Advice for a new looker

hi I'm new and am going to buy a range rover soonish. Never had one and not even experienced 4x4's atall so you see I'm really green.
You've heard it all before but here goes anyway.
I am looking at '96-'98 4.0 hse's (4.6 just seems toooo big); What do I look for?
I might consider a diesel but at the mo they seem a bit stodgy (maybe I'm wrong)
Are the LPG converted ones generally reliable?
I know that if I'm considering one then I shouldnt be worried about MPG, but I am. What are the REAL world figures for this kind of car?
Anything else please to help me look at the right ones.
How is insurance.
Now I'm modestly paid and do not have a large budjet at the mo, and have seen many at 2-3.5k. Is this realistic for a goodun?

Thanks Jim

Your price thinking is about right, (and the year) get LPG (make sure you have a certificate for that, your insurance will want to see it) or a Diesel your wallet will thank you for it, sooner rather than later, i could be wrong here but i would say on the whole the BMW engine it more reliable?? but someone will com along and say different!! make sure everything is working on it, like the air ride, the ecu and no dash lights are coming up, make sure you have 2 keys (leccy ones) they cost a lot otherwise if you want a spear, look at the oil water smell it etc, on diesel you should get at least 22-26 MPG out of it

If you go the V8 route then get a 4.6 - they are actually slightly more economical than the 4.0, with an added bonus of an extra 40 odd horsepower
Real world MPG figures will range from anywhere between 12-15 mpg around town to low 20's on a run - a lot depends on how you drive, it's hard not to use a heavy right foot with a V8 !
LPG will be cheaper than a diesel to run, if you are considering a diesel then make sure you get a chance for a long test drive - I think you will be dissapointed with the performance (or lack of it)
They are all in the same insurance group - I pay about £250 fully comp but of course it varies with age/convictions/area - group 17-18 IIRC
Dont buy the cheapest you can find, buy the dearest you can afford
Low mileage is good, as is FSH, any sign of the temp. gauge going over half way then walk away - plenty more buying tips on here if you search

The 4.0 tended to be thrashed.
Both sizes are known for engine cooling problems in the early ones which can require a new block to cure. If you find one that has had the engine replaced then you would be unlucky for it to happen again.
LPG on these really needs to be multipoint sequential, the old gas rings are OK on the older Classics but not on these.
There are a lot of P38s out there so take your time looking. Be sure all the gadgets work & that there are no warning lights showing as you will need diagnostics to sort & reset & if you don't have the kit to diy it will be expensive. If in doubt walk away & look for another one.

Dopey said:

a Diesel your wallet will thank you for it, sooner rather than later, i could be wrong here but i would say on the whole the BMW engine it more reliable??

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i reckong kenny is right, you won't save any cash on the 4.0 because the motor generally has to work harder, the 4.6 is more relaxed. i wouldn't bother with a diesel personally; they do slightly more mpg, but then diesel is now more expensive that lo unleaded now so again not a big amount of cash unless you are a high miler. plus they are quite mucky. also, the 4.6s are surprisingly quick for such a big motor, and i've never heard anyone enthuse about how gutsy the diesel is, quite the opposite!
Jock

from my limited experience: If you go for LPG, make sure its multipoint. I'm 27 and my insurance is £310 on a 1996 4.0ltr with lancaster insurance (classic car specialists). You'll most probably be plagued with problems, like I have recently found out (most have been very easy to fix, others have been pretty painful) so be careful and look hard at any you're interested in and possibly dont buy the first one you see. FSH is a must and there are enough out there at your price range that should have it. I went for the SE auto which has a few less gadgets on it (less to go wrong) and the 4.0 (with LPG) because its supposedly less likely to have the pourous block/slipped liner problems - turns out mine did tho. I tried a few diesels, but they were painfully slow and tend to work out more expensive to run than a petrol with LPG anyway. Whatever you get, be prepared to have to fork out more money on bits and bobs that will most probably need to be done on it, but there is quite a lot you can do yourself, especially if you dont mind getting your hands dirty. I've only had mine a short while, and its been a ball ache from the second day, but I still love it and dont think I'm ready to give up on it yet!

Hi.
Had a ex police p38, had pretty much every thing go wrong with it .....BUT that was after about 2 years, 35,000 miles and it was working very hard for a living. I loved it , but would not buy another, went for a soft dash classic which is much more practical and owner friendly/servicable.

Cheers, Nick.

hi there mate well ive had all 3,started off with a 4.0 se averaged 14 around town,then bought a 4.6hse fantastic bit of kit 13-14 round town,now have a diesel which i love and returns a steady 24-26 round town and 32 on a run,ive even had it chipped which cost me 400 qiud but the difference is amazing,id have a diesl anyday over the other 2 if your worried about mpg,LEAVE THE GAS ONES ALONE A COMPLETE NIGHTMATE i know 3 people who have had them and they all regret buying them,
like previous said make sure all settings on the eas{suspension work correctly} also make sure that on your header digital display that there is NO book showing if it is then to get it sorted min £300 plus bits,like i say am on my 3rd p38 now and love them,6th range in total had a 3.5 v8 carbs 1977,1985 b reg 3.5v8 4 door then a 4.2lse,i know a bit abouit them we could say.
good luck with the search let us know what you get

thinking about buying a p38? then before you do try this......take the keys to whatever your driving now and ask your neighbor to keep them for at least a week.....this will give you time to see how'public transport works for you'......then at the end of the week give the neighbor at least £500 for the pleasure and repeat this several times a year.....then,if at the end of this period you still feel a rangerover is the car for then go ahead and buy one......the prices are lower than jane goody at the moment and still falling....

suprised at that last comment,perhaps you have had a bad experience with one,mine never let me down all 3 ive had only normal wear and teat which is to be expected

bad experience? im only speaking as a buyer/seller of 4x4s....mainly landrovers,the guy asked advice and as i aint wearing rose tinted specs i gave an answer......ive no doubt all the RR owners in here will go ballistic over my comments.....but if you read through the RR section(which i havnt)then i bet its full of the same tales of woe/££££
But its his ££££££......ya pays your money/makes your choice......

There are a lot of rose-tinted specs on here for sure, but then its a forum for enthusiasts.

The bottom line is this: they are great motors, but do not expect them to run like hondas or toyotas. If you don't want to be working on them yourself or paying someone else, then stay well away. I love my P38 but if I didn't do all the minor (and some of the major) repairs and maintenance myself then it would cost me a bomb.

I'm a fan of these things, but have no problem admitting the list of known faults and design flaws is a bit embarassing to British engineering.

As Dr Wolfy (lead project manager on the LR322 design) said: "It's a tribute to the strength of the Range Rover brand that people will still buy them, when the competing products are cheaper and more reliable".

Jock

ive had mine 3 months and ive replaced the water pump,fuel pump,rear brake pads,fuel pipes and fuel filter and ive got the rocker cover gaskets to change,all these parts cost £200 here or there from island 4x4 and landrox4x4 and ive fitted them myself im not a mechanic but i know how to turn a spanner,do i have any regrets? only one i wish id got one years ago its brilliant for what i need it for,re the dog and the trials bikes and the little one due in four weeks,
i swapped my imprezza wrx for it and ive never looked back 4.6 litres of v8 what more could a man want under his right foot.
cars of this age are going to need money spending on them my wrx cost me £900 in six months but these things happen with cars,my p38 is the second family car so only does about 40 to 50 miles a week so its not expensive to run and it was half the insurance costs of the wrx.

tony

I think your all giving diesels a bad name, i have one and its chipped, (a vast difference in performance) ok its not the fastest thing on 4 wheels, but if i wanted fast i would have bought a different car altogether, i have had mine since 1998 it was a year old when i got it, i have had problems with it, but then we all have problems with any car, you just got to keep on top of it, its a good car, not the best but it will give most a good run for there ££, as prices go, there a lot of car now for very little ££ my opinion i know, but if they were that bad i would have got shot of it a long time again, as would most of you would have!!! its a 4x4 and its a fun car too, i take mine off road as well