Good looking P38...6 previous owners

Looking to get a Range Rover and found a very good looking 2000 P38 DSE. ~100K miles, Full service history and looks in mint condition.

However I can't help thinking its been passed around a lot, average of a year and a half per owner, am I just being paranoid?

what do you mean by full service history? lots of bills and receipts or just log-book stamps?

Duz look sus don't it? plenty will tell you this, there's loads out there to be had, just take your time and do the checks make sure you don't get a crap one, if you have any doubt about it, just walk away

Don't like the sound of that. Unless you can talk to a couple of the previous owners I'd leave that one.

rasheed said:

what do you mean by full service history? lots of bills and receipts or just log-book stamps?

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Bills and receipts as well, not certain for how far back though.
Had a look at a couple of others and there are some terrible examples out there.

I have a feeling the start of the cold weather is not the best time to be looking, lots of people trying to off load their wrecks...

Full service history on 100k should mean at least 16 stamps.Plus i have always believed that people dont get rid of reliable cars.

Hi

you buy my 97 DSE just about to put up for sale you wont find a better one 123k miles and no problems with a full service history pm if you are intrested.

Tony

Are you right or left hand drive over there Tony?

Hi Rasheed

good to hear from you how's things?

Jersey is right hand drive ex UK car with a full serivce history,I am going to treet my self to anthoer L322 Vogue now that the prices have come down to about 10k.

So time to let the DSE go to a new home do you want me to post it on to you?

Tony

Well I took a look at it...

Not too bad, but not going part with my money,

• Turns out it actually had 7 previous keepers!
• Bubbling on the inside edge of 2 doors (at the very bottom)
• Corrosion on the very lower edge of the boot (under the black plastic flap)
• Air bags looking tired and I think I heard the compressor cutting in a few times while it was sat ticking over on the drive
• Holes in the service history (couple of 20K gaps between services) and only 1 stamp from an actual Land Rover dealer or specialist
• Judder through the wheel when braking hard

One of the straps for the lower tailgate had been repositioned...after the previous hanging point had rusted to hell


Also one of the seams at the rear end looked pretty dodgy


Most interestingly this hose had been cut and a screw shoved into the end! Not 100% sure what it is (top right in the engine bay as you look in), think its something to do with the EGR


The advert described it as "Well sorted and immaculate" and "in exceptional condition"

jerseybean said:

Hi Rasheed

good to hear from you how's things?

Jersey is right hand drive ex UK car with a full serivce history,I am going to treet my self to anthoer L322 Vogue now that the prices have come down to about 10k.

So time to let the DSE go to a new home do you want me to post it on to you?

Tony

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Ta, would you? Or you could it stick it on your yacht and sail it over!

Am fine mate, getting pretty cold in Berlin so heading back to my other camp for a few months. How are you and yours? I envy you those prices, in Germany P38s still ask around 8 - 10k euros and a decent L322 is closer to 20. Its nuts.


emoose, I think you made the right decision.

mine has had 13 owners doesn't make it a dog. still going just needs a diesel injection pump and it is there..

Oh dear a bit of corrosion on a car that's nearly 12 years old? Who'd have thought? Think your asking alot from a range rover to be honest. My compresser runs lots, a set of pads and discs would sort that judder and a pair mole grips would get that rusty tail gate strap out. As for the air bags that's not a bad job. Not sure about the egr thing but sure someone on here will put you right. P38s are expensive to own and if the rest is good make allowances for the little faults it has and offer less money. Just because a car is a one owner fsh low mileage etc etc don't make it a good one. I've had cars with nearly 200k on them and have run for ever. And had new cars that are back to the garage every few weeks. Dont let a few little things put you off. Buy on merit. Not cos its shiny.

v8hotrodboy said:

Oh dear a bit of corrosion on a car that's nearly 12 years old? Who'd have thought? Think your asking alot from a range rover to be honest. My compresser runs lots, a set of pads and discs would sort that judder and a pair mole grips would get that rusty tail gate strap out. As for the air bags that's not a bad job. Not sure about the egr thing but sure someone on here will put you right. P38s are expensive to own and if the rest is good make allowances for the little faults it has and offer less money. Just because a car is a one owner fsh low mileage etc etc don't make it a good one. I've had cars with nearly 200k on them and have run for ever. And had new cars that are back to the garage every few weeks. Dont let a few little things put you off. Buy on merit. Not cos its shiny.

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well said that man!

Ads lie, it is the EGR controller.

No to big and heavy to put on our boat and have just sold her to a guy in Norway, as we are hopping to retire in the not to distant future so selling up hear and down sizing to leave for our house in Cyprus next year.

we all well and good but getting a bit cold ad very windy in Jersey.

good to hear from you, should you know and any one looking for a very nice DSE asking £3750.

Tony

jerseybean said:

No to big and heavy to put on our boat and have just sold her to a guy in Norway, as we are hopping to retire in the not to distant future so selling up hear and down sizing to leave for our house in Cyprus next year.

we all well and good but getting a bit cold ad very windy in Jersey.

good to hear from you, should you know and any one looking for a very nice DSE asking £3750.

Tony

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You'll be able to look up Colin at Blackbox Solutions when your L322 goes tits up and with Greece heading for the knackers yard, look out for a Turkish take over

At purchase, mine was a case of "mostly mechanically sound, structurally rock solid (they all seem to be unlike Classics) if a little neglected of late". Body and interior were not exactly perfect, so I could haggle agressively as that's all visible and difficult to argue with.

For the price I've paid, the mileage I have done in it (at least twice my original expectation) and the work I've done since, touch wood, I think I made the right decision for me. I'd rather drive a car with a few blebs in the bodywork, a dog-smelling interior and a warped dashboard (and deal with those over time) than be broken down in a car covered in an inch of polish and with a mint interior.

Big ticket mechnical things I've done have been limited to tyres, brake-lines, battery and airbags...everything else has been pretty routine servicing stuff, expected high-mileage wear'n'tear or tarting it up. Dashboard out for replacement dash top, blend motors and O-rings next...I know there are quicker ways but I want to replace the whole lot at once.

IMHO sh!t can shine and all that glitters isn't gold....

v8hotrodboy said:

Oh dear a bit of corrosion on a car that's nearly 12 years old? Who'd have thought? Think your asking alot from a range rover to be honest. My compresser runs lots, a set of pads and discs would sort that judder and a pair mole grips would get that rusty tail gate strap out. As for the air bags that's not a bad job. Not sure about the egr thing but sure someone on here will put you right. P38s are expensive to own and if the rest is good make allowances for the little faults it has and offer less money. Just because a car is a one owner fsh low mileage etc etc don't make it a good one. I've had cars with nearly 200k on them and have run for ever. And had new cars that are back to the garage every few weeks. Dont let a few little things put you off. Buy on merit. Not cos its shiny.

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If the corrosion had been limited to just easily replaceable areas I'd not have been worried, ie the lower tailgate, but rust around the strap hanger had spread into the body itself and the doors as well. Combine that with the other items, gaps in the history and lots of owners and it felt like someone trying to get rid of a problem. And it was at the top end of the budget, 5K, not leaving any cash for the work.

v8hotrodboy said:

Oh dear a bit of corrosion on a car that's nearly 12 years old? Who'd have thought? Think your asking alot from a range rover to be honest. My compresser runs lots, a set of pads and discs would sort that judder and a pair mole grips would get that rusty tail gate strap out. As for the air bags that's not a bad job. Not sure about the egr thing but sure someone on here will put you right. P38s are expensive to own and if the rest is good make allowances for the little faults it has and offer less money. Just because a car is a one owner fsh low mileage etc etc don't make it a good one. I've had cars with nearly 200k on them and have run for ever. And had new cars that are back to the garage every few weeks. Dont let a few little things put you off. Buy on merit. Not cos its shiny.

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well said, seen a few myself before and since i bought mine, EVERY p38 will have a few things that could need doin, 12 years old and your picking out a few minor things, sounds like you want a 2 year old one

i bought a 1990 bmw with 170k on it and a few owners, run it and looked after and improved it to 198k , and sold it for a grand profit !!! low owners and fsh and history are nice, but essentialy (especialy with bmw engines etc) its condition over milage

what was the interior like ? chassis rust etc ?

my mate looked at a 2000 for 4k, chassis was very crusty, air bags very perished, interior very worn, paint not too great, and that was 4 fooking k and double the price of mine, which was double the car