[Bollotti]

My P38 4.0 (1996) was overheating, so went into the garage earlier this week.

Changed radiator and water pump, but now looks like it is the head gasket has blown (could even be something worse).

Been quoted around £800.00 to have fixed.

The car is probably worth £2k when fixed, so do I cut my losses (already spent about £400.00 on suspension and engine sensors); and sell as a spares or repair, or scrap. Or do I stump up for the repair and wait the next major expense?

One part of me is saying that all of the major things that could go wrong already have, so I may end up with a reliable car after all (or maybe I am just kidding myself)

The rest of the car is in good nick, with almost full service history

I will still have to pay for the radiator and water pump that has just been fitted.

I have only had this a few months and it has proven by far the most unreliable car I have ever owned.

Just my luck with Christmas coming up, no car and skint

 

[discomark10]

u gettin oil in the water or vice versa? how do u know the heads gone?

 

[Bollotti]

u gettin oil in the water or vice versa? how do u know the heads gone?

No noticable oil in the water. Top pipe is rock hard so pressurising. Garage are LR specialists, so I am confident of the diagnosis.

 

[discomark10]

ok, have u thought about doing it youself?

 

[Bollotti]

ok, have u thought about doing it youself?

The garage is about 35 miles from where I live, which would mean hiring someone to trailer it home. I have just moved house so the garage is full to brimming with items from the old house, so would mean working outside.

I would much rather someone else who knows what they are doing handled it.

 

[cljcars]

You have landed in exactly the same spot I am in, always wanted a 4.6 p38. I have cracked block that I am working on at the moment outside in the cold. Not nice at this time of year.

I was hoping it was just the head gasket gone. Stuck some k-seal in it which stopped it using water, but it still made the top hose rock hard and blew coolant out of the expansion tank if hot. Bought a head gasket set and pulled them off. Water ways/cylinder part of the gasket looked good, oh dear.

I am committed to sorting it out, its only worth 2k, what I paid for it in august. Its a 96 also. The only way I could get any money back would be to strip it and flog it on the bay. Rest of the car is good though.

Stick with it if you like it.

 

[Dopey]

I think many of us have been and still are (and waiting for the next thing to go wrong) in the same position as yourself, the thing is about a RR is its not just a car, if I have to explain it to you, then you just haven't got it, sell it on, cut your loss, if you do know what I'm getting at then carry on, this wont be the last encounter of bad luck you'll have on the RR (believe me) we live for the day when its just all going right and sweet, and we drive along feeling like gods on air!! (tiz true) if you don't get that feeling its because you haven't suffered

 

[cljcars]

Nail on the head with that one, every bit of the RR you repair you get more attached in my book. I look at the old girl stuck outside looking sorry for herself, waiting for me to get out there and fix her again. Like a high maintenance woman. If you can't put up with the running around dump her.

 

[jt_armstrong]

It's like an adolescent child. You spend a pile of cash on them and they rarely reward you. You pamper and pollish and then they **** oil on your shoes but in the end they are our children...

 

[Bollotti]

I've had 3 Classic range rovers, a discovery TD5, 110 TD5 CSW, Stage 1 V8 and this P38.

Financial circumstances mean I use this as my only transport, so cannot afford to look at this through rose coloured specs.

I think I will just have to sell spares or repair, as even if I repair and sell in the winter when I should get a better price, I will still be worse off financially.

Just need something reliable for the next few months, so looking at a few cars over the weekend, but they will definatley not be a P38.