p38

Hi all please be gentle,
I'm looking to buy a P38 Range Rover (1998-2001) but was put off yesterday when a dealer told me to stay away from them as all you get is trouble.
As I don't do many miles I was looking at 4.0L & also deisel as I know someone who sells bio fuel, are these beauties all sick pigs?

Thanks
Colin

did the 'dealer' want you to buy anything from him?????? bet it wasn't a p38!!

they do have problems but if you ok with a bit of diy then you should be fine!!

try to get one that has had alot of the problem areas fixed, mine has had extensive work done to it at a cost of many thousands to the previous owner, most would be put off but i reckon they won't need replacing for a while.

in my opinion the deisel(unless you can get a good supply of veggie oil) will work out more costly than a petrol with lpg to run but probaby only marginally overall. with the 4 litre it's a V8 and no deisel, however economical it is can be as good!

do a thorugh check of everything, buttons, knobs, aircon brakes steering, and heated seats alarm sesor in cab. any lights or warning messages on dash. also if petrol be careful of water loss/mayonaise in oil etc.
if it has this walk away(unless you can get it fixed cheaply then bargain with the seller)

if it looks like a shed then it will be, also most people don't like to bodge thier rangies, look for fast fixes instead of proper repairs done well. and get gas converted one, there is hardly any power loss and if you do need to show off at the lights with a boy racer beside you, flick it to petrol and floor it!!!
with almost 3 tons of rangie beside him he will crap himself in his ****ty little 1.2 corsa!!! i've done it i know how i felt and it's well worth it!!

also with gas, the litres on the fuel pump rise faster than the pence, if you live near me or know anyone with gas, just go and put some gas in with them and watch the smile on thier face as they fill up and pay!!

nuff said, buy one and poke the dealer in the eye with a very large object, like a mule!!

just thought, service history pack too, and the books and manual will be an advantage. get the dealer, if thats where you decide to buy from, to supply the EKA code, he will say YOU have to go to landrover, tell him he can obtain it easier by saying he needs it after a service before the sale, they will give it him and you will then have less hassle if you need to use it in the future.

and remember to look to see if its been stood a while on the forecourt, you can bargain quite alot and after all if you have the cash in your pocket he will do almost anything to get it in his!!!!!!

also take along a few printouts of the model your looking at, especially if they are cheaper/better spec, more bargaining power and walk away if he doesnt cave in but do leave your contact details, i had loads of call from a dealer trying to sell me a jeep i looked at, he fixed the diff and increase the price, i told him to go away and he did drop the price but i'd already bought my rangie!!

sorry for the essay but i get excited when buying cars so i know how you will feel!!!

gavbriggs said:

sorry for the essay but i get excited when buying cars so i know how you will feel!!!

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its not just me then?

I got a 4.6 running lpg. And buy the sounds of it does alot better on fuel than the diesel, and it does shift. Don't bother getting one if your gonna through it inti landrover on every service. It will cost you a fortune. There are many landrover garages that are not main dealer.
I have stopped usingmine as an every day car. I am now just using it as a toy.

Hi,
Thanks for the reply, i'll read the last chapter before bed LOL.
The dealer was'nt trying to sell me anything (strange I know) but heard I was buying one & told me of all the pitfalls.
I love the look & whole package of the Range Rover & still want one, i'm the worlds worst for jumping in head first.

IS THERE ANY ENGINES OR REG (YEAR) I SHOULD STAY CLEAR OF?

I'll see what happens, at least I know there are people who can advise.

Thanks again
Colin

I have a 4.6 2001 she dose 13=14 local 24=25 on a run... i like you did not no much(still dont)but i was told that the 2001s were a little more reliable and that mpg is not that much of a diff between 4.0 and 4.6...i love mine will only change her one day for a RR3(some years yet) no real probs washer pump went after having her 10months but still in warranty(£75) thats all.. just flew MOT all ok .GO GET ONE but check all things work and get a good warranty...Enjoy

The dealer has a problem. He talks about something he dont know anything about! The easy way to be "smart" is to talk crap about everything you know nothing about and seem important.. (Arg! should have been writing this in norwegian i think )

meikle said:

Hi,
Thanks for the reply, i'll read the last chapter before bed LOL.

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dunno if thats a compliment or not??? lol!

meikle said:

The dealer was'nt trying to sell me anything (strange I know) but heard I was buying one & told me of all the pitfalls.

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yeah, did he seem like your friend, all 'ooh don't do that, trust me i will look after you' they always are, hopeing to put you off and gain your trust!!

meikle said:

I love the look & whole package of the Range Rover & still want one, i'm the worlds worst for jumping in head first.

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bet thats how you met your wife!! little did you know!!! lol!!!

meikle said:

IS THERE ANY ENGINES OR REG (YEAR) I SHOULD STAY CLEAR OF?

I'll see what happens, at least I know there are people who can advise.

Thanks again
Colin

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if the car was registered before march 2001 the tax band will be lower, thats really the only reg related thing i can come up with, apart from the obvious fact that the newer the car the better the condition generally. also get the highest spec you can, and in my mind, lpg is a must, if the previous posters calculations are correct the you will get between 13 and 25mpg and on gas you will expect around 11 to 23 ish but at around half the price its the = to 22 to 40 odd, not bad for nearly 3 tons of prestige motor!!

have a drive in one, you will be hooked!

Thanks again people, I think I'll press on at the weekend & go see some that are advertised in Autotrader.
I'm driving a Merc CLK Coupe just now which is really good but you can't run over any other cars in it.

I'll let you know what happens.

Thanks
Colin

Hi,
I have a 4.6 HSE
Beautiful to drive fast and quiet.

It took me a long time to find the one I wanted, after listening to many contributors on these pages and viewing many, many cars I found the one for me.

Full service history, body and interior immaculate, low mileage, everything appears to work.

My tips would be

1; Look at the exterior and interior _ it should look cared for.
2, Service history is a great help to know if it has been serviced regularly and what has been replaced. When it was last serviced?
Most stop being serviced after a time and are only patched up, I would avoid one that has not been serviced regularly, as oil changes on the v8 are very important to the longevity of this engine.
3, Look under bonnet and see if the engine has signs of poor service, or trouble. Check oil, is it reasonably clean and topped up properly, belts, oil leaks, water leaks, remove oil filler cap and look for mayo, ask yourself why it has got it, expansion tank for crap and correct colour --- not cloudy.
4; Start her up and listed carefully to the engine, should sound sweet without knocking after a second or two. Check dash for any faults being reported and try all controls for correct operation. Lights on EAS should have settled within a minute or so and now be constant at 1 level, if flashing for longer than a couple of minutes without settling you may have an EAS fault.
Don't put your foot on brake pedal or open any door while you do this or you will stop the EAS from altering position.
Check the HeVac for approximate outside air temp, if this incorrect it may be expensive to repair.
5, Check underneath the car for air suspension bag condition, Cracks appear in suspension and the car may not sit level or not rise correctly.
Do these checks with the car raised to wade height and drop the rear tailgate. This will stop the care settling down on you while you look.
6; Take it for a long test drive and re-check everything again.

Good luck and I hope you find the one for you

Post again with your progress.