4x4 in Slovakia

Hi all,

First thread, about to buy a second hand diesel Range Rover, a little bit nervous - asking the collective for some words of wisdom.

I am about to realise a dream spend a ski season living and working in Slovakia, I want to buy a relatively cheap 4wheel drive to go there on a road trip and use while I am out there. I am desperate to buy a Range Rover and travel in style, however I need it to be cheap as I may have to leave it there.

I have seen a few low priced late '90s models on autotrader - for around 2-3K and wondered a couple of things...

A) Is it even worth going to see these vehicles (they seem so cheap they must be suspect) - i am actually scared i could just spot buy one.

B) What should I be looking out for in wear and tear for a 10-15yr old beast and what is definitely a problem to expect.

C) Are there any services that I can call to have them inspect the vehicles to see if they'd even make the roadtrip? Would the RAC do it?

D) I had a Discovery in Australia and it coped with the heat just fine on a round the country trip. How reliable do you think I can expect a RR to be in the cold day in and day out?

All advice welcome, I would so love to drive one over there......

:welcome2: .... Well hope you do pick a R.R.. The prices you quoted are the going rate on some, you could be lucky and buy a good un, it would be well worth doing a search on buying tips at the top of the forum page, loads of previous post... Very good capable car, but has its gremlins!... Enjoy

dont buy a p38 (95 and on) as you will spend a fortune having bits shipped out there to mechanics who dont know the car. you cant affor anything newer either so Buy a classic range rover , on coil springs not air springs. I would suggest from about 1987 to 1992 to avoid catalytic converters too!

check for rust , burning oil and oil in the water and water in the oil. make sure it doesnt rattle and goes up and down throught the gears very smoothly. make sure the oild is nice and clean and stays that way once you have it. spend money now on a well cared for example not a tired dog on its last legs and full of rust.

I think for you budget you can get a very nice classic if you really look hard. they are excellent in the snow too!

I always remember when my fatherinlaw gone 4X4 shopping. He has walked in a secondhand car dealer and asked the guy: I want a 4X4 in good condition, no rust, economical, low mileage and has to be cheap. The dealer told him that if he finds one, let him know, because he wants one like that too!
I just love it when people want the impossible...
Why don`t you catch a bus...

Andras said:

I just love it when people want the impossible...
Why don`t you catch a bus...

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There are quite a few 4x4's advertised at this price, i just don't wanna get turned over. Everyone out there just seems to want to screw you. Thought these forums were to point people in the right direction....

But hey Andras, the next time you need a bit of advice, i hope you get the help you need....

fett said:

dont buy a p38 (95 and on) as you will spend a fortune having bits shipped out there to mechanics who dont know the car. you cant affor anything newer either so Buy a classic range rover , on coil springs not air springs. I would suggest from about 1987 to 1992 to avoid catalytic converters too!

check for rust , burning oil and oil in the water and water in the oil. make sure it doesnt rattle and goes up and down throught the gears very smoothly. make sure the oild is nice and clean and stays that way once you have it. spend money now on a well cared for example not a tired dog on its last legs and full of rust.

I think for you budget you can get a very nice classic if you really look hard. they are excellent in the snow too!

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Fett I'm hearing '87 to '92, spend a bit more for a well cared for car, if it sounds suspect on a test drive (moving through gears) beware.

Oh and the snow shouldn't be a problem....

All i can say is appreciated mate...

Go for it Shelf. I agree with Fett on the 87 to 92 but beware of RUST. Don't be misled by tidy looking sills - they're covers. Look behind them, bottom of the 'B' pillar (between the two doors) and on the wheelarch visible when you open the back door. Also anywhere on the chassis and inner wings, boot floor. You get the picture. There are good ones out there but a lot of the time you seem to get either very cheap or very expensive examples with not a lot in between. Interiors seem to last pretty well regardless of whether it's leather or cloth but the headlinings do droop. With a budget of 2 to 3000, my advice would be to spend nearer £2000 and then maybe the rest on servicing and replacing items that MAY give you problems later on. If you give your location, someone may know a good independent specialist who can look at vehicles for you - for a price of course. Good luck.

Shelf said:

Fett I'm hearing '87 to '92, spend a bit more for a well cared for car, if it sounds suspect on a test drive (moving through gears) beware.

Oh and the snow shouldn't be a problem....

All i can say is appreciated mate...

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No worries, its the RUST you must look for too as Derek and I said. If your around my age (31) or younger these can rust like nothing we have ever seen if they havnt been looked after or have been used to launch boats so be carefull and get underneath with a good screw driver and give it a good hard poke in all the usual spots Derek mentioned.

There is something else you need to bear in mind. There are many countries where the winter tyres are compulsory. I personaly even use them in the UK, where many people do not even know about them.
They are not for only snow and make a huge difference below +7C. The summer tyre made out of different kind of rubber and will not warm up to the correct operating temperature. If you want to drive safely in winter time, they make a huge difference. The 4X4 is not enough in icy, snowy conditions.
Look on the Youtube about the issue.
:tea:

If you buy a P38, buy a Faultmate to go with it. I reckon if you find a good P38 and go over the known problems it will serve you well. They are not all unreliable.

Datatek said:

If you buy a P38, buy a Faultmate to go with it. I reckon if you find a good P38 and go over the known problems it will serve you well. They are not all unreliable.

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ah aha hem

Datatek said:

If you buy a P38, buy a Faultmate to go with it. I reckon if you find a good P38 and go over the known problems it will serve you well. They are not all unreliable.

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i agree ,trouble is some of these p38s have been repaired on a shoestring budget and a lack of servicing have led to people thinking they are unreliable, these cars are full of electronics and the new price of them reflect in the price in parts etc.
find one that has been well looked after and you shouldnt have anymore problems than anything else , try googleing bmw x5 problems mercedes etc

EAS is a waste of time and money, you dont want to be on bump stops in the snow with no specaialist for miles/countries around.

i know this is a Landrover forum and i love my p38 but you wont go wrong with a 4.2td amazon landcruiser. They just keep on going with no complicated electronics

If you want the second best 4X4 in the world, with a lot spares and dealership around central Europe buy a Lada Niva. Do not come much more simple than that.
The first is the SWB Land Rover....