Hey,

First of all thanks to all the members for the contributions in here- i've been absorbing information and it's all good stuff. I'm a user a of other forums and it seems the folks here have the same enthusiasm for RRs as I do for collecting golf gear Sadly, my knowledge of that doesn't help me in anyway in purchasing a L322.

Short version- I will be temporarily relocating from London to N.Ireland for 9-12months. My wife has a reliable everyday car I haven't had a need for one in London. I'd plan to drive it from London to N.I., and whilst in N.I. it would likely see between 50-100miles per week. The reason i'd like to pick one up is nostalgia/sentimentality, but with the ability to off-load after a year.

My budget of £4k is just a figure that I could probably afford to lose if it ends up going as scrap- with some available for minor repairs, but ideally, i'd love something that I could use for the year, not spend too much money, and then re-sell when I return to the city where cars are useless!

I know the general things I need to be wary of, but if possible, I would appreciate anyone who could reference any specific L322s for sale which may be worth looking at- if this is against the rules of the forum, apols! Or, if it needs to be done, via DM, please dm me

Thanks

welcome to the forum


i've moved your post to the ;general' section as there are many threads here re buying a FF..



btw, theres a great buying guide and loads of other info in our wiki.. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

Ah- thanks Stan for popping this in the correct place!

I'll continue ploughing through the wiki in the meantime and hopefully i'll hear from anyone who has any advice, or maybe found themselves in a similar position as me!

So, this is my personal view only and it comes from the experience of running an 2004 4.4 V8 for the last 100,000 miles which has nigh on 200,000 on the clock now.

At this price range you are at the bottom of the market and they look like they represent huge value for money. There is a wide range of conditions out there too. You need to aware of the different issues the two engine versions have and look at the trim - in the early years there were some lower trim levels - at this price point the difference is negligible so no reason not to settle on the top spec.

These cars need looked after and maintained. At this price range I would not consider any vehicle where you aren't buying direct from the owner (so avoid dealers, auctions, etc) and ideally from an owner that can talk passionately about the car, can show you a big wad of paperwork showing everything that's done and the car looks in good condition (for its age- there will be the odd rust mark and scratch, dent etc). I would stay well away from cars that have had a change of owner in the preceeding 6 - 12 months - or indeed several owners in the last 2 - 3 years - that (in my opinion) is usually a sign the car has problems developing, or that the owners have found them more expensive to run than thought and so may have skimped on maintenance. Its a generalisation, of course, but its my rule of thumb and with so much choice out there a decent way of not getting your time wasted. Another clue is to look at the tyres - cheap and mixed brands and tread depths - good clue of possible low maintenance - matching brands, similar tread depth, possible good indication that other things haven't been skimped on. Again generalisation but something to look for. And of course before you go and look you can check the MOT history online - these days there is too much info, but if a car has consistently failed on consumable parts - eg tyres, brakes, suspension bushes etc, then again a possible clue to the way its been looked after by previous owners - either fixed on failure, or preventatively maintained.

My one, over the last 100k has wanted for nothing - I have every bit of work documented, every parts invoice, every service and I can tell you everything that I suspect will need checked in the coming year - but on paper mine is probably now only scrap value- around £2k - to me its worth more than that so its staying, even though my daily driver is now a 2012. The point I'm making, is if I was buying one of these - that's the one I would be looking at. Not the one that's been sat on a budget dealer forecourt for 6 months unloved and had 2 previous owners in the preceeding 12, with no recent documented history and no one to ask about its history.

There are plenty out there - buy the best you can find, don't rush, and set aside another 50% of your purchase budget for the next 12 months maintenance - if you don't need it, bonus, if you do then it won't be a stress.

These cars are so rewarding, but there are a lot out there right now that really need to be broken as they are serious impending moneypits.

Good luck 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)

Hey Nick,

Really appreciate what you've taken the time to write.

My thoughts had been to avoid private sellers, and try and find a dealer offering a 3-6 month warranty. However, having reviewed conversations with them, having listened to your advice i think you're on to something- i'm now chewing the cud thinking they just want to offload something that was p/x and just needs out of their forecourt.

I'm now going to look for any private sellers and see if anything fits the mold. Again, thanks for the heads-up on the recent ownership changes, not something i'd considered actually, but I can see now why that may be an indicator for trouble brewing. I appreciate the tip on the tyres too- I'd always used bodywork condition as an indicator of TLC for a car, but makes me think, if someones skimped on tyres- what else could they have skimped on.

Fortunately, I'm not in an immediate rush to purchase so i'll enjoy learning more whilst browsing. Can't wait to get back into the ads now following your advice.

If you come across any examples of what you have described please feel free to drop me a DM. THANKS for all your help

Whereabouts are you Ricky?

Hey Dolphinboy,

Based in s/w London but can travel depending on work schedule.

My advice is to not buy the cheapest L322 you can find. The problem with these vehicles is that there are a lot out there that just aren't really in good condition. From my and other owners' experiences, figure out what the price range is in your market area for what you want, then go somewhere in the middle.

With regards to the private seller vs. dealer dilemma, it goes both ways. If you find an L322 that's privately sold and the seller does not appear to be a "car person" or a "Land Rover fan", I would be cautious of the general upkeep and maintenance of the vehicle. If you can find a privately listed vehicle for sale from someone who seems to have taken good care of the car and seems genuinely interested in cars, it could be a very good find.

Good luck!

@ricky

You need to amend your location. South West means Wurzle country not Chelsea

Take your time & don't be afraid to walk away from a few. The more you look at, the more you'll understand what to look for. The comments & advice given by nicksaab is absolutely spot on.

Don't be afraid of high mileage ones if they have all the history to back it up. Good luck

from what ive seen 4k will only buy you a rough , high miled RR as it seems ones with knackered gearboxes are still fetching 3k , id save a bit more and see what you can get for around 6k pal

Have sent you PM Ricky

Thanks for the continued pearls of wisdom folks, it's much appreciated. I'm still hunting but very grateful to those who have pm'd me too.

I wish you all some good ownership karma- you seem like a great bunch

I look forward to pestering you soon with some ownership questions

Being totally honest m8 unless your really lucky , at that kind of money you are going to get something which needs a fair few £££ spending on it. Just my 2p worth.

Ive just bought a gas one for 4K and all that nicksaab said is what I got. There are still things to do on the car but the service documentation stands for a lot and the guy had had it for 6 years and was quite passionate about it. Made me feel good about it anyway....
Mark