1971 Rover 3500 'Hildegarde'

Re: Lil 2.0

Exciting times! I know the anticipation, and I'm definitely hearing "Roger V8aker".
 
Re: Lil 2.0

Good work. I hope all the niggles in build it mean that it will be trouble free now it's finished so you can enjoy using it.
 
Re: Lil 2.0

Tor said:
Exciting times! I know the anticipation, and I'm definitely hearing "Roger V8aker".
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:LOL:

testrider said:
Good work. I hope all the niggles in build it mean that it will be trouble free now it's finished so you can enjoy using it.
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Thank you.


WP_20140620_004.jpg by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

I was down at the yard today to drop Ethel off so Tom can remove her alloys to go on the new car.

Ethel will be getting a factory refresh which will include Rostyle wheels. The remaining grip on her clutch was burned off today overtaking a Qashqai and a Corsa on the A523 and her season is over.


WP_20140620_006.jpg by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

I have heard the car start up - at the flick of the key of course. The note on the exhaust is downright orgasmic. It has been for a test drive and apparently the uprated shocks and springs make it handle like a modern car. I don't know if that is a good thing or not - I'll find out tomorrow.


WP_20140620_005.jpg by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
 
Re: Lil 2.0

testrider said:
Good work. I hope all the niggles in build it mean that it will be trouble free now it's finished so you can enjoy using it.
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She give him one last kick in the face today :D

This is an own goal because he chose to ignore my wishes and sicked the Vitesse alloys on me - I'd have been more than happy with steelies with standard hubcaps, or maybe some S-trims.


Late night update from Lake View.

The wizard has had a long day after casting spells of " D post modification fireball x2 " to allow wheel clearance.
This car is a real head turner. Now capable of slowing passing traffic on the A523.
See you late morning please.
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Er that'll be because they are aghast that a Series 2 3500 is painted in sage green, has Series 1 door handles and alloys from an SD1 Vitesse, Tom.

Either that or Ethel is stealing the show.
 
I collected the car this morning. Recalcitrant and downright spiteful to poor Tom right to the end, if this car is grateful for its treatment at Lake View, it showed no sign of it.


3528cc by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

Early thoughts and observations

Runs and drives very well - the uprated shocks and suspension looks to have been money well spent. Possibly a bit bumpy on uneven roads like the M60 motorway. If it can cope with the M62 around Irlam way, it'll be fine.

The Borg Warner 35 is serviceable but nothing special. It is a bit clunky but the kickdown works.
Having a ZF gearbox in another P6 highlights the shortcomings of the older technology. This gearbox won't be in the car for very long.

The oil pressure is showing as good but the oil light comes on at the traffic lights.

The rev counter is sticky. The speedometer is accurate. The brake warning light has already put in a special guest appearance.
 
Stunning results from all that hard work .
She looks great
Well done , Clap Clap Clap .
Time to enjoy
 
Looks fabulous, lots of miles will keep it running properly too.

The oil light coming on at idle isn't normal, pressure will typically be less than 10psi for that to occur. A change of oil perhaps :?

The brake warning light could be from a pad down to the wire, or the float in the reservoir is needs attention.

Ron.
 
SydneyRoverP6B said:
The oil light coming on at idle isn't normal, pressure will typically be less than 10psi for that to occur. A change of oil perhaps :?
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The handbook for the Series 2 says that the oil light coming on at idle is acceptable, providing there's a reading on the gauge, the problem being in this instance that the Series 1 doesn't have a gauge...
 
Thanks guys.

The brake warning light was actually warning me of a leak - thankfully I was keeping a close eye on things. Tom has remedied this now.

The oil light has sorted itself out - I am sure this must have been a lazy sender unit that has eased off after a bit of use. The oil pressure is good - this engine reminds me of Ethel's original engine before Tom and I dicked with it.

The most annoying thing about the car now is the driver seat keeps slipping back - reclining of its own accord. Can the screw be tightened up?

I've only done 150 miles so far - I am going to Scotland sort of now-ish after I have had a couple of hours kip.
 
Looks like all of the hard-work has really paid-off, as the car looks pretty spectacular now! Look forward to reading more of your running reports.
 
ethelred said:
The most annoying thing about the car now is the driver seat keeps slipping back - reclining of its own accord. Can the screw be tightened up?
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Hi, yes it can. Lift the adjuster lever, remove the triangular trim plate from the opposite side, there you will find a nut with three holes one of which will have a screw in. Put a ring spanner on it, remove the screw, turn the nut until the next hole is inline and replace the screw. Then push the lever down, if it's not tight enough do it again.

Colin
 
pat180269 said:
Lovely that chris. Teething problems are to be expected; you'll soon have it sorted.
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Thanks Pat. You are so right.


WP_20140621_019.jpg by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

There's one fluid that can't be allowed to leak. This has now been fixed.

colnerov said:
ethelred said:
The most annoying thing about the car now is the driver seat keeps slipping back - reclining of its own accord. Can the screw be tightened up?
Click to expand...

Hi, yes it can. Lift the adjuster lever, remove the triangular trim plate from the opposite side, there you will find a nut with three holes one of which will have a screw in. Put a ring spanner on it, remove the screw, turn the nut until the next hole is inline and replace the screw. Then push the lever down, if it's not tight enough do it again.

Colin
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Thanks for that - I will make sure that the Wizard of the Lake gets to read this. In the meantime, there's nothing like an old fashioned bodge - luckily I am staying in a motel tonight - a happy coincidence just for once - I won't want to be driving around with a cheap suitcase jammed behind the drivers seat all the time :)


Seat by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

I've driven to Abington, South Lanarkshire mostly avoiding the motorways - A6. The Preston bypass was busy so we went through Preston instead.

Forton Services because I take photos of all my Rovers there.

WP_20140622_012.jpg by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr


Lunch in Milnthorpe for the second time in a week. We took our leave of the A6 at Kendal - I thought seeing as the car has spent the last 3 years overlooking Rudyard Lake it would appreciate some more lakes so we followed the A591 past Windemere,Grasmere and some other lakes.

I was going to take a photo of the car by the AA phonebox on the A591 but the layby was full of biker freaks.

A66 to Penrith,skipped past that bottleneck using the Penrith bypass (what else?), leaving again at junction 41 to rejoin the A6, which showed no sign of resentment for being jilted at Kendal for the A591 because for the second time in a week, this stretch of A6 gave one of my Rovers the VIP treatment and there was no time to take photographs as we swept passed Plumpton and the Heskets as the A6 turned its rare rural NSL S4 into our very own magic carpet to Junction 42 and the Carlisle bypass.


M6 J41 by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

We paused at the Shell at J42 to buy some ATF - the power steering has some small leak.


We left the motorway for the final time at Gretna Green - if only a man could marry his motor car - heading up the B7076. Again, like its English counterpart, the ex-A74 is not for photo opportunities but for driving on but I did stop a couple of times.


B7076 by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

This car is a revelation - I am so glad the Wizard of the Lake twisted my arm back again after someone else twisted it to persuade me not to bother with the uprated adjustable shock absorbers. It's a cliché but the car holds the road like its on rails. To give an example, heading from the M602 to the M60 clockwise through Eccles - with Ethel/Lil (RIP)/any other P6, it's a cringeing ride. With Hildegarde, you feel like flashing the Audis - come on, buttwipe, what are you braking for? It hasn't spoilt the P6-ness of the car - this is not another dreaded cliché - a modern take on a P6. Nope, it really is a P6 which has been made out of the various bits and pieces that have accumalated out of my projects, whims and disasters over the last 7 years.

Lost - one set of SD1 alloys. If found, please contact Ethel.

WP_20140621_012.jpg by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

Hey Ethel - your wheels are in Scotland.


WP_20140622_041.jpg by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
 
looks great mate, glad you have got the old girl on the road. Hope you enjoyed the A591, took mine up there a few week ago, love that road to keswick.
 
Thanks guys :)

I forgot to mention that the fuel consumption is a decidely 3500-like 22mpg.


Lancs border, Cumbria (A6) by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

Being a stock 3500, this is reassuring.

Of my three V8s, this one has the poorest acceleration thanks to the inferior gearbox but I do not believe this engine has any problems in spite of that pesky oil light butting in every so often at the lights.


On the road by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

The blue S1 car goes like stink but it really does stink as well - it burns an embarrassing amount of oil - I've taken to adding a shot of acetone (0.1% to the petrol) to hide the smell and possibly keep the plugs clean. Ethel by comparison has historically preferred to leak oil, but we have stopped that nonsense now, haven't we Ethel?

The only slight leak this car has is the PAS fluid.


FW: Drip by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
 
The effort has really paid off - looking rather nice. Has the ride height been altered as it looks to be sitting (fashionably) lower than standard.

Mark
 
drabbers said:
The effort has really paid off - looking rather nice. Has the ride height been altered as it looks to be sitting (fashionably) lower than standard.

Mark
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Yes it has - Tom (wizard of the Lake) advises that it is 2" lower than your typical P6.

I don't know if it was these 2" or the fact that I was severely struggling with the seat (see above) but when attempted an identical overtaking manoeuvre that burned the remnants of Ethel's clutch 48 hours earlier, I couldn't see whether it was clear or not so didn't attempt to pass. This was on a stretch of road that I have known since the womb.
 
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