Barn find ?

MJP6B said:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/rover-p6-3500-v8-auto-classic-barn-find-and-stored-/320970046862?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4abb4e3d8e#ht_646wt_1059

Looking at the pic of the inside of drivers sill - that looks far from having been dry in the past (maybe it is now!)

Buyer beware - the seller only has a feedback score of 3 .
Click to expand...

Looks like moisture in the switch panel too.
 
It does look to be quite original though, and it has an *XC plate...
I wonder what the second brake reservoir is for?
 
Reg No: VXC 974K The latter letter not clear but looks like a K. Any member able to throw any light on the
significance or otherwise, of the car ?
 
Well I thought the suffix letter was an R. It isn't a K as the boot "Rover" is on a plinth - at K it would have been individual letters. And it has a box pleat cloth interior. So most likely it is simply a management car scheme car. At R there were virtually no cars being kept back by the factory.

I've not a clue what the second brake reservoir could be for.

Chris
 
I think the reg is K. If you put it into the DVLA reg check as a K you get this:


Date of Liability 01 10 1993
Date of First Registration 18 10 1971
Year of Manufacture Not Available
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 3528cc
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type PETROL
Export Marker N
Vehicle Status Unlicensed
Vehicle Colour BROWN
Vehicle Type Approval Not Available

Seems to fit with the description. The boot could have been changed at some point. The back bumper's missing its overriders too so maybe it's had a bump at some point and received replacement parts? It's not that far away from me so I may go for a look if I get a spare afternoon. Price is getting towards the top of what I'd want to spend on a project though, and it hasn't met it's reserve yet.

Tom
 
Willy Eckerslyke said:
chrisyork said:
It isn't a K as the boot "Rover" is on a plinth - at K it would have been individual letters.
Click to expand...
Mine hasn't. I assume that K was the cross-over year so could have either.
Click to expand...

Nor mine built late 1971 First Reg February `72.

I think the crossover was later than K more like L or M, although I do remember when the individual letters first appeared on new cars some owners of older models wanted the "new look" and had us put the individual letters on LHS where single plate was or in addition central over the number plate plinth.
 
Willy Eckerslyke said:
chrisyork said:
It isn't a K as the boot "Rover" is on a plinth - at K it would have been individual letters.
Click to expand...
Mine hasn't. I assume that K was the cross-over year so could have either.
Click to expand...

I don't think so, I think that the individual letters were last seen on the "J" plates, they disappeared along with HS6's.
That car has had a 65 box fitted if it is on a "K" plate, as well as the crushable choke and reserve knobs.
 
It's not that early. It has the later thin back seats (leather), later headlight switch, alternator and a BW65 so it's a '74 or later.
 
MJP6B said:
Willy Eckerslyke said:
chrisyork said:
It isn't a K as the boot "Rover" is on a plinth - at K it would have been individual letters.
Click to expand...
Mine hasn't. I assume that K was the cross-over year so could have either.
Click to expand...

Nor mine built late 1971 First Reg February `72.

I think the crossover was later than K more like L or M, although I do remember when the individual letters first appeared on new cars some owners of older models wanted the "new look" and had us put the individual letters on LHS where single plate was or in addition central over the number plate plinth.
Click to expand...

Correction to above post - [due to brain fade something to do with age and the fact it was 40 years ago !}

The change of boot "Rover" motif was late 1970 early 1971 according to a colleague I worked with in the day, when the individual letters were dropped in favour of single "Rover" plinth on LHS.
There are certain aspects of this car that contradict it being a "K" reg but they could have been added later, I think its a genuine 1971 car as Tom found out.
 
Almost. Rover went to printed plate badges across the range for the 1972 model year (about September '71). It's possible that the car has been updated but there are just too many details for my money. If it was a '71 then it wouldn't have that trans, alternator, seats, seatbelts, switch panel, choke knobs, ign key, badges, vinyl roof, carbs and (I think) power steering and that wheel. The only thing on the car that appears to be pre '74 is the wood trim.
Of course the chassis number would be the giveaway and if it was a '71 then it would have the small plate on the lh inner wing for this too. And a different fuse box, front quartelight hinges. (can't see these in the pics though.)
Of course it could just have the wrong plates on it...
 
My "S" is a late `71 production Feb `72 first registration sale from Henlys Garage London, and every basic aspect that I can see clearly - and to be honest they are not the best pictures for detail - is the same as in my car, switch panel, ignition key, choke/reserve knobs, alternator, carbs. badging, it even has the same Radiomobile radio !

The secondary hydraulic fluid reservoir is intriguing though - factory development test ?
 
This one's very interesting. Sure it seems to have 'K' plates, but that's a BW65 gearbox (post-Oct. 1973), 'crushable' choke knobs (post Jan. 1973), box pleat seats (post Oct. 1973 except in Ambla for the 3500S) etc.

Not every 'XC' plated car is a 'factory' car of some kind, but a good deal were.

Only way to ID this car properly would be from chassis numbers and possible the base unit number.

Cheers
Nick
 
MJP6B said:
Willy Eckerslyke said:
chrisyork said:
It isn't a K as the boot "Rover" is on a plinth - at K it would have been individual letters.
Click to expand...
Mine hasn't. I assume that K was the cross-over year so could have either.
Click to expand...

Nor mine built late 1971 First Reg February `72.

I think the crossover was later than K more like L or M, although I do remember when the individual letters first appeared on new cars some owners of older models wanted the "new look" and had us put the individual letters on LHS where single plate was or in addition central over the number plate plinth.
Click to expand...

The 'plate' badging on the wings and boot come in for the 1972 model year - e.g. generally starting in September 1971. 2000's, from what I remember, change later than the V8's at that point.
 
NickDunning said:
This one's very interesting. Sure it seems to have 'K' plates, but that's a BW65 gearbox (post-Oct. 1973), 'crushable' choke knobs (post Jan. 1973), box pleat seats (post Oct. 1973 except in Ambla for the 3500S) etc.

Not every 'XC' plated car is a 'factory' car of some kind, but a good deal were.

Only way to ID this car properly would be from chassis numbers and possible the base unit number.

Cheers
Nick
Click to expand...

That's right! Anything could have happened to this car in the last 30 odd years. Not least the
application of an age appropriate number plate for tax reasons :wink:

Colin
 
A bit of a thread resurrection this one.

This car has cropped up again and I've got a few parts from it. There's not a great deal left now and the interior is stripped out. The engine and gearbox have been removed and for some strange reason the trans tunnel has been chopped out from the bulkhead to the extension tube under the back seat. It's been butchered really and the anti roll bar/accelerator pedal rod has been cut through too. The base unit is thoroughly rotten but panels all good. The Mexico brown paint is rubbing off all panels however the doors, boot lid and wings are almond underneath so It's certainly seen changes over the years which may have affected the badging too. I noticed a couple of interesting things:
The car has an additional bracket behind the washer bottle holder. I associate this with air con cars but the standard non air con engine steady rod bracket is in place behind this. The car has a standard heater and no other clues to air con being fitted. Could it be that this was one of the NADA spec cars that never made it to the USA after they pulled out of selling rovers in 70/71. I may have dreamt this but I'm sure I read somewhere that there was a small number if cars that this happened to and we're basically AC cars with with cloth seats and side impact beams. This would also explain the cloth interior mentioned earlier. I did check the doors but they didn't have side impact beams, may be due to being replacements. Maybe the AC unit was removed at some point?
There is an additional bracket in the off side inner wing. Maybe this mounted the earlier mentioned secondary brake reservoir.
The brake master cylinder was far bigger and not a standard p6 affair.
The brake pedal (with early style lined rubber) looked to have a different actuating mechanism. It didn't disappear into the pedal box like others I have seen. It seemed to be have a diagonal brace and a spring iirc.
The routing if the brake pipes around the brake light switch (which wasn't there) seemed unusual,
I'm due to return to get a few more parts and will get some pics of all this, plus the vin.
 
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