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fitting the entire p38 suspension, diffs, prop, shocks etc, directly onto the older 2-door RR classic.


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Me again,

Can this work?

Are there differences in wheelbase, and will the prop shaft and both diffs from the P38 (BMW M51 engine and gearbox fit into the RRC 2-door shell?

Finally, can this entire suspension sit with a 4.0 v8 mated to its original gearbox, for fitting into the 2-dr classic RR? (1978 chassis)?

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P38 is fundamentally 'handed' differently in terms of the drive train, so it wouldn't be feasable ..... at least not as anything less than a major re-engineering project.

Better to look at D2 components, same wheelbase, axles similar to P38, you need either to mod the axles to accept the D1 arms or mod the chassis to accept the D2 mounts but those components are available and it has been done. If V8 is your thing just look for a V8 D2.

 

 

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As above, the P38 parts will be very hard to fit to a RRC chassis. The axles are wider and the arms are spaced further apart as well. Springs (airbags) and dampers are mounted differently as well. And the rear axle uses a panhard rod instead of an A-frame. Anything is possible, but it would definitely be the hard way to do things.

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19 hours ago, Blanco said:

P38 is fundamentally 'handed' differently in terms of the drive train, so it wouldn't be feasable ..... at least not as anything less than a major re-engineering project.

Better to look at D2 components, same wheelbase, axles similar to P38, you need either to mod the axles to accept the D1 arms or mod the chassis to accept the D2 mounts but those components are available and it has been done. If V8 is your thing just look for a V8 D2.

 

 

Ok. Looks like I have some re-thinking to do. Thank you. This is awesome feedback.

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On 10/15/2022 at 4:37 PM, Blanco said:

P38 is fundamentally 'handed' differently in terms of the drive train, so it wouldn't be feasable ..... at least not as anything less than a major re-engineering project.

Better to look at D2 components, same wheelbase, axles similar to P38, you need either to mod the axles to accept the D1 arms or mod the chassis to accept the D2 mounts but those components are available and it has been done. If V8 is your thing just look for a V8 D2.

 

 

Worth bearing in mind that the D2 axles are considerably wider too. 

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4 minutes ago, Bowie69 said:

Perhaps with a much longer door it would work? More like the US 'coupe' versions of 4-door 70s cars....

Could actually make it easy to get into the back of a 2-door rangie...

Unless you're in a tight space! Really notice the length of my Mini doors in carparks. Then when I've had a 5dr as a courtesy car the door opens so much further in a given space.

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Being the owner of a 91 audi Coupe the need to reach in and put the keys in the ignition so I can lower the drivers window so I can get in is not an uncommon occurrence.....

With a clever hinge it is all doable.

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5 minutes ago, Bowie69 said:

Being the owner of a 91 audi Coupe the need to reach in and put the keys in the ignition so I can lower the drivers window so I can get in is not an uncommon occurrence.....

With a clever hinge it is all doable.

Thankfully I can open the windows from the fob! or I'd be doing that too. 

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4 hours ago, landroversforever said:

Worth bearing in mind that the D2 axles are considerably wider too. 

Offset to some extent by the much greater offset of D2 wheels, the overall difference is somewhere around 40mm ISTR? I haven't done it yet myself but the axles are outside waiting. 

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16 hours ago, elbekko said:

Ludicrously huge door club unite! :D My E Coupé requires parking next to a column in underground parking garages, really. Only way to get in and out.

It doesn't help that most 2-door cars are rather low. The Esprit doesn't have big doors at all, but because you need to slide down into the seat, preferably without bumping your head, you need to open the door almost fully to have enough room to even attempt getting in with a minimum of dignity. Whereas in the Range you can just climb in. So even though the P38 has slightly bigger doors, it needs less space to the side. I once did have someone park so close to the Range Rover that the door didn't open far enough to even clear the door card! So I got in from the passenger side and from there started the engine and backed out with the handbrake and autobox in R. One of the few times I was happy to have an automatic. 🙂 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/18/2022 at 2:25 AM, Blanco said:

Offset to some extent by the much greater offset of D2 wheels, the overall difference is somewhere around 40mm ISTR? I haven't done it yet myself but the axles are outside waiting. 

The D2 is approximately 100mm wider in the front. Based on the standard +33 rims on Def’r,D1 and RRC, and your comment of only 40mm wider at the axle, this would put the D2 rims at 0 offset?

 

Id definitely keep the D2 front arms if swapping them in. They offer some advantages over the older arms. 

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The D2/P38 rims are in fact ET56, which would make the axles for the P38 1652mm flange tot flange at the front and 1642mm at the rear. For the D2 the front is also 1652mm but the surprisingly the rear is 1662mm (according to the dimensions in Rave).

For reference, RRC/D1/Def is 1552mm flange to flange front and rear (again from Rave and assuming the dimensions given are for the later alloy wheels and not the steelies that have 21mm offset instead of 33mm).

Which is why you can fit adaptors to an RRC/Def to fit P38/D2 rims, but the other way around is a bad idea as the combined effect of the spacers and different offset would put the wheels way too much outwards.

Filip

 

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