Impromptu BL line up
Discussion
Breadvan72 said:
Approx one year (76-77). The last P6s had SD1 seats.
The very last P6 off the line was an Avocado Green 3500S with standard leather in March '77, but I think you might be referring to the 'VIP' car BV.... metallic paint (silver and / or champagne I think) Huntsman brown vinly roof, velour seats, with a few shiny bits here and there. There are still a few knocking about and they're quite sought after, I think only 77 were made though.'VVC' belongs to the chap from the owner's club who sorted the dodgy electrics in my last P6 just before I sold it, he came round to do the work (alas not in 'VVC' but in another P6) and mentioned he had a pair of P6 estates waiting to be restored. At the time he'd just been made redundant and thought he'd have to sell it but luckily he managed to keep hold of it. IIRC he bought it from Gaydon when they were having a clear out...
Edited by P5BNij on Tuesday 1st March 19:47
Breadvan72 said:
That's the chappy. Velour seats as per the series one SD1.
Regarding the overlap, as I understand it (I may be wrong though!) the SD1 was supposed to be a direct replacement for the P6 (as was the aborted P8) but the factory at Solihull needed upgrading to allow this to happen, in the event the P5B production line was halted in June '73 and the tooling for the SD1 installed in its place instead, meaning P6 production would carry on for a while longer. I'm sure James Taylor mentions it in more (accurate) detail in one of his Rover books.All this talk of BL heapage has got me looking at Stags, TR7s, SD1s etc. IT HAS TO STOP!
Huntsman said:
P5BNij said:
he had a pair of P6 estates waiting to be restored.
I tried to convince him to part with one for me but no luck.I had a 2000TC at 19 years old and loved it. Followed it with a 3500 Auto with PAS, what a glorious machine that was.
I think the four pot P6s are underated in the grand scheme of things, when I bought my TC I was surprised at just how nippy and chuckable it was.
P5BNij said:
I really should stop posting these pics, it's like self torture.... I spent far too much on this heap but I miss it dearly...
(Profuse apologies are on offer for defiling the P6 with the wrong style of number plate)
Apology accepted 
(Profuse apologies are on offer for defiling the P6 with the wrong style of number plate)
- I can't see whether it is a metal one or one of the inline acrylic jobbies (which I like) - but which, as you say, shouldn't be on there!Breadvan72 said:
I have only tried a 2000 SC and found it lovely but rather underpowered.
My view is probably slightly skewed by the fact that mine came with power steering which made it seem a lot livelier. It was a conversion using factory parts fitted by the previous owner, a Wiltshire based chain smoking Vicar with a penchant for '70s barges by all accounts. This particular car taught me a lot about P6s, it was my daily hack for about eighteen months and spurred me on to buy two 3500 Autos on the trot. The tow bar came in handy when I was rear ended by a Vauxhall Carlton at a T-junction in the Cotswolds, there was no damage at all to the Solihull wafter but the Luton jobbie received a good battering and a large hole in its front apron... WCW 375M I wish I hadn't let you go...
uk66fastback said:
P5BNij said:
I really should stop posting these pics, it's like self torture.... I spent far too much on this heap but I miss it dearly...
(Profuse apologies are on offer for defiling the P6 with the wrong style of number plate)
Apology accepted (Profuse apologies are on offer for defiling the P6 with the wrong style of number plate)
- I can't see whether it is a metal one or one of the inline acrylic jobbies (which I like) - but which, as you say, shouldn't be on there!They're a bit 'old man's motor' to some but I'd yearned for one since childhood when my Dad used to get picked up for work in a Mexico Brown 3500S every day for work, with it's 'Captain Scarlet' wheel trims and boot mounted spare I thought it was the dog's danglies. No accounting for taste I suppose! Funny thing is, I can actually picture a P6 nestling easily amongst your current line up.
Breadvan72 said:
The SD1 is much more Captain Scarlet (best show on TV, BTW).
Yes, especially so regarding the instrument pod.As a nipper who watched agog when Captain Scarlet was repeated on ATV c.1970/71, I always felt it was quite dark and spooky in places, a world away from Thunderbirds and Fireball XL5. Same applies to UFO too. I'd say Gerry Anderson and his team of model makers had a big influence on the cars I've yearned for over the years.
Captain Scarlet was quite dark. It was always more about Captain Black than anyone else, In the CGi remake, they made Black even more prominent, and added a twist by having he and Scarlet as rivals for the affections of Destiny Angel.
UFO was even darker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMTRk4C1mhU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV8YbLvGrb0
UFO was even darker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMTRk4C1mhU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV8YbLvGrb0
Breadvan72 said:
Captain Scarlet was quite dark. It was always more about Captain Black than anyone else, In the CGi remake, they made Black even more prominent, and added a twist by having he and Scarlet as rivals for the affections of Destiny Angel.
UFO was even darker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMTRk4C1mhU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV8YbLvGrb0
I watched one episode of the remake a few years ago and thought it was ok, better in fact than the more recent Thunderbirds effort. In various corners of the internet there's been talk of a UFO feature film for several years but so far nothing has been set in stone. I must crack on and watch the last four episodes on the box set! I think it's fair to say I'm probably not the only PH'er who's childhood was enhanced by having most / all of the Gerry Anderson vehicles, all of which are now sadly long gone, handed down or still buried in our old back garden by younger siblings. Is it ok to say 'I hate my kid brother' out loud..? The remarkable thing about Captain Scarlet is just how good it was when you consider the very tight budget and the fact that it was made in a big shed in Slough. SIG, BV.UFO was even darker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMTRk4C1mhU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV8YbLvGrb0
Contains BL content, honest...
Two of these were built for UFO using British built Mini Mokes, an extra rear subframe was grafted on and the glassfibre bodies were then dropped on top...
I've sort of convinced myself that the wheels on Ed Straker's car were dressed up with modified Rover P6 3500S trims, but the series was filmed in '69 / '70 and the 3500S didn't appear until late '71... curious...
One thing is certain, I shan't get much kip tonight for thinking about Gabrielle Drake and Anouska Hempel...
Two of these were built for UFO using British built Mini Mokes, an extra rear subframe was grafted on and the glassfibre bodies were then dropped on top...
I've sort of convinced myself that the wheels on Ed Straker's car were dressed up with modified Rover P6 3500S trims, but the series was filmed in '69 / '70 and the 3500S didn't appear until late '71... curious...
One thing is certain, I shan't get much kip tonight for thinking about Gabrielle Drake and Anouska Hempel...
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