1969 3500 Series 1 in April Yellow

FrazzleTC

Active Member
Well, this wasn't planned.

As you know, I've got a very yellow series 1 2000, and have something of a yellow Rover fixation. Anyway, I received a Facebook message a week ago, from a very nice fellow who I'd never met, telling me he had a Series 1 3500 in April Yellow which he needed rid of in a hurry. As such I agreed to view the car at the end of last week, with a view to purchase.

Unfortunately, the car wasn't as good as the seller had been told that it was; some welding required at the back end of the D post/sill on the passenger side, and hockey stick on the passenger side both requiring attention. Additionally, the auto box wasn't set-up properly, at all, as I don't think the kickdown cable is even fitted (had a new gearbox a few years ago). So, I've got to sort that out, as I'm driving it manually on the box at the moment. Speedometer doesn't work, so I'm going to investigate if an angle drive has failed, or if it is just the cable.

It leaked loads of oil when I collected, but it's getting better now that I've tightened down the rocker covers. It may need a rope seal, so I'm monitoring the situation carefully. It starts very well indeed, and is one of the smoothest Rover V8s I've encountered. It burbles beautifully, and it's fairly brisk when the need arises.

Bodily, it's a bit scruffy, but I prefer the term patina. It has real charm, and feels very genuine so I'm reluctant to do much to it, at the moment. Once I've got some funds together, it'll eventually be resprayed, but it's staying as is, for a while.

Mechanically, aside from the aforementioned gearbox niggles, it seems very healthy. No clunks through the drivetrain, rides very well, steering is very positive, and it's just a charming car.

The base unit is fundamentally very good! The boot floor is perfect, and the floors are generally very good. Has had a new sill fitted on one side, to a high standard.

The interior was a real mess when collected. It has a collapsed driver's seat, a very wet passenger carpet, and a steering wheel which was very badly cracked. Sports wheel now fitted which is much nicer. A better set of correct seats are being fitted this evening. It has its original static belts, and everything else is very nicely mellowed.

So, although this is far from a planned purchase, and it really couldn't have arrived a time when I needed a project less, I'm delighted to have the car, and intend to keep it a very long time!

Lost the grille badge on the drive home the other day, but have ordered another. Have also fitted a boot badge since the photos were taken, and given the car a wash. Painted the wheels black, as they were yellow when I collected the car, and I've ordered four new tyres which will hopefully be fitted tomorrow.

What of the 2000, I hear you cry?! Well, there are plans afoot for it to reappear in the next six months on the road.

Here are some photos to whet your appetites in the meantime! It's good to be back on the forum, and I'm hoping to return to being a regular contributor!




 

+1 from me too.

Get the kickdown cable fitted ASAP, as although you're shifting manually it will cause problems if you don't, and even if the rope rear main seal is missing altogether providing the breathing sstem is clear and working as it should they don't always leak. Worn main bearings and rings add to the likelihood that it will though.
 
Lovely, lovely, lovely! Great purchase Fraser. Best of luck with it, it's a colour that really grows and is fabulous with a black interior.
 
Strange stpry behind this one I think.

if you search back the forum I posted it as spotted for sale. I think it has went via Hamilton to Dunoon and either england before or in between in the recent past.

Worth saving though. Good luck.
 
Thanks for the positive comments, everyone! I'm truly delighted with it!

Always a good colour on series 1 - especially a 3500 !
Looks better already with those black rims.
Well done.

Mark.

Yes, the colour is a significant part of its appeal, combined with it being my favourite P6 variant!

+1 from me too.

Get the kickdown cable fitted ASAP, as although you're shifting manually it will cause problems if you don't, and even if the rope rear main seal is missing altogether providing the breathing sstem is clear and working as it should they don't always leak. Worn main bearings and rings add to the likelihood that it will though.

Good to hear from you again, Harvey! :) Yes, I'm hoping to investigate it all tomorrow evening, with a view to adjusting, or replacing the cable.

Having now tightened down the rocker covers, the oil leaks have reduced enormously, and new rocker gaskets are arriving in the morning, according to ebay.

Lovely, lovely, lovely! Great purchase Fraser. Best of luck with it, it's a colour that really grows and is fabulous with a black interior.

Thanks David! Interior photos enclosed in this post, with this evening's work!

Strange stpry behind this one I think.

if you search back the forum I posted it as spotted for sale. I think it has went via Hamilton to Dunoon and either england before or in between in the recent past.

Worth saving though. Good luck.

It's been about a bit of late, Colin. I originally was interested in the car when it was for sale in Barnard Castle, but, at the time, it was rather dear, for a car that was very much a project. It then ended up in Dunoon for a spell, then in Glasgow, at which point the chap that had it needed rid in a hurry, and I bought it. I'm hoping to do a V888 once the V5 comes back.


This evening I set to work on the interior, as it was letting the car down a bit. Thankfully, I'm a bit of a hoarder, so I had a spare set of Series 1 seats which I didn't fit to my 2000, as I had inertia reel belts. These new seats are far from perfect, but a significant improvement on what was there before, and sit well with the rest of the interior. Furthermore, I had one section of Series 2 carpet, which although it isn't the same colour, it's a big improvement over what was there previously. I conditioned the replacement seats with more Gliptone cream, and will give them another coat in the morning.

I also replaced the sidelight unit on the passenger side, as I lost the indicator, due to the assembly being rotten.

The reverse lights stuck on at one point today, so that's another point to investigate. I'm hoping to service the car before I head to Northern Ireland for the weekend.

Lots more to come soon! Photos, as ever! I'll try to do a proper photoshoot with the car before I go away for the weekend! :)




 
Very nice project mate and i am very happy to see you back on the forum too. I'm hoping to make big progress on mine at the weekend. Really looking forward to seeing this progress if it is anything like you're 2000 thread i know it will be a great read. If there is any advice i can give you with any thing let me know ( i'm not promising anything but we own the same car) :)
 
Very nice project mate and i am very happy to see you back on the forum too. I'm hoping to make big progress on mine at the weekend. Really looking forward to seeing this progress if it is anything like you're 2000 thread i know it will be a great read. If there is any advice i can give you with any thing let me know ( i'm not promising anything but we own the same car) :)
Thanks James! Seeing your progress on your 3500 has been amazing, and although I cannot guarantee the same levels of quality, I'm hoping to improve this car as I go along! Would be great to meet up for a drive out some weekend if you're free! :)

More to come on the 3500 once I can get photobucket working again!
 
Thanks everyone!

Been rather lax in updating this, as I started a new job in a new area in July, but I'm now home on holiday, so can update on progress in recent weeks.

Immediately after the last update, I bought four new tyres, and had them fitted, just in time, by all accounts, as the tread was separating from the sidewall on one, I discovered. I cannot stress enough the importance of changing tyres if they are aged on your car. I opted for Maxxis in 185/80/14; tyres which I ran happily on the Scimitar for a while, before fitting Dunlops in a 195/70/14. I may fit a set of those to the 3500 once these Maxxis things are worn out. So far, they are pretty grippy, a little noisy, but look quite period.

Shortly after the last update, as I pulled out of a junction I noticed a clattering, which sounded like something catching on the transmission tunnel. Anyway, I pulled in straight away, and noticed an engine mount had collapsed. As such I nursed the car home, duly ordered the parts, and then got them fitted (not a job I was able to tackle, I felt).

After this, the car felt a lot smoother, and I started using it pretty constantly. However, one evening while going to visit some friends, the car stuttered and came to a halt. Inevitably, it was dark, and raining. I did my best to diagnose the fault at the roadside, and concluded it was fuelling, most likely a suspect pump. As such, I fitted a reconditioned fuel pump, which got me on the road for all of forty miles, before it came to a halt again. This time I took the new pump apart, and found lots of bits of muck in it. As such, I have fitted an inline filter before the pump, cleaned out the pump, reassembled, and I've had no subsequent issues!

I've also fitted new rocker cover gaskets in a bid to stem the flow of oil, as well as giving the car a comprehensive service, which was much-needed!

Unfortunately, they haven't done much to reduce the leaks, so I'll be investigating further in coming days.

Finally, the missing grille badge was addressed a few weeks after the last update, which makes the car look a lot more presentable. I've also made an effort to clean the car thoroughly, and have polished it several times in an attempt to get it looking as smart as it can!

Overall, however, I'm really enjoying the car, having used it near daily while I've been at home. It's just a delight, and I'm extremely proud of it. It didn't garner a positive response at its first outing to a car show, with people saying they disliked the colour, and that it is very scruffy. Well, I'll get it right eventually, but in actually using it, I'm getting a lot of pleasure from ownership.

This weekend I'm off to the Hebden Bridge Vintage weekend show, on both days. I'm very much looking forward to the drive down!

Here are a number of photographs. Lots of jobs to do, but I'd like to make the most of using and enjoying it while I'm up home until the middle of August.










 
Give it some new Leather upholstery and new carpets and I am sure you will gain a few Centimeters of smile factor when you drive it.


Graeme
 
Well I like it. Mines fairly scruffy but sound and I love driving it. Although it's nice to look at cars occasionally it's not what they're for!
 
nothing christens a project like a ride on a lorry, makes your breakdown membership worthwile.

Wouldnt worry what people think of your car, they often dont own anything better and feel duty bound to point out flaws in your car which are obvious. one reason I dont do shows, they can really dent your confidence. maybe your car looks like a dog but nice to see you are making the effort to bring it out.

keep plodding away and it will be awesome to drive.
 
On my way home from business trips in Switzerland, sometimes I stopp at the Motorworld near Stuttgart, a nice historic location with shops offering overpriced classic cars, but it´s relaxing. Some weeks ago there was a local classic show.
I stood inside the building and watched the scene (outside it was nearly 40 degr). Nice cars, all in Pebble Beach condition, even the Fiat 500s. 2 cars came in and the owners immediately started cleaning their clean cars with soft and obviously expensive cloths. I thought, it must be a special microfibre quality from the States, maybe with signature from Donald. I watched this scene and in my head the Talking Heads started their song Once In A Lifetime....
By the way, the colour of your car is great, but take off these boaring hubcaps. Drive it with black steel rims or look for S-caps, if you do not like the naked way.
 
When Danny Hopkins moves on to pastures new, you'd be a shoe-in for the job in my book, Fraser.

Entertaining and humorous write-ups, a passion for wonderful cars in all their "I'm a survivor, finger-in-your-face" presence, and brochure-quality photographs to boot.

Oh...and you know the difference between "grille" and "grill" and select the correct usage accordingly. I'd put a few quid on the probability that you also know that the rivet-counter's word of choice is "concours", and not "concourse".

Lovely car being cared for in a lovely part of the world.

Congratulations! :)

Stan
 
Back
Top