Hi, this is my first post after my intro. I'm looking for an L322 on a tight budget. I've found a genune low mileage 2002 Vogue with fsh described as nigh on immaculate. Not seen it yet as it requires a long trip. Checking the DoT site the last mot has an advisory of "rear suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive inner sill 2.4.A3" (exact wording) and it applies to both sides.
I've not found much info on L322 corrosion other than wheel arches and tailgates. I'm Ok but limited mechanically and not a welder so I'd need to get this sorted by an excellent independent LR garage I know which means cash.
Any opinions on whether this is one to walk away from? Thoughts / experience much appreciated. J

If you have a tight budget, don't do it

There’s an excellent buyers guide in the wiki -

http://www.fullfatrr.com/wiki/Main_Page

As above, they can be expensive to repair, so buy very carefully and have a contingency fund - or just don’t do it

That would be my advice too unfortunately, just to give you an idea here we’re my ‘running’ costs for a year on my 2003 TD6...

Purchased April 2016, no MOT just needed rear brakes fitting so won’t count that we w rubbing cost!

Then over the year in a rough order:
Service Kit - £60
Lower arm each side - £90 the pair
Upper arm drivers side - £60ish
Front drivers air suspension strut - £250
A week later, passenger side - £250
Drop links - £40 (pair)
Brake calipers x 3 (about a week apart each!) - £240 for all 3
Rear track arms (tracking was out and the bolts were too rusty to adjust so changed the whole arm) - £100
Misc nuts and bolts over the year - £80
Turbo hose - £90
Air con condenser - £85
Air con hose - £75ish
Air con service - £50
Front n/s height sensor - £80

That was all in the first year, then come this years MOT:
Fuel cap - £25
Track rods & ends (impossible to split ) - about £200
Front suframe welding - £300


As you can see it’s not cheap, and all that pricing except the welding was done myself, not to mention a set of tyres etc. I can imagine if you were to pay for all those jobs you’d be looking about £5k ish with all parts for the year!

Hope this gives you a rough idea, it expect I’ve just had a bad experience but won’t let it put me off, picking up my fiancé’s best mate for a day out puts a smile on my face - all the ‘this car is amazing’ etc and it’s lovely and smooth to drive.

Also just to add despite those problems I’d say it was a reliable car, did me well for a 1000 Mile round trip to Nurburgring in Germany every year, so much so I plan to take it back in a fortnight!!

The plate makes it look younger too

Best of luck if you decide to pursue!!

Thanks for the replies. I accept the typical running costs as I've owned two classics and a P38 before, altogether about eight years enjoyable and sometimes pricey experience. I'm not familiar with 4.4 l322's though and their weak spots. Corrosion is my biggest concern with any car and I'd value comments on whether corrosion around rear suspension / cills is common or not and if it needs extensive stripping of other components to gain access to do the repairs (I guess that's where the pennies will really mount up!). There's no other advisories listed and it has fsh from local garages so I'm hopeful it's been reasonably well cared for (!). Extensive pics suggest it has been.
I know you folk can't see it, I guess I'm asking if it is a common problem and if someone here has tackled it before.
I'm going to ask the seller for a garage quote to give me an idea of cost before I do anything, but views from experienced people who know l322's well are always valuable.
Thanks for the buying guide link, I'll look at that now.

I remember Stacker didn't you get your L322 for silly cheap money, like £2000-something? You had to get it recovered when you bought it I think.. Was a great read. Would you do it again now you know what you know?

I guess repairs are all relative to value. And if you can repair yourself like Stacker then the money might work out. The problem is that it's a gamble.

I was watching a guy on youtube who bought a flood damaged Tesla S. Then we bought a second, which was accident damaged and he put two cars into one. Sold many left over bits too so he got a car that he couldn't otherwise afford. Cheers, Greg
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2011 Vogue SE 4.4 with lots of toys in Stornaway

Yeah I paid £2250 I think, had to be recovered as you say as the rear brakes had been dismantled and not put back together and the guy was moving abroad!

It was advertised for £5k and it took almost a month of keeping on to get it that low... silly me 😂 

Just totalled your first year spend - came to £1300 plus the car so £3550 was your Y1 spend plus you time.
I'm not sure about early model values, but that sounds cheap to me all in. Plus all that work beats watching TV, right?
Anyway, you've made the move into a RR for £3550 and your looks really good.
It's like an episode of Wheeler Dealers!
. Cheers, Greg
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2011 Vogue SE 4.4 with lots of toys in Stornaway

Last edited by GGDR on 1st Oct 2017 11:33am. Edited 1 time in total

Yeah, without the annoying Brewer chap though......  2017 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography
2012 4.4 TDV8 Westminster - Gone, but not forgotten

Rambles wrote:

If you have a tight budget, don't do it

It’s not quite Wheeler Dealers. I think we’d all be a LOT happier if Edd China would pop up in our garages whenever needed with no labour costs and all parts are wholesale prices.

Just on the topic of rear end corrosion, I think the (structural) steel sections from the back of the rear wheel arch can be problematic. The worst area seems at the bottom of the rear wheel arch, but corrosion around the rear suspension mounts may well be a bad sign. Watch out in particular for cars that have been used to launch boats from trailers, especially into salt water, that is just the sort of thing that can ruin a back end. I think there have been threads on here about corrosion of rear side panels, with pictures, you could try the search function on here and see if you can find that. I recall this being expensive to fix, so you might want to have that checked out carefully before going further.

As others have said old 322s can require regular expenditure, I would be looking to have a budget of £3,000 a year for maintenance anyway, and there is always the risk of a failure which would cost more than the value of the car to fix.

Good luck. Only Range Rovers since 1988

I hate to say it, but if you are on a tight budget and not mechanically minded I really wouldn't. These are not cars that can be run on the cheap unless you are very mechanically minded. Although this one has an advisory on corrosion I would still be more concerned about the mechanicals.

There is no such thing as running an L322 on the cheap and any cheap L322 at that age will probably need a decent amount of work done to it, especially the niggly expensive items that the previous owner has ignored. My 04 petrol has 190k on the clock and I have a very good mechanic and I do lots of things myself, but if I had to worry about the cost of the maintenance, parts and repairs there is just no way I could do it.

When I bought mine at 9 years old with 100k on the clock with a full dealer service history but I still spent over £4,000 in the first 3 months doing everything which needed to be done.

I know its not what you want to hear but thats my 2pence worth.. Current Fleet:-
2018 Discovery 5 3.0 HSE
2021 Ford Ranger Wildtrack
2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt 5.0 V8
1993 Defender 90 200TDI Pickup

Gone - not forgotten
2016 L405 4.4 SDV8 Vogue SE
2012 L322 4.4 Westminster
2004 L322 4.4 V8 Autobiography LE
2000 P38 RR 4.0 HSE (ex Clarkson test car)

Thanks all for the responses. I've owned three RR's and, having learned from the first one, I was careful (and lucky) with the other two. They still cost a fair bit to get right and maintain to a high standard so when I mention the budget I'm purposely limiting the purchase cost so as keep a good lump back for correcting what I'll call expected faults. Your mentions of cost align with what I used to spend and expect again.
Hidden corrosion in hard to reach places is my main worry, but from reading around it doesn't seem to be a major concern for most l322's. Comment on boat launches is well placed and a good reminder - thanks for that.
As for mechanical aptitude I'm alright but engine or gearbox out is too much for me, hence I'm keeping away from diesels. I'll be happy with petrol and fit a gas system again as my others performed brilliantly. That might upset some but fuel is fuel to me

And can I add that it's refreshing to hear honest comments and advice on a forum! Many forum contributors live in a world of rose tinted glasses for their loved hobby, it's good to see folk here saying it as it is. Thanks again.