Newbe here, P38 advice welcome.

[CraigH]

Hi Guys,

I know this question has been done to death before but here goes.

I am thinking of a P38 HSE. From the reading I have done I know they have their niggles and issues, but after owning a SAAB I am accustom to that. Service history and a specialist inspection would be top of my list.

Most of the use would be around town and maybe tow a caravan 2 -3 times a year.

Would it be best to look for as late P38 model as possible, say 2000-02??

Are there any years to avoid?

Any other advise welcome...

Cheers
Craig

[Aussie]

Don't do it!!! Go buy yourself a reliable vehicle anything Jap made, trust me after owning a P38 for over 4 years it sent me broke, awesome vehicle but just plain unreliable. People here will tell you otherwise but in the end you better have either a deep pocket or mate with recover vehicle

[Keithy P38]

The only bad luck i've had in the last nearly 3yrs with my P38's is that one drowned in a creek! No other issues for me! Both Thor engine'd P38's... And I use them properly off-road too!

Cheers
Keithy

[DT-P38]

Hi there,

If you are accustomed to enthusiast/luxury type vehicles you will not be disappointed... P38's are a great machine and all of the common issues they have are now pretty well understood with DIY fixes documented here at AULRO or at some other sites available from here.

As with any 2nd hand vehicles, if they haven't been properly looked after you really can't expect them to be 100% trouble free. However, there are a heap of examples on here of neglected P38's brought back up to standard and now offering their owners excellent service. There is one disgruntled nay sayer lurking around here in the shadows ready to bag P38's out, but you know, there's one of them in every crowd and I suspect he's just missing his P38.

I have just come home today from an AULRO driving and camping weekend at Greendale and in the Wombat State Forest. For the event and there were 40 odd LR's and we had 6 P38's that were car fault free over varying tracks from easy to hard level. There was one component failure, but it is suspected to be a possible manufacture issue (not a LR one). One bloke drove down from Canberra for the weekend and drove back again. One couple were heading off soon towing their T-van camper on a 17,000km trip up through the centre of Australia, to Darwin back down the west coast to Perth and then across the Nulllarbor to Melbourne and home again in Wodonga.

If that's not proof enough of what they are good for I don't know what is. Everything on here is pretty open and honest, so Just keep reading back through the older threads. Then you can get yourself better informed on them and when your ready go get the best one your budget can handle!

[big guy]

If you keep in mind that when new, they were over $100,000, they need to be serviced like a high performance car that it is.
Not in way of speed performance but intricacy.
They are now at least 10 years old and a real collectors almost due to their complicated running gear.

If you as said above have deep pockets or get lucky on one that needs very little maintenance than go for it.
I would love one but need a car I can trust, hence my tdi disco.

Good luck

[81stubee]

Craig,

Two questions:

1. What made you think of a P38 Range Rover?

2. Are you reasonably skilled mechanically or do you rely on mechanics for ALL of your maintenance?

This will help us give you an honest answer. I believe on here most of us a fairly unbiased enough to give you an opinion if you answer those questions. But don't take them lightly, because this is a world that once you enter it is very difficult to leave. From what people tell me, its a bit like getting married, it's great at the start, high maintenance, you have your down days, weeks, months. But then you get rewarded for all your good work, and feel that it was all worth it.

Stu

[CraigH]

Thanks Stu, In answer to the above questions,

1. I guess its the knowledge I've gained reading over the years on whats regarded as the worlds best off road vehicle. I like the comfort and ability that these vehicles offer.

2. I come from a car enthusiastic family. My dad has a E type and XK8 Jag, my brother has a 68 Mustang (albeit in pieces). I used to do most of my own servicing years back but if i purchased one of these would use a independent specialist.

I have been giving this more thought over the last few days and are now considering holding off saving a few more $$ and looking for a later model Disco 3.

I really appreciate all the replies and advice guys..:)

Craig

[ozscott]

Thanks Stu, In answer to the above questions,

1. I guess its the knowledge I've gained reading over the years on whats regarded as the worlds best off road vehicle. I like the comfort and ability that these vehicles offer.

2. I come from a car enthusiastic family. My dad has a E type and XK8 Jag, my brother has a 68 Mustang (albeit in pieces). I used to do most of my own servicing years back but if i purchased one of these would use a independent specialist.

I have been giving this more thought over the last few days and are now considering holding off saving a few more $$ and looking for a later model Disco 3.

I really appreciate all the replies and advice guys..:)

Craig

Mate - if you can afford it great idea.

Cheers

[81stubee]

What he said!:thumbsup:

[redandy3575]

Hi there,

If you are accustomed to enthusiast/luxury type vehicles you will not be disappointed... P38's are a great machine and all of the common issues they have are now pretty well understood with DIY fixes documented here at AULRO or at some other sites available from here.

As with any 2nd hand vehicles, if they haven't been properly looked after you really can't expect them to be 100% trouble free. However, there are a heap of examples on here of neglected P38's brought back up to standard and now offering their owners excellent service. There is one disgruntled nay sayer lurking around here in the shadows ready to bag P38's out, but you know, there's one of them in every crowd and I suspect he's just missing his P38.

I have just come home today from an AULRO driving and camping weekend at Greendale and in the Wombat State Forest. For the event and there were 40 odd LR's and we had 6 P38's that were car fault free over varying tracks from easy to hard level. There was one component failure, but it is suspected to be a possible manufacture issue (not a LR one). One bloke drove down from Canberra for the weekend and drove back again. One couple were heading off soon towing their T-van camper on a 17,000km trip up through the centre of Australia, to Darwin back down the west coast to Perth and then across the Nulllarbor to Melbourne and home again in Wodonga.

If that's not proof enough of what they are good for I don't know what is. Everything on here is pretty open and honest, so Just keep reading back through the older threads. Then you can get yourself better informed on them and when your ready go get the best one your budget can handle!

Spot on....I'm one of those bringing mine up to standard.

It's a good idea when you notice something out of place or a warning sign of something potentially going wrong, then get it fixed straight away. I found the P38 a car that gives you plenty of warnings with plenty of opportunities to drive you vehicle to a workshop before developing into a bigger stranded problem. With most japanese 4x4, they tend to drive trouble free for a long time to the point where the owner boasts about their reliability then suddenly stops. But with plenty of TLC, the P38 will look after as long as you look after it.