Thread: Buying a P38

I too am looking at P38's.
I'm looking for a replacement for the Millennium Commodore.
I've also been looking at Td5 D2's.
Well, a P38 has just come up for sale just up the road from me. It's sub 140,000 km.
Using it as a daily drive, what are the sort of issues that may come my way? Is an engine rebuild likely in the near future? Will the suspension do a big fart and I find myself flat on my belly?

As with any LR, all good and bad things are possible Mick!

Try one on for size and see what you think. I would reckon you could do worse than having a ride in one, but watch out they can get their claws into you! No offense to our Disco brothers, but I reckon the two vehicles are chalk and cheese. Simply put, both have their +'s and -'s but were obviously aimed at completely different markets. As you know, both are very capable and that's the big upside.

If you wanna buy p38, wait for a goodie. Thorough "due diligence" via checking FSH and getting a proper PPI will help with peace of mind. DO NOT look for a bargain P38 unless you are prepared to fix issues from tight or negligent PO's.

Happy to help if you go the P38 way.

Dave & the 'pretty pig'

I've been in a P38 many years ago. I was in Whisky Mac's at the Greendale gathering. They are a nice vehicle.
I'm after something that will tow 3t with ease. The Commodore will tow 2.1t legally. In it's earlier life it towed quite a bit more at freeway speeds but don't tell anyone. I've got to say the VR Commodore has been the best car I have ever had and at 400,000km it is still going strong.
I've also been looking at Landcruisers.

The thing about the P38 is they are not expensive. If I get a lemon, I'm not too fussed. Spare parts for the next.

Paul - pm sent. Very generous of you.

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

I too am looking at P38's.
I'm looking for a replacement for the Millennium Commodore.
I've also been looking at Td5 D2's.
Well, a P38 has just come up for sale just up the road from me. It's sub 140,000 km.
Using it as a daily drive, what are the sort of issues that may come my way? Is an engine rebuild likely in the near future? Will the suspension do a big fart and I find myself flat on my belly?

Mick..have a good look art the engine for hints of coolant leaks. That's why it's good if you can take it on a long(er) drive and check to see whether the coolant level drops or not.

Listen for tappet noise. while the 4.6 is a fairly robust engine, they do seem to have a thing about rockers. I replaced mine at 130k. It was a long day's work (along with multiple coffees and beers!) but I took the time to check all sorts of things as well as get the injectors ultrasonically cleaned and checked. Dunno why they (rockers) go, they just do. I don't run it on synthetic oil ever! because it's too slippery and doesn't let the lifters and push trods rotate as they are supposed to (roller rockers...different story).

We seem to forget that if an engine has a life expectancy of say 200k between major overhauls based on stop/start driving, and we are buying one at say 170k, then it's life expectancy is 80% gone already...same with transmission.

Major stuff apart from the rockers has been the viscous couping unit in the t/f case. That also was a day's work. Next time I could prob. do it in 3 hrs...learning curve and all that.

Look for water leaks in the footwell and the spare tyre wheel well. Both can be fairly easily fixed (see these pages).

Don't fall into the trap of HD shocks..the standard Boges are far better with the air suspension. Air suspension sounds cumfy. It's not! It's a linear response and there's no way to get the magic carpet associated with the RR Classic which has, I suspect. loooong travel non-linear spring rates. Cooper (H/T) tyres don't help. They are hard and transmit even the slightest bump.

Frankly at the present time (mine has only 145k km in 13 yrs) I wouldnt try and pull 3t ... the torque band doesn't get going until you reach about 2500-2700 rpm ...which is above 100kmh in top gear.

All that said, it's great on a trip...last time i went to Sydney with 4 adults and luggage we averaged 85kmh for the whole trip down at around 12L/100km. got as low as 10.5-11 for some (freeway) parts...

Good luck


EDIT: The air suspension can be a PITA but it's worth it. Once you have it sorted...great

All I can add is wit for the right onr for you and you wont look back . Even if turns out not so good as long as your handy with with spanners & dont mind having a go yourself at fixing things alls good. As was said to me when I was looking . If you beleived all the horror stories you would never buy one , but once you have owned one you will hate to drive anything else. Yep everything else is just second rate after owning a P38. ( That is till you move up to a L322 . Sorry guys I'm a deserter )

Gary

Originally Posted by Hoges

Mick..have a good look art the engine for hints of coolant leaks. That's why it's good if you can take it on a long(er) drive and check to see whether the coolant level drops or not.

Listen for tappet noise. while the 4.6 is a fairly robust engine, they do seem to have a thing about rockers. I replaced mine at 130k. It was a long day's work (along with multiple coffees and beers!) but I took the time to check all sorts of things as well as get the injectors ultrasonically cleaned and checked. Dunno why they (rockers) go, they just do. I don't run it on synthetic oil ever! because it's too slippery and doesn't let the lifters and push trods rotate as they are supposed to (roller rockers...different story).

We seem to forget that if an engine has a life expectancy of say 200k between major overhauls based on stop/start driving, and we are buying one at say 170k, then it's life expectancy is 80% gone already...same with transmission.

Major stuff apart from the rockers has been the viscous couping unit in the t/f case. That also was a day's work. Next time I could prob. do it in 3 hrs...learning curve and all that.

Look for water leaks in the footwell and the spare tyre wheel well. Both can be fairly easily fixed (see these pages).

Don't fall into the trap of HD shocks..the standard Boges are far better with the air suspension. Air suspension sounds cumfy. It's not! It's a linear response and there's no way to get the magic carpet associated with the RR Classic which has, I suspect. loooong travel non-linear spring rates. Cooper (H/T) tyres don't help. They are hard and transmit even the slightest bump.

Frankly at the present time (mine has only 145k km in 13 yrs) I wouldnt try and pull 3t ... the torque band doesn't get going until you reach about 2500-2700 rpm ...which is above 100kmh in top gear.

All that said, it's great on a trip...last time i went to Sydney with 4 adults and luggage we averaged 85kmh for the whole trip down at around 12L/100km. got as low as 10.5-11 for some (freeway) parts...

Good luck


EDIT: The air suspension can be a PITA but it's worth it. Once you have it sorted...great

Thanks Hoges. That is really good information.
I'm surprised the engine is only designed to last 200,000km. Oh well, most mechanical things can be fixed. As I keep harping on about, the Commodore ( the car I'm replacing ) has done 400,000km and is still going strong ( although it is down in kw ).
I already have two cars with air suspension so that doesn't scare me.
Suggesting the P38 might not be good for towing 3t probably means a P38 is not the vehicle for me. Again thanks for your honest opinion and P38 owners should not think this is detrimental to the capability of their lovely vehicles.
I was trying to have a look at one this weekend. It's on ebay. I was going to take it for a long drive as you suggested but the seller is being a right *****. He refuses to let me inspect the vehicle. I thought he had something to hide so I cancelled my bids.
Oh well, a suitable vehicle will surface. They always do.

There may be others who tow with a 3t load who will disagree with me... I pulled a 1t camper to Cape York in 2010. It went very well but I noticed that it had nothing in top gear until it was well past 110kmh ... which was too fast.

The 4.6 engine in the nth American spec had a 9.?:1 compression and probably about another 20bhp over the low compression (8.35:1) version which was imported here by LRA. That 20bhp would probably make all the difference...
(Perhaps I need to do a RonP38arover and get the engine upgraded with higher compression pistons etc!)

People do tow horse floats with them in the UK especially but I'm not sure what spec the engines are there. A 2.5 BMW diesel is probably better for that application anyway...