Police Spec' P6... What made it so?!

Yeah... with the right gear and final drive ratios, I can't see how you couldn't squeeze that sort of speed out of a P6. It's remarkably slippery compared to what you'd think (mostly in the shape of the windscreen and its relationship to the A-pillars and roof), and a lot lot lighter than a lot of people think.

I've spoken to a few people (mainly at the NEC) who have banged on about how heavy they were: "Big old heavy cars these though, weren't they? Always used to lock up under hard braking." Nobody ever seemed to cotton on that only happens because it's got too much braking force and there ain't enough weight over the rubber!

Michael
 
In the October issue of the N.S.W Rover Owner's Club magazine, there is an article on an armour plated P6B that was used by Special Branch. Externally it appeared the same, but internally it was very different. It was a 3500S originally, but the manual box was replaced by the Borg Warner automatic as the latter was both stronger and far more reliable. The car's mass was, in round figures some 2000kg, and 10mpg was the best fuel consumption that the Rover would deliver. The Rover remained in front line service from 1972 until 1983.



Ron.
 
That could have been the car which was at Gaydon and then at Coughton Court at the P6 Clubs National Rally.
The glass had been removed as had some of the armour plating. The boot was literally redundant with all the communications stuff in there.
 
Hi, there was an article in one of the classic magazines a few years back about the close
protection P6b's. As well as the glass and armour, the boot not only contained the radio
equipment but a closed loop ventilation system with Oxygen in the event of a gas attack.
I think they were used mainly by diplomatic and royal protection squads.

Colin
 
SydneyRoverP6B said:
It was a 3500S originally, but the manual box was replaced by the Borg Warner automatic as the latter was both stronger and far more reliable.

I don't think that a BW auto would fit in a manual car transmission tunnel.
And why on earth didn't they start from an automatic?
 
Demetris said:
SydneyRoverP6B said:
It was a 3500S originally, but the manual box was replaced by the Borg Warner automatic as the latter was both stronger and far more reliable.

I don't think that a BW auto would fit in a manual car transmission tunnel.
And why on earth didn't they start from an automatic?

You wouldn't get a BW35 in a manual tunnel, although you'd never bother trying that anyway if you had any sense, but I reckon a BW65 would go in.
 
Another thing I am curious of is who prepared the Police spec' P6's...?! Were they done at the factory, a special BL workshop or by the Police forces themselves?!

Below is a page from a 1974/5 BL produced brochure for their range of cars and how they can be 'upped' to Police specification. I have just taken the relevant page for the subject of this particular topic...

1975RoverTriumphpolicevehiclesp4and5_zps7bc2d989.jpg
 
Police Spec. cars have strengthening to the front suspension as well - the so called 'Austrailian mod' I believe?
 
happy days said:
That could have been the car which was at Gaydon and then at Coughton Court at the P6 Clubs National Rally.
The glass had been removed as had some of the armour plating. The boot was literally redundant with all the communications stuff in there.

It is the same car.
 
I've yet to see this glorious motor in the metal... I hope to do so some day soon!

With regards to 'plain clothes' P6 rozzer mobiles would they have been built up to the 'Police Specification' or would they have just been the standard cars but with the relevant comm's equipment...?!

I'd really like to know if any forces out there 'tweaked' the V8 engine to get more out of it...?! I can just imagine some spanner wielding speed freak doing all they could to get more horses out of the V8 lump so Lilly Law could easily nab all of those troublesome criminals... :roll:
 
Unmarked cars were to police spec, uprated suspension mounts, bigger alternator. All other police bits, radios etc were fitted by the force.

Don't think the engines were touched but I did hear that some forces either ordered high compression engines from the factory or converted the engines themselves, but I'm not sure if his is correct.

Don't forget back in the day a V8 p6 was already a very fast car.

The met did have a red unmarked SD1 V8 for the motorway which they tuned with a holly carb, this wasn't fast enough so they fitted a weber carb an a janspeed twin turbo system. This made the car good for 160mph with 0-60in 5 secs.

Think the public found out about this so the car was put back to standard.
 
Hi, I used to know a traffic sergeant for the local county traffic squad and he used to say it was
general police policy to buy standard fast cars, the local traffic division had at various times Lotus
Cortina,s 3 litre Capri,s 3 litre Consul,s Triumph PI,s and even a Dolomite sprint which wasn't a
resounding success, all fast cars of their era. As Catboy says the only mods being done were for
reliability. We were talking one day when he took me out in an unmarked 3 litre Capri, he said it
had power steering when the order spec was for manual steering because it was cheaper, they
queried it and weren't charged the extra.

I think they were just regularly serviced, kept in tune and well driven.

Colin
 
catboy said:
The met did have a red unmarked SD1 V8 for the motorway which they tuned with a holly carb, this wasn't fast enough so they fitted a weber carb an a janspeed twin turbo system. This made the car good for 160mph with 0-60in 5 secs...
Now that does excite me muchly...!!! I'd love to find out more about that :wink:
 
As Colin said the best thing to make any car go faster is driver training!! Our class 1 drivers are rather good at there job.
 
catboy said:
As Colin said the best thing to make any car go faster is driver training!! Our class 1 drivers are rather good at there job.

Being immune to prosecution for speeding helps them get more practice 8)
 
Back in the late 80's one of my colleagues got sent down to somewhere in south of London one night to get a hostile witness who had been arrested, up to Bradford Crown court for 9 am the next morning. He had a proby (not qualified to drive Traffic Cars) to provide escort, was in a marked car (Cavalier sri 130), and all the forces en route had been made aware it was a high speed run. He got stopped early in the morning by the Met for speeding on the way back. He refused his details, it got quite interesting, including threats of arrest..... :LOL:

Met 0, NYP Traffic 1.
3 points on your pools coupon for an away win to Yorkshire, no points on your licence..
 
Were the Police cars auctioned off after use or were they broken/scrapped...?!

I imagine some were used at Police driver training schools before they were finally disposed of...?!
 
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