2001 Land Rover “Dakar 4×4” Discovery II |

Closed Auction- Unsold

2001 Land Rover “Dakar 4×4” Discovery II

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Mileage~81,206
TransmissionAutomatic
Engine3.9L
LocationCoventry

AUCTION CLOSED

2001 Land Rover “Dakar 4×4” Discovery II

Introduction

Glyn Parry

Professional Consigner

A V8 powered Hot-Rod Beach Buggy best describes this unique vehicle.

The Kit-Car industry has long been established as a smaller but always fascinating aspect to the British motor industry. At their very best, becoming a fully-fledged manufacturer or in the case of the Dakar 4x4, taking on a well-proven solution and adding a unique twist to it. Like many other vehicles with Kit-Car roots, the Dakar comes from a well-tried concept of the Beach Buggy but has seen an interesting evolution to become relevant to the modern age. Around 120 of these Land Rover based off-roaders are known to have been built, this Discovery II based version is considered the best of the original concept.

Its original 'fun-in-the-sun' roots have been replaced by a more luxurious concept, which utilises the comfort and interior fittings of a shortened 2001 Land Rover Discovery II SE chassis and running gear, mounted below a bespoke recreational vehicle style fibreglass body. Most versions tend to utilise Land Rover diesel engines, but this 2015 conversion is based on the 3.9-litre V8 petrol engine. This makes it a rather tasty proposition on road, with around 185bhp in a car that weighs around 1500kg, it provides something of a unique experience. While the power itself is noteworthy, its off-road credentials are even more impressive. Offering a 54-degree approach and 75-degree departure angles, the Dakar actually offers more off-road capabilities than its original Discovery II donor.

The Dakar is best known for a TV appearance in the ‘90s as a vehicle for adventure show ‘Challenge Anneka’. Its almost unique aspect to motoring was well utilised on the show and acted as a perfect promotional tool. This example, however, has not seen much in terms of TV work or indeed seen any off-road action. It was bought directly from the Dakar Melton Mowbray factory in Leicester and has only covered around 8,000 tarmac miles in the 6 years of ownership by its current owner. It is presented as a niche vehicle, which would benefit from some light recommissioning. The chassis is in extremely good shape and comes with the benefit of one careful owner as a Dakar branded vehicle. Coming with an MOT for some summer off-loading or seaside fun, this rather fast and capable Land Rover based Kit-Car could be just the thing to stand out from the crowd.

This auction listing was written from information supplied by Glyn after meeting Craig the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

Dad's had a fair bit of fun in this unique off-roader, that V8 unit and light bodywork a great combination.

Craig is the owner's son and has been tasked with selling the car on behalf of his parents who now live abroad. Originally they were going to take the car with them but due to probative paperwork, it has proved to be more trouble than it’s worth.

The owner never took it off-road, as they were mindful of the possible damage that might occur. Up until the owner moved abroad, the car had been stored in a garage, but currently it's out in the open. A bit of a winter project to take on, it could be ready in time for some summer fun. The car comes with three months of MOT so is still fully road legal.

Craig

Vehicle Owner

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Exterior
Interior
Mechanics
History
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EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

The Land Rover Chassis is in remarkably sound condition and has yet to see the green lanes.

Wheels and Tyres

The Cooper Discovery STT Tyres look great, definitely a good fit for the Dakar. They are around 10 years old with a couple showing minor signs of cracking due to age, the tread is excellent.

The steel wheels are in very good condition with no signs of damage we could see. The rear spare wheel looks like it has never seen the road.

Bodywork

As fibreglass kit, you can appreciate that the quality isn't going to match that of a steel-bodied vehicle, but the body is straight and damage-free. The doors and roof panels are removable which is great for the summer but as result of poor fitment can leak water.

The chassis is remarkably straight, and although there are minor signs of rust at the front, it is a solid base. The next owner would do the car a favour by cleaning and applying some protection to ensure it remains solid.

Paint

The 'paint' or rather body colour has good coverage with no significant signs of cracking, with the exception of the off-side rear wing which has a small amount of damage. There are a fair amount of marks that have emanated from the rubber seals on the body, rather like tide marks, these can be easily removed with fibreglass cleaner and some effort.

Glass and Trim

The glass is all legal and does not show unsightly marks or significant scratches. The car has a useful array of off-road accessories, including a winch, several auxiliary lights, side-step boards and bull bar. The door hinges are stainless steel and there is a Subaru air-intake on the bonnet.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

A Land Rover Discovery interior, the Dakar is a million miles away from its Beach Buggy roots.

Seats and Carpets

The Seats have a budget seat cover to protect them, but the seat bases themselves appear to be in decent condition. The mats are a little grimy, in need of a proper wash and clean, but the carpets themselves are good.

The passenger footwell was wet, this is entirely due to a leak from the poorly fitting roof or door seal letting in water. It's worth considering that the water leak is through the doors, rather than the windscreen or bulkhead, which would constitute a problem. Long and short of it, is that this car needs to be garaged for the damper periods of the British weather.

Dashboard

The overall presentation of the factory standard dashboard is good, with an expected level of wear but no significant damage. The car also comes with an aftermarket rearview camera kit.

All of the functions are said to be working, but it’s worth bearing in mind that the car has stood in the cold and wet for a short period and would need a period of drying out.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The steering wheel and gear lever are in line with what you might expect from a vehicle of this age and mileage, and overall in good condition with a few minor marks. The hand brake gaiter has significant wear as pictured.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

The V8 engine is matched to an able chassis and can cope with the most demanding of off-road challenges.

Engine and Gearbox

The 3.9-litre V8 petrol engine could do with a clean up, and due to a lack of use the idling wasn’t perfect on the cold start. Once the revs had been applied, the engine took on a more convincing beat and eventually ran well. The gearbox is said to function correctly and the exhaust is in good order.

Suspension and Brakes

The air suspension has been replaced by coils but according to the owner's son, the car has never been off-road, so is likely to be unstressed. The general condition of the underside confirms this. The brakes are fit for purpose and there were no evidence of brake squeals or juddering. The front bushes have been recently replaced.

The Drive

There is no doubt that the Dakar 4x4 has a niche appeal, offering a civilised driving manner with head-turning looks. As you might expect, the petrol V8 engine on a light body will pull very well. While as you can appreciate that this is not one for the Nurembergring, it will surprise sports car owners at the traffic lights. It's worth considering that Land Rovers Off-Road engineering is its main talent, and this is where the Dakar comes into its own.

Electrics and Other

All of the internal electrics are said to be functional, with the extra lights and BH Delta winch also working as they should.

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History and Paperwork

With just one owner registered as a Dakar 4x4, it has only covered ~8,000 miles since 2015.

The Dakar was bought straight from the manufacturer in 2015 after its previous life as a Discovery II ES, having seen 5 previous owners. In total it cost around £22,000 to convert and has the benefit of never having been off-road. While there is no paperwork of its life as a Discovery II, it looks like it came off the road in 2012, and converted three years later.

The current owner (therefore the first owner as a Dakar) has spent money on certain maintenance items over its 5 years, including an ignition pack, rear pads and callipers, front suspension bushes, transmission pan and track rod ends. It's covered around 8,000 miles since the owner bought the car, with constant MOT's to keep the car mechanically active.

We've actioned checks on; Seller ID, V5, HPi clear.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
25-04-2020	MOT	80,395
27-04-2019	MOT	79,720
04-05-2018	MOT	78,248
22-04-2017	MOT	77,147
20-04-2016	MOT	75,131
05-05-2015	MOT	72,451
13-04-2011	MOT	72,359
28-04-2010	MOT	66,595
23-04-2009	MOT	47,787
23-04-2008	MOT	36,699
18-04-2007	MOT	32,973
27-04-2006	MOT	25,918

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Key Details

ModelDakar 4x4
TransmissionAutomatic
Reg. Date2001
CC3,948
Mileage~81,206
ColourWhite
Interior ColourLeather
Interior TrimTan
Chassis #SALLTGM231A703401
MOT04-05-2021
MOT ExemptNo
Road Tax ExemptNo
Former Keepers6
Tyre BrandCooper Discovery
Tyre Age2010
# of Keys2
LHD or RHDRHD
VisitedYes
Sale TypePrivate
Owned6 years
Key FeatureFibreglass off-roader kit

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Vehicle Location

Coventry

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Ask Questions

Seller : Andy S

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Guest

Keith Scott

Does this have the doors and fully removable roof?

Can you also tell me who it was built by please

Author

Andy S

Hi,as you can see in the photos all doors and the roof are removable in a matter of minutes.The hard top roof is fitted during the winter months,a soft top roof is also supplied.
The vehicle was built by Dakar 4×4 near syston in Leicestershire by Tory and Roger Hill.

Author

Andy S

Hi ,as you can see in the photos all doors are removable in a matter of minutes.The roof is in 2 sections and takes a little bit longer to take off.There is also a soft top vinyl roof included.It
was built by Tory and Roger Hill of Dakar4x4.me.co.uk near Syston in Leicestershire and most kit parts are still available.

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Coventry

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