p38 for towing, what year and diesel or lpg?

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Hadleigh007

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Hi Everyone,

Just thought I’d ask a bit of advice about P38’s. I’m looking to upgrade my tow vehicle which is currently a lwb 91 2.5td shogun. In terms of value for money the p38 seems an excellent option with excellent refinement, decent engines and they look great. Plus they can tow my trailer and off road disco. I’ve a budget of £1500 - £2000 and am considering either a DHSE or a 4.6 HSE lpg. Is there anything I need to consider or advice you can offer on these models such as what year to go for because of model revisions for example? Is mileage a big issue eg 110k miles vs 150+k miles, lpg for towing? Reliability and cost of ownership? It’s not an everyday car by any stretch but will most likely go out at least once a week. Any thoughts at all especially on what to look for when you go to view one.

Thanks
 

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Hadleigh007 said:
Hi Everyone,

Just thought I’d ask a bit of advice about P38’s. I’m looking to upgrade my tow vehicle which is currently a lwb 91 2.5td shogun. In terms of value for money the p38 seems an excellent option with excellent refinement, decent engines and they look great. Plus they can tow my trailer and off road disco. I’ve a budget of £1500 - £2000 and am considering either a DHSE or a 4.6 HSE lpg. Is there anything I need to consider or advice you can offer on these models such as what year to go for because of model revisions for example? Is mileage a big issue eg 110k miles vs 150+k miles, lpg for towing? Reliability and cost of ownership? It’s not an everyday car by any stretch but will most likely go out at least once a week. Any thoughts at all especially on what to look for when you go to view one.

Thanks
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Not sure you will be able to get a decent P38 for £2000. For that price you will probably be looking at a fairly shagged 4.6 without lpg. The things to look for on them, both petrol and diesel, are electrical faults, they are extremely common, and often an expensive ball ache to sort out. They can also suffer from rust problems, but less so than Discovery's of the same age.
 
its a Range Rover, things WILL go wrong. 2K, as said, is not going to get you the later THOR engine, which is better. body panels are all aluminium apart from the tail gate lower. thats the most common area for rust.

things to look for, well where do you start?

air bags, if old you will be looking at 300 to replace the 4. radius arm bushes, track rod, wheels, if it has bigger than standard wheels it will tram line like a wild cow. check the air suspension works on all settings, listen for pumps running all the time. if they do, walk away, sharpish. if its been converted to coils, get out of there! you dont want the hassle of coils on a car that should have air. check the oils, diesels are prone to cracked heads, V8 to slipped linners.

electrics. make sure everything, and i repeat, EVERYTHING works as it should. it will break you if you have to start sorting problems out as soon as you get it. they are very prone to throwing a fit when they have low volts. get a 130/135ah battery in it for sure. check the RF receiver, see if its the later type wife green dot, if not, battery drain is an issue.

petrol v's diesel is a big debate on here, you either love em or hate em.

as for mileage, mines a 2001, 4.6 Vogue with LPG with 125k on the clock. apart from the idler pulley going, had no probs with it. pulls like a train and goes like stink!

look after it ahead of time, and it will look after you. dont look after it and it will rip your balls off and spit them out, just for fun!

apart from that, they are great cars. i love mine, wouldnt have anything else now.

and do a search in the forum for issues. lots of threads on the same stuff, all the answers are there somewhere. if not, someone will know and guide you.
 
Whilst it is possible to get a P38 on that cash - as Martin says, it will be tired and full of 'issues'.

If it was my cash to splash - I'd go for as late a model diesle as possible - post 2000 are best with revised electrickery bits....but you ain't gonna find one for your £2k budget.

The Diesel mated to an Autobox for towing is a good combo - steer clear of Manuals as the Diesel M51 engine is gutless below 1800rpm, so with a manual you'll be playing the clutch a lot to get it moving, the Auto box takes this annoyance away (mostly).

The diesel does seem at first glance to be slow or sluggish, but they have a strange pedal travel and throttle repsonse, and can be quite lively when needed.

A 4.6 on gas will be OK, but beware of dodgy LPG installs, also Gas is less efficent than petrol so there will be a slight power reduction, plus the fact that LPG burrns slightly hotter than petrol too - so ensure the cooling system is tip top as it is adequate for the standard setup - constant towing plus LPG could tip the scales the wrong way on a poorly maintained cooling system.

A Later 90's very early 2000's Diesel Disco may be a better tow vehicle with a limited budget as to get a P38 and be a good tow'er you may need to spend a bit more wedge.

As for reliability - you don't buy a Range Rover and expect it to be a get in and go car, they need constant tinkering to keep running sweet, and never miss a service schedule they'll bite you for it in the end.

The electrical systems are a pain in the backside, and a disgnostics kit is a must for the owner.

Buy a good one and it'll see you well - buy an iffy one and it will cause frustration and a lighter wallet.

So if it was me with cash on hip - Late Diesel Auto P38, or even a Disco.
 
unfortunately for that budget you're more likely to be towing the p38. And you must put at least another 500-1k aside for fixing all the issues you will have with a cheap one. Perhaps cheap to buy at face value but the amount you spend trying to keep both petrol and diesels on the road is nearly as much. Plus the fuel to. And you really need have one in tip top condition if you're going to be towing. You might get lucky though and find a real gem for that price at an auction or something. They're one of these funny vehicles that if you dont drive them - they go wrong... and if you drive them too much they go wrong!

I would maybe consider a Jap patrol/landcruiser for the budget or use it as a deposit on a D3 which are good towing machines given the torque they produce from factory. Or if you dont need the super 4wd capability the 5.0 v10 vw touareg :) just some options to consider if your P38 doesnt turn up. On the upside plenty of knowledge and expertise on here to help you through all the problems you will have when you buy one! Good luck
 
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Having owned a p38- getting rid of it was the best choice ever.

They will seem good value and suddenly become expensive unreliable nightmares very often. Or will continually want money spent on them.
 
The p38's are cheap to buy & on the face of it look like ALOT of 4x4 for the money but as said, you will need to reserve nearly half your purchase funds for repairs / maintanence. Mine (2002 thor 4.6 on LPG bought for 6k) has cost me over 2k in the last 9 months of ownership - mainly preventative maintanence & a blown head gasket!
 
The P38 is not a car, it's hobby. Unless you are a good DIY mech with some electrical knowledge it will cost you a fortune in dealer repairs.
The V8's, especially on LPG are prone to HGF and slipped liners, the diesel is the best option if you want a reliable engine.
If I had the cash, I'd be driving a Shogun/Pajero or a Land Cruiser, the P38 is cheap because the quality/reliability is crap.
 
wow some real home truths here guys thanks for the replies and for so much honesty. I'm certainly finding even with the disco that it breaks something or other on most outings whereas the shogun has done similar routes before and had no issues whatsoever even on a 91, and so maybe a p38 on a budget isn't the way to go especially for a tow car with an ifor williams and disco on the back of it, it would have to work. I can't really be working on both the off roader and the tow car regularly, I'd never get anything else done :) I'll still keep an eye out though, heart may still win over the head as they do look great and such a luxury interior :)
 
well certainly yes to the muddy, sandy, rocky and wet off road events, although most the roads are like that here in Cumbria anyway :D. Most the sites have parking at the entrance for the tow vehicle and trailer, and either overalls or a change of clothes would be in order, a couple of guys even run p38's in an event although they seem to leave the day with a lumpy running engine and spanner in hand :)
 
I have been very lucky with mine so far.

Part of the problem with P38s is that they were very expensive vehicles when new and major parts reflect this.

Two grand for a luxury vehicle seems cheap but a major component fault destroys the illusion. A new diesel injection pump would set you back £1000 without fitting.

Paying that to get a £2000 car back on the road is the economics of the madhouse.

G~
 
gencybay said:
I have been very lucky with mine so far.

Part of the problem with P38s is that they were very expensive vehicles when new and major parts reflect this.

Two grand for a luxury vehicle seems cheap but a major component fault destroys the illusion. A new diesel injection pump would set you back £1000 without fitting.

Paying that to get a £2000 car back on the road is the economics of the madhouse.

G~
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I don't know where you buy your P38 parts but I think the spares are as cheap as chips for the P38. A reconditioned FIP can be had for £600, set of airsprings less than £300. The L322 is another matter.
 
Datatek said:
I don't know where you buy your P38 parts but I think the spares are as cheap as chips for the P38. A reconditioned FIP can be had for £600, set of airsprings less than £300. The L322 is another matter.
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Some bit are some bits aren't. A £600 reconditioned pump is disproportionate to a £2000 car.

G~
 
Whether you pick one up for 2k or 5k they will all need something or other doing to them. Constant maintenance nightmare really. Fix one thing, then another thing pops up, etc, etc.

A guy on Pistonheads had one when it was a couple of years old with a Land Rover warranty and it was constantly needing something fixing on it. So even when they were new they weren't very reliable.

As Datatek posted, you really need to think of these cars as a hobby first and a car second. I certainly wouldn't depend on one as a daily driver.
 
I say diesel auto 1999 onwards about 4 k every car has problems we got two one had loads spent on the other has had f all pure luck really
 
gencybay said:
Some bit are some bits aren't. A £600 reconditioned pump is disproportionate to a £2000 car.

G~
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Who cares what the cost of the car is/was, what matters is that I could not replace the P38 for £600 plus the scrap value, so £600 for a FIP or the £1300 I will have to spend on replacing the gearbox at some point is still cheap.
 
Datatek said:
Who cares what the cost of the car is/was, what matters is that I could not replace the P38 for £600 plus the scrap value, so £600 for a FIP or the £1300 I will have to spend on replacing the gearbox at some point is still cheap.
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Agreed its a lot of car for that sort if money, any pump would not be short of a 600 rebuild its not just a few seals the machinery that tests them is around a1/4 of a million pounds to buy ..,
 
Some interesting points raised here although the consistent theme is that you have all ended up spending quite a bit on them or are resigned to it being just a matter of time. It wouldn't be a daily driver, probably out once or twice a week and towing at least every fortnight. After reading around a bit having these cars parked up is just as bad as using them too much, is my planned style of use just asking for more trouble? Or is the sad reality of my need that I should look to the Japs for a reliable horse?
 
Hadleigh007 said:
Some interesting points raised here although the consistent theme is that you have all ended up spending quite a bit on them or are resigned to it being just a matter of time. It wouldn't be a daily driver, probably out once or twice a week and towing at least every fortnight. After reading around a bit having these cars parked up is just as bad as using them too much, is my planned style of use just asking for more trouble? Or is the sad reality of my need that I should look to the Japs for a reliable horse?
Click to expand...

Jap every time if you have the cash. RR's are cheap because they are unreliable.
 
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