Discussion
I'm retiring from the NHS in about 8 months time. I'm looking for a useable classic as a first foray into having a car that's not just a means of getting from A to B.
My budget will be up to about £15,000 and I'd rather have something that can be driven straight away without needing a complete rebuild! I like the look of the Rover P5B (both saloon and coupe), I recall these from my childhood as being a rather civilised way of getting out and about.
It will be a summer weekend car so the 20mpg won't be too much of an issue. Does anyone have any experiences of the P5B? Or is there anything else I should have a good look at?
SD.
My budget will be up to about £15,000 and I'd rather have something that can be driven straight away without needing a complete rebuild! I like the look of the Rover P5B (both saloon and coupe), I recall these from my childhood as being a rather civilised way of getting out and about.
It will be a summer weekend car so the 20mpg won't be too much of an issue. Does anyone have any experiences of the P5B? Or is there anything else I should have a good look at?
SD.
Although pretty much the same up to the waist line, the 3.5 litre saloons and coupes have a different feel to each other inside, the saloon feels more statesmen like and upright with its higher roofline, whereas the Coupe (originally supposed to be marketed as the 'Sportsman') is a bit more rakish and dashing. The coupe has additional small gauges tucked under the main instrument binnacle. The wood around the inside of the doors is different making the saloon feel much more lie a bank manager's or government minister's car, while the Coupe fits more into the classic cops 'n' robbers mode. The saloons look better in the darker colours whereas the coupes can get away with it as most have contrasting roof colours to balance them out, not all though - my second coupe was monotone zircon blue from new. The colour chart for these cars was fairly limited and people have their favourites, this can affect the asking price or perceived values of cars that change hands.
Mechanically they are identical and a good one will waft along very nicely (aside from the odd clonk from the auto'box), with the horizon coming up quicker than you might expect for a car which weighs so much. These days parts back up is much better than it used to be but some parts cannot be refurbished, for example the mazak castings for the scuttle intake grille and the rear numberplate light housing. Club support is excellent though and many owners have more than one car. Interior retrims can be expensive but you should be able to find a very nice rust free example with your budget.
It's quite easy to spot a restored or resprayed P5B as the factory applied hand painted coachlines are sometimes (often!) not redone correctly or are left off altogether. James Taylor's book is well worth a read, my copy is well thumbed and much treasured....
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rover-P5-P5B-Crowood-Auto...
Don't discount a decent 3 litre P5 either, the Coupes are rarer than the V8 version as they were only made for about three years.
This long term ownership V8 Coupe looks very nice but needs a proper shuftie to make sure.... I'd be tempted myself if I wasn't trying to wean myself off them....
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1271700
Edit : the first one you go and look at will entrance you even if it is looking tired and worn, the smell its you as soon as you open those big, heavy clunky doors....
Mechanically they are identical and a good one will waft along very nicely (aside from the odd clonk from the auto'box), with the horizon coming up quicker than you might expect for a car which weighs so much. These days parts back up is much better than it used to be but some parts cannot be refurbished, for example the mazak castings for the scuttle intake grille and the rear numberplate light housing. Club support is excellent though and many owners have more than one car. Interior retrims can be expensive but you should be able to find a very nice rust free example with your budget.
It's quite easy to spot a restored or resprayed P5B as the factory applied hand painted coachlines are sometimes (often!) not redone correctly or are left off altogether. James Taylor's book is well worth a read, my copy is well thumbed and much treasured....
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rover-P5-P5B-Crowood-Auto...
Don't discount a decent 3 litre P5 either, the Coupes are rarer than the V8 version as they were only made for about three years.
This long term ownership V8 Coupe looks very nice but needs a proper shuftie to make sure.... I'd be tempted myself if I wasn't trying to wean myself off them....
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1271700
Edit : the first one you go and look at will entrance you even if it is looking tired and worn, the smell its you as soon as you open those big, heavy clunky doors....
Edited by P5BNij on Friday 9th October 19:24
Does it have to be the B? There have been quite a few decent P5s advertised: some will say better built than the later-production P5Bs (say from 1970/71), although parts for the 6-cylinder engine can be difficult to source and the older DG auto-box (up to
'65) not as easy to fix.
Not as quick as the V8, but arguably a bit smoother.
'65) not as easy to fix.
Not as quick as the V8, but arguably a bit smoother.
TarquinMX5 said:
Does it have to be the B? There have been quite a few decent P5s advertised: some will say better built than the later-production P5Bs (say from 1970/71), although parts for the 6-cylinder engine can be difficult to source and the older DG auto-box (up to
'65) not as easy to fix.
Not as quick as the V8, but arguably a bit smoother.
I'm not any kind of spanner wielder so the easier to fix the better!'65) not as easy to fix.
Not as quick as the V8, but arguably a bit smoother.
I was thinking of the B as I remember them from my childhood.
SD.
Then go for the B, just watch for rust on the D-posts and sills, also bottom of front wings. Screens can leak. The chromed Ro-styles aren't easy to restore now, so don't fall for the 'just need polishing' sales talk. Saloons tend to be cheaper and from inside there's not much difference. Look for a good condition interior because repairs to the leather, wood and carpets can add up to a surprisingly hefty bill.
There have been plenty of buyers' guides in various classic car mags over the years (probably nearly 40 years now), so you might find an old copy somewhere; they all tend to repeat the same things.
There have been plenty of buyers' guides in various classic car mags over the years (probably nearly 40 years now), so you might find an old copy somewhere; they all tend to repeat the same things.
Have a look at what owners clubs there are and join whichever you prefer, then let them know you're looking for a car and see what turns up. While it's no guarantee, I suspect for cars like these you're more likely to get a really nice one for a reasonable price going this route than by buying one through a dealer that ultimately's just a serial car flipper that's maximising their markup. A good-sized box full of history is also very nice to have.
Another P5 fan here.
There's something about the old Rovers. They're just so well built and have a feeling of quality that most cars of the period can't match.
The P5B is probably the best option. Having said that, my personal preference would be for a p5 coupe with the six cylinder engine, and they do come a bit cheaper. Would have to be a manual though.
Really good P5b coupes would usually be over your budget, but you should still find a decent one for £15k.
The facebook p5 forum is a good place to start and you'll get as much advice as you need on there, plus someone may know of a car for sale.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/829593293787052/?r...
There's something about the old Rovers. They're just so well built and have a feeling of quality that most cars of the period can't match.
The P5B is probably the best option. Having said that, my personal preference would be for a p5 coupe with the six cylinder engine, and they do come a bit cheaper. Would have to be a manual though.
Really good P5b coupes would usually be over your budget, but you should still find a decent one for £15k.
The facebook p5 forum is a good place to start and you'll get as much advice as you need on there, plus someone may know of a car for sale.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/829593293787052/?r...
I think the P5B is an epic choice and useable examples still seem to be surprisingly affordable.
However if it were me, I would also be taking a look at C107's if a true coupe was an option.
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1270141
However if it were me, I would also be taking a look at C107's if a true coupe was an option.
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1270141
The 3 litre P5 Coupes are certainly very nice but finding a good one for sale won't be easy, there seem to be more P5B Coupes around. I was sucked in very quickly by the first one I bought, it was the interior which seduced me but it already had rot appearing in the usual places - the bottoms of the doors, at the corners of the scuttle panel and along the tops of the rear wings. It didn't get any worse really during the two years I owned it but had I kept it I'd have had it sorted eventually. My second one was much, much better, I bought it from the guy who restored it but he'd refitted the trim in a hurry so I took it all off, cleaned it up properly and then put it all back in place. There's a lot of it too, a lot more than many other 'posh' cars of the period, a mix of mazak, stainless steel and chrome. I sold it to scratch the Jag itch and tried to buy it back when it came up for sale later on but wasn't quick enough, I do miss it....
In period they were seen as big cars but will fit inside a standard sized garage, the internal length of mine is 17ft....
Buy the best you you can afford, cherish it and use it regularly
In period they were seen as big cars but will fit inside a standard sized garage, the internal length of mine is 17ft....
Buy the best you you can afford, cherish it and use it regularly
Have nothing but terrible memories of my 1969 P5B Coupe I had in the early '90s.
It would starve itself of petrol, overheat, not start due to all sorts of different reasons and ate Borg Warner 35 gearboxes like they were going out of fashion. Truly awful car.
It really did feel cursed.
Looked lovely, mind. Would always get "Lovely car!" in petrol stations and my reply was always "Wanna buy it?".
Despite that, I still think they look lovely. I just hated my one.
A look on the DVLA site shows it never drove again after I got rid of it. Cursed.
That Merc 450SLC looks nice for the money.
It would starve itself of petrol, overheat, not start due to all sorts of different reasons and ate Borg Warner 35 gearboxes like they were going out of fashion. Truly awful car.
It really did feel cursed.
Looked lovely, mind. Would always get "Lovely car!" in petrol stations and my reply was always "Wanna buy it?".
Despite that, I still think they look lovely. I just hated my one.
A look on the DVLA site shows it never drove again after I got rid of it. Cursed.
That Merc 450SLC looks nice for the money.
shed driver said:
Riley Blue said:
As it's to be a summer weekend car, why not a convertible?
Not really thought about a convertible, but why not? 4 seats, comfy barge. Prefer British and about 1960's, but that's not essential. Any ideas?
Stay with the P5B.
Unless you want to venture into the 70's where you have the Triumph Stag option?
And given your original choice of P5B overlaps well into Stag production, an early Stag won't too far away from your options.
Over the years I have owned 4 p5b's and mostly they do suffer a lot from rust and bodged repairs. Good ones are around but unfortunately not at your budget level any longer This car is particularly clean and should be the type thing you are aiming for if possible.
https://youtu.be/lqPMuJ8tQkg
I agree with above that a Rolls or Bentley would present better value and much better quality.
https://youtu.be/lqPMuJ8tQkg
I agree with above that a Rolls or Bentley would present better value and much better quality.
Edited by paul.table on Monday 12th October 00:58
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