Looking at buying a Range Rover

[jake throssell]

Hey guys,
Looking at buying a 96-00 Range Rover HSE for my first car.
Can anyone give me a few pointers as to what to look for,
How the go etc.
Would be looking at converting it to gas ASAP as apprenticeship wages make it hard for me to run a 4.8l v8 engine haha.
Also if anyone knows of one for sale under 10k let me know.

Cheers

[BigJon]

If you think the fuel cost are high for a 4.6 Rangie, wait until you have to do some repairs! Air suspension, A/C system, etc.

[Camo]

:eek: P38 as a first car

If you want a car which will stay on the road 99% of the time don't get a P38

My father has a 1997 HSE with new motor (slipped liner.usual P38 problem) and offered it to me for nothing and I still won't take it off his hands:)

Stuff owning one of those

But hey.. very nice car to drive and cheap as chips to buy..


Camo

[BigJon]

:eek:
My father has a 1997 HSE with new motor (slipped liner.usual P38 problem) and offered it to me for nothing and I still won't take it off his hands:)



Can I have it? Please. :p

[big guy]

P38

Great car when they go but hell of a prob to fix especially on apprentice wages.

Still, if that iswhat you want, why not.

They are either a 4L or 4.6L.

Look on e-bay for bargains but remember, there is a reason why it be cheap.

I suggest a 88 RRC for less money and spend some money to buil up the way you like it.

just a thought.

Best of luck.

[Camo]

Can I have it? Please. :p

LOL

I'm making sure he trades it in.. imagine selling a P38 to someone you know!!:eek:

Main thing is that the P38 didn't turn him off and is looking at Rangie Sport with the V8 diesel :D

[willem]

Can I have it? Please. :p

That was my response! :p:p

Actually since I have owned the P38 I have come to appreciate it more. The car seems to have been set up for easy repair. It is much easier to work on than my 92 RRC! Its almost as if the engineers decided to work with the repairers than against them.

I do not yet know about long term reliability, but I have learned something about their sturdiness after an incident with the wheel coming off. I have had no mechanical issues with my car since I have owned it.

While recognising that P38s are not a cheap car to run - but then neither are RRCs - I reckon that if you are prepared to learn about a car and how it works and look after it yourself then you can drive like a king for very little money.

I also notice that most of the 'They're great when they're running ...' type comments come from RRC owners rather than P38 owners.

So I reckon if someone wants one as his first car and he is prepared to look after it then why not? let him have a go. If he can successfully operate a complex car like a P38 then anything else will be a piece of cake!

Willem

[matt39788]

From hearing stories of people owning them and seeing first hand how troublesome they can be, DON'T buy one. Not many mechanics want to touch them and info is sometimes hard to obtain. Go for an classic rangie or a Discovery, better of the bunch just my opinion.

[scarry]

My brother had an 86 one for years,bloody great,easy to fix,etc.Also the 3.5 v8 wasnt to bad on fuel.The chassis rusted out as it had done a lot of beach work before he got it & we changed it,it wasnt that hard to do.

I recon this model looks better than the P38,but this is only my 2 cents worth:)

[Camo]

That was my response! :p:p

Actually since I have owned the P38 I have come to appreciate it more. The car seems to have been set up for easy repair. It is much easier to work on than my 92 RRC! Its almost as if the engineers decided to work with the repairers than against them.

I do not yet know about long term reliability, but I have learned something about their sturdiness after an incident with the wheel coming off. I have had no mechanical issues with my car since I have owned it.

While recognising that P38s are not a cheap car to run - but then neither are RRCs - I reckon that if you are prepared to learn about a car and how it works and look after it yourself then you can drive like a king for very little money.

I also notice that most of the 'They're great when they're running ...' type comments come from RRC owners rather than P38 owners.

So I reckon if someone wants one as his first car and he is prepared to look after it then why not? let him have a go. If he can successfully operate a complex car like a P38 then anything else will be a piece of cake!

Willem

That is true

We pretty much know how everything works by now.. mainly cause he has changed/fixed nearly every issue with the car:p

would have spent easily 25k on the car in the last 3 years.. (motor,suspension,computer,ABS,power steering) would hate to do a list. Car has just hit 200,000k's.. now has a transfer noise..never ends

has a new motor which runs very strong.. gets 13.5 litres per 100k's on the highway! thats about the only good thing I can say about it:cool:

Joys of P38's.. but each to their own I guess

[p38arover]

Not many mechanics want to touch them and info is sometimes hard to obtain.

They are no harder than, and in fact, many ways easier to work on than a RRC. (I've owned two RRC.)

They are far better built than a RRC, too.

I don't know what you mean about "info is sometimes hard to obtain".

It seems that most of the nay-sayers about P38As have never owned one.

[2door grover]

I have a rrc 2 door ( my play car) and a p38 on gas (wifes daily)

If i had more money i'd have a p38 as my play car. They are just so much better to drive on and off the road. if you fix it yourself they aren't to bad to run but if you take it some where you had better have deep pockets.

[willem]

Not many mechanics want to touch them and info is sometimes hard to obtain.

????? This forum is only one of many places in which you can find info about the P38. The guys on this forum that have P38s are super helpful and point you in the right direction for finding info and used or new or aftermarket parts.

As far as Jake is concerned, if he is prepared to learn about P38s and look after his own car there is no reason why he couldn't have a P38 as his first car. I well remember as an apprentice many years ago nearly all the apprentices had their pet projects and some were quite complex. So Jake, if this is your thing, go for it!

Willem

[andrew e]

They are no harder than, and in fact, many ways easier to work on than a RRC. (I've owned two RRC.)

They are far better built than a RRC, too.

I don't know what you mean about "info is sometimes hard to obtain".

It seems that most of the nay-sayers about P38As have never owned one.

I agree 100%. The P38 is the easiest car i have ever had to work on. (however i have not had to do blend motors). I have stripped 3.5 discos, defenders, later 300tdi discos and D2s, and i would work on a p38 rangie anyday. They have almost all the bolts captive, and everything is easy to get at. When i look under the bonnet of a classic and early discos, everything i see looks like an afterthought, knuckle-skinning abortion.


Andy

[Romulus]

I own a '96 P38 HSE and my partner my ex '96 Disco....love both but REALLY love the P38...very comfortable, easier to work on than the Disco, not too bad on LPG and also not too bad on petrol for a 4.6 V8, it all depends how 'heavy' your right foot is ;)
As to reliability on my P38, so far, touch wood, its not been bad...although the blend motors did needed to be replaced...I considered doing it myself but in the end opted out of it, bought a new set out of the UK and had a reputable Land Rover service agent here in Melbourne replace them at a very reasonable cost....so I am VERY happy with P38.....one thing I found with ANY Land/Range Rover, always stay ahead of them with maintenance, I do most of it myself and know both cars like the back of my hand AND get to know all the different noises they make....anything new check it out immediately!!
Like any car, you can get your 'lemon' that for some reason has nothing but problems, maybe a Friday arvo car....who knows why that sometimes happens...I have owned and of course still own many Land Rover's including my ole '76 Safari Series 3....you either love 'em or hate 'em...I just happen to love 'em!