My 2000SC Auto daily driver

Since the last update of my blog, rather a lot has changed with regard to my fleet. Both the P5B, and the 3 litre coupé have gone to pastures new, both within the forum as I'm sure you'll have seen. This was due to the ridiculous insurance situation with regard to the P5B, and in the case of the 3 litre, realising that my skills didn't quite extend as far as I'd hoped they would. I thoroughly enjoyed my brief ownership of the P5B, and would certainly like another one at some point.
Now that they're gone, the 75, and 2000 are still here, though the 75 may well be going very soon. At the moment, the 2000 is off the road again, with the MOT looming in less than a month's time. At the moment, I'm waiting for a universal joint for the driver's side, as I've noticed it's getting noisy like the other side did at around the same time last year. I've also got to fit new brake pads, and work out why it's used the pads far more on one rear caliper than the other. Aside from this, it'll also need some welding to the passenger side rear arch for the MOT, as it had on the driver's side last year. So, rather an expensive couple of weeks ahead, but I'm very much looking forward to getting out and about in the 2000 again soon. Since my last update, I've fitted a new thermostat to the P6, and carried out an oil change. The 75 has had new tyres too.
Here is a selection of recent photos of the cars before the P5s both departed.
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So, hopefully I'll be able to focus on the P6 again, and get it back up to scratch. I'm looking at other classics too, with the hope of running the P6, and something else, for the summer. We shall see how things develop, but the 2000 should be sorted soon. Unfortunately, however, this does mean that I don't have a roadworthy classic for drive-it-day, which is rather disappointing.
 
Great photos Frazzle, as ever. Were you not so far away I'd seriously consider your 75, which would appear to be a lot of car for very little money. Hope you get your handsome yellow SC MOTed in due course, and I dare say there'll be another P5 in your future, when you can better afford one.
 
Thanks for the pic's Frazzle and all cars looking good. Where were they taken?

I read about your insurance problems in the last P6 News and was a bit saddened to hear you were having to let the 3 litre and P5B go. It would be good if insurers could be a little more sympathetic to younger classic car drivers. If it's any consolation, I can remember the first fully comp. policy I had to get when I was about 20 years old for 1 litre V/hall Nova. The premium was just shy of £1000 a year (and I had a clean license) and this was over 20 years ago!

At least you should have some more time & funds for your P6. You mentioned another classic - were you thinking of anything in particular?
 
Nice pics frazzle. That is a serious bit of bad luck on the insurance front. How muc hwere they after if you don't mind me asking? It sounds like a wacky plan I don't know if you have tried it. I started off with one car and had a few years NCB for this. I then got another car which I had no NCB for, I got a multicar policy with admiral and they mirrored the NCB on to the other car. When I got a third car last year, they mirrored it again, so I left Admiral with 3 policys each having 9 years NCB...Result. maybe worth a try in the future! You have to ask them to mirror it or they won't know.

Hope you get Your SC through the MOT ok....I will have one shortly on my 3500s :shock:
 
The photos were all taken in Dumfries and Galloway. A lot of my photos are taken near Laurieston, where I enjoy going for runs. Some are near Loch Ken, and others near Gatehouse of Fleet.
Since my last update, the 2000's rear wing has been removed to carry out a replacement to the panel behind the D post on the passenger side, which reaches up to the C pillar. This was done by a local classic restoration firm who've made a very nice job indeed. The new brake pads are fitted, and the universal joint replaced. The driver's side lower ball joint had serious play, so I've sourced a new one, and the garage will fit it for me. Hopefully once all of this work is finished, an MOT will be obtained. Meanwhile the 75 has behave faultlessly, and runs even better now it's got 6 new spark plugs.
 
Good news on the work on the P6 mate........I'm insanely jealous....... Stejacks still got mine, I think he's put about 15sq feet of steel in the darned thing, oh and a couple of drops of paint!!!!!!!!!!!

If all goes to plan I should get him back next week 8)

J
 
Here's a quick pic.
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Love this photo! the car looks brill, I admire you for sticking with it.

Thanks

Rob :D
 
Last Monday, at last, the 2000 passed its MOT with only a couple of minor advisories. So, to summarise, before the MOT, it required the following; one rear universal joint, new brake pads, a new section welded into place, and a new front lower balljoint. This has all contributed to making it rather more pleasant to drive once again. I finally fitted a new speedometer cable following the MOT success, and in a week, clocked up 500 miles in it. Initially I was rather concerned about the way it was running, but a few decent runs locally, getting the car properly warmed up really seemed to help it. It's definitely losing some coolant, but not massive amounts, and I reckon fitting an expansion tank should be next on my agenda.
On the Friday and Saturday, after work, I set about painting the insides of the front wheel arches with hammerite to tidy them up. I also painted the lips of the rear doors where the fold in to for the rear arch lip, which I think should have been black from factory really! My new numberplate arrived from Framptons as well, so while the old one was off, I rubbed down the plate mount, and repainted it in satin black, which I think makes it look much fresher again. The jacking block was also painted black, as it had been annoying me for some time, being body colour!
On Sunday I embarked on the 180 mile round trip to the Scottish All Rover Rally at the Museum of Rural Life in East Kilbride, and the car managed this without hiccup, and made a very pleasant travel companion, sitting at modern motorway speeds with ease, and, on sections of the M74, giving the odd Audi driver a surprise. :oops: :LOL: 8) The show was excellent as well, and it was great to meet up with some familiar faces, and some new ones! I always enjoy getting back into the show season, and seeing just what I need to improve about my car, comparing it to other examples.
On the Monday evening, I went for a very pleasant run around Kirkcudbright, and out towards Borgue where I took a few photos. I replaced the thermostat again before I set off, and now it sits consistently in the green section of the temperature guage. It would appear that a jammed open thermostat was to blame for my car's over-cooling!
Once again, SGH 574F has endeared itself to me, and made me realise how much I like P6s. Looks like it's here to stay for a while! :D
As ever, more photos than are really necessary.
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Congratulations on the M.O.T pass and I don't think we can tire of your photos frazzel, and very pleased to hear your affection for your p6 is back for good :D
 
Great pic's as ever Frazzle. I esepcially like the evening (I assume ?) sunlit shots.
Good news too on the MOT pass and glad you made it to the SARR. The weaher was fantastic over the weekend and I was quite annoyed I didn't make it. Thought it was more important to spend the weekend trying to get my car ready for MOT.
 
At this stage in July, I was hoping to be able to report back that the car had performed faultlessly since being put back into daily use, and that I was hoping to sell the MX-5. Until Sunday morning, this was, indeed, the case. It had covered over 2000 miles since the Scottish All Rover Rally, with no major problems. Then, on Sunday, I decided to go to Penrith to meet up with friends, and watch the Lake District Classic Rally. We watched the first autotest, before setting off to watch a later stage at Shap. I pulled up at a set of traffic lights on the main roundabout at Penrith, and when the lights changed to green, engaged drive, which was accompanied by a very large bang, and a distinct lack of forward motion. There was a very nasty crunch when I put it in park too, so I switched it off, and got out of the car, and it started to roll off down the hill. I wasn't thinking, and hadn't put the handbrake on. Thankfully, my friends who were in their classics parked, and came back to push me into a layby just off the roundabout. Modern drivers weren't terribly sympathetic to my situation, which didn't make moving the car any easier!
Needless to say, the Rover didn't go any further, and the RAC were called. They arrived out, and the chap seemed to enjoy looking around the car, and said there was nothing he could do other than call recovery, as I expected. He was very helpful though, and stayed until the recovery wagon arrived, at which point the Rover was loaded up, and headed home, and by which time, my dad had arrived with my MX-5, meaning I was able to see one more stage of the rally.
At the moment, I've not identified exactly what's at fault, but I'll likely know by tomorrow night. All I know is that the driveshafts aren't turning at the moment. (not the prop as previously posted)
Until this, the car was doing very well indeed, with only a couple of minor issues, one of my own doing, a burnt HT lead after it slipped onto the exhaust, and something which wasn't my fault, a snapped throttle return spring, which made for an exciting approach to a roundabout!
I went to Moffat show at the end of June too, which was a nice opportunity to see a couple of other P6s, and see where my needs improved. I've fitted a new fanbelt, and some general servicing too. The weekend before, I met up with another P6-owning friend, and we were able to compare cars, which was interesting.
Here are the photos.
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Oh No Not Again! Oh dear Frazzle. That'll be a flex plate gone then. I gather from others that alignment is very critical on the 4 cyl. Sorry.

Fabulous photos as usual.

Chris
 
Oh dear :( . Sorry to hear of your problems. I hope you get things sorted out and back on the road as soon as possible. Are you going to try to get the gearbox fixed or going for a replacement (or just to fed up to think about it it right now :cry: )?
 
FrazzleTC said:
At the moment, I've not identified exactly what's at fault, but I'll likely know by tomorrow night. All I know is that the prop isn't turning at the moment.
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ISTR you said the speedo was working, and that grating going into PARK means the gearbox output shaft is turning, so unless the front prop bolts have fallen out or the sliding joint has stripped it's splines, or an u'j has snapped completely, then the prop will be turning, but the driveshafts won't, meaning it's in the diff, as we discussed.
 
FrazzleTC said:
Sorry, I meant driveshafts. Been a long day! :oops: :LOL:
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Glad to hear it, at least that eliminates the flexplate/gearbox from the equation. You need to get under there and have a good look around.
 
Reading on speedo and no drive? Gosh! We haven't heard of that one on here before!

If it turns out to be a diff output stub shaft then I could just happen to have one. But you might be better just swapping the diff for a 2nd hand one?

What does Harvey think?

Chris
 
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