All The Cars I’ve Ever
Used car addict Keith looks back at his best – and worst – classic buys. This week, a surprisingly reliable Range Rover P38
Bought Keith Adams on his Range Rover P38
WHY DID YOU WANT ONE?
This was an impulse buy that proved to be way better than I’d ever hoped for, even if it wasn’t exactly perfect. I bought it from a work colleague (formerly of this parish) when he tired of his latest purchase, and after he’d fi xed all the faults – it was a 2.5-litre turbodiesel, which had allegedly been remapped by Overfinch, and although it was a little frayed around the edges, it still looked a million dollars from ten paces. It also sated my appetite for a P38, a car that I’d always been a fan of, and unlike some Land Rover snobs out there, I reckon its place in the Range Rover timeline is more than justifi ed.
WAS IT A NIGHTMARE OR A JOY TO LIVE WITH?
A joy, actually. The leather interior was in great condition and all of the electric stuff – apart from the air conditioning – worked as it should. The air suspension pumped up, the driving position was fantastic, and it wasn’t too bad to drive once I’d acclimatised to the leisurely performance and sheer racket that the turbodiesel created in its effort to get us moving. The main problem with it (for me) really was its lacklustre performance
– it felt positively glacial after the V8 Range Rover Classic that I’d previously owned. I initially thought that there was something wrong with it – until I tried another one.
WHAT’S YOUR ABIDING MEMORY OF IT?
The fact that I’d bought it from someone who’d gone through monumental pain getting it fi xed meant that I was left with a largely dependable car that I could actually enjoy without too much worry. The only fault that I could pin on it was a developing oil leak, which meant that it embarrassed itself outside a girlfriend’s house and left me with the unenviable task of cleaning a gravel driveway. It made me happy, though, tacking from one end of the country to another, spending its time in the hands of a number of CCV colleagues and starring in a Practical Classics photoshoot. I ended up selling it (to the chap I bought it from) because it was surplus to requirements; either it or my Citroën C6 needed to go. I think I made the right decision…
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR BUYING ONE TODAY?
I guess the easiest advice is to do what I did and buy a known car that previous owners have looked after well and haven’t tried to re-wire it. The electronics are famously fl aky, so make sure that the remote central locking works and the immobiliser is dependable. After that, make sure that all four wheels have drive and the transmission doesn’t make any frightening noises. The rest isn’t quite as important – as long as you can get in and start it. Other points – make sure that the chassis isn’t damaged and/or rotten and that the air suspension works (avoid coils). If you were to twist my arm to make a recommendation about which engine to go for, that’s easy – the 4.0-litre petrol V8. I can’t really tell the difference between it and the 4.6 – and it’s cheaper to buy.
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