Having just sold my 38, and bought a Sport, I have to say, at the moment, it was a good move! I loved my 38 and sold it for peanuts to make sure it went to the right home but the Sport is far better. The only way I think the 38 is better is in the ride. The ride in the Sport is harsher but drive wise, she's a beauty. I got a TDV8 in the end in Stornoway Grey and she does look damned good. I had the alternator go after 10 days but it was repaired free otherwise it's been ok.
And I'm getting 27 instead of 14 mpg pottering around here.
Sorted the Vogue spelling 👍 Glad you like the sport I just didn't really like mine. The supercharger was great though however I do still prefer the p38. Perhaps I just prefer older cars.
Cheers
For me the ideal would be a P38 but with the 295 bhp from the 4.4 BMW lump fitted to the pre-2005 L322. I use my car predominately for long distance journeys around Europe (France 3 times and Holland once, clocking up 4,500 miles in the last 5 weeks). I want something that is going to get me there and the L322 has far too many seemingly insignificant things that can stop the car. At least with a P38, if the cooling system is kept in good order, any faults can be either ignored as they don't stop the car from being used or dealt with at the roadside.
Gilbertd wrote:
For me the ideal would be a P38 but with the 295 bhp from the 4.4 BMW lump fitted to the pre-2005 L322. I use my car predominately for long distance journeys around Europe (France 3 times and Holland once, clocking up 4,500 miles in the last 5 weeks). I want something that is going to get me there and the L322 has far too many seemingly insignificant things that can stop the car. At least with a P38, if the cooling system is kept in good order, any faults can be either ignored as they don't stop the car from being used or dealt with at the roadside.
Maybe that needs to be a plan, I'm sure I can find a p38, the BMW engine is readily available for little money,, the main problem seems to be maintenance based, the chains stretch, the breathers collapsing, but otherwise it's a good engine, let me finish playing with mine, then were have a chat..
Problem with mine is that it's GEMS and I suspect you'd need a Thor as a basis. Both the Thor and the earlier L322 use the Bosch Motronic engine management so it should, in theory, be easier to make the engine talk to the rest of the car.
Sounds like a project for next years Summer Camp :)
I had that engine (M62TUB44) in a 5 series touring for a while. With a six speed box it made a nice car.
A 6 speed 540i? Nice. Getting a bit rare those now! And the boxes go for silly money.
I can't see it being a problem, as richard says, they both use Bosch system, the head ache will be engine to gearbox. Will have to get an adapter made, or see if I can get hold of a l322 bell housing. Looks like I'm gonna have a project on the go very soon,, should keep me outta trouble for a while,, lol
A 4.6 Thor uses the ZF 4HP24 gearbox while the 4.4 L322 uses the ZF 5HP24. I wonder how different the actual gearboxes are and if an L322 bellhousing would bolt up to a P38 gearbox? That would make it pretty simple if they did.
Sloth wrote:
A 6 speed 540i? Nice. Getting a bit rare those now! And the boxes go for silly money.
Yes, it was a nice motor until:
Remember kids, don't use your mobile when driving!
The one that hit it came off a lot worse though......
That's a shame :( Split tailgate too! Or was that a modification facilitated by whatever that green heap is/was?
Yep, split tailgate. Also heated memory sports seats, which along with the manual 'box meant life was tough for the adjuster when he tried to rip us off with the usual "comparable cars on the market" BS. I'm sure he made out like a bandit though, I wanted to keep the wreck and flog the bits to BMW project builders but the Police had had it towed to a secure pound and the insurance company just would not release it. They declared it Cat-B because it was twisted.
Roof bars are bloody handy if you ever need to get out of a car quickly and you're not actually Bo or Luke Duke :)
The shitcan was a Corsa driven by a Pensioner on the phone. She'd already taken the corner off a VW Polo (completely separated the rear wheel and suspension) and kept her foot hard down as she panic braked with the wrong pedal. She hit us with a closing speed betwen 50 and 70mph as I was just about stopped at the time due to the concertina effect caused by the police car in the layby up ahead. The impact was fierce enough to launch the (factory) stereo out of the dash. Stupid cow. She was still yacking on the phone as they strapped her into the backboard. I didn't go and ask her if she was OK.
Sorry if I've already told you all this.. I'm still pissed off! That car was a beaut.