Rover P6 - Yay or Nay?

[Tyre Tread]

I'd love a P6B but as nta16 will tell you I already have 2 X V8's that I don't drive enough.

Just put the P5B back on the road after an engine rebuild and will hopefully be at the P6 National on Sunday so pop over and say hello OP.

Another gratuitous photo opportunity:

[tog]

TheProfessor said:

There are lots of pretty tarted up cars out there that are rotting away from within.

And some like mine which despite rust in every panel are solid underneath (I think!)

Great cars OP, in four or eight cylinder guise.

[9mm]

I owned a couple of V8s, one auto and one manual. They both rusted badly when I had them, which was the mid eighties. Tread very carefully. Nice enough to drive mind, if a little tail happy when the roads were greasy.

[plastic orange]

I've owned 6 of them (2000TC, 2000sc and 4 V8's) over a period of time, including my favourite - a white series 1 V8 which served as the family transport for 13 years. They drive like a modern, but as with most older cars do suffer from wind noise. Rust is the biggest problem, and I was a bit pissed off that my new wings despite proper preparation started rusting - main reason for moving the series 1 along. Diffs aren't very strong, so tuners beware. I think they are massively underrated cars and would consider them to be Rovers finest hour.
Buy a good one and it won't see you wrong. V8 autos do 18mpg in city driving and 22 mpg on the open road.

Pete

[MadDad]

I owned a 2000TC in the early 90's and really loved it. Drove extremely well, was very comfortable, engine was strong but engine mounts, suspension mounts etc were very weak and a pita to work on. As has already been said rust was the biggest issue, usually in the most difficult places to get to and fix it!

Changing the rear brake pads was the most painful job on earth as the P6 has inboard discs, took bloody hours to change them and left my thumbs cut to bits!

[damoP6B]

Defo a big YAY, this was mine I restored over four years since 2010-14, now sadly sold in May this year.

The P6 3500 is such a versatile classic car to use and enjoy as a hobby, plenty of spares, easy to work on and always grabbing loads of attention. As you can see I modified mine, it started out as standard tired Almond V8, BW35 auto.
I completely re-sprayed in Monza Red, Poly bushed all round, lowered, LT77 5-spd manual gearbox conversion, huge difference.
SD1 block, 3.9 heads & cam, Mallory disty, electronic fuel pump, header tank,. The big thing were the Cragar 7x15" alloy wheels from the states, loved them & thought they were the DBs, such an improvement on the skinny steel 14" wheels, I am bit biased being a Hot Rod/muscle car fan, hence the look I wanted for this P6.
Although now sold, I will once day build another, almost the same but maybe in a light Metallic blue with black vinal roof this time!. anyway I'd say buy one, there a fast appreciating Classic car, up there with the P5B, I prefer the P6 but that's not to say the P5B's are also superb cars.

[V8 Fettler]

I have vague plans for a P6 with a BMW diesel engine for 40k droning miles per annum. Minimal depreciation and 50mpg? Probably best left as vague plans.

[55palfers]

damop6b


That's a beauty!

What colour is that please?

Thanks

[damoP6B]

Hi there, Colour is Rover Monza Red (ROV5113M), in cellulose, possibly the SD1 shade as I think the P6 is slightly darker.
I sold the car back in May this year on Ebay but was again back on there after about 8 weeks, not sure where it is now.
Cheers Damian.

[P5Nij]

Spend a bit of time getting the right car and go for it - yo uwon't regret it. I've had three P6s, a 2000TC and two V8 Autos, nothing else on the road feels like a good, sorted 3500, preferably with the factory fitted power steering option (kits / parts to do it yourself are available though). Also on my second P5B Coupe, built like tanks and they're suprisingly quick once you're on the move.

Alan - good to hear the Burnt Grey Beast is back on the road at last, hope that nasty vibration problem is gone. Sadly I can't make the P5 national as I'll be working, aside from that my car has developed a very annoying coolant leak since I MOT'd it in July (three new tryes but no adviseries!).

My first P6, a late '73 2000TC...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/21403537@N00/8373285...

And the two V8 Autos...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/21403537@N00/2037787...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/21403537@N00/5748058...

P5B Coupes...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/21403537@N00/4135595...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/21403537@N00/8695256...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/21403537@N00/8695169...

[drcarrera]

Love the P5 and P6! My choice would be a P5B Coupe or P6 V8S with manual 'box and full leather with "ET" headrests ...
Mate had a V8S in the late 80's. It was great to drive and had a lovely short throw gear lever (not sure if that was standard or not, though not all seem to have it). Great engine but very rust prone.

Prices still seem pretty low - which may or may not be a good thing as few will have had enough money thrown at them to maintain in top nick or will have been restored to a high standard.

[MoggieMinor]

The best British car ever made. Simple as that.

[MarkS3]

[quote=damoP6B]Defo a big YAY, this was mine I restored over four years since 2010-14, now sadly sold in May this year.

The P6 3500 is such a versatile classic car to use and enjoy as a hobby, plenty of spares, easy to work on and always grabbing loads of attention. As you can see I modified mine, it started out as standard tired Almond V8, BW35 auto.
I completely re-sprayed in Monza Red, Poly bushed all round, lowered, LT77 5-spd manual gearbox conversion, huge difference.
SD1 block, 3.9 heads & cam, Mallory disty, electronic fuel pump, header tank,. The big thing were the Cragar 7x15" alloy wheels from the states, loved them & thought they were the DBs, such an improvement on the skinny steel 14" wheels, I am bit biased being a Hot Rod/muscle car fan, hence the look I wanted for this P6.
Although now sold, I will once day build another, almost the same but maybe in a light Metallic blue with black vinal roof this time!. anyway I'd say buy one, there a fast appreciating Classic car, up there with the P5B, I prefer the P6 but that's not to say the P5B's are also superb cars.



I absolutely love your P6 damo it looks fantastic! How much did it sell for?

[rolando]

MoggieMinor said:

The best British car ever made. Simple as that.

Agree. I had 2 in succession in the 80s. Great cars to drive and very, very comfortable. The 2200TC was surprisingly quick. Both, unfortunately, succumbed to rust.

[damoP6B]

Hi Mark, thanks, I miss it dearly, it went for £5800, I had actually originally sold for it for £7k but it fell through, the poor chap who was going to buy it other half didn't appreciate him buying it! think we've all been there ;-) I'd have bought the car then told her upon pulling into the driveway!
Anyway as others have said they are one of the best British cars to evolve from the 20th century. I have had four of them now, to begin with I just didn't like them but know adore the car, suspension looks crazy but is superb in design & comfort, easy to maintain and now fast becoming a very collectable car of the 60-70's. I reckon since selling mine they have become even more popular...typical, certainly get lots more coverage in magazines & TV(CAR SOS)
Hopefully I can be in a position in a few years to buy & restore another V8 with some personal modifications but retaining its iconic classic British Muscle car status ! :-)

[tog]

MadDad said:

Changing the rear brake pads was the most painful job on earth as the P6 has inboard discs, took bloody hours to change them and left my thumbs cut to bits!

My local P6 specialist did rear discs and pads for me while I waited once, took him under an hour I think.

[nta16]

tog said:

MadDad said:

Changing the rear brake pads was the most painful job on earth as the P6 has inboard discs, took bloody hours to change them and left my thumbs cut to bits!

My local P6 specialist did rear discs and pads for me while I waited once, took him under an hour I think.

I'd put that down to two things, how bad the previous and present owners had allowed the rear brakes to get and knowledge and practice of how to replace the rear brakes

[tog]

nta16 said:

'd put that down to two things, how bad the previous and present owners had allowed the rear brakes to get and knowledge and practice of how to replace the rear brakes

I'd say more of the latter, although I think on that occasion I'd let the pads wear until they scored the discs (I was an ignorant student back then…).

[nta16]

ah well we all have to learn

well most of us, some seem to know everything from birth