Range Rover P38's

[capri_rob]

Just been reading car mechanics feature on these turds.

Aside from reliability issues and stupendous thirst how the frick did they only manage to get 214bhp out of a 4.6 litre V8 ?

An unstressed M54B30 puts out more than that for 1600cc less

Is the donk just a revision/hangover from the old 3.5 Rover SD1 ?

You'd have to be mad - wouldnt you ?

[B7]

My mate has one and we had to do the head gaskets on it last year. Believe me, it was like working on my old mini 30 years ago. Antequated ain't the word.

Yes the v8 is a hangover from the old P5B or Rover 3500 from the 60's. It was a great engine in it's day but you simply cannt teach an old dog new tricks. It's a pushrod donk actually rejected by Buick way back that Rover bought.

[nickso]

My old man has one.

It's good in the snow but the steering is awful and the ride is pathetic. Add to that the minimum of £1k a year servicing and maintenance costs and the inconvenience of random breakdowns and chronic electrical issues, the inability of the rear hatch seals to hold even a half hearted pish against them and rampant rust problems as a result.....it's just not worth it.

Sounds nice with it's stainless zorst and folk get the fear and move out of the way when you look like you don't care but that's about it.

I get 11 MPG average with my heavy foot.

[Andyboy]

It's 214 bhp but quite a lot of torque. They're pretty awful though and a 4.0 Jeep Cherokee is a much better idea. They're a bit crude but they're pretty tough, unlike the P38.
P38's are possibly worth the bother if they are silly cheap and you're prepared to throw it away.

[polsta]

ive got a diesel ive had for 18 months its been rock solid, done a few things like window regulator, new clutch, steerign damper and track and drag link asembleys, but thats just wear and tear items, other than that its been good,no electrical nightmares,no rust, air suspension been faultless since ive had it, was superb in recent snow, and its comfortable to drive around in, as above id say about a grand a year to keep them on the road, but when a p38 is fully working and no issues, they are great things to drive and put a smile on your face, no question about that

been pondering/looking at changing it , for either a ford ranger, toyota land cruiser, or maybe a ford explorer v8 LPG which can be picked up quite cheap and they feel very solid, can have a bit more batter them off road than a p38, as above a p38 isnt "tough" , but its much nicer on the road and more refined/comfortable than more tougher variants, p38s can be quite sensitive on the steering etc when taken a knock off road or have worn parts, so you do need to keep on top of them and keep them well maintained, but they do reward you for that

[capri_rob]

/\/\ the 2.5 Diesel ? arent they woefully underpowered for such a heavy car ?

The Car Mechanics feature was a good read but even though they still seem to be THE benchmark 4x4 I can't ever see myself owning one - the p1$$ poor 214BHP and 15mpg from a 4.6 litre donk might have been acceptable before 1980 but not in 2013.

[Andyboy]

The article didn't say much about the 2.5DT but they are grim, especially the auto. A mate has a 4.6 with LPG that he's just replaced with an early BMW type RR. To be fair it was quite reliable.

[Morat]

Cherokee ftw, the 4.0 is a superb old thing. Cast iron head and block and a timing chain so no worries about longevity. They have none of that cylinder liner bollocks going on which kills the rover v8s....

[polsta]

Mines a manual diesel with a rimmer bros power box, I don't tow with it,which some say for heavy tiwing its a bit under powered,it shifts a bit and can really toy with a disco speed wise and pull away at any speed from one, disco I had was a lot more torquey and better off road , but thats what they are for, light off roading and road and motorway comfort and any tracks,woods,fields the p38 is much better, you don't get a diesel land rover for any speed purpose ,and it's good on the juice at around 26/town 34/motorway mpg range averaging around 30 , I've loaded it up with 4 people and as much camping gear as we can fit in it and its fine, a nice p38 us nice to own as long as you maintain it well

[daimlerman]

Buick/Rover V8 is mostly hype,there used to be loads of them at the scrappy so it was the V8 of choice on cost grounds for the kit car builders.

By comparison,the Edward Turner designed Daimler V8 was just so much better,2.5 giving 140bhp qnd the 4.5 220bhp...in the late '50's...

Cylinder head design is the Rover's let down,just compare to the Daimler head to see what I mean!

[B7]

I'd rather a V6 Shogun than one of these old turds!

[Andyboy]

I'd rather have aids.

[bss325i]

If you have to go off road get a defender or if you have some money a G wagen (and not some chintzy AMG one!)

[Andyboy]

Or even better, for vastly less money, a Jeep Cherokee. A grand will buy a tidy one and they're as tough as old nails, unlike either an Offender or the Gay Vagen.

[polsta]

Zzzzzzzz same old rubbish every time 4x4 is mentioned, and it all depends what your needs are as to what's a better option

[bss325i]

But its not rubbish, unlike a P38.

[B7]

I used to have the use of a 1995 3.0 V6 Shogun (UK model) and I'll say this now, it drove well, did everything the p38 does but better.

Never driven a Cherokee so can't compare that but I have driven a couple of defenders and f*ck me, they are proper agricutural.

Best 4x4 I've driven? Discovery 3 2.7TDV6 manual. Very nice car indeed.

[polsta]

But its not rubbish, unlike a P38.

what that a 1k cherokee is better than a defender or a g wagen, g wagens are the bollocks, and a nice defender is bucket loads more fun and better off road than a grand jeep, the defenders with the duratorq engines are immense off road and flying through fields and tracks with little jumps and dips full of water etc, absoloutly awsome

[bss325i]

Ive said nothing about a cherokee as i have no experience and there for know nothing about them.

The P38, the G wagen and the defender i do.

[Andyboy]

But its not rubbish, unlike a P38.

what that a 1k cherokee is better than a defender or a g wagen, g wagens are the bollocks, and a nice defender is bucket loads more fun and better off road than a grand jeep, the defenders with the duratorq engines are immense off road and flying through fields and tracks with little jumps and dips full of water etc, absoloutly awsome

For the purposes of everyday use, reliability and the occasional uses of 4x4 (i.e not green laning one life live it freaks), yes. Cheapness only adds to the appeal. No fragile air suspension, Lucas electrics or chocolate V8's.
G Wagens are great but much more money.

[Morat]

Polsta, cherokee and grand cherokee are two different models. Cherokee has live axles front and back so it is genuinely capable off road, but its much more refined than a defender.
I've spent plenty of time off road in army land rovers, and they do ok for a wheeled vehicle but they're nothing like the civvy version which shares only the engine and lack of comfort (to drive either you have to be a dwarf or keep the window open all day). To add insult, the civilian rovers rot despite being aluminium. Something the Amy spotted when they specified plastic bodies for their land rovers.

[Andyboy]

There was talk some years ago about the British army replacing Offenders with G Wagens.......?

[snakebrain]

There was talk some years ago about the British army replacing Offenders with G Wagens.......?

There was a great article in one of the classic car mags about 6 months ago about NATO intelligence guys using G Wagens to cross the Iron Curtain into East Germany and have a recee round. When they got rumbled by the local federales they'd leg it for the border through the woods where the crappy Eastern bloc machinery the East German forces were using couldn't follow them....

[Morat]

There was talk some years ago about the British army replacing Offenders with G Wagens.......?

Not something the army would consult me on
I can't see us spending that much on something that never sees combat especially now that the "armoured" versions (like the infamous snatch) have been replaced with a whole lot of new waggons that are capable of resisting more than a petrol bomb and a drunken Irishman.