Thread: Hard Rangie - Black Label Edition

Some of you will know that I have been patiently waiting for a black on black P38 Rangie.

My first P38 was black with grey interior, but it got wet and the insurance company wouldn't let me drive it again.

My current P38 (aka the Hard Rangie) is a 99 4.0 "pov pack" which is Oxford Blue under the dirt and scratches. I love it, but I do miss some of the creature comforts of the HSE and I want to build a new Hard Rangie from scratch.

Yesterday, Bundalene went to the auctions and won the vehicle I've been wanting, and at a price within my budget

Today, Bundalene and Andrew E collected it from the auctions and took it to Casa de Bundalene for further inspection. See photo below. That is not a large mark or fading on the bonnet... it is the reflection of trees... shiny...

Unfortunately I have an immovable client engagement on Friday or I'd be driving up the Hume Hwy at a safe steady pace. I'll do it Saturday instead

What we know about it so far:

• 2000 model 4.6 HSE with 147k
• Black exterior and Ash Grey leather interior
• full service history
• a couple of scratches on the body, but no fading on the bonnet or roof - looks like it has always been garaged
• carpets look like new, rear seats perfect, front pretty good except:
  
  • has had a side-front impact and the driver's seat airbag deployed. Don't think the pre-tensioner has gone off.
  
  
• Michelin tyres are about 80%
• new looking air springs at rear, one of the fronts is popped... no problem, I still have my old front Gen III's here
• steering arm is bent and the power steering box split... I know a guy

We'll know more on Saturday when we get more time with it, but we think the biggest roadblock to getting it on the road again is going to be the SRS airbag.

So, does anyone out there have a driver's seat airbag they want to sell me, or suggest a place I can get one fairly quickly and at a reasonable price please?

What of the current Hard Rangie? Dunno yet. I offered the black one to my wife but she is happy with her TD4 Freelander and I really can't afford to keep 2 Rangies for myself, so I have some tough decisions ahead of me:

1. fix up the black Rangie, put some basic Hard Range bits (EAS Bypass, Gen III's etc) and sell it - pretty damn unlikely
2. fix up the black Rangie, and turn it in to Hard Rangie Mk2 "Black Label Edition"
3. sell the current Hard Rangie as is and hope to recover some of my costs (front and rear bars, new shocks and Gen III's, $2k stereo etc)
4. strip out some of the more expensive bits on the current Hard Rangie (front bar, UHF, stereo etc) and transplant them to the new one. Leave the 33"s, lift kit, 4.1 diffs, air locker and snorkel (Raised Air Intake) for someone who wants to use it as an off-road weapon
5. strip out all the "cool bits" from the current Hard Rangie and transplant them to the new one... but then I'd just be selling a scratched and dirty 1999 4.0

Stay tuned if you are interested to see what develops.

Cheers
Paul.

5 ! If you ever plan on having 33's again you'll kick yourself if you have to replace those diffs and lockers etc again too.

Then I reckon you and Andy should see how you can get a gen 3 V8 to drop in there