Thread: So I want a P38A

Hey everyone. First post here. Looking at getting a Range Rover.
So I saw a RR HSE 4.6 for sale. It was about a 97 or maybe 98 model. $12,000 list price.
Looks like it is in pretty good condition. But it has 230,000kms on it.

Main question is 230,000kms getting up there for this model? Or should it have lots of life left in it?
I would probably drive it 10-12,000kms a year.

Thanks for any help.

I am also considering a P38a to replace my RRC and TD5 D2. This forum is an excellent source of info. A combined summary of others thoughts follows:
For a car to be a good one it must have....

• No fading on the roof or bonnet (and no blemishes on the piant as well)
• The corners of the sunroof seal are not popping up
• A spare with new or almost new tread (if bald, it was a tight ass owner)
• Filter material on the cabin air intake
• No check book symbol on the HEVAC
• Legible symbols for the volume control and cruise control on the steering wheel
• Everything (i mean everything) working..... (take cds with you for a test drive)
• Clean interior with minimal signs of wear (i have seen 300,000km examples with nice leather)
• Rear cargo blind with no broken clips.
• Spring loaded range rover flap that COMES DOWN WITH THE TAILGATE.
• No visible lip on the brake disks when felt through the wheel spoke
• New looking air bags (if they are alot cleaner than the rest then they have been changed recently (they also have a date on them if you look closely)
• No visible melting in the fuse box under No. 7 fan relay. (fuse box has a date code on it too).
• An owner who knows what he is talking about, if not ask for his mechanics number and quiz him.
• 2 or more keys + sunroof key
• Log books with the correct vin in the front. It also should have the engine number in there too, double check this against the car, and ask questions if it is different.
• Towball with little signs of wear. (no electric brake controller please!)
• If you can get access to diagnostics equipment (not normally possible) read what codes it has. It may even be worth getting an EAS cable and plugging in a laptop while inspecting the car.
• Buy cheap if you are prepared to do work yourself, and it will still cost as much or more than a really nice one. While you are changing bits around, skinning your knuckles, trolling aulro and rr.net, all you can think about is "why didnt i spend the extra $XXXX and get that perfect one.
• If you don't get both remote control keys, verify that the spare is non-functional (keys can be disabled in testbook, so while they will open the door they won't reset the alarm). If keypads on the remote are falling off, "it's going to cost me a hundred quid for a new key" is bargaining point. Especially if they don't know you can get the keypad for 61p.
• Make sure all recall work has been done. There have been several recalls including ABS hoses on earlier models (4.0 SE's VIN SA300190 to SA313142) and heater hoses on pre-1998 models. Early models have known problems with the HeVAC ECUs as well... worth checking if they have been replaced at any time.
• If it's an early 4.6 (pre 1997, IIRC), then there are issues with porous engine blocks. This will be really expensive to fix! Caveat emptor. On any V8 engine have a peer into the oil filler cap with a torch and see if it's getting overly gunged up.
• Head gaskets commonly go around 60k miles. Signs include bubbles in the coolant return, the oil emulsifying, or, on a smaller scale, "mayo" forming inside the oil filler cap, or oil leaking from (usually the rear) of the block. Don't confuse with leaking rocket cover gaskets which are a significantly smaller problem.
• Look under the "load space extension panel" (the plastic bit with "RANGE ROVER" embossed on it which covers the gap between the spare wheel cover and the tailgate when it's lowered). Check for signs of corrosion along the lower edge of the tailgate. A new one will be £500.
• Under the vehicle, check the exhaust is in good condition. A complete new exhaust will be over £1,500.
• Also check that the air springs are in good condition. While replacing them is not a huge job (especially for a workshop), the springs themselves aren't cheap. A little surface roughness is normal as they age, though.
• Check that all the gadgetry does what it's supposed to. If you aren't familiar with it all, get someone who is. This includes air con (make sure it cools when switching on with the engine hot), screen heaters, and seat heaters if fitted (both front seats should get hot within 2-3 minutes) when switched on.
• If it has an LPG conversion, find out who converted it, and get the COP11 certificate. And find out if it's a good conversion. Make sure sport mode works (for what it's worth) - I've heard of at least one installation where it was disabled as the only way to stop backfiring. On the test drive take it up to 4,000-4,500 revs holding the gear down manually, and then come off the gas and straight back on again 2-3 times. If there is any danger of it backfiring, this will provoke it.
• Finally, look for rust or off-road damage appearing anywhere under the vehicle. There always seems to be some on the axle casings, but elsewhere it can be problematic.
• If there is any sign of coolant escaping into the footwells, tell them to get it fixed before you'll look any further. Odds are that the o-rings have perished. 40p each. 2 days labour to fit. If it's just plain water should be a 2 minute fix - it's water from the aircon evaporator being trapped by a blocked drain tube. While on the subject, vehicles reaching around 5 years old seem to need a new A/C condensor. Check if yours has been done