Hi, new to the forum, I am looking to change my 3.0 v6 Shogun for a newer vehicle (98 - 01 ish). Love the v6 petrol pulling power but thought I'd go for LPG this time and save £££'s.

Now, I've been looking at other 4x4's. I love the look of the P38 but am wondering:-

a) what is the fuel consumption like?
b) what are they really like in reliability? (the press reports read like horror stories)
c) any good reasons for choosing one over an LWB Shogun?

Cheers all.

When the cracked block / slipped liner problem reared its head on my 96 4.6hse lpg i went and had a test drive in a diesel lwb shogun, it was 18 months old and i signed for it. Then the next day i went back and cancelled it and booked my range rover in for a complete rebuild. The money wasnt the problem it was the absence of space between the driver and passenger, and the 3.1 engine was slower than a diesel range rover.
I dont suffer any noticeable loss in power using lpg, (and it does around 12mpg on gas around town)the p38 can be troublesom at times but i would recommend budgeting for a rovacom when looking for a p38, if you dont mind working on the car yourself the rovercom is invaluable, mine has paid for itself. I am still convinced that i made the right decision with keeping the p38.

have a good search around this site and you will find a few facts out!

1, petrol consumption is high, but then find a 4.0 or 4.6 that isn't!
2, reliability is shocking compared to some cars of a prestige nature.
3, once you have had one, no other car of a comparable price and catagory will come close to 'em!

mine is currently off road with a poorly engine. money constraints at the moment mean it will probably stay that way at least for the next couple of months but i WILL be back driving it or maybe another one as soon a practical!

i went the wrong way about it by buying the car and then finding out the various things to look for. i would recomend getting a pre march 2001 car with a recent multipoint lpg system. get a full rac/aa/independant report wich includes a hydrocarbons test/emmisions test if poss. and inspect at least twice! you may want to make up a check list of all the mechanical issues you can find on this site and tick em off as you go(i'm wanting to compile a sheet and put it as sticky at somepoint)

when you have satified yourself that the car is for you get the inspection done to throw up any things you have missed!

check the lpg system is in good condition and that the vapouriser is lower than the coolant expansion bottle or at least get it lowered as they can cause annoying air locks on top of the already annoying locks p38's suffer from!

happy hunting!

It'll be barrage of irritating leaks/bleeps/lights/symbols. You'll end up bald because you'll have ripped all your hair out. You'll go bankrupt. Your wife will leave and your childr...

No seriously, neither of mine ever actually let me down but you have to be prepared for constant niggles.

Look for one that's hat a top hat engine fitted, there's the odd few around if you look hard enough...

funny how things work out init, swapped my p38 for a shogun.
best move i ever made.

Thanks for all the info guys. Sounds like I'll stick with the Shoguns.

I can see the attraction to the P38, they look superb, but I already own a lovely XJS that I'm in a love hate relationship with.

My 4x4 just has to be reliable, tow and carry stuff.

Great website though.

Owning the P38 is a bit like climbing in the Lake District.

At the time, all you can think about is the rain, and the wind, and the cold, and how much hard work it is and then wondering what the hell you’re doing it for anyway.

Whereas afterwards all you can remember was the excellent crack with the lads, and how much fun it was, and the fantastic view from the top, and how you wish you were back there still doing it.

P38’s are all rose coloured, honest.

Rudolf said:

Owning the P38 is a bit like climbing in the Lake District.

At the time, all you can think about is the rain, and the wind, and the cold, and how much hard work it is and then wondering what the hell you’re doing it for anyway.

Whereas afterwards all you can remember was the excellent crack with the lads, and how much fun it was, and the fantastic view from the top, and how you wish you were back there still doing it.

P38’s are all rose coloured, honest.

Click to expand...

funny, all i remember was shelling out for part after part, not wanting to use it for fear of another light coming on, spending every weekend arsing about with another small problem.
far as the p38 goes, it's a joke. how the hell landrover have got away with letting such an unreliable piece of **** on the market is beyond me. you pay a fortune for a car that you don't worry if it will break down, but when it will break down and how terminal will it be. it really is a second grade car fitted with second grade engines and land rover don't give a toss, never have, never will.

rant over, gonna down a couple more then crash out

Hhhhmm, interesting comment Geggs88, I phoned up to enquire about on on eBlag recently. The bloke spent 5 mins telling me about all the parts he'd put on it over the last 6 months.

I haven't lifted the bonnet on the Shogun over the same time period and it's 6 years older with twice the miles on it.

Anyone have any comments on LPG systems? Do they work well on the P38? Though from the comments in this thread it's probablt the least of my worries

A lot of owners either can't be arsed or can't afford to maintain them properly & thats half the reason they've got a poor rep

I bet a good 95% of EAS faults are because airbags have been left leaking for yonks- the compressor then wears out, system goes into hard fault, 35MPH message comes up on the dash and the owner spits venom on an internet messageboard!

Same with sludged up rads, engine oil never being changed etc

WELL, seem to have touched a nerve there then…

As to LPG, mine works fine, never missed beat and returns about 17MPG commuting in traffic, so that’s like 32MPG in £££. Plus, I get the road fund licence for £195.

Ok so the Jap stuff is more reliable, no point arguing, you can’t win. I should know as part of my day time occupation is to help look after a fleet of 250,000 cars, yep 250,000! amongst them an awful lot of Japs and L/R’s, and yes talking to L/R can be pretty hard work, but the truth is …. I just like the damned thing!

The SG just aint as good looking by half as the P38. In my option they are better looking than the Mk3.

I know plenty with both and SG parts aint cheap to fix when they do go wrong.


Looking at prices of SG they hold it for a reason i guess.

It's a heart or head thing.