spikemd
Explorer
Trust me, I want to love the P38
yes, that is inspiration... what a nice P38...
About to take the plunge - 2001 Range Rover
- Thread starter spikemd
- Start date
yes, that is inspiration... what a nice P38...
Bingo!!
I know of someone that just bought a 04 DII for $7700 with 84000 miles on it and looked like new.
I wont even touch a P38. they are just a cluster $%&# waiting to happen and once the BECM starts having issues they are never the same. If you really want a BMW example...think 1989 750il as a example because they share a number of issues and once they start messing up not even the best most knowledgable mechanics want to touch them.
Do what you want...but understand you have been warned
James86004
Expedition Leader
I know several folks with the RRIIs (a P38 is an airplane) who have had great luck with them. I also know others who had weird electrical problems that could never get fixed in theirs. In a RRC, if a power window motor goes out, you can replace it with a $10 generic unit from Parts Express. In the RRII, it is a much more expensive model because it has to be able to talk to the BeCM.
Sadly, all cars are moving to something akin to the BeCM, albeit more robust. Even Chevy...
Sadly, all cars are moving to something akin to the BeCM, albeit more robust. Even Chevy...
S
stu454
Guest
Since 'P38a' was the Rover house name for that generation Rangie it'll pop up from time to time.:sombrero:
Wander
Expedition Leader
I'm curious that with the good experiance you've had with your 4R why you are not looking at FZJ 80's or UZJ 100's. You can find a lot of 80's for under 10 and the 100's are getting down to that range as well. 80's are an excellent overland platform and have huge after market support- plus they are very reliable. I can understand the Land Rover interest, I've got that too but mine is for classic series Rovers that and my interest is for something to work on and improve my mechanical, welding, electrical and exorcism skills- OK that last one will require a priest:ylsmoke:
James86004
Expedition Leader
RRII has been common nomenclature for years, and I prefer it.
really?...never heard it before, but then again I am new to this Land Rover stuff.
Michael Slade
Untitled
I also don't like RRII. Personally I don't think it's really a Land Rover b/c it was designed under BMW ownership. P38 is what I'll always call them and I've been a RRC owner for 11 years now.
James86004
Expedition Leader
It came out under BMW ownership, but was mostly designed under the previous owners, British Aerospace. BMW bought it in 1994 and the RRII came out in the fall of that year. Because of BMW ownership, another name for the second generation Range Rover is "Bavarian Rover".
The 3rd gen Range Rover is the one that was actually mostly designed under BMW's ownership, although it didn't actually go on sale until Ford owned it.
david despain
Adventurer
new range rover
for what its worth they are listed as "New Range Rover" on my rave cd and thats what I prefer to call it :ylsmoke:
here's to all the haters!
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24127
http://www.discoweb.org/forums/showthread.php?t=56929
for what its worth they are listed as "New Range Rover" on my rave cd and thats what I prefer to call it :ylsmoke:
here's to all the haters!
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24127
http://www.discoweb.org/forums/showthread.php?t=56929
spikemd
Explorer
I did consider the 80s and 100s. In fact, I really wanted a 100 but couldn't find any in the sub-10K range less than 200k. Yes, some people might argue that a UZJ100 at 200K is more reliable than a land rover at 50k, but the interiors were beat up and looked 'used'. The FZJ80 is probably the most capable of all the vehicles I considered. You can still find some nice examples out there. They are strong, reliable and last for 300k+. I guess it came down to 'when' I was going to buy my first land rover. There is no better time than the present to start slipping down that slope...and I really do like the look of the P38 both interior and exterior. It is a definite step up from an 80 in the aesthetics department, though many would say a step down in mechanicals.
The P38 really gets a bad rap for the electronics and EAS suspension. But now, there is so much information out there and people have gone through the headaches and come up with great fixes. For the EAS, there are rebuild kits for the compressor and valve block, manual air bypasses to keep the suspension pumped up, lifetime warranty air bellows with increased lift capacity and laptop software to diagnose and clear faults. As a last resort, you can just slap on some coils. The BECM can cause troubles, but there is a lot of info about troubleshooting and a guy can reflash and send you another one for a 'reasonable' amount of money. There are a lot of P38s out there with close to 200k miles.
I guess you kinda see where this is going... Looks like I am going to roll the dice and get this truck. It seems to be in great condition and well taken care of. I want to head off some of the common problems early and be diligent about maintenance. But, yes, it could blow up on my drive home...
Hope to see you on the trails in the P38... or maybe I will take the 4Runner just to be safe!
Blueboy
Adventurer
my friend bought one about 5 months ago here in NY and he has not had any problems with it.
actually really enjoys it.
keep an open mind, find a great mechanic to work on the stuff you can't handle, and drive.
and like Musky, although "new" to Rovers, I've never heard of the 2nd gen RR called anything but the P38a or P38.
Jaime
actually really enjoys it.
keep an open mind, find a great mechanic to work on the stuff you can't handle, and drive.
and like Musky, although "new" to Rovers, I've never heard of the 2nd gen RR called anything but the P38a or P38.
Jaime
BrettinSanAntonio
Observer
I'll be the dissenting opinion here.
I've had two Range Rover Classics with Borg Warner viscous cases and I love them. Never had a problem with either and I love the way they drive. I've known a few people that have had issues, usually seizing, but they were able to obtain a used replacement for a few hundred bucks and the install isn't that bad.
I've seen FAR more head gasket issues with late model Discos in our shop than classics with viscous failures. Of course there are more Discos on the road and that's not a scientific observation but my point is I don't think the Borg Warner transfer case is a "bad" thing. Different but not bad. I enjoy mine.
We do see a lot of P38 Range Rovers but I still like them. Right now we're seeing a lot of heater core and blending motor issues. Scary repair time for the tech and a big bill for the owner.
If the rig you're looking at has a well documented repair history, I'd seriously consider it. Do be prepared to keep a yearly budget for the little repairs.
I've had two Range Rover Classics with Borg Warner viscous cases and I love them. Never had a problem with either and I love the way they drive. I've known a few people that have had issues, usually seizing, but they were able to obtain a used replacement for a few hundred bucks and the install isn't that bad.
I've seen FAR more head gasket issues with late model Discos in our shop than classics with viscous failures. Of course there are more Discos on the road and that's not a scientific observation but my point is I don't think the Borg Warner transfer case is a "bad" thing. Different but not bad. I enjoy mine.
We do see a lot of P38 Range Rovers but I still like them. Right now we're seeing a lot of heater core and blending motor issues. Scary repair time for the tech and a big bill for the owner.
If the rig you're looking at has a well documented repair history, I'd seriously consider it. Do be prepared to keep a yearly budget for the little repairs.
