We Bought the World's WORST Range Rover And Immediately Took It Off-Road!
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- ( www.alltfl.com/ ) Check out our new spot to find ALL our content, from news to videos and our podcasts! The P38 Range Rover doesn't have the best reputation among the different versions of Land Rover's iconic luxury SUV...but at least it's cheap! Or, at least this one is. At $1,700, is this Range Rover a complete and utter dumpster fire, or is there still some semblance of true off-road DNA lurking within?
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#rangerover #SUV #cheap
Hilarious video guys. Great job! Really looking forward to seeing more of the dumpster fire adventures!
You guys are so lucky to have this father-son relationship, and to go on these adventures together.
We love to see it.
Lucky implies that it happened by chance. They are more fortunate & blessed since they built upon their relationship as Tommy, for example, could have chosen a different career path. I've been watching TFL for decades. I love watching this team grow. I remember when Andre was just a camera man and never in the videos. He has come a LONG way. I remember Tommy being a young'un.... now the fella is married. My best to him and the entire team.
GREAT VIDEO. I could watch you guys buy junk all day. Love the banter.
We are glad you enjoyed it, we have more coming your way!
K-keys
R-runs
D-drives
Thanks
i literally came to the comments to find this hahaha
Keys are a must on these, no keys means it's a 2.2 tons paperweight unless performing a complete ecu re-programming and that could fail too.
As a Brit its crazy seeing how small a Range Rover (Albeit an older one) looks next to a massive American pickup truck like that RAM, over here range rovers even of that age are considered big cars
Most Americans who own full sized pickups like the RAM don’t ever need trucks that big. They tell themselves they do, but they don’t. They get these trucks to compensate for their own ego.
And, just like Range Rovers, the RAM, Silverado, and F150 are all poorly built vehicles.
I bought a 1998 Range Rover DSE 2.5 in 2021 from Copart. It has a m51 bmw diesel engine and manual gearbox. To this day i haven’t had a single issue, been the most reliable thing I’ve ever bought
It’s plotting……. Don’t left your guard down
Was it imported?
Put a m57 into it
Play the lottery. You are extremely lucky.
@@LR95051 I would love a diesel P38
Love this!! My parents had a 1997 RR P38. We took it all over, pulled the camper and other trailers. Went 4-wheeling often and even did some ice races with it. When my parents sold it it had over 200K on the odometer. I wish I bought it, but at that time I couldn't. Absolutely loved that Rover, the only issues we ever had were the air bags. I can't wait to see this rig in action!
How do you know the people that run the auction aren't submitting fake bids to inflate price. This seems sketchy.
True that
I remember the early days on ebay that I opened several windows on the computer with different bid amounts and I waited for the last minute to start bidding avoiding a bid war.
@jp-nd3vd You go back the following week to see if the vehicle is running again
Edit: if you're able to walk away!
@@carletos100%
@@carletosthat's still how eBay works. Literally no reason not to set up a sniper
Love these P38s. Had 4 of these over the years. The ABS light switches off after you go above 5. Junst put all the windows all the way down and then all the way up one by one and they will set them selves for one touch operation, same with the sunroof open and close it and hold it there for a few seconds. this happens every time the battery gets disconnected. And yes fuse 10 is for the passenger seat. ALSO NEVER REPLACE THE BATTERY WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN AND KEY INSIDE. Because the moment you connect the battery the doors lock. Ask me how I know. Cant wait to see in the MOAB
The 4WD is amazing on that thing! I'm impressed with the articulation and traction on that trenches course
I recently bought the exact same trucks, 98k miles, HSE Trim. Never owned a Rover product before and saying I am nervous is an understatement! But I needed a new adventure and something to tinker with. I look forward to watching and learning along with the TFL team. Thanks guys.
Owner of LR2, LR4, Discovery 2020 - thx for doing all of these Rover vids, my LR4 new engine, others solid but I fear massive failure every day BUT still love driving LR vehicles
lr4 has that nasty 5l with timing chain issues and easily overheating problems thanks to plastic crap in cooling system. I think best discoveries are D2 and D3 (lr3)
The gas engines on the LR3 and LR4 are way more reliable than the diesels.
@@Pesmog Yup the 4.2sc or 4.4 na are probably the best Land rover engines ever made
@TheShakir98 nope definitely not. The original 200TDI, 300TDI, and the TD5. VERY reliable engines, and the best land rovers are the land rover 90, land rover 110, disco 2 and disco 1. And all the classics. I like modern land rovers but they're nowhere near as good as the old landys
Great idea incorporating the actual bidding process - there's a bit of suspense to it which is great. That and the banter totally adds to the content. Would love to see more of these types of auction buys. I miss seeing Brendon, but hey!
Love the choice on the name... I had a grandfather named Perry, who was stationed in England during WWII, and he was a crew chief on P-38 lightnings...
I love these p38s. Im looking for one with minimum to no rust.Biggest killer is overheating in these. As long as you keep an eye out on the cooling system, the engine will last a while. Replace all the pipes, waterpump, tstat and do a coolant flush. After that change the fluids. If you take care of it, it will take care of you
They are aluminum.....
@ not underneath
I love my P38! ABS light will stay on until the vehicle moves...needs to verify wheel speed sensors are working, then light goes out if everything is good. Looking forward to this series.
@@jaydejong1674 Yep, I love my 2002 HSE. I overland mine and she's got over 200,000 miles on her. 🤙🏻
yes i have a 4,l p38 do all my own work , yes abs light , they dont like it on the mot
Can we have more videos on the restoration of this neglected old lady, she deserves it. Problem with all Range Rovers is people get scared off doing the frequently expensive routine maintenance. The PowerfulUK channel is doing up a Holland and Holland P38 but they don’t put up many videos of the progress.
You just need to learn the car a little have good contacts in the scrapyards. I've owned 4 of these all save for 1 high milers 160k miles plus, very reliable, EAS was the most troublesome feature, once that is out of the equation then its pretty much smooth sailing
P38 was THE BEST RANGE ROVER Ever ! fix all it's problems care for it and it will serve you well.
Love the video guys! By the way, you need to press-hold the window's buttons (each one, even the sunroof) for More than 10 seconds up and down so the windows can set up... Love the P38! It has been my daily driver since 2008.
I like the body style of that generation.
Looking at it at the top of the hill was thinking the same . Great color too !
P38 is better than newer BMW junk, and it's one of the best range rovers ever made (doesn't make it a good everyday car =), I owned one, comfortable, V8 , capable off road, easy to fix. has same problems as USA luxury brands of its time. P38 has very good quality steering wheel and leather/wood almost never wear out. Frame and suspension arms have a lot of metal, proper truck, airbags are same brand as Public Passenger buses and trucks in UK
Bought my 1997 4.6 in 2006, it's part of the family and we all love it. It's hauled building supplies and tows our twin axle caravan with ease. Can't think of anything that I could replace it with that isn't full of electronic trickery. 😀
@@nickbutler1070 I absolutely love my 2002 HSE!! She's been stellar
We also a 97 4.6 also bought it in 2006 its got well over 200k miles and sure it has had issues here but it's indeed excellent
If you guys keep it def do all the coolant upgrades. Flowkooler upgraded water pump and low temp thermostat and you guys would get so much more life outta it. Had my temps drop about 25-30 degrees which is insane.
It had the battery die and it wasn’t reset. That’ll take care of half the warning lights.
Had a 2001 p38 Holland and Holland. Once fixed the drivers door lock and a leak in the air suspension, it was great.
Honestly, I think the Rover/Buick engined P38 is the sweet spot of all Rangies.. They`re much simpler than later ones, but well enough equipped to not feel too ancient, & they still look classy & feel elegant, parts are cheap & plentiful. If they weren't so expensive to run here in the UK (with $12 per gallon fuel & high annual road tax), I`d have one for snowy conditions.
Tommy losing his mind during the bidding was amazing 😂😂😂
Congrats you guys finding a P38 with alive engine! Check the coolant level quite frequently, it tends to evaporate slowly and cause the engine overheating. The ABS light works as it should - it stays on until you start rolling.
P38 is not a bad machine, it becomes bad when not maintained properly. On the dirt it is even more capable than LR3/LR4 especially with fitted Ashcroft ATB diffs. Love mine.
tommy's voice is an octave higher through the obstacles
I wanted one of these for a while. I finally gave up my pursuit, but still find they seem to appeal to me. Thank you for showing how well it handles off-road.
I absolutely loved my 1999 P38 Range Rover HSE. It had the 4.6L engine - the same as my 2003 Land Rover Discovery and the brown leather interior was the best leather I've had in any vehicle period. The P38 never let me down!
K = Keys, R= Runs, D = Drives
I had a 2002 RR P38. It was a great car. Well, I have fond memories of it. The little issue of the security system locking out the engine and having to reset it every week was annoying. And aside from all the other minor mechanical issues, it was a great car. Also, don’t put a spare tire on that is smaller than the other 3. The traction control goes nuts and turns it into a bucking Bronco.
@ it’s been years, but it was something like turning the key on and off like 4 times, lower and raising each window in a certain order, and opening closing the sunroof and then tilt it open and closed. It just seemed so stupid that you could override the security lock out with a combination. Seemed like if I was going to steal one, I would learn the code. But it worked.
To get rid of the annoying beeping sound on start up. Unplug the white connector on the driver side female end seat belt connection. Or alternatively, put on your seatbelt prior to putting the keys in the ignition.
I had a 99 4.6 with 70k miles, and it was a basket case. Leaky air bag system, randomly the rear right window would roll itself down while parked overnight, the gas door stopped opening, passenger seat electronics failed, heat was on full time on passenger side, and had a coolant leak. Best part was I traded it into a dealership and they didn’t know about the issues until I had finished the trade in and was driving home in my new car, as none of these issues were immediately apparent.
I owned a low mileage P38 on airbags 2016-2020 and loved it, despite the BCM under the seat causing random problems.. After watching your experience I miss it! Great buying
Love the father son dynamics in your videos
I love this father and dad dumpster fire series!
Dad pointing out the issues
Son saying well yeah of course is hilarious.
All I can think of whenever they say. V8 is Jeremy Clarkson, saying "The mighty V8!" And of course "POWWAAA!!" 😂😂😂
Impressive articulation and traction. I love it.
Not a bad buy actually, its pretty cool would be nice if you guys give it a little tlc and roadtrip it.
Omg probably the funniest TFL video ever 😂 Roman almost sank the company......keep that man far away from Vegas!
Want to see more of this. Cool buy💯✅️
That sound of the starter is soul soothing
That Range Rover on startup was beeping like a damn McDonnell Douglas DC-10 with 2 blown jet turbine engines and no hydraulics.
That's the P38 symphony.
Dang! You were right near my house! And super close to an entire county full of dirt roads that would’ve been fun in that Pathfinder. I had the truck version in the mid 90s. Loved it.
P38s are lovely, for the couple of weeks a year that they don’t have issues.
Very excited to see more on this one.
Haha that was a great video! The bidding had me on the edge of my seat. When Roman was going to bid higher on that Land Rover I was like Nooooo!
The best vehicles to wheel off-road are the cheapest! Now you don't have to care so much about giving it a new scratch or two. These cheap off-roader segments are the best. Hooptie Bowl!
This is one of my favorite videos that you guys have ever produced and I've been watching for a very long time
Thanks for the kind words
Do NOT take your Dad to Las Vegas. You will be broke and homeless.
That’s awesome, definitely looking forward to seeing this Moab trip! You guys should do another group competition maybe with teams the girls team, Roman and Andre, and Tommy and Case. each pick a cheap off roader at auction, then road trip and off road to Moab and whoever makes it back to Boulder under their own power wins!
That was great cinema again! Congratulations on this epic purchase. The traction control works excellently. A really cool car. I'm excited to see what happens next. Thanks for such videos. It doesn't always have to be vehicles > 50k.
This AWESOME abomination on wheels could be a real moneypit if left unckecked and neglected, ask me how i know, and DIY helps a lot. Rate fees at LandRover shops are TROUGHT THE ROOF. But it's an awesome driving machine that does pretty good on and off the road it's criminally underrated.
Got to love the optimism... the problem with these is the gearbox :)
I love it Chaps.
They were great off road, no question. 🇮🇪🧑🏿🎄👍
I think doing one or two of these a year would be cool.
When you have a specific number in mind, I like to start bidding 30 seconds before the auction ends. This way, the other party doesn’t have a chance to outbid me. It’s a strategy that works for me every time!
Liked the suspense of the bidding at the start of the video! 🤙 someone else really wanted that first LR 😅
I knew Tommy was watching my videos. I can tell you how to fix every single thing on that car. All those warnings are from the battery going dead. Roll windows all the way down and back up to clear the windows not set. Eas manual will show because of the coil conversion.
Do an inline thermostat from extinct motorsports and check the fan clutch. Heat is really the killer on these. The mystery oil leak can be from the front bolts on the oil pan. They are pressurized from the oil pump. Reseal them with RTV.
Yep! I think they were pretty tough on the old P38, lol
@MIL-STD Bought mine for 1500 ten years ago. Still going strong after using it mainly to recover people at the beach. The usual has gone wrong over the years, starter, MAF, valve cover gaskets, fuel pump, but you can't beat a P38 offroad.
The best father kid moment..." don't be so grumpy, god" hahah
It's a lovely hate relationship with my p38, but it's old now, it is easy to fix and work on, it's never let me down or my brother for when he had it over 7 years, don't mean to say it's not broken regularly LOL
Great video. Really enjoyed watching Roman get sucked in on the LR3 and Tommy freaking out!
I owned a 1999 range rover 4L v8 fully loaded about a decade ago. It had a lift, 37" tires. Front and rear winches. I bought it off auction for $600 canadian. Went offroading and it died in the middle of nowhere. Well lets just say the walk to civilization took a while.
Thank you Tommy for corrupting the group continually purchasing terrible Range Rovers. This is why I’m here!
what an super funny video, when you 2 get together at these auctions, the calamity just rolls off the tongue with you two,Roman bidding with a little reckless abandon and Tommi saying no your bidding way too much and covering his eyes, away too funny and end up with a 2001 Range Rover that still impresses both of you and brings a smile to your faces, great Sunday morning viewing with a fresh pot of coffee, i can hardly wait for the next video taking it to Moab, the only thing that would make it more capable would be tires, those might end up being worth almost equal value as what you paid 👍
As a Rover enthusiast who has owned many different models, I've succesfully avoided the P38. The one Rover even Rover people don't love (Freelander aside). It's from the worst era of electronics and doesn't share components with all traditional Rovers - for the love of God man, the difs are on the wrong side!!! It's also the only Rover I've actually witnessed have an airbag explode on the trail - sounded like a gun shot! Yes, it is the last of the body on frame solid axle RRs, but just get an RRC if you want that, or step up to an L322 if you want modern.
You pretty much summed it up. Thanks
As P38A owner for 8 years, I agree with you. But,... it is a very good offroader. I will not buy one again. I am to much in love with my L322 TDV8 for that.
Looks like a P38 is a hit or miss. There is a plenty of horror stories around but some are running well w/o any major issues. I got my '08 P38 as a "brick", non-runner with only 130K mls on the clock, for very cheap. Spend 6 months slowly bringing it back to life, replaced tons of sensors, found and fixed dozens of electrical gremlins, etc, not gonna list them all here. Now it's running well, no lights, everything works except the cruise control. Not a single hiccup since then even though I frequently use it as an overlander/offroader. It feels not as ancient as RRC but more refined and better on the road than D2. Unfortunately the engine is very underpowered by modern standards so the rig is very sluggish on the road but AFAIK the LS swap is a real rocket science on P38s.
I had a P38, they are actually pretty darn good off-road and the seats super comfy. the big issue was the logic in the air suspension system, everytime it detects a fault it goes into limp mode. The "cure" was worse than the disease, which most often was a sensor fault. There is a tall solenoid under the driver seat, if you pull that it interrupts the limp mode function. I used software from RSW on the P38 to deal with codes, now I have a L322 and use icarsoft II
I can't be the only one that kinda fell in love with the body lines on this thing can I? Especially the back. She looks good.
That tool you found in the back is for holding the fan pulley still so you can remove the fan clutch. The notches hook around the bolts.
This is great! You guys are becoming my favorite Car Show. I may have missed it but did you replace Fuse 10?
Not yet
I am here for this! Love budget off roading.
What a fun video! Well produced
Always so amazing and entertaining to see how non auto technician folks love the "legendary" Range Rover.
I’m loving this series so far. We need more of this, it reminds me so much of classic Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson.
Love this video! Can’t wait to see it at Moab.
I want a Landy so bad, but seems like they are a risky bet and you really need to be comfortable with the notion that you might need to sink a lot more than the purchasing price into it to keep it going. I live in a spot where one of these would make my life a lot easier when it works like it should, but a lot tougher when the shit hits the fan. It would be awesome to see a collab with LRTime on a Land Rover roulette project.
The P38 is actually one of the more reliable range rovers. The worst case on these is the head gaskets going bad and for severe overheating you'll run into a slipped sleeve. The transmission is also bulletproof. Keep up with your oil changes and always check for leaks when parked. These cars will go 200k+ all day.
Very impressed......once you're done with it, I'll buy it from you if it still runs.
You're crazy!🤪
ABS light will go off above 5mph if it detects no faults, just needs a little speed for the wheel speed sensors to feed back
Great fun video! I think you lucked out in not getting the other one; this one seems better!
THIS WAS SO GOOD. I’m looking forward to the Moab adventure 😂
😂 hahaha. Very fun. Look forward to many adventures in Perry. This could be one of those that turns into an off road legend! 😅🎉
Back when a comfortable, mall crawler version of a Range Rover could still run wild offroad!
Love this format!
Love RR but i drive a Land Cruiser, but mine would not get any content… Because it just works 😊👍🏽🇸🇪
Tommy avoids saying "pot" and then later Roman says it "the pot smell" hahaha
P38 is the military designation for a can opener so kinda fitting lol
I love this video and video format. It may be a ticking time bomb but it sure looks great.
Super funny video guys! :) Love it! Had to leave a comment on UA-cam and thumbs up for your stats. Keep them rolling. Would never buy a super machine like this with my money lol
Great video! Just pick up the mat and throw it away next time you are out there…
Loving this type of videos 🔥
I LOVE this series
I thank the older rovers made the reputation for being good off road vehicles, but after bmw they went more focused on luxury vehicles.
Also the pre 1997 rovers can be found with a manual transmission, and they can be swapped with a ls3 e rod legally in California..
Enjoyed this very much, thank you for doing it. Please consider doing one for the Ford Escape PHEV. Liked and subscribed.
Thanks for the support! We’ll look into it.
You guys never owned one before?
Obviously as you didn't know about the ABS light goes off after driving.
And the fact that these things are one of the most capable cars off road..... by so far.
You ever watched any of there videos before where they've owned some of these before?
@TJY2K no I haven't.
That's the reason for the question
Roman says "no low range" at one point, so it's obvious they've never owned one and have no idea how the H-gate shifter works to engage low range.
@upscaleshack agreed...
Love this series
Haha, Roman, your love of Rovers will be your demise and Tommy is no help just enabling you like he does! You guys should know you can’t tempt fate like this! Tommy might have lucked into a good one like a blind squirrel finding a nut but WOW! But, to my benefit, I can’t stop laughing! TFL must be doing well for you to throw money at rolling total losses like that! Thanks, I needed this video 😂😂😂
They got a good deal on the Range Rover, and will make more in videos than they paid even if it breaks down and needs to be held together with bubblegum and faith.
Drama = more views = more money.
This was a great business decision.
These old Range Rovers are amazing off-road when they get there.
they will get there. people who own these dont do ANY maintenance and expect the reliability of toyota yaris
@@TheShakir98 Well that's just not really true. My parents had a P38. My uncle had a P38. My girlfriends parents when was 17 had a P38. They are just not very reliable in the grand scheme of things even when they are maintained up the wazoo
The wife and I watched this.
First we laughed then we hugged then we cried.
The P38s are loved by many and considered great vehicles by Rover enthusiasts. This is not the first time that Tommy has made such remarks about this particular model. Unfortunately, Land Rovers of a certain age are very prone to electrical and sensor issues. This is true across the board and then there are the air suspensions and oil bath CVs, which were changed to greased CVs, for obvious leak reasons. The thing is, that generally the Land Rovers do get you where you want without stranding you. They do so in unparalleled comfort and style. So, yes, you should expect issues but, they simply are better than other SUVs.