P38A Change?

I have now had my P38 for just about 10 years. It cost me £12500 when I bought it and I have taken it from 28k miles to 98k miles. Of course many of the usual things have gone over time but it has generally been very reliable and I still love it. The reliability I put down to being the end of the run of the model (mid 2000). Land Rover do seem to let the purchasers sort out the problems! Now my dilemma. I think I might change it because I think it's a bit long in the tooth to pull my caravan across France now. I don't want to pay more than about £15k. Would I be better to go for another RR about 2008 or perhaps a bit newer disco 3? Thanks for any thoughts. Rob

Personally I'd never buy any Range Rover newer than a P38. Just look at the stuff these guys have to contend with on the forum. My opinion of newer Land Rover products is that once out of warranty they quickly become unreliable money pits. I suspect my P38 will be the one and only Land Rover I'll ever own.
If I were in your position I'd keep the P38 and when the day comes spend some of that £15k keeping it going.
Like you I recently looked into changing my 2001 Vogue and other than a G wagon the only other car I'd buy that could meet my needs would be an E-class estate. Newer Land Rovers never came into the picture I'm sad to say.

Just my opinion based on 7 years of P38 ownership a friend who had a Disco 2 then a Disco 3 another friend with a L405 and looking at the forum posts on here every day.

f1roborbob said:

but it has generally been very reliable and I still love it.

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The two most important things said there! And think how much more you'll love it after it has pulled your tin tent around La France.
(Or you won't. You'll hate it for being a pain and then you'll know that you want to get rid of it!)
But it'll do it, the devil you know...

Keep it as said the new ones seeto be a nightmare, i intended to keep mkne for as long as i can amd parts are cheep.

If you get a dico 3 then dont get the tdv6 2,7 because thay had lots of expensive problems .I heard that the 3Lt TDv6 is much better

Lone_Wolf said:

Personally I'd never buy any Range Rover newer than a P38.

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+1

If you're itching to spend some money and the P38 is seeming a bit tired, you could freshen it up.. get the engine overhauled, head gaskets done, put a cam in it, get it professionally machine polished, the leather re-dyed, any other sundry items you feel may need attending to (UJ's) etc. and see change out of £3k and enjoy it for another 100,000 miles..

Personally i wouldn't touch an L322 or newer.


Now if you're really feeling naughty.. http://www.v8developments.co.uk/products/engines/long_engines/5.4_litre/dominator/index.shtml

did some one say the devil you know??? iv spent a year or so sorting mine out am.pretty much there got an.lpg kit going on soon n next year im renewing the cam. keep it or you will regret it

get something newer p38s are old hat in no mans land imo, or go the other way & find a nice classic

wil2813 said:

go the other way & find a nice classic

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With carbs.

Why with carbs? I remember carbs beMing tricky sods when they acted up.

ukadamwest said:

With carbs.

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I've only ever owned P38's, first a '95, then a '98, and now in the UK I have my '01.

Mine feels a bit tired at times, but I have no intention of getting rid of it. I'd rather put the money into keeping this one in good nick and having it running nicely for another 10+ years. Besides - it's part of the family now - even my missus has grown affectionate to it, and wouldn't want me to change it for anything!

I have *thought* about getting something newer and a bit more 'refined' internally - but then I see how much they still are, parts costs etc - and then I'll get in the P38 and go for a drive and every time it reminds me how much I love driving it, because it has character

Also, they seem to be slowly going up a bit in price again - I was talking to a guy a few weeks ago who said that one of the LR independent workshops he uses has seem more and more of them and had people who have sold their newer ones to go BACK to a P38 because it was more reliable and nicer to drive...

My 0.02 anyway