If you could buy a new P6B in 2017-18

I think a lot of the improvements lie in engine management and safety with most of the improvements being "under the hood" but in the original car a lot of the basics are there. The cosmetics stand up pretty well given the design dates back to the early 60's and then early 70's with the facelift.

Many of these improvements have been done individually by keen owners take for example Richards wonderful implementation of EFI and ignition management that's pretty much where a new production car needs to sit engine wise, some others have never been satisfactorily done such as a modern ABS system though there was an after market kit that was pretty awful!

My purpose with this thread has been to gauge other peoples expectations and to see whats missing from my own vision of what is possible and desirable and who better to ask that other committed and adventurous owners some of whom like me have owned P6's for decades and have had time to reflect and dream of what could be.

Graeme
 
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The only thing I would add to my original 3500 1971 model was a 6 speed auto box, like the one I have in my 2006 Land Rover Disco 3.
Otherwise I am very happy with the car. I might want a lower fuel consumption if I were using it every day, but then again I would miss the awesome v8 engine sound!
 
Hmmm....
1). Base Unit made out of aluminium, like the Audi S8 D2, perhaps? No more rust worries!
2). Flush fitting glass to cut down on wind noise.
3). All the exterior panels in weight saving alloy, like the bonnet and boot lid, and especially front wings without that bloody moisture trap behind the stiffening plate (four and half years since my car was re-sprayed, and the wings I had sandblasted back to bare metal and then carefully and painstakingly covered in anti-stone chip on the inside are now bubbling up right there – super annoying)!
4). Roof panel in carbon fibre, like some of the new M BMWs. Painted though, not visible weave.
5). No roof mounted aerial! I really wish I'd had that hole filled with metal when I did my refurb. Not least because the attractive looking original Motorola radio has never actually worked since I've had my car!
6). Flush mounted rear number plate, in the same place, but 'Frenched' or recessed slightly into the boot lid, rather than stuck on a great big chromed plinth.
7). Front number plate on a chrome surround in front of the bumper, like the P5, not beneath it and obstructing the lower valance air intake.
8). Actually, not chrome, but stainless steel bumpers and over-riders (yeah, I know that they now exist, but they're too pricey for me at the moment).
9). I've always fancied a bonnet with the leading edge of the Series 2 cars, plus an aluminium trim like the Series 1 V8 cars, but without the two bulges on the top.
10). Instead, I'd like some tasteful louvres to get rid of under bonnet heat on summer days in traffic jams. Proper punched louvres, in two neat rows, right above the exhaust manifolds, with some sort of nice 'baffles' under the hood to prevent rainwater getting on the motor electrics.
 
Well, ultimately, would it be a P6? The biggest failing in 2017 is the interior packaging as you actually have about as much room as a Peugeot 206 in a fairly large car. It would need to be about 6" wider and a similar amount in the passenger compartment length to be a medium sized car today.

Realistically the P6 design was finished by 72/73. For me when Ford launched the Mk 1 Consul/Granada, it no longer made any sense, certainly in 4 cylinder form.

Next would be wind noise at speed. This would definitely need flush glass and a steeper rake on the windscreen.
 
Well, ultimately, would it be a P6?
I think it would be. If you look at the Toyota Corolla as an example, it has evolved over time from a small boxy car to today's example of an acceptably spacious, aesthetically acceptable generic modern box.
It's sad to think that something as iconic as the P6 could have "evolved" into visual mediocrity had it stayed in production.
 
Bit of a hard question, when is a P6B not a P6B. you still want it to instantly identifiable as a Rover P6 same as you can invariably tell a Jag but with the P6 you want it to be almost or completly the same cosmetically with all of the great mechnical characteristics and none of the bad, plus dragging it into the 21st century for convenience and saftey features and keeping the petrol guzzling to a sip!

Graeme
 
Fascinating thread. But of course, once you do any or all of the above things to a P6, what you end up with is a modern car and not the one we all love.
I've owned modern BMWs, Audis, Jags - all very well designed and efficient. But would I choose to drive any of them over my P6? No. Because ultimately they are all of a muchness - and lack the one thing all classic cars have. Soul.
 
A lot of what has been mentioned, but not all, I enjoy the traditional aspects.
So Manual steering retaining class leading turning circle but with additional electric assist for parking.
Eggnishning, but also retaining the excellent fresh air heating for toasted toes.
Modern glass (?) to reduce wind noise, but retaining pivoting quarter windows.
More robust rear axles.
A decent handbrake that can clamp the car.
 
Fascinating thread. But of course, once you do any or all of the above things to a P6, what you end up with is a modern car and not the one we all love.
I've owned modern BMWs, Audis, Jags - all very well designed and efficient. But would I choose to drive any of them over my P6? No. Because ultimately they are all of a muchness - and lack the one thing all classic cars have. Soul.

I agree, but you can't buy a new old P6, so how do you modernise without removing the Soul.
There are plenty of recent examples of re-imagined classics such as the VW Bettle and the Mini, none captured the essense though in the case of the mini they made something entirely different and perhaps to some better....albeit a euro box but then again thats what a Mini always was!
It could be a case of minimilism would save the day and keep the essense of the P6 alive and that to me is the answer, any changes should be hidden and the cosmetic differences no more than the mkI to the mkII changes of the 70's

Graeme
 
Mr Task, is this what you mean in your Item 9? Our Summer bonnet. Was not allowed to put flutes into the original Series 1 so got this series 2, 20 plus years ago. Purpose was to reduce heat transfer through firewall into cabin when parked on a warm day - result was a total failure. It does reduce running temps marginally and I feel more confident when the ambient temp is in the high 30s. Tend to keep it on year round unless attending a display where originality is required. Had to remove paint for the louvres to be cut in and ran it in bare aluminium for the first 5 or so years.Unknown.jpeg
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especially front wings without that bloody moisture trap behind the stiffening plate (four and half years since my car was re-sprayed, and the wings I had sandblasted back to bare metal and then carefully and painstakingly covered in anti-stone chip on the inside are now bubbling up right there – super annoying)!

I removed mine after having them dipped n stripped. There was still rust behind them even after the treatment, which was a bit worrying.
 
I would keep the body styling.
the very comfortable seats , with full leather option for pensioners on a budget,
fuel injection, super charging on the tourer option.
6 speed full standard auto, no DSG
digital gauges, with multi colour display for night .
no iPod or car-play connectivity...
self destruct mechanism if car phone used on roundabouts one handed.
meals on wheels emergency button if stranded in a flood,
Convertible option with fold out of sight roof in 12 sec for $ 50 extra in export models,
air con that works all the time, even in moments of hail rain or light showers.
Brembo brakes with red calipers , yellow if you are a bit wanting.....
4 wheel emergency jacks to elevate the body above the road in times of distress.
hot line to "top gear" Jeremy... for advice on doughnuts in the spring...
in fact this is the perfect car for mr average , age 70+ with aspirations ...

no name available
gone hunting ...
 
Hey MikeMelb, that's quite a funky bonnet treatment! I like the narrowed front trim, helping to blend the Series 2 bonnet with the Series 1 grilles. Reckon your louvre punching fellow got just a little bit too enthusiastic though, in between the two 'humps' or 'power bulges' or whatever they're called. What I'd like would be the same shape of bonnet, but no lumps on the top, and longer wider rows of louvres in their place, more like on an E-type Jag. I imagine swapping the bonnet for shows must be a pain in the backside. Sod the purists, it's your car, do your own thing! :cool:
Quattro, I think I'll also cut out the front wing strengtheners/stiffeners when I can afford to get my panels repaired and repainted again, but I doubt that'll be any time soon. In the meantime I'm enjoying watching the paint 'flowers' slowly bloom. Grrrr! :rolleyes::eek::oops:
 
I have to take the blame for the number and array of louvres. The idea of the reverse one in the middle was to duct air toward the aircleaner inlet.

Was told some time back that the bulges are actually a means of strengthening the bonnet, so putting louvres in a Series 1 might undermine the rigidity.
Before doing this had contemplated cutting a large slot into the bulges and putting a mesh in, but decided it would look funny as well as being in the wrong place.

The swap is easy enough to do solo (as long as there is a foam blanket on the ground next to the car) but two people can do it more quickly. The original bonnet still has its insulation so weighs significantly more than the summer version.

Don't have blanking plates. The 1954 Sunbeam Alpine we owned for 29 years had plates and the one over the manifolds was always left off, whereas the one over the electrics was kept on most of the time. The two rearmost small plates were always off as the design allowed warm airflow over the windscreen to defrost it.
 
Hmmm....
1). Base Unit made out of aluminium, like the Audi S8 D2, perhaps? No more rust worries!
2). Flush fitting glass to cut down on wind noise.
3). All the exterior panels in weight saving alloy, like the bonnet and boot lid, and especially front wings without that bloody moisture trap behind the stiffening plate (four and half years since my car was re-sprayed, and the wings I had sandblasted back to bare metal and then carefully and painstakingly covered in anti-stone chip on the inside are now bubbling up right there – super annoying)!
4). Roof panel in carbon fibre, like some of the new M BMW's. Painted though, not visible weave.
5). No roof mounted aerial! I really wish I'd had that hole filled with metal when I did my refurbish. Not least because the attractive looking original Motorola radio has never actually worked since I've had my car!
6). Flush mounted rear number plate, in the same place, but 'Frenched' or recessed slightly into the boot lid, rather than stuck on a great big chromed plinth.
7). Front number plate on a chrome surround in front of the bumper, like the P5, not beneath it and obstructing the lower valance air intake.
8). Actually, not chrome, but stainless steel bumpers and over-riders (yeah, I know that they now exist, but they're too pricey for me at the moment).
9). I've always fancied a bonnet with the leading edge of the Series 2 cars, plus an aluminum trim like the Series 1 V8 cars, but without the two bulges on the top.
10). Instead, I'd like some tasteful louvers to get rid of under bonnet heat on summer days in traffic jams. Proper punched louvers, in two neat rows, right above the exhaust manifolds, with some sort of nice 'baffles' under the hood to prevent rainwater getting on the motor electrics.

I agree totally with all your modifications and wishes, you have just described the latest Porsche Panamera......we all have our dreams and the Porsche is mine....:rolleyes:
 
Panamera!? Crikey, no. Bloody great ugly lumps. I'll grant you, the recently remodelled side profile is a big improvement over their first attempt, but I still think they're bloated, and generally awful.
 
I would like it just a fraction bigger.

A little wider and slightly longer wheel base to give the passengers some comfort.
 
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