https://www.autoclassics.com/posts/reviews/why-you-want-a-range-rover-p38
Keep finding these reviews on the tinternet.
It looks like the P38 is coming into the spotlight, finally after all these years of being slated..
I wonder if the L322 will go the same way.
I hope the l322 doesn’t go the same way, as mentioned before, the. p38 with the 4.4 bmw engine would be a blinding car, good looks, good engine.
The 322 has just to many bling bits for me.
and while it doesn't look too bad from some angles, from others it just looks plain wrong. Look at an L322 from behind and it way too tall and skinny. It was also too advanced for the time so now you've got loads of bits that are obsolete. Just look at the TV screen in the middle of the dash, analogue TV tuner, analogue radio, DVD based sat nav, all state of the art when new but about as useful as a chocolate fireguard these days. Because it is part of the dash you can't easily upgrade to an Android head unit like some have done on the P38 and as for sticking a standard single DIN head unit in, you've no chance.
Great read and agree with what's said. Buy a decent one now while you can. I certainly won't be selling mine.
Rob.
I was actually asked when I will be selling mine last week. Simple answer, I won't. It's got 363k on the clock now and i anticipate keeping it until it's done at least as much again. Brexit means that I am unlikely to be towing a trailer loaded with a classic car of some sort between the UK and France half a dozen times a year as I have been up to now but what else would I want to drive around in? Nothing. It may not be the fastest thing on the road but it will take me anywhere no matter what the conditions and I've got a motorbike for when I want to scare myself......
P38 is probably "peak long term / classic 4x4". Basic underpinnings are rock solid. All the weaknesses are known and relatively sortable. Its a really nice drive too. Biggest issue is thirst but thats helped keep the supply of low enough mileage ones to be worth grabbing reasonable. Be nice if an 8x4 sheet of ply would fit inside but hey you can't have everything.
L322 won't cut it. Stupidly complex and fundamentally unreliable on the electronics. Hardly surprising given its a mash up of three different systems. Hard to work on. Corrosion prone. Already into issued with unobtanium can't be fixed or work around issues like steering columns. The amount of problems herladyship has had with her TD6 are unreal. So glad she lives 80 odd miles away out of range of "can you fix it" calls. She is now going into run it into the ground mode before getting a later model. Which really worries me!
I told her to get a P38 on LPG but would she listen. Got her (and puddy cat) staying for a long month from 1 st November so I guess she is getting the keys to mine for re-education in what good car is. If she converts it will probably end up costing me £6,000 to build her one good for 100,000 miles but almost worth it to save ear ache of my cars gone wrong calls on a near monthly basis!
Wouldn't touch a BMW V8 with barge. Several can't be fixed issues put you on borrowed time once over 150,000 at best. Same with gearboxes.
The Rover V8 may be old tech and thirsty but its repairable for not too silly money. Never understood why Leyland didn't slap modern 4 valve heads on to get the thirst down and power up. Relatively simple to do and the pushrod / OHC thing is a non issue for normal road cars. OHC on everything has more to do with manufacturing processes and fashion than technical advantage at sensible RPM. The man who invented the timing belt has a lot to answer for.
Clive
Don't own anything mentioned but I like the idea of a BMW V8 in a P38. Good engine, timing chain doesn't seem to go wrong, plenty BMW V8's in scrapyards anyway. I've converted a lot of them and regardless of mileage they all seem to pull the same vacuum and have same performance without leaks or smoke. Usual bits that go wrong are just rotten rocker breather pipes (I think due to ethanol in petrol, inexpensive and easy fix) and water cooled alternators (when fitted). Hear a lot about throwaway BMW straight 6's when hg has blown due to overheating (overheating means head bolts pull threads when refitting) but don't hear of many problems about post nikasil issue V8s. Plumb a reducer into a BMW V8's water circuit and they bleed themselves up no messing, the straight 6's can take some bleeding though. While it would cost more to rebuild a BMW V8 than a Rover V8 and some parts wouldn't be rebuildable anyway, I wouldn't bother rebuilding one while there are so many in scrappies. I once bought 2 good RV8's for a total of £80 from an ad in Autotrader, doubt I'd see a similar advert now.
From what i've read the M62 V8 in the L322 suffers from Timing chain guide rails wearing rapidly and vanos issues!
Not that i'm partial to the 'ole nudge nudge wink wink RV8 lol
Seems like I'm in good company after all - still think the P38 is the last real Range Rover - just wish I could sort out my running problems..........