Discovery vs Range Rover question
- Thread starter tork202
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chadwicksavage
Adventurer
There's a reason 95 rangies go for 5k on the low end and up to 30 while the p38 can be had for 1-2 quite easily if you search craigslist
Longtallsally
Adventurer
Put another way, I was told that it is similar to the Disco in terms of effort to keep running, but costs a whole lot more to do so. I suspect getting a "good" one is probably not impossible, but parts are going to be harder and more expensive to get.
BMWJNKY
Member
I was considering a P38 until I looked into the cost of the basic upgrades vs the same ones for a D2. The basic lift kit was a few hundred dollars more for the P38 not counting what a shop was going to charge to recode the vehicle to get rid of the suspension error once the lift was on. After finding that out I gave up on the P38 and picked up a D2.
SteveMfr
Supporting Sponsor
Well that shop was going to be taking you for a ride...
Switching a P38 from air suspension to coils involves nothing more than replacing the air springs with coils and adding 2 jumper wires to the connector at the EAS ECU. Not counting the jumper wires, the costs should be more or les the same as lifting a D2.
The cost difference between running a P38 and a D2 stem mostly from the electronics: a fully loaded P38 has roughly 12-14 ECUs (sorry, it's been a while and I don't remember exactly how many) while a fully optioned D2 has like 5-7. And these electronic systems all come from a day and age where they were cutting edge and pioneering. And unreliable.
More modern LRs can have in excess of 30 ECUs / electronic systems - but they are relatively reliable.
Switching a P38 from air suspension to coils involves nothing more than replacing the air springs with coils and adding 2 jumper wires to the connector at the EAS ECU. Not counting the jumper wires, the costs should be more or les the same as lifting a D2.
The cost difference between running a P38 and a D2 stem mostly from the electronics: a fully loaded P38 has roughly 12-14 ECUs (sorry, it's been a while and I don't remember exactly how many) while a fully optioned D2 has like 5-7. And these electronic systems all come from a day and age where they were cutting edge and pioneering. And unreliable.
More modern LRs can have in excess of 30 ECUs / electronic systems - but they are relatively reliable.
pugslyyy
Expedition Vehicle Engineer Guy
P38 and D2 are both burdened with aging electronics, the P38 more so than the D2 (depending on how equipped).
If you replace the air suspension on the P38, the big issue is going to be the HVAC. blend doors, the control head, the heater core - all are going to give various problems. The rest of the systems actually hold up pretty well. I have a 2001 P38 that I am the original owner of. My greatest wish would be to switch the HVAC over to a lower spec manual control (found on Euro but never NAS models).
If you replace the air suspension on the P38, the big issue is going to be the HVAC. blend doors, the control head, the heater core - all are going to give various problems. The rest of the systems actually hold up pretty well. I have a 2001 P38 that I am the original owner of. My greatest wish would be to switch the HVAC over to a lower spec manual control (found on Euro but never NAS models).
SteveMfr
Supporting Sponsor
Not to mention the door locks, HEVAC display, and the Mother of all ECUs the BeCM (ever had the windshield wipers come on while the car is parked in the garage? 
) ).
I still have my P38 as well (second owner). And I still love it. But there is def a steep learning curve to becoming a longer term P38 owner.
) ).I still have my P38 as well (second owner). And I still love it. But there is def a steep learning curve to becoming a longer term P38 owner.