Hi guys,

I thought I'd say hello! I just bought a P38 about 10 days ago. I'm normally pretty sensible buying cars, but in this case I did everything that you shouldn't do. Bought it from an eBay style auction site, saw it in the flesh but didn't hear it run or drive it, it had no service history and it was full of fault lights. It was covered in dirt, cobwebs, stank inside and generally looked a bit sad. So I knew then it had to be saved! Whilst enthusiastic I lack any sort of mechanical skills so I'm hoping I can pick a few things up. I'm ok with the cosmetic side so I've already removed the nicotine staining and smell from the headlining with a bio cleaner, wet vac'd the carpets and begun cleaning and conditioning the leather. Also got my supplies in to start machine polishing the bodywork.

I took it to a garage nearby yesterday who have Autologic. They carried out a visual check, cleared all the faults (lots of them!), road tested it and reported back with the following:

Cured the SELECT NEUTRAL error by fixing the wiring (I was a bit worried about that error)
New OSF Window Regulator
OS Headlight cracked
Front & Rear washer jets not working
Play in OSF Antiroll Bar Link
Play in OSF Wheel Bearing
Centre Exhaust Rubber Broken
Blend Flap Motor Error

The only fault to return was the Blend Flap Motor error. My HEVAC screen is pretty much unreadable, but I'm sure it will have the chequebook on.

Plenty there to keep me busy!

Mark

Bloody Hell, you sound like the perfect candidate for this place - welcome :)
First of all, learn by my mistakes: go and buy yourself a Nanocom before you've got a flashing locked out paranoid Range Rover that won't move.
The ability to read all the systems yourself gives great peace of mind when on a long trip.
Second - we need photos :) Have you got a link to the advert?

Sounds like you've got lots of fun ahead, enjoy the trip!

It was basically a feast for all the senses.

Mark welcome! This is the place to become a allround mechanic because in general a P38 will always come up with something new to look after. Nice rig you have there, did it belong to a farmer moving haystacks now and then?

Welcome!

Is it on springs or air?

Hi Mark, and welcome, Jeez, how do people let there cars get so bad,, your list isn't to bad, wheel bearing and blend motor flap are the hardest. I say hardest, time consuming is more the word. We can help with doing these things, if you update your profile, put where abouts you are, and model of p38. Helps us with answering, looks like it will come up nice with a bit of tlc

Welcome Mark, I'd say somewhere down south from the palm trees, maybe in Orangebean area (Devon)? Although I seem to recognise the registration number so maybe my area even. With your lack of mechanical knowledge and expertise but being a man who is capable of the cosmetics, you sound like another Morat! If it can be polished, it will be....

You're lucky you were able to clean the headlining, in most cases it's drooping around your head where the foam disintegrates. As Chris has said, nothing too serious there. Rear washers not working is usually when a non-return valve in the back goes non-return in both directions but it isn't that important so if any of the washer pumps have died (there's 3, front, rear and headlamps) you can swap them over so you at least have a working one for the screen. That just involves laying under the front of the car as they are behind the front bumper. Anti-roll bar drop links are a common MoT failure and cheap and easy enough to replace (although it's not uncommon to need an angle grinder or hacksaw to cut the old ones off) and an exhaust rubber just pushes on. You need to identify which blend motor is at fault, there's 3. One on each side that alters the temperature from the heater and one that controls where the air comes out. If you can get hot and cold air on both sides, it'll be the distribution motor. As for the HEVAC, Marty on here does refurbished ones on exchange.

Same colour as mine, even down to the straw on the carpets.

Hmm, looks like you got a free Christmas tree with that one!
Nice blue, looking well too.
Have you tried Gliptone on those seats yet? The cleaner does well down in the cracks.

It looks like you've got a very hungry spider somewhere in your HEVAC ducts, I can't imagine may flies get past the pollen filter!

Ferryman wrote:

Nice rig you have there, did it belong to a farmer moving haystacks now and then?

I think it has been used for several Christmas tree disposals!

SpiggyTopes wrote:

Welcome!

Is it on springs or air?

Slightly problematic air

Gilbertd wrote:

Welcome Mark, I'd say somewhere down south from the palm trees, maybe in Orangebean area (Devon)?

Actually far less glamorous - the Shell petrol startion at Park Royal on the A40 coming out of London - I collected it just around the corner

You're lucky you were able to clean the headlining, in most cases it's drooping around your head where the foam disintegrates.

It is sagging a bit at the back, but it isn't too bad at the front.

As for the HEVAC, Marty on here does refurbished ones on exchange.

In touch with Marty already ;-)

Starting to look a bit more respectable

Testing trim products

Delivery from Rimmer Bros

New wheels from eBay

Wheels on and sympathetic lighting after a clean (sadly not my garage!)

Watch yourself with the wet vac on the carpets. The BECM under the seat really doesn't like getting wet, the various connectors aren't too fond either!
Starting to clean up outside nicely.

Looking good... I really need to clean mine!

Damn... the car's nice.... but that garage....

Wow, fantastic job on the clean up!

Makes me want to break out the big box o' cleaning products and the machine polisher.

I'll just leave this here: https://rangerovers.pub/topic/257-range-rover-winter-camp :P

Welcome. See you found us okay.

They had one that colour at the place I got my white one back in the UK and I wanted it badly. Unfortunately it was just out of my price range then.

Orangebean wrote:

Watch yourself with the wet vac on the carpets. The BECM under the seat really doesn't like getting wet, the various connectors aren't too fond either!
Starting to clean up outside nicely.

I was just using a spray bottle and brush so nothing that soaked it too much.

Sloth wrote:

Damn... the car's nice.... but that garage....

I know! I was visiting a client in London and that's their garage, very sympathetic lighting!

GeorgeB wrote:

Welcome. See you found us okay.

They had one that colour at the place I got my white one back in the UK and I wanted it badly. Unfortunately it was just out of my price range then.

Yes, thanks for the pointer George

Well the clean up continues - I bought a steam cleaner yesterday for the seat and trims. I wanted to know that the car was actually clean germ wise as well as visually as it was pretty disgusting in there when I bought it and I wanted it to be as clean as possible before I take my niece and nephew anywhere in it. Another day should have the interior finished - here's some updates.

The side of the seat looked a bit dirty, so I decided to take the cover off and I found what can only be described as sludge!

Cleaned and back together

Soak & Scrub

Steamed

Midway 50/50

You steamed the leather? Interesting - it certainly seems to get the job done !
My wife has a steam cleaner, I might have to nick it :)

Yes I steamed the leather - I tried a few different ways but the best method seemed to be by using the little brush attachment that came with the steamer. I soaked, agitated, steam with the brush (only a bit bigger than a toothbrush) and then wiped. On the front seats it has exposed the cracks in the leather a little more, but seeing as it was basically dirt plugging the holes I wasn't too concerned. Plus, I plan on filling and dying the leather over the damaged sections so will remedy this down the line.

MHT wrote:

Yes I steamed the leather - I tried a few different ways but the best method seemed to be by using the little brush attachment that came with the steamer. I soaked, agitated, steam with the brush (only a bit bigger than a toothbrush) and then wiped. On the front seats it has exposed the cracks in the leather a little more, but seeing as it was basically dirt plugging the holes I wasn't too concerned. Plus, I plan on filling and dying the leather over the damaged sections so will remedy this down the line.

That's sounds ideal. I'd never considered steam cleaning leather before but it obviously gets the crap out of the cracks without the risk of causing further damage by scrubbing too hard on a weakened area. Nice one.

You bought a P38 without possessing any mechanical skills? Something tells me this thread is going to be EPIC!