P38 Range Rover, WCPGW?

[mat_the_cat]

Question is, is there money to be made or a world of pain for £750? Someone we know is selling an early RR on behalf of the owner who is inside and won't be needing a car for quite a while! It seems very cheap so I was wondering if I could make a bit of cash by selling it on with an MOT, although the circumstances of sale make me quite cautious to start with...

 

We went to have a look at it last weekend and the summary is as follows:

113k miles, 4.6 HSE.SH unknown but a Jap import so assume not FSH! No MOT.

Newish looking battery was flat after 6 weeks sitting idle but fired up easily with a jump start. Key fob not operating c/locking. but works from key.

No warning messages on dash, hot and cold air blowing as it should. AC works. No leaks from heater matrix or excessive pressurisation. Goes up and down as it should. Autobox fluid clean, shifts fine and pulls well. Looks very solid underneath. No knocks or bangs.

LPG conversion rough at idle and slightly down on power. Paintwork faded on roof and bonnet. Been off roaded. Water leak evident from passenger door, mould on door trim. Driver's seat, cruise control and horn not working. Lots of condensation in spare wheel well but not rusted. Headlining sagging and a few loose bits of trim. Generally tatty.

 

I figure that you could easily spend a LOT of time on the niggly things but would it be worth it for anyone who's in the market for a cheap Rangie? I.e. in terms of effort/profit ratio, it might be best to go against my principles, just do the bare minimum for an MOT and sell it before something else breaks!

 

It did briefly cross my mind about a replacement for the Disco as structurally they seem better protected from rust and the 4.6 does have a bit more urge than the 3.9. But the Discovery is a known quantity, all the welding needed has been done, absolutely everything still works and most importantly in Wales, it's watertight! Plus the thought of keeping a P38 on a tightish budget does not appeal...

[dollywobbler]

There are many worrying factors. Early P38s are the worst of the lot. If the battery is flat, have you tried the electric windows? Various ECUs get very confused by flat batteries.

 

Keep your watertight Discovery. That's practically unique!

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Walk away.

No,don't do that.

 

RUN!

[mat_the_cat]

Pretty sure the heater O rings were OK, as that was one of my worries. No smell of antifreeze and the dampness was more towards the door than anything.

 

Not too worried about the LPG, as it was a Stag system for which software is easily available. My blind guess would be tired injectors but the ECU supports a number of different options (and with it being a 'budget' brand is often bundled with the cheapest). The reducer was an OMVL HP which should be more than capable of supplying enough gas although could be tired I guess.

 

Interesting about the electric windows, as when I first started it they were giving error messages left right and centre! All worked though, and when the engine was turned off and on again the messages when away though. That sort of thing did give me 'the fear' though, even though I usually enjoy vehicle electrics! I think simple electronics with through-hole components is my limit though.

 

The other factor is that we're not sure where the V5 is, which is all pointing towards steering clear. Plus I'm supposed to be reducing the fleet, not expanding it. Although the idea of spending the money from my bike on something that could potentially give more profit to the Stellar respray fund has its appeal...

[Rusty_Rocket]

Run run run! Decent Discovery is a much better car than even the most-loved P38a. They were bad from the start and never sorted out. Still, what can you expect for £50k 

[andy18s]

If it was jap sold car then it may not have had the full undercoat treament that Euro/UK spec cars would get

If it's had underseal put on,whats could it be hiding?

[dome]

With the lpg try a set of filters first-depending on wen it was last serviced they could be gummed up and affecting performance. And yes you should run although this one does sound like i's got potential....

[Bobthebeard]

IMHO buying this would be a 'bad thing' to do. A couple of people I know have owned these things and a world of pain awaits! A bad example could consume more money in a single year than the entire budget for the NHS.

A good one slightly less so.

Verdict.

No!

[EssDeeWon]

All the above about running away etc..

 

Bear in mind that if the police knew the current owner had this RR then it could have a marker against it which means it gets pulled when picked up on one of these built in ANPR camera's and this also now shows on a full vehicle status check. Depends what his inside for and whether there was ever a need for the police to 'keep an eye out' for this fella on his travels.

 

Whilst typing this I have that song in my head by A Flock of Seagulls, something about running so far away...

[saucedoctor]

A few of my mates have had P38s. to name a couple,  Rab's was a fucking nightmare from start to finish. He bridged it. Alan's, on the other hand has been a paragon of virtue, BUT, he gets everything done by the dealer. Mucho dinero.

 

There's one sitting on its arse near my house. I'm told the gearbox ECU has shat itself as well. The lad who owns it has no luck - he bought a W210 E55 AMG and it's banjaxed as well. One full-bore start and something big, metal and expensive broke.

[brickwall]

Considering the circumstances I'd leave it. Selling on behalf of someone can be risky especially when he's in the pokey. It might be to settle a debt or some shit and Imports can be iffy.

 

P38s can be mega win or simply marriage destroying.

 

A V5 is not proof of ownership.

 

Save another £600 and get a 1997 onwards

[mat_the_cat]

Although the AS way seems to be ignoring all sensible advice when purchasing a car, I think in this case I will follow it!

 

After all the work on the Disco I'm not after a replacement, although a 4.6 engine would be a nice upgrade...

[scruff]

Yes it sounds like a pile of shit. 4.6 is a nice conversion in a Disco 1 or RR Classic but they have their own issues as I'm sure you know. 

 

Or you could spend the P38 purchase price and a bit more on some very nice bits to spice up your 3.9. A friend of mine did the Real Steel 4.8 conversion on his - stroker crank, new pistons, different cam and a big fuck off Holley carb on top was about it IIRC. It would spin all four big fat mud tyres on tarmac and make them yelp like buggery when you dropped from top to forth and booted it. Verdict: awesome (especially to the manager of the local Shell)