What does that mean Craig?? Discovery 4 HSE
1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF
1982 Series 3 Hard Top

*Gone:L462 D5 HSE LUX, L663 Defender 110 HSE, Discovery 3 HSE, 2014MY Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged AB Dynamic; L405 Exec Vogue SE 4.4, 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography, Defender TDCi XS CSW, Defender TD5 HT, Vogue SE TDV8, Vogue TD6, RRSport SC 4.2V8, Classic 3.9 Vogue Auto, Land Rover Series 3 SWB

£5k is scraping the L322 barrel, you're in warning lights, eBay "Supercharged" grilles and second-hand-LPG-kit territory.

Lot of car for the cash if (if) you can find one which isn't a dog though.

RRUK wrote:

I still like the idea of the D2 V8, but what advantages are there over the P38? Similar amount of electrics, same engine and transmission, plus they're more money too.

I like P38, looked and test drove one in NZ many years ago (cheap as chips, still didn't buy it as kept running a XR6 rental car) and I looked at one here as a temp car for the job (hopefully coming up).

From what I read about them, they are like a more unreliable FFRR statistically but that does not mean that there aren't good ones out there. The suspension seems to be one of the major issues on them. I would say just keep looking till you find a really good one.

But why not go for a gen 1 L322 ??? I'm considering shipping my 4.2 back from Nigeria to Holland and putting it in storage till I get around to converting it into an overlander for the big trip I hope to do in a few years time (Rotterdam to Cape Town). The L322 are also plenty and they're a bit better than the P38 from what I gather plus more tech support on here !!

Don't get me wrong, I really like the P38 (especially the one I test drove in NZ, gorgeous blue colour with ivory interior) just that a cheap 322 may make more sense ?? MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Thanks Eugene,

I kinda like the idea of having a Discovery as I've never had one and I think I'd be less likely to have a fit when it gets dirty, scratched etc which can happen on some shoots. Last winter we had to drive all the cars through an opening in a hedge that was only two thirds the width of the cars. That was painful!

They also have a practical utility feel with enough luxury to be comfy. I'm in no rush so I'm going to keep my eyes on the market.

I looked at Landyzone. Jeez. They really hate the P38 there. On their Range Rover thread it's almost all issues and moans and gripes! Discovery 4 HSE
1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF
1982 Series 3 Hard Top

*Gone:L462 D5 HSE LUX, L663 Defender 110 HSE, Discovery 3 HSE, 2014MY Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged AB Dynamic; L405 Exec Vogue SE 4.4, 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography, Defender TDCi XS CSW, Defender TD5 HT, Vogue SE TDV8, Vogue TD6, RRSport SC 4.2V8, Classic 3.9 Vogue Auto, Land Rover Series 3 SWB

Not many people post on forums to let everyone know their air suspension is working brilliantly, cylinder liners haven't slipped, blend motors are still functioning perfectly etc.

rangie_mike wrote:

Hi All

Have just put a deposit on a 2011 RR 5.0S subject to seeing and driving it !

This will be my 3rd RR having had a 3.9 Classic and my current trusty 4.6 P38 which I now need to sell.

Mike

Hey, here is one coming up for sale, that I noticed in the "welcome" thread

We've had 5 P38's over the years. Still have 2 of them now. We use one of them as a daily hack along side the Freelander leaving the AB in the garage.

It's a great hacking car really. It's at an age where you don't need to worry about people keying it, it doesn't draw attention to it when it's parked, parts are all available cheaply enough, and the 4.6's are reasonably pokey.

Air suspension is an issue on these although it's not as bad as everyone thinks. You can buy rebuild kits for the valve block (just a big bag of o-rings) and you can do that in about an hour. Airbags perish but are about £65 a corner and the compressor can be rebuilt easily too. I've driven one locally that was on springs and the ride was bloody awful!

My brother in law had a 2001 Discovery TD5 ES and when I took him out in one of the P38's (1997 4.6 HSE) he commented that the older P38 with double the mileage of his Discovery made the Discovery feel like a Defender with a plush interior.

Other then the one P38 which caught fire, we've not really had any issues with any of the others to be honest. They do what we want them to, and they do it well.

They're also a capable car in the mud too. I had one of ours towing a sheep trailer through a very wet, fairly muddy in places, field the other day and it didn't bat an eye lid. One thing the P38's are incredibly sensitive to is the tyre pressures, if they're slightly out they can make the car feel like it's wandering all over the place.

Newer P38's tend to have more engine issues from what I've read. As the tooling to make the engines got older, the tolerances became less as things wore. Instead of the water channel being in the middle of the wall between cylinders it would be much closer to one then the other which was part of the problem causing them to go porous. All of ours (apart from one which we no longer have) have been the earlier GEMS cars. I try and avoid the 95-96 models, the 97-98 models were pretty well sorted and have been good to us.

I like the P38, and can see us always having at least one of them here.

David. 2002 4.6 Vogue SE - Alveston Red with Lightstone Leather
2007 Range Rover Supercharged in Java Black with Ivory Leather
2012 Range Rover 5.0 SC Autobiography in Indus Silver with Jet/Ivory Interior
2012 Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography in Baltic Blue with Sand Interior

About 4 years ago I brought a '96 4.6 at auction. It was my first LR product. I paid something like £1800. I used it for a year and ~ 20k miles. It was comfortable, fairly modern compared to defender/discovery options. Ride is good on air. But the best bit is you can drive it with scant regard. It was perfect for my narrow lane routes to work, hedge? Get in!

Stereo is good, leather seats comfy (although most heated seats have failed unless replaced). I also think body work chassis are reasonably free of rot, they appear structurally good.

Engines seem to have a bad rep for liners slipping etc but mine ran sweet.

I spent good money on service items - lots of little things to sort - range rovers.net is good forum.

The P38 experience ended after a year (I sold it for £2500!) i also sold my alpina B10 and brought a D3 V8 and then my Rangie.

RRUK wrote:

I'm still toying with the idea of getting a shoot vehicle to prevent the SC from being used for the really mucky stuff over the winter, I'd originally thought a D2 would be good with a V8 auto, but the P38 market is awash with cars.

I know it has a bad reputation but they're still out there and you can get A LOT for your money. £2k buys you a 4.0 or a 4.6 HSE with every toy. The difference in comfort compared to my Defender I had is chalk and cheese. It will get me to shoots on cold days in comfort, keep me warm, transport me, other guns, dogs etc and be smooth as silk.

So, what do we all know about the P38?

After the usuals of checking service history, bodywork, interior, checking all electrics work, suspension goes up and down, there's no milkyness under the oil filler, it doesn't smoke heavily and drives smooth, what else is there to check on these that's out of the ordinary?

Are there any parts that are prone to bad rust? Looking on AT there are many to look at and they look in pretty good nick. I'm after a T plate and over, so a 2000 onwards. All I'd do is put privacy glass in if it isn't already (gun and dog security) and maybe some AT tyres.

Thoughts please?

After reading Johns story a TD6 or 4.4 Petrol is starting to sound appealing to me  MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Trommel wrote:

£5k is scraping the L322 barrel, you're in warning lights, eBay "Supercharged" grilles and second-hand-LPG-kit territory.

Lot of car for the cash if (if) you can find one which isn't a dog though.

And with the 19 inch wheels you can get good off road tyres as well

Still there have to be a few good P38s out there. I wouldn't mind one as my temporary car till the 5.0 is here but they are too expensive and not local. MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Adam,

My old 2002 td6 which an army mate bought off me a couple years back is coming up for sale. It was faultless when mine, still has no major faults (I saw it and him last week and he is still delighted with it) but is looking a bit battered now as my pal is a horsey man and has used and abused it but nothing a good detail wouldn't sort. Perfect shoot vehicle I would have thought!!

It is on 115,000ish miles, good gearbox still and is near Salisbury.

Btw he is looking for a pickup to carry his bales of hay, feed etc so if anyone knows of one going for sale?..... Doesn't need to be in that good nick as he's a mucky !,........