New Member in Bath

Thanks, Gary. The favoured door mirrors are those with long mountings such as Wingard of perhaps Tex. I think I will wait until my car is ready for them, which could be a little while yet!
Both sills are in the process of being replaced, and there are one or two previous patches which need sorting out. All four wings will be removed, the front ones for minor repair and the rears for realignment and the whole car needs repainting in true Guardsman Red. We have found several wheel cylinders leaking slightly and there are signs that the servo needs attention.
After all that. detailing of the engine bay etc etc!
The good news is that the car's history has been confirmed and it has been in one family ownership since new. I hope to be able to get some history if the owner is prepared to have a chat about the car.
 
Update.
Paul at Get Smart ha been beavering away and most of the bad spots in the chassis have been sorted. Although the sills and many places had been severely bodged fairly recently ( small steel plates fixed with self tappers and covered over etc), the inner sills are surprisingly good as are the floors, only a small section of the front passenger foot well needed replacing. However, Paul has just discovered a bad patch under the rear n/s wing, where a supermarket bag had been stuffed in a hole and covered over with filler! That's a first for me! So, not yet finished but well on the way to completion of metal repairs. Two good used front wings have been sourced from Wins, the rears are good enough to be salvaged without too much work.
On the mech side, rear discs and callipers will be needed and some wheel cylinders and the servo either replaced or restored with new seals.
The interior is pretty good save for a couple of split seams on both front seats. fairly common I am told. Any one recommend a local expert?
Another thing, the outer end of the auto gear lever has come adrift, leaving the button operating, but I have yet to see how it should be fitted; anybody with advice welcome.
Too early to give a date for being on the road again, but it looks like being this year!!
Cheers
 
Bodgers, everyone knows it should be stuffed with newspaper first.

I wonder if it was Tesco's or Finefare, reports say that Tesco's are the best for a bodge, but Finefre will do in a pinch. (please note that Finefare was about when I was a boy , dont know if still there?) but then Boots the chemists was good for bodges of a more refind medical nature, ( gearboxes full of surgical swabs and epsom salts) :rolleyes:
sawdust in the diff was popular too :eek:
Peter
 
Work on chassis nearly complete, attention now on brakes; both rear callipers are shot as are the wheel cylinders. In the meantime I have found a trimmer to recover both front seat cushions (usual problem the original seams had split open). I was quoted a fair price for this, but when the seats were returned it was found that the backs had been recovered as well at no extra cost. Well played Cyril Krych, Krych Trimming in Bristol. They look superb.
 
Yes, leather. Cyril explained that he would have to buy one complete hide of which he would use approx half on the cushions and end up with some spare. There were fairly severe scuff marks on the driver's seat, usual entry and exit marks, and he obviously decided to use the unused half of the skin to do both seat backs, bearing in mind only the pleated surfaces were in leather. But just top go ahead and do it without fuss and argument over price is, to my mind, the mark of a very fair man.
 
Had a similar experience from a Trimmer a few years ago when I needed the back seat tops redone in the original factory Vinyl, not only did he do that job superbly but he also did the rear parcel shelf and all the door pillars too for the same very reasonable (low price). As he said it would be a shame not to use the very very rare factory roll that he had kicking around for the last 25 years.

Graeme
 
FWW 409L update Aug 25th.
All chassis repairs complete, brakes overhauled with new servo, callipers and wheel cylinders where needed, rear suspension cleaned and re-bushed, new bump stops and mountings, new halogen lights, new heater hoses (leaking). Good used front wings obtained but not fitted as the existing are not too bad and to fit and repaint replacement wings in correct Rover colour would mean respraying the rest and I (and finances) need a break!
New tyres are needed all round and the subject of speed rating comes up. Most suppliers quote R, but I think H is more correct but views would be appreciated and also on the question of make. I have always chosen Goodyear, Michelin etc but I am way out of date on modern and more affordable tyres. Again, views would be appreciated.
The car will not make Tuesdays Cross Hands met, but should be on the road in September.
Cheers,
Tony M
 
I went for a grade lower to get correct car tyres. I did check with my insurance company that this was OK first though - suggest you do the same!
 
Vredestein Sprint Classic you can get in 185/82 HR14 at reasonably price. At least that was the case 3 - 4 years ago when I replaced my tyres on my 71 3500. I am very pleased with the them.
 
I have the Sprint Classics and they are very good, safe and predictable with a period style. I believe they are only made in relatively small batches and prices are extremely volatile depending on availability. I paid £70 each for mine but I've seen them more than double.

195/70s 14s are easy to find in H rating (even V rated) and some real premium types can be had like the Vredestein Sportrac 5. Maxxis have some nice VFM options too.
 
my tyre shop searched round and came up with good ride radial spo6 185/80. R14. 91T. Chinese made .seem Ok though as I will never be going fast or throwing car around will assume all legal and conforming to decent standards etc.
only been up to 70mph once so far! most of time when we go out on own or with local club we do around 50 -55mph so everybody can keep together like a sort of convoy system.
only thing I do notice and I have not had a change of tyres so cannot say if it's tyre compound or weight of car ..is one some corners ( around 20mph) tyre squeal occurs .that speed is a lot slower than I would drive any modern car around same bends! reason being I am still not. keen on the way the rover p6 LEANS so heavily. uprated. anti roll bat is on my wish list . plus long term ( wife approval is hard to get as so much spent on it thus far) want. to fit lower profile tyres for improved handling.
 
It squeals way, way before it lets go whereas a modern car will squeal as it lets go.... Grip levels on a P6 are pretty much up to modern standards, perhaps better than most on uneven surfaces. The handling is of course very different. For a start RWD and understear....

ARBs are fantastic but will make understear WORSE, you ideally need to stiffen the back a little depending on taste...
 
MAXX 185/80/14/T was the final choice by Paul Stabbins at Get Smart, and E Tyres in Bristol, 344.50 for five fitted on site.
my tyre shop searched round and came up with good ride radial spo6 185/80. R14. 91T. Chinese made .seem Ok though as I will never be going fast or throwing car around will assume all legal and conforming to decent standards etc.
only been up to 70mph once so far! most of time when we go out on own or with local club we do around 50 -55mph so everybody can keep together like a sort of convoy system.
only thing I do notice and I have not had a change of tyres so cannot say if it's tyre compound or weight of car ..is one some corners ( around 20mph) tyre squeal occurs .that speed is a lot slower than I would drive any modern car around same bends! reason being I am still not. keen on the way the rover p6 LEANS so heavily. uprated. anti roll bat is on my wish list . plus long term ( wife approval is hard to get as so much spent on it thus far) want. to fit lower profile tyres for improved handling.

I would suggest you have the steering geometry checked if you have not done so recently. I have not driven my car since buying it last year (last MOT report was a frightening read!) and the last time I drove a P6 was a 2000 in 1964, but I do not recall heavy leaning, only superb ride and handling for the time. I had taken a two year old 6/110 in exchange, and what a difference! When the P63500 came out my Belgian agent took me from Brussels to Ghent in a Dodge Charger to collect a new 3500, an interesting comparison! Two totally different cars, of course, but I decided then and there I would have a 3500 one day!
 
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Plan to be at the Cross Hands (Rover's Return??) on Tuesday evening, safe under cover of darkness from critical eyes! Lots of questions though.
 
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