Range Rover 2.5 P38 - Should I buy one?

[HappyTorque]

Hi there chaps and chapesses,

I have a question for you about the old P38 RR.

So here is my situation. We used to have a 2006 Defender 90 XS that we bought for bombing about where we live in the Highlands of Scotland. We absolutey loved it. The only problem was that becuase it was a 90 the rear space was actually very limited. I could not belive how little you could get in the back for a car that was the size of a small ocean liner. Sort of the reverse of the Tardis if you know what I mean.

Anyway we sold it a few years ago and recently got the itch for another one. This time we decided to go for the 110 to make sure that we could lob the mountain bikes in the back with ease and head off up the hills. We don't want to spend much this time as the car will simply be a workhorse so it really does not need to be fancy. It does however have to be solid, reliable and tight to drive.

So why am I asking about Rnage Rovers I hear you ask? Well, after looking at a few 110s we have come to the conlclusion that we would need to spend the thick end of 10k to get something that does not have hand sized holes in the chassis and inter-galactic miles.

We looked at a 1999 one the other day for around 7k and it was on closer inspection it turned out to be totally buggered. More rust than chassis, ripped seats, rusty bulkhead etc. All the things that tend to go on these cars.

So, it occured to me that maybe an old P38 might do the job. The used prices are certainly MUCH lower, even for ones that have a FSH and sub 100k miles.

My question to all you experts is would the P38 be a sensible buy. There are a couple for sale near us that look like possibilities. Can you even get two mountain bikes in the back of a RR with the back seats down?

Also, if I spent say £4.5k would I just be buying another £4.5k's worth of repairs? One thing I don't want to do is spend lots of cash on the car once bought. I have read all the reviews and recognise that there are lots of things that can go wrong on these cars. What do I need to be looking for when buying?

Many thanks in advance for any advice / opinions.

PS: I know it is a bit sacriligious lobbing muddy bikes in the back of a leather upholstered luxury 4x4, but hey, if its 5k less than a semi-servicable Defender of the same age and does the job then so be it - and a bit of luxury in to the bargain would be would be a nice bonus!

Cheers
HT

[lost in espace]

If you get the 4.6, which I believe is less susecptable to liner issues, you will be lucky to see 15mpg. I suspect you could buy a decent one for under 2 grand though.

Thanks for the tip on the 110 pricing, sort of confirms my 98 CSW is worth about 10k.

[300bhp/ton]

HappyTorque said:

So here is my situation. We used to have a 2006 Defender 90 XS that we bought for bombing about where we live in the Highlands of Scotland. We absolutey loved it. The only problem was that becuase it was a 90 the rear space was actually very limited. I could not belive how little you could get in the back for a car that was the size of a small ocean liner. Sort of the reverse of the Tardis if you know what I mean.

I know this is off topic, but I find this pretty odd. A 90 has loads of space in the back, it's vast. Also a 90 is hardly the size of an ocean liner, they are not far off the same length as a Pug 106!

HappyTorque said:

It does however have to be solid, reliable and tight to drive.

Is any 4x4 really that tight to drive?

Anyhow, old cars will wear bushes, joints and suspension components. This is true of any such vehicle though, but I wouldn't bet on any being tight or remaining so at this budget.

Also while the air suspension in a the p38a's offers a nice ride, I never thought they gripped or handled as well as a coil spring 90/110/RRC.

HappyTorque said:

So, it occured to me that maybe an old P38 might do the job. The used prices are certainly MUCH lower, even for ones that have a FSH and sub 100k miles.

My question to all you experts is would the P38 be a sensible buy. There are a couple for sale near us that look like possibilities.

I think you need to know what you are getting into. Overall the p38a is a solid beasty like all Landy's. But it does have a lot more electronics. If the occasional niggle won't phase you and/or you don't mind tinkering with it yourself, then they can be very pleasant. We never had any real trouble with either of ours, although I admit one was brand new. But even so.

The air suspension can and is a bane, but it's really a far more simple system than many make it out to be. I'd highly advise you learn how it works and is configured as any such issues you might come across might well be easy simple fixes and not the money pit some will claim.

The diesel is ok, although a bit gutless and has hot start issues. The V8's drink like a fish and are generally ok, although they are know for liner issues and over heating. But V8 engines are cheap and readily available to buy.

HappyTorque said:

Can you even get two mountain bikes in the back of a RR with the back seats down?

yes.

HappyTorque said:

Also, if I spent say £4.5k would I just be buying another £4.5k's worth of repairs? One thing I don't want to do is spend lots of cash on the car once bought. I have read all the reviews and recognise that there are lots of things that can go wrong on these cars. What do I need to be looking for when buying?

Many thanks in advance for any advice / opinions.

The best thing is learn about the vehicle and its foibles. I see no reason why you can't run a reliable one and on a sensible budget, but be realistic and pragmatic about owning one.

HappyTorque said:

PS: I know it is a bit sacriligious lobbing muddy bikes in the back of a leather upholstered luxury 4x4, but hey, if its 5k less than a semi-servicable Defender of the same age and does the job then so be it - and a bit of luxury in to the bargain would be would be a nice bonus!

Cheers
HT

For this money you might want to consider a Jeep Grand Cherokee, easily as good. Slightly smaller, but I'd have thought more than big enough.


Or....


wait for it....

If you still fancy a 110, then maybe consider a Santana PS10 --- a what I hear you say.


Well in short it's a Land Rover, just one taken down a slightly different development path. Santana of Spain used to construct and sell Land Rover CKD's and develop their own variants with LR approval. The last incarnation was the PS10 (later badged as an Iveco).

It is largely a Defender 110, but runs a 2.8 litre diesel engine, which itself is a development of the Land Rover Tdi motors (but improved). The biggest difference is the PS10 runs parabolic leaf suspension instead of coils. But if you've ever been in a parabolic suspended vehicle you'll know it's not an issue to worry about.

eBay seems to have quite a few £4.5-10.5k


Here's a 29,000 mile 2005 plate for £5500 or make an offer: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-SANTANA-PS10-BLUE-O...


Personally I like the look of them.

[edc]

P38 shouid be fine for what you want it for. If you are used to Defender speed then no worries on that front either. Had a Grand Cherokee as well. It was arguably better depending on what your priorities were.