Feels like a different car!!

My Rangie handles like a rocket since having a mini-makeover yesterday - Konis on all 4 corners and Magnecor leads. Wouldn't have thought it could make such a massive difference to the performance and handling, but it certainly has.

Highly recommended, but not cheap. Then, nothing about Rangies is cheap anyway, except buying a P38 with everything about it knackered....

I don't miss the wallowing round corners, even though I had got very used to it over 5 years!!

If its this nice to drive, then I may put my name on a Coscast block for a future transplant.......

The outfit at RPi / v8engines.com Norwich delivered excellent service, although certainly not cheap; I had the blowing manifold sorted by them and a brake pipe started to leak during the MOT, so the bill was quite high in the end with the Konis as well, more than the few hundred quid some paid for their P38s, as people are sometimes keen to point out!! I am relieved though, that there is such a knowledgeable independent in the Norwich area as I'm based here for a while, the owner is passionate about V8s and I was able to see the new Coscast blocks alongside originals and the old linered blocks.....no comparison really!!! Their LPG conversion also looks enticing - false floor installed with high capacity external tanks - if I have the transplant done at some time, I may go for it. That is, if a VW Touareg doesn't end up on the shopping list instead!!!:doh:

Nice cars those Touregs.

rg did you have any luck with that dick that hit your mirror? you sound happy with you r/r again

I retrieved all the bits of the mirror housing and glued them back, its working fine and I will eventually find another housing I hope, its only cosmetic but would be nice. Norfolk police are on the case in their own (Norfolk) time so it is grinding on. Hope we get the sod in the end. No time for road ragers they're a menace to all.

Have always liked my Rangey, although despaired at times about the money pit its been over the years, partner wants a change as the seats aren't as recaro as she likes and feels a bit insecure / thrown around when cornering - hoping the Konis will help that. Didn't want to spend the big money on engine transplants etc until the final decision, probably in the next year sometime!!! But I'm heartily sick and tired of the cycle of buying cars and spending loads on them!!!

i would still go for a top hat lined engine block,after speaking to v8 develpoments a couple of days ago,they have got about 5 coscast blocks sat there with slipped liners,as i am currently thinking of renewing the engine in mine,rather than spending a fortune on the top half,then the bottom half play up,so im researching into either getting my own block fitted with top hat liners,or pay a fortune out for an exchange block,or source a second hand block that has been top hat lined decisions decisions,i know money is the main issue,but after all it,s only money

rangiegal said:

Their LPG conversion also looks enticing - false floor installed with high capacity external tanks - if I have the transplant done at some time, I may go for it. That is, if a VW Touareg doesn't end up on the shopping list instead!!!:doh:

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EHH?? You HATE LPG though!?

Which Konis did you go for? What caused you to change them? Were the old ones leaking, or did you just fancy uprating them? Has it improved body roll?

A lot of people say that they do, but I don't understand why. I thought shocks were just to damp down spring oscillations.

Guy

kooky_guy said:

EHH?? You HATE LPG though!?

Which Konis did you go for? What caused you to change them? Were the old ones leaking, or did you just fancy uprating them? Has it improved body roll?

A lot of people say that they do, but I don't understand why. I thought shocks were just to damp down spring oscillations.

Guy

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I don't hate LPG, I just belong to the school of thought that believes that the original 4.6 V8 which tends to run hot anyway, has a poor tolerance, with the original block, for even higher temps and that block failure / liners slipping will happen more readily or sooner than if there was no gas conversion. I'd be much happier with a brand new Coscast block, new cooling system etc, to add one of Rpis really well designed systems - the owner has his own P38 running directly off gas - starting from cold even - on one of their systems, the one with the maxi-capacity tanks in the false floor they build. They do a stainless steel Cat-back exhaust conversion at the same time to fit the new tanks.

Re the Konis - my Rangie has never had new shocks and the dipping and wallowing around corners etc I've always just accepted as being part of the RR experience. Partner has always complained bitterly about being thrown about on roundabouts etc and I never thought it could be improved. Then I went for a spin in a Rnagie with Konis - it made a huge difference to the drive, corners as stable as a sports car (and as fast, if you want to), no dipping and wallowing, body roll has vanished completely- a real pleasure and kind of, well, un-Range Rover-y really. Koni make performance shocks for all sorts of vehicles, so I shouldn't be surprised, really.

Did a very long trip again today, and was pleasantly surprised that along with the greatly improved drive, the petrol consumption had improved fairly dramatically to 22MPG, which I think is amazing for a 4.6 petrol V8, given that mine has done around 140 000 miles, engine original, (headgaskets replaced at about 100 000 miles as there was a small leak on one of the heads, no other reason.) I keep the coolant regularly topped up and change oil every 6000 miles. Combination of the new Magnecor leads and the new manifold I suppose, giving the extra efficiency. It was a great driving experience though, and the £100 a corner is really well worth it. I think the Magnecor leads were £75. Again, a huge difference to the cheapies, just like flea market hifi leads compared to the Oxygen sealed top of the range gold leads.

A new lease of life for the old girl I guess, while I ponder the decision to be made about a Touareg.......