looking at buying

hey guys, im going to view a p38 today, its just had a new lift pump and battery fitted, looks in good condition from pictures. 2.5TD. What are the main things to look out for? going to take it for a test drive etc.
thanks
Alan

I double dare you to do a search and I bet you find what your after!

done a search and found some stuff, suspension related mainly. was just hoping for a list of checks to do sort of thing

offer him half of what he asking, cos you will need it to put it right. and i am not kidding you..

I'm no expert but if you see an ! With a book symbol on the heating control display it could mean potential expensive fix! (blend motors) the blend motors alone are £300 upwards and even more to fix (unless you do yourself but not that simple...)

Also if the front carpets are wet it could potentially mean the 'o' rings have gone on the heating pipes behind the dash which is also a real pain to access and fix! (obviously don't confuse this for wet feet on carpets! But if you know no one has been in before you test drive...)

Not to mention all the other stuff you'd normally check when buying, oil in water, mayonnaisey stuff in oil filler etc..

still will be a nice way to throw yr money away at xmas..

wiltshire landyman said:

still will be a nice way to throw yr money away at xmas..

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Rich havent you got a Defender?

wiltshire landyman said:

still will be a nice way to throw yr money away at xmas..

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why would i be throwing my money away?

i have just purchased a 2,5dse with a shot air suspension an a book symbol in the heater..

here is the prices and time i have put in it ..
(approx )
new ait bags 260£ and a days work (stuck wheels and stuck pins on the rear air bags)
pump rebuild kit 17£ 10 min work.

rebuild kit fore the valve block 34£ (2 hour´s first time and still leaking . ) then to the local o ring store 10£ and 2 hour and still a small leak .

eas cable (must have )

new tyres 300£ (factory price ) fitting time 1,5hour (tyres stuck on wheel )

heater
i have a blend motor with a shot servo motor .... £ i will try tu change the electric motor in it ..

then i had a hight sensor there was doing some bat stuff , It took me two days to fine out ... and it was some rotten weir´s (new sensor 53£)

then there is a service to doo still..

and remember i do it all myself ...

then i also have get the A/C topped op and serviced and thete will cost me 120£

now you have a fresh report from a new p38 owner .

sarstad said:

i have just purchased a 2,5dse with a shot air suspension an a book symbol in the heater..

here is the prices and time i have put in it ..
(approx )
new ait bags 260£ and a days work (stuck wheels and stuck pins on the rear air bags)
pump rebuild kit 17£ 10 min work.

rebuild kit fore the valve block 34£ (2 hour´s first time and still leaking . ) then to the local o ring store 10£ and 2 hour and still a small leak .

eas cable (must have )

new tyres 300£ (factory price ) fitting time 1,5hour (tyres stuck on wheel )

heater
i have a blend motor with a shot servo motor .... £ i will try tu change the electric motor in it ..

then i had a hight sensor there was doing some bat stuff , It took me two days to fine out ... and it was some rotten weir´s (new sensor 53£)

then there is a service to doo still..

and remember i do it all myself ...

then i also have get the A/C topped op and serviced and thete will cost me 120£

now you have a fresh report from a new p38 owner .

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how much did u pay for the car in the first place? sounds like you either bought a heap or were very unlucky.

bullet513 said:

how much did u pay for the car in the first place? sounds like you either bought a heap or were very unlucky.

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i live en denmark

i paid 2800£ fore it .

that is cheap her en denmark .

normal prices her in denmark is 6000£ an up

well if you got it that cheap then you had the spare money to get it up to scratch

Like any car it can be a money pit or more like an open cast money mine.
Mine is a 95 v8 and have replaced airbags,shocks,compressor seal,autobox ,auto oil cooler,radiator,thermostat,wheelnuts,1 tyre and filters.
Not all at once but in a dedicated program of sorting it out.
A cheap old car still needs maintenance.... Ionly had this one was because it allready had lpg and was 350 quid
And I did it all my self using this forum oh bugger and I missed off brake discs and some other stuff.

bullet513 said:

well if you got it that cheap then you had the spare money to get it up to scratch

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yes ended

but now you can see what to look after .

but in my eyes then if you can´t fix the car yourself then if can be VERY expensive car

but can you then i will say dam great car

i love mine

and this forum is the place to bee and get the help from . the friendly guys her have helped me allot

bullet513 said:

hey guys, im going to view a p38 today, its just had a new lift pump and battery fitted, looks in good condition from pictures. 2.5TD. What are the main things to look out for? going to take it for a test drive etc.
thanks
Alan

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Check you can cycle the heater through all heat and distribution settings. Check that the suspension will go up and down and up again on the button on the dash. Even if it does, unless the air suspension bags have recently been replaced you will have to budget to replace them. They have a life IMO of 7 to 8 years and 80K miles. If the airbags are leaking then you may also need to overhaul the compressor and valveblock.
Drive the car hard for a few miles and see if it overheats, if it does it may have a cracked cylinder head, it may or course just be a stat, viscous fan or water pump.
Wind the windows all the way down then all the way up and listen for any knocking sound as it gets to the top.
Jack one front wheel, with a lot of effort it should be just possible to turn it a little. If it won't budge, the VCU has seized. I could go on but if that lot is OK, you may be lucky.

If you are lucky and get a good one, they are a great car but always high maintenance. Good luck, Happy Christmas

Datatek said:

Check you can cycle the heater through all heat and distribution settings. Check that the suspension will go up and down and up again on the button on the dash. Even if it does, unless the air suspension bags have recently been replaced you will have to budget to replace them. They have a life IMO of 7 to 8 years and 80K miles. If the airbags are leaking then you may also need to overhaul the compressor and valveblock.
Drive the car hard for a few miles and see if it overheats, if it does it may have a cracked cylinder head, it may or course just be a stat, viscous fan or water pump.
Wind the windows all the way down then all the way up and listen for any knocking sound as it gets to the top.
Jack one front wheel, with a lot of effort it should be just possible to turn it a little. If it won't budge, the VCU has seized. I could go on but if that lot is OK, you may be lucky.

If you are lucky and get a good one, they are a great car but always high maintenance. Good luck, Happy Christmas

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thank you for that, very helpful. ill check all that when this guy gets back to me. before i buy, if there is anything i question ill post it up on here so i can go back and double check it...
thanks
again
Alan

scott02464 said:

Rich havent you got a Defender?

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not any more

wiltshire landyman said:

not any more

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Did you get the rangie in the end? I did the same and not looked back since!
You miss yours?

scott02464 said:

Did you get the rangie in the end? I did the same and not looked back since!
You miss yours?

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yep absoulutely love it
easier to drive more comfy,warmer,and has air lockers x2,internal cage,2 winches etc the list goes on

Looks great that bud! I went for the p38 4.0 V8 se love it to bits
Given up wi the off roading bit now.....