thanks all - think I will give this one a steer!
The advice I'm getting from a friend of mine is that it's best to wait it out for a sorted P38 as plenty of choice to warrant passing those with issues beyond the expected
Plenty out there - take your time.....they ain't going nowhere....unless......
......I was in a similar boat a few weeks ago - After parting with our last L322 Range Rover in Feb this year and flirting with the Defender and then when she took it over I got the BMW 740 - I had a hankering for another, but I had a particular shopping list I wanted from another P38.....
Had to be a 4.6 (THOR preferred but not absolute)
Had to have side steps for our youngster (she loves to climb into the cars herself and woe-be-tied anyone who tries to help - independant, just like her mum!)
Colour optional, but not red according to the other half.
Lightstone or Parchment interior
Clear light lenses (I think they just look better)
LPG
Right Price (which was a pittance I have to say unfortunately)
Now, finding a 4.6 is simple....
Side steps are not so uncommon, but some have been badly fitted or are not the OEM fitment
Colour - simple
Leather colour is abound
Clear light lenses are fairly common
LPG is a little rarer than I thought it would be - when I was looking anyway...
BUT.....finding it all combined in one vehicle was harder than I thought...yes i could find 4.6's but not with the interior colour and over budget....I could find the interior colour with LPG, but was a 4.0 and under budget, found a 4.6 with LPG but no side steps, found a 4.6 on gas with side steps light interior but was red in budget - and the other half said no! Plenty of 2.5 diesels around in all the right combinations, but she said it had to be a V8...(love her).
So when our newly acquired P38 popped up at the right price, with LPG, side steps, parchment interior, 4.6 GEMS, clear lens kit - I had to pounce on it as what I wanted was looking rare.
NOW, if you are just after a P38 with a decent engine in a price bracket - there are plenty....but when you start with a shopping list of features - your choice narrows considerably.
So yes, there are plenty out there if you are not overly fussy - if you are like me and have specific requirements - the search is labourious, intensive and frustrating - I missed a few examples that hit the mark - either through being too late to contact the seller or if it was an auction, the price just went beyond my tiny budget....heartbreaking....but stick with it and search all the haunts to find cars, free ads, local rag, ebay, autotrader, gumtree, exchange and mart etc etc.....you'll find one!
