You're only young once, right?
Back in 2017 I had passed my driving test and I was spending hours looking online for the "normal" first car maybe a Fiesta or a saxo?
However if i'm going to spend almost 1/2 my salary every month insuring something, it ought to be something special..
I've always like big barges, never been the type to enjoy small uncomfortable hatchbacks.
when I was 17 I managed to inherited my Nans old Mini which to be fair to the thing, it was a great car, rather comfy and being an R50 the handling was superb.
However the engine was on it's last legs due to only having been serviced 3 times in 100k and the timing chainwas singing its last song by the time I got it!
Still scrubbed up nicely
Sadly the engine decided to kick me in the
in the form of a timing chain failure, the Midlands box was also playing up, so it was parked..
However I did fit a new engine and recon box, and gave it to my sister...
In July 2017 I started looking for a 2nd car, once that could waft along at sensible speeds comfortably, and maybe do some light off roading..
This is when my long since snuffed obsession with old Range Rovers was awoken, back when i was but a nipper my Dad had a selection of old Land rovers, mainly Series IIa's but he did have a 1989 Alaskan Blue Turbo D Classic and a 1974 3.5 2 door..
Pic here,,
When I was around 9 he had thinned his LR fleet down much to my dismay to 0 and at that time was running around in a 1998 Volvo V70 2.0 a very comfy albeit slow and thirsty estate..
One day however he left in the morning with the volvo and returned later with a 1999 P38 2.5 DSE he was grinning from ear to ear it was a surprise I'll never forget even at that time I loved my Rangies, and the P38 then was my ultimate 4x4 I had accumulated hundreds of LR owners international Mags and had perved on the P38s to such a degree that I used to cut the pages out that the P38s were on and glue them to my wall!!
It was Blenheim silver with Black leather, and it had the M51 Lump under the bonnet, I must of spent hours playing inside as when my Dad came out the next morning the battery was flat lol
However it wasn't all rosy, my Mother hated it and always made a point of making my Dads life a living hell, so after 3 or 4 months of nagging he had to get rid of it, she argued it was too "flashy" and "thirsty"
It was a sad sight seeing it leave with its new owner!!!
In that time me and Dad had polished and waxed it near enough a 1000 times, even went as far as painting the chassis and changing all the oils only to lose it a few months later!!!
He replaced it with a MK3 Mondeo GHia which to be fair was quite nice, but it wasnt a Range Rover and he hated it!!!
But happy wife eh?
At that time the idea of having a Range Rover swiftly left me and so did all the mags and P38 Pics, the sight of them made me sick, due to the fact I'd never have the opportunity to have one again, so all the pics went and so did the mags instead I imagined having something else when I could drive, maybe a sporty 205 or a classic Mini?
However when mulling the classifieds in 2017 I spotted a 2001 V8 P38 and the love of P38s came back like a tsunami
I emailed and called the seller, and he responded with a price and a location..
Needless to say I was there the same day... .
The sight that greeted me was both the best and worst thing I had seen, the "best" was the fact I was and had the ability to buy my dream car, the "bad" bit came from the fact every panel had a dent in it and the paint was flat, the carpet was soaked, one tyre was bald and the MOT was measured in days not months!!!
However the engine seemed sweet and after a short test drive I was in love..
I did all the wrong things, and handed him cash!
After collecting a mountain of service history I drove off, around 6mi into my 70mi journey home the rear left brake caliper jettisoned one off its brake pads, and the LPG system failed, and with only around 5mi left in the tank I had to pray it would make it 10mi to a petrol station!
£70 later I had 1/2 a tank
and managed to get home. the V8 roar down the country roads was what made i worth the heart ache that will ensure when this thread progresses!
Que picture of my arrival home!!
My Dad was ecstatic with the old girl, my Mother would of ripped my head off but unfortunately/fotunately depending on how you look at it she ran off with another man to the other side of the world, so that didn't happen, thank god!!
Anyway that is enough of an intro!!
As for myself
I'm now a 20yr old qualified mechanic, who ditched that in favour of driving a 2019 Transit and delivering parcels to people
At the time of the Intro I was 17 and doing a college course in engineering, with a part time job to fuel and insure my P38.
I had to go without many luxuries like expensive holidays and fancy wibblepoo that others my age are into, but it was worth it!!!
H
More to come!
Back in 2017 I had passed my driving test and I was spending hours looking online for the "normal" first car maybe a Fiesta or a saxo?
However if i'm going to spend almost 1/2 my salary every month insuring something, it ought to be something special..
I've always like big barges, never been the type to enjoy small uncomfortable hatchbacks.
when I was 17 I managed to inherited my Nans old Mini which to be fair to the thing, it was a great car, rather comfy and being an R50 the handling was superb.
However the engine was on it's last legs due to only having been serviced 3 times in 100k and the timing chainwas singing its last song by the time I got it!
Still scrubbed up nicely
Sadly the engine decided to kick me in the
in the form of a timing chain failure, the Midlands box was also playing up, so it was parked.. However I did fit a new engine and recon box, and gave it to my sister...
In July 2017 I started looking for a 2nd car, once that could waft along at sensible speeds comfortably, and maybe do some light off roading..
This is when my long since snuffed obsession with old Range Rovers was awoken, back when i was but a nipper my Dad had a selection of old Land rovers, mainly Series IIa's but he did have a 1989 Alaskan Blue Turbo D Classic and a 1974 3.5 2 door..
Pic here,,
When I was around 9 he had thinned his LR fleet down much to my dismay to 0 and at that time was running around in a 1998 Volvo V70 2.0 a very comfy albeit slow and thirsty estate..
One day however he left in the morning with the volvo and returned later with a 1999 P38 2.5 DSE he was grinning from ear to ear it was a surprise I'll never forget even at that time I loved my Rangies, and the P38 then was my ultimate 4x4 I had accumulated hundreds of LR owners international Mags and had perved on the P38s to such a degree that I used to cut the pages out that the P38s were on and glue them to my wall!!
It was Blenheim silver with Black leather, and it had the M51 Lump under the bonnet, I must of spent hours playing inside as when my Dad came out the next morning the battery was flat lol
However it wasn't all rosy, my Mother hated it and always made a point of making my Dads life a living hell, so after 3 or 4 months of nagging he had to get rid of it, she argued it was too "flashy" and "thirsty"
It was a sad sight seeing it leave with its new owner!!!
In that time me and Dad had polished and waxed it near enough a 1000 times, even went as far as painting the chassis and changing all the oils only to lose it a few months later!!!
He replaced it with a MK3 Mondeo GHia which to be fair was quite nice, but it wasnt a Range Rover and he hated it!!!
But happy wife eh?
At that time the idea of having a Range Rover swiftly left me and so did all the mags and P38 Pics, the sight of them made me sick, due to the fact I'd never have the opportunity to have one again, so all the pics went and so did the mags instead I imagined having something else when I could drive, maybe a sporty 205 or a classic Mini?
However when mulling the classifieds in 2017 I spotted a 2001 V8 P38 and the love of P38s came back like a tsunami
I emailed and called the seller, and he responded with a price and a location..
Needless to say I was there the same day... .
The sight that greeted me was both the best and worst thing I had seen, the "best" was the fact I was and had the ability to buy my dream car, the "bad" bit came from the fact every panel had a dent in it and the paint was flat, the carpet was soaked, one tyre was bald and the MOT was measured in days not months!!!
However the engine seemed sweet and after a short test drive I was in love..
I did all the wrong things, and handed him cash!
After collecting a mountain of service history I drove off, around 6mi into my 70mi journey home the rear left brake caliper jettisoned one off its brake pads, and the LPG system failed, and with only around 5mi left in the tank I had to pray it would make it 10mi to a petrol station!
£70 later I had 1/2 a tank
and managed to get home. the V8 roar down the country roads was what made i worth the heart ache that will ensure when this thread progresses!Que picture of my arrival home!!
My Dad was ecstatic with the old girl, my Mother would of ripped my head off but unfortunately/fotunately depending on how you look at it she ran off with another man to the other side of the world, so that didn't happen, thank god!!
Anyway that is enough of an intro!!
As for myself
I'm now a 20yr old qualified mechanic, who ditched that in favour of driving a 2019 Transit and delivering parcels to people
At the time of the Intro I was 17 and doing a college course in engineering, with a part time job to fuel and insure my P38.
I had to go without many luxuries like expensive holidays and fancy wibblepoo that others my age are into, but it was worth it!!!
H
More to come!
