Thanks for the response Alimorg.
I want to convert my 4-pot 2200 to 5 speed so maybe the ford box would fare better than on a V8. Is there a conversion for this too? I'll have to do a little chasing up myself. I do want to retain the original engine as it is a lusty, rorty lump & I'll have no truck with cheap, modern abominations such as plastic cam-belts. I could accept a gearbox substitution but to put an '80's engine in would be, in my opinion, to lose the entire character of the car. A P6 should not be a P6 in appearence alone & that goes for any classic car as far as I am concerned, unless the engine is a direct descendant of the original, such as the 18V in my A60.
Talking of V8's, our new one was suffering from completely disintegrated (auto) gearbox mounts which gave rise to a rythmic thrumming which I at first put down to a seized universal joint as I suffered the same on my P5B a few years back & this proved to be the cause. On the P6 this turned to horrible vibration above 40 mph & a rough feeling when you started the engine. An auto specialist suggested I check the mounts & lo & behold they were both a soggy, disintegrating mess. If you have access to to the bottom of your car give them a check if you don't already know the condition of them. Weekley's sent me a pair overnight & I fitted them today though they are a little smaller & less robust in appearence than the originals which are actually bonded to the metal frame (you have to drill holes in it & bolt the new mounts on, similar to the rear spring mounts on the P5's). He said he only has them for the BW65 ('74 on) so if you have a 35 you'll apparently have to try someone else.
I have access to a wonderful pit at the moment which is just the right height for me & is the only place that I don't have a niggling doubt that the car is about to fall on me. I don't even trust 4-post lifts. I've replaced 8 UJ's in the past fortnight across my 3 P6's including both the prop' items on the V8 & sundry other tasks too. Bliss!