Range Rover Vogue SE LSE V8: Spotted
Posh 4x4s are not typically 'green', but what if they run on LPG?
A green classic, both in the literal and figurative sense. Yes, this Ardennes Green long-wheelbase LSE Range Rover comes fitted with an LPG conversion, for cheaper fuel and fewer toxic exhaust emissions than a Golf TDI.
Being an LSE model means you get the larger 4.3-litre V8 with 200hp, so it should be able to keep pace with more modern traffic, and it's a bonafide off-roader for when the roads are blocked and you need to head across country.
But, you might be thinking, all that money you 'save' on fuel is going to be spent keeping the thing running. Well, we've got you covered there. You see, while the standard LSEs came with height adjustable air suspension, this one has been converted to the standard coil spring setup, so there are fewer things to go wrong.
Mind you, collectors won't like it because it's not what it was like when it came out of the factory. The Dunlop-developed air-spring system was rather clever for its time: it could drop the car 0.7in above 50mph to improve stability and fuel economy on the motorway and you could lift the car by an extra 1.4in to clamber over more serious obstacles. Well, if you can harvest the bits from other scrapped cars, you might be able to increase the value of this classic Range Rover by reinstalling it. But that might be a job for the future.
In the here and now, you'll want to make sure the headlining isn't sagging because it will most likely cost more to fix in a long-wheelbase car. Longer floor, ergo, longer roof. You'll also want to check for rust. The MOT report mentions of some on the chassis and underside, but it could be simply a wire brush, treat and repaint job. Or, it could be something more serious. Make sure you take a magnet and a stout screwdriver if you go to see it. Also, check the sills and the outriggers for corrosion because that'll need sorting if it's to continue passing MOTs. The tailgates also go, with many Range Rovers having multiple replacements during their lives.
But, on the whole, it should be quite easy to look after thanks to plenty of spare parts and lots of recycled bits for breakers yards. Plus, old Range Rovers still look spot-on whether they're outside Aldi or serving as a viewing platform at a Polo match. In fact, this is a green, British classic for the price of a Polo - and there aren't many of those you can say that about.
SPECIFICATION - RANGE ROVER VOGUE SE
Engine: 4,275cc, V8
Transmission: 4-speed auto, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 200@4,850rpm
Torque (lb ft): 250@3,250rpm
MPG: 18.7
CO2: It's fine, you're running on LPG...
First registered: 1993
Recorded mileage: 110,000
Price new: £39,995
Yours for: £12,995
See the original advert here.
I remember there being loads of room in ghee back and that the dash looked really cheap, with several bits being familiar to me after my dad's MG Montego's.
Sounded good and felt quite quick for such a big car.
- mine is the later soft-dash
- no LPG (horrible stuff!)
- mine is on air - and def. worth putting it back on - very cheap to get sorted and defines the ride of these cars, to have one on standard springs is I think a mistake
But it will be worth it financially. A really nice one is £30k+.
Lpg - never has a engine issue been more devisive in my experience. I will reinstall mine with a good single point closed loop system in the end but it is losing favour.
While I appreciate it's not the last word in definitive research on selling prices, the fact that someone continually asks for these prices suggests that someone is prepared to pay them. There even seems to be a booming market for imported, LHD ones (bit like MkI / II Escorts).
A world away from the barn stored, not-yet-UK-registered Vogue I was once given by my boss when he couldn't afford to pay me one week. Had all the classic rust problems alluded to above (and some others), was fitted with a Mini (!) fuel pump and the tailgate needed rope to keep it shut, but what a lovely way to get about the countryside.
8 MPG at times, though...
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