honest this forum has been invaluable doing the jobs I’ve done and particularly forum member gstuart who has spent I don’t know how many hours researching, searching, linking, finding and all sorts of other help which again I couldn’t think of how to put a price on.

Ah shucks , I won’t be able to squeeze ma head through the door

Thks though buddy for the complement

  

Dixie Dean wrote:

All the effort that gstuart has put in didn't go unnoticed by me either - top guy, assisting you like that.

Bodsy did a break down for me as well and for his rebuild he reckoned it would be about £1K to 1.2K to dismantle, clean and paint and reassemble the car, including labour. I could do the cleaning and painting, but wouldn't be much help on the dismantling and re-assembly.

I'm really undecided as to whether to do up my existing car, which I've looked after and is very tidy, or to get a very low mileage D4 (there's a few around with 10/15K miles from £33 to £46K, depending on age and model, HSE, HES Lux or Landmark). The wife really wouldn't want a second hand car (no dogs/puking kids etc), but we looked at the D5 and the back of it is just too small for all the stuff we take caravanning.

Even if I bought a D4, I think it would be prudent to do the same thing in order to make it last at least 15 years, which would mean I would be 80 years old! By then my touring days would be coming to an end I suspect.

, thks, plus will it be 2 x doughnuts for finding bits,

Was laid up with my back so gave me something to do and always nice giving something back to the forum

I’ve virtually torn my apart over the last year and wish to keep it as long as possible

Saw a D5 the other week in the showroom and being totally honest not keen, over time I may step up into a D4 , but alas there’s nothing I really like after the D4