.

That pile of plastic bits ? In the past someone has smashed the lock open because it had 'superlocked' them out.....

From "The Dark Side/Site":
http://www.rangerovers.net/repairdetails/doors/doorlocks.html#opening

That's the problem with buying a P38, or any car of this sort of age I expect. Faults will have cropped up in the past but you've no way of knowing if they were ignored, bodged or repaired properly (the latter being the least common option in my experience).

I’m with Gilbert, my p38 was supposedly owned by an enthusiast, in my eyes an enthusiast who shouldn’t ever be allowed to touch a car, everything was done the cheapest way or bodged.
Since I’ve owned it has had numerous parts ( genuine ) to correct all the problems I’ve either had go wrong, or just what I’ve found, I got to a stage where I was ready to give up, but in all honesty There’s not much else that could go wrong, the engine ( I replaced) is a very low mileage LR exchange unit, the steering from column down has been replaced, ball joints replaced, new oil cooler, new gearbox cooler pipes, stainless exhaust front to back, seats repaired, EAS rebuilt, abs pump replaced, window regulator replacement, diff change, new prop UJ’s, general maintenance,, I’m sure there’s more, if I sell it, what am I gonna get ?
It’s so hard to find a reasonably priced p38 that has been looked after, only thing I’m fighting is my LPG, which I’m hopefully going to sort out today, thanks to Gilbert’s help.. if you hear of a huge explosion in Essex, it means I got peed off with it, lol