Risk factor 1-10

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Vinny73

Active Member
Posts
154
Ok, my offer been turned down on the P38, but I have a little flex with an upper limit I'm willing to pay, taking into consideration the battery is knackered, the SRS warning light is on, Radio code is missing, no CD player and parcel shelf missing. All things I would want to put right asap.
It's basically a non runner with the battery its that far gone.
Oh one other thing missing was the top cover for the radiator fan...

Given it's got that slight whirring noise coming from somewhere around the alternator and all the pulleys, and that under the dark burned oil covering the inner oil cap I think there was some slightly odd goldy color crap (had to scrape throw quite a thick layer of oil in the cap... what sort of risk am I taking without an AA/RAC check that's £350, and without getting a hydro carbon check on a 1-10 scale, 1 being the lowest ;)

If i get a Hydro carbon check, assuming there's one local and it can be done and its ok, what would that risk drop too?

I'm throwing quite a bit of caution to the wind here and asking lots of questions, as I don't want to buy something that's likely to start falling apart as I drive it off and whilst I am learning more and more about these cars, a lot of you have the xp i just dont right now.

Overall the car had been very well maintained, full history, in very good condition for 99 car. It looked a lot newer, and as I said in my earlier post, exactly what im looking for really...

One final thing - could be the decider, the guy selling did say it used a "little bit of water" when I asked if it did...
 
Vinny73 said:
under the dark burned oil covering the inner oil cap I think there was some slightly odd goldy color crap

the guy selling did say it used a "little bit of water" when I asked if it did...
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...but it's the right colour...... :doh::doh::doh::doh::doh:
 
Even tho I can buy a warranty that covers HGF and many other engine failures for £68 per month... ok that's quite pricey, but for 1 year piece of mind, and i'm buying cash so no finance, it;s like £68 pcm for the car then, plus the usual running costs.
 
from my experiance, when someone is trying to sell you something, they always play down any problems. so when you are told 'it uses a little bit of water' ???????!!!!!!!!!
say no more!
 
oil dripper said:
ffs mussbe a rite nice colour this p38 :rolleyes:
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lmao, it's in very nice condition and yes in the color i want but then there are many others...
Way i see it is, they are all 10-14 years old and so they all come with some risks. It drove very very smooth. I think i'm gonna ring some local garages to the car and see if they'll do the HC test and base the decision on that.
 
well buy the fooker an stop keep goin on about it yer convinced yerself its a good un just hope it dunt spit loads of ****e at yer wen yer purra battery on it
 
Vinny73 said:
lmao, it's in very nice condition and yes in the color i want but then there are many others...
Way i see it is, they are all 10-14 years old and so they all come with some risks. It drove very very smooth. I think i'm gonna ring some local garages to the car and see if they'll do the HC test and base the decision on that.
Click to expand...

don't come running and crying to us when the fooker drains your bank account and ruins your life, a blok i worked for a year and a half ago bought one, ran nice and smooth drove lovely then after a month he had to replace the autobox as it stopped changing gear, had to replace half the cooling system and had to have a new abs unit as it failed total cost.....more than the motor cost him........
 
As there are plenty of decent p38s about, would it not be wiser and cheaper to buy a decent one in a different colour and get it painted professionally. At least you wouldn't have the mechanical worries that come with this one???
 
AntS70 said:
As there are plenty of decent p38s about, would it not be wiser and cheaper to buy a decent one in a different colour and get it painted professionally. At least you wouldn't have the mechanical worries that come with this one???
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I hear yer, but what is decent? I am anal as they come for picking up the slightest sound when I buy a motor. All 3 that I have driven and heard running have not sounded perfect, why would they at 10 years + and 83k +, one was even a 155k miler, the first I looked at and someone I know at work.

damn, even my Rover Vi200 sitting in the garage is 13 years old, 86k sounds like a bag of nails at times, but is smooth as and goes like stink!

What's going to be the main difference between 80-100k milers that have full histories, im sure im gonna find the odd thing on all of them, no?
 
You will find the odd thing, but better a rusty bucket than a mechanical shed, Take someone who knowsp38's inside out and check everything mechanical. I have seen some what i thought were wrecks but were mechanically better than newer, shinier ones. Paint is a **** easy fix, and will prob cost £2k for decent respray but ongoing mechanical probs could easily double that in the time you own it. At the very least take a mechanic with you and let him do the talking, prodding and poking for you.
Personally i wouldn't touch any motor with gold oil or greasy coolant.
Mine has done 74k miles and runs just how i would expect it to.
Look after it (and that takes some doing) and it will continue to run sweet, treat it like a bag if **** and you'll end up with, well work that one out.:D
 
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