Is 2k to 2.5k too little?

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mrogers

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Hi I am new on here and am looking to buy a P38 Range Rover. My budget at the moment is 2 to 2.5K but I am wondering if at that amount i am likely to buy a money pit.

I have recently sold my 300zx, so am well used to owning a money pit LOL. as the 300zx was 1 of 3 cars I owned, I was hoping to buy a XJR to replace it, but my wife vetoed it as she is adament two cars is enough. My 2 I have left are a Micra (the fuel effecient car for going to work) and a Ford Maverick (The Family car and used for towing a Trailor Tent when we go camping).

As the Micra is staying and the wife stipulates any car I buy has to replace the Maverick and be used for camping (so this vetoed the Jag full stop), I have set my heart on a Range Rover. Due to limited use, fuel cost isnt an issue so a really want a HSE.

I read lots of stuff about what to look for, inc the suspension, tailgate rust, heater matrix seals etc, the biggest worry for me is Head Gasket Failure.

I know for the money i will be looking at a M-P plate vehicle. I have seen several on good ol ebay, though i really want one with the interior in good condition (seats).

Added Bonus is a 2000 Light Upgrade.

I am in no rush to buy one as I still have the maverick, but am i dreaming of getting a decent example with my budget?
 
all p38'8 are money pits sooner or later but ur budget shud find a good un, look long and hard for the right one
 
welcome hgf is a worry to every r/r owner but it happens one of your main things to watch out for is coolent loss. take your time there are lots of good r/rs out there for sale and lots and lots of bins. i would sugest you take somebody with you to stop you buying through rose tinted glasses, best of luck, j
 
you should find a decent one for that money, its already been said they are all money pits no matter how much you pay for it! but in my opinion worth every penny, i wouldnt be happy in anything else. love them or hate them (both sometimes) i still wouldnt change my motor!

regards

H
 
Thanks for the replies.

My Zed cost me a bomb and would have cost me far more if I hadnt been a member of a forum to get some wisdom and then have a go at fixing things myself.

I heard a lot of people saying about problems with the air springs and seeing lots of rangerovers with these looking perished. I did see some lifetime warrented replacement ones avalible for just over 300. are they easy to fit?

I have read quite a bit about common issues on RR's. What issues are easy fixes and what ones are walk away issues?
 
Hi mate you can have mine for 2.5k if you want it. 1995 (N reg) 4.6HSE in Black, grey leather seats, upgraded new style front front grille 104,000 miles 6 months tax and will get a 12 month MOT on 10th Sept (already booked in). It has a few bumps but nothing major as you would expect for a car of its age. Before I bought it the car had a new ECM unit (electrics) and engine so unlikley to have any problems with it now. Since I have had it it has had a new air spring for the rear suspension and that's it. I have just changed the fob batteries and just need some advice on re-syncing (see post) but other than that I have had no problem with it. Great drive and I get between 16 and 22 mpg from it. Has a private plate but will convert it back. Contact me if you want any more info before I put it on ebay in mid September at £2,750 (will swap for a black S type Jag though)
 
mrogers said:
Thanks for the replies.

My Zed cost me a bomb and would have cost me far more if I hadnt been a member of a forum to get some wisdom and then have a go at fixing things myself.

I heard a lot of people saying about problems with the air springs and seeing lots of rangerovers with these looking perished. I did see some lifetime warrented replacement ones avalible for just over 300. are they easy to fit?

I have read quite a bit about common issues on RR's. What issues are easy fixes and what ones are walk away issues?
Click to expand...

The air springs will (probably) need replacing if they haven't been already, but you can buy them for less than that. The standard Dunlops are quite cheap now but they don't have a lifetime guarrantee. Arnotts are the ones to go for if you want a long guarrantee, although to be fair, are you likely to still own it in 10 years time? I just bought a set of Arnott Gen 2s for £267 although I have yet to get round to fitting them.

It's not just head gaskets in the engine you have to worry about but slipped liners and porous blocks too! If I had known half of what I know now about these vehicles then I would have been scared off, but I'm glad I wasn't. When they're good, they're very good, but when they're bad they're... well just ask wrxfifer!! :)

Contrary to what a lot of people claim they are also excellent off road, even on road tyres.

I replaced my vectra and Series III with my P38 and despite a couple of initial problems, I love it now. An lpg conversion will help with the running costs, although these can have their own problems (mine needed new injector blocks straight away).

Good luck in your quest!

Guy
 
Diesel's dont have slipped liners and most will agree the engine is more reliable than the
V8. They do have issues but most are not too expensive unless you are unlucky and get a cracked head or an injector pump failure. Even then the fix is cheaper than a new V8 block.
 
Have owned a diesel for just over a year now, and have loved every minute of it. Uses a 2.5 bmw engine, which overall is very reliable, few issues with things like the infamous "hot start" problem, but plenty of cheap fixes out there. I know you said you wanted a good hse model, but are concerned about hgf, I would tell you to go for a diesel.

More reliable, and for a few hundred quid you can get it chipped or remapped, giving you upto 20% increase in bhp and torque, get it altered for either more power or economy. (Am saving the pennies to buy a chip at the moment). Currently returning 24mpg around town and 32mpg on the motorway. Towing is no problem, recently towed a fishing boat to west of ireland, 180 miles, drove like it wasnt there.

2 to 2.5k would get you a good R reg, leather etc
 
2.5 bought me my t plate rangey...2.5 k to get it on the road working after 2 weeks of buying...not all as it may seem, but then again it depends on the genuinity of the seller.
if u bought mine, id tell u whats been done over the term of ownership, but some ****s blag u to make it sound good, when in fact its total b.s

deffo take someone with u, so that the rosetints dont come into play .

theres always this lot to help if it goes tits up....coz we all know it will.

good luck matey
 
righty, before we waffle on about bags of ****e etc, if you are buying a v8(and i would recomend the v8 so you dont feel like the poor relation in a diesel) you need to check for coolant loss! i cant stress this enough!!!

as with any car you will have faults but the majority of fixes on the range rover are pretty cheap considering the class of car. dont worry about the air springs they are cheap enough to buy and the fronts only take 10 mins each side to swap out.

look for any signs of pressureisation beyond the normal running pressure. before the car is started check if the engine is warm, if it isnt, take the cap off the water tank and see if theres excessive pressure!

check for coolant loss

if you can, get a sniff test done, these arent conclusive but for the sake of a few quid give you a good idea of the state of the engine.

if you get an lpg converted car then you will save on fuel

do a thorough search on this forum as everything has been covered in one post or another.

and dont forget: check for coolant loss!!!
 
what would be signs of excess pressure when the car is cold? will it spit out water. If you take the oil cap off a range rover when running what should and should not happen? (i.e is spitting little bits of oil normal, should the revs drop etc). I really want a V8 and not a diesel, just not a fan of diesel and have always owned 1 car with a min of 6 cylinders.
 
if its pressurised when cold you will hear it or it will spit water out, a little pressure is normal but if the water leaves the tank(provided it wasnt over filled of course) its definately pressurised!

you are prolly best to take a friend with you to help spot problems, if you update your profile with your location info maybe a couple of the fellas on here will have a look with you!
 
Hi,

I have just been in your position and finally settled on a 1999 4.0 SE. I initially wanted a 4.6HSE but when this particular vehicle came available it was a bit of a no brainer. The main differences seemed to be a slightly higher spec with things like the Harmon Kardon stereo and memory electric seats, but in the scheme of things not massively different. Do you have to have the 4.6 or would you settle for any V8? It's worth possibly including the 4.0 SE into your reckoning because they are a little cheaper but still have the V8 unit and the majority of the same features, and of course extends your range quite a lot.

The main thing in the end for me was the fact that it was low miles (which I understand is important in Range Rovers) at 70,000. I also knew the history of the vehicle from new, the previous owner was a mechanic and owns a garage that amongst other things specialises in Land Rover.

It was very very obvious as soon as I gave the car the once over that it had been looked after.

I was told to look out for coolant leaks and to run the engine for 20 minutes at a standstill.

In terms of the suspension I am aware that almost from new every owner has dutifully lowered the suspension every time they parked meaning that it has never had to be replaced, whether this makes any difference time will tell I suppose.

My opinion would be that the newer it is and the lower miles it has the better so take your time.

Also if you can buy locally all the better, rather that than having to drive 250 miles to purchase a nail that you already comitted to buy that you don't like the look of.
 
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