As a newbie, I am hoping that someone here might be able to throw some light on something for me.
My first car (in 1975) was a 1964 regd. 2000, which my father had before me and which he had originally bought from a neighbour, who had owned it from new.
This car was registered in June 1964 and had real wood fillets in the doors (and I can still remember sanding them back down and revarnishing them). They were definitely not the formica type.
I thought nothing of it until I read James Taylor's book on the P6 which stated that 'about the first 100 production cars had real wood'. Unfortunately I have no idea, now, what the chassis no. was, but as the car was regd in June 1964 I cannot see that it was one of the first 100. I seem to recall that the car 'might' initially have been used by the dealer (a very small rural family-run garage) as a demonstrator, although if it really was that early a production car, it must have been used on trade plates before being registered in June and I would be surprised at such a small garage having such an early car off the production line.
I do recall my father having difficulties with the exhaust when it came to replacement as none of the bits supplied would fit it, and something (I can't recall what all these years later) was changed on the front section to enable the exhaust to be replaced, and he also had a breather fitted to the rear axle, which i suspect was one of the modifications in the early years.
Does anyody know where James got the figure of 100 from, or have any more knowledge about the issue of the real wood fillets? It is purely of interest as I don't have the car, and don't know if it is still around.
many thanks. Tony
My first car (in 1975) was a 1964 regd. 2000, which my father had before me and which he had originally bought from a neighbour, who had owned it from new.
This car was registered in June 1964 and had real wood fillets in the doors (and I can still remember sanding them back down and revarnishing them). They were definitely not the formica type.
I thought nothing of it until I read James Taylor's book on the P6 which stated that 'about the first 100 production cars had real wood'. Unfortunately I have no idea, now, what the chassis no. was, but as the car was regd in June 1964 I cannot see that it was one of the first 100. I seem to recall that the car 'might' initially have been used by the dealer (a very small rural family-run garage) as a demonstrator, although if it really was that early a production car, it must have been used on trade plates before being registered in June and I would be surprised at such a small garage having such an early car off the production line.
I do recall my father having difficulties with the exhaust when it came to replacement as none of the bits supplied would fit it, and something (I can't recall what all these years later) was changed on the front section to enable the exhaust to be replaced, and he also had a breather fitted to the rear axle, which i suspect was one of the modifications in the early years.
Does anyody know where James got the figure of 100 from, or have any more knowledge about the issue of the real wood fillets? It is purely of interest as I don't have the car, and don't know if it is still around.
many thanks. Tony