Red Rover Revival

I saw a gagdet that decorators are using, you scan the source colour with a little device, an app pops up on your phone with the nearest colour and codes. Then take it to the paint shop. I wonder if you could use it on car paint. Datacolor ColorReader EZ. I see it's about £40 at the moment.
 
Last edited:
Had a rummage round Richard Woodward's treasure trove in Widnes this morning and picked up a few pretty straight panels for the car.
For those who've never been, he's got several sheds absolutely chock full of panels and mechanical parts. A lot of P6 stuff, but also MG and other BMC bits as well.

Managed to pick up a pretty straight NSR door (with sundym glass!), VERY good OSF wing, fair OSR wing, and a rear decker panel.

Only another 4 panels to find, so I need to hurry up and make my mind up on the blinkin' colour as it'll all be ready for the paint shop before long.

1650894438333.png

1650894465029.png
1650894478596.png
 
Great photos, thanks for the clarity. Looks like you could theoretically fit an early door to a late car, but the anti-burst catch would have to be removed. I'll source later ones. Is the RH pic a S1 door? I'd have thought the anti-burst posts came in earlier than 1971...??
 
There is an even later version of the doors which doesn't have the access holes for the power windows screws. I found that out the hard way...and the change to the wind out qtr light saw a change to the inside of the panel to suit
 
There is an even later version of the doors which doesn't have the access holes for the power windows screws. I found that out the hard way...and the change to the wind out qtr light saw a change to the inside of the panel to suit
I didn't think about the quarter light knob. I assumed that was all part of the separate panel / framework that bolts in to support to winder mechanism. Good shout, thanks!
 
I just remembered their is a tiny change in Front Guards too. The lip that runs around the inside and kooks over the guard.. Where it goes down the front; new look cars have it cut back to go around the lights. it resumes once past the light. I didn't notice it till I went to put the light pieces in and couldn't get it all to line up...
 
I just remembered their is a tiny change in Front Guards too. The lip that runs around the inside and kooks over the guard.. Where it goes down the front; new look cars have it cut back to go around the lights. it resumes once past the light. I didn't notice it till I went to put the light pieces in and couldn't get it all to line up...
I don't think I follow where you mean, Michael. Is this on the doors? Not sure what you mean by the lights - the quarter light windows?
 
More stuff acquired this weekend. Picked up a straight bootlid with the correct lettering location for my model year, and also acquired a Boot Mount Spare kit courtesy of old friend 'Brian-Northampton' (of this parish).

The BMS kit came with everything I need to mount to the new bootlid, so expect pictures of the conversion next week. Need to source a cup and bootlid prop etc, but that can come with time.

The boot badge is not the worst I've seen and might be restorable. Is it possible to remove the acrylic badge insert from the chromed steel bed without damaging it?

There are no cracks or dents in it so I want to see if it can restore it by kissing it with a polishing wheel and stripping the paint off the back to repaint with Humbrol enamels. The chrome should come up acceptably for my needs.
 

Attachments

  • sketch-1652646118418.png
    sketch-1652646118418.png
    1.8 MB · Views: 16
  • DSC_4798.JPG
    DSC_4798.JPG
    2.9 MB · Views: 18
Last edited:
I was referring to the Front Guard of the car. i noticed you were changing those as well as the doors and there is a small change at the front where the guard presses against the headlight surround.
 
I was referring to the Front Guard of the car. i noticed you were changing those as well as the doors and there is a small change at the front where the guard presses against the headlight surround.
Ah I see... Good insight, thanks. I didn't know about this. Will have to check the new white wing to make sure it fits against the headlight surround. The new wing for the other side is a series 2 example, so will definitely be fine.
 
From very distant memory, the cut out is for the plastic surround where it goes around the outer headlight. headlights didn't change location, the bit on the surround that goes around the headlight is deeper. I nibbled mine out to match the opposite side.
 
The boot badge is not the worst I've seen and might be restorable. Is it possible to remove the acrylic badge insert from the chromed steel bed without damaging it? [/QUOTE said:
Yes. Think I used a dental probe to prise it out around the circumference. (have a friend who is also our dentist and he passes on a few tools when he replaces them)
 
Managed to get the insert out fairly easily with a thin strip of copper (a pickup sprung strip from my Hornby Dublo locos). Looks like the badge is held on originally by a big blob of some sort of hard setting resin, which has been formed into the shape of the logo by the recess on the insert. Thankfully it's all stayed together so the badge recesses will not need scraping out. Seems like this should be a fairly straightforward and satisfying job :)DSC_4822.JPGDSC_4823.JPGDSC_4826.JPGDSC_4827.JPG
 
Last edited:
Successfully managed to clean out the rest of the paint residue from the back of the badge insert with a blunt screwdriver. I polished the front of it with a fine grit paste (actually electric hob cleaner!) which has reduced a lot of the swirl marks.

Took a bit of thought to work out what order to paint it in! I started with the gold ship outline with a very thin paintbrush, then did the sails in crimson. I'll do an extra coat on both colours tomorrow before spraying the whole back of it in satin black. That will seal in the gold/red which hopefully should prevent it peeling as badly in future.

The surround polished up much better than expected.
 

Attachments

  • DSC_4868.JPG
    DSC_4868.JPG
    2.5 MB · Views: 29
  • DSC_4877.JPG
    DSC_4877.JPG
    2.4 MB · Views: 28
  • DSC_4880.JPG
    DSC_4880.JPG
    2.5 MB · Views: 35
  • DSC_4882.JPG
    DSC_4882.JPG
    2.7 MB · Views: 36
Well…. it has been a long time, hasn’t it!!

Longer standing forum members may remember my profile from 10-12 years ago when I was a pretty active contributor here. I haven't been on regularly for 8 years or more due to becoming heavily (some might say too heavily!!) involved in the P6 Club's committee. I have since left my role after longer than planned in post, and have gone back to being an 'ordinary member'.

The Rover is my first car and the only car I always intend to keep. It’s been garaged for the last 6+ years after the bottom end finally gave out on the way to the P6 Club’s national rally at Bowes, Co Durham in May 2015. I made the decision at the time to mothball it as a project until I had the time, money (!!) and energy to “do it properly”.

Well, a house sale, 2 business ventures, and a lot of committee meetings later, and I’m finally ready. Today I pushed it out into the daylight for the first time in over 6 years! Did a bit of an inspection to re-familiarise myself with the good, bad and ugly aspects of it, and started making lists of what I need to source. I also did a stock-take of all the parts I've amassed over the years and was surprised to find a few gems including a NOS bonnet badge, NOS rear lights and a NOS NADA front sidelight unit! (The NADA sidelight is superfluous to requirements so available if anyone needs one).

View attachment 21383
View attachment 21384

Some of the NOS bits I found including side plates, timing chains and light clusters:
View attachment 21385
View attachment 21386
View attachment 21387


A bit of potted history… The car is a 1972-registered 2000 TC, originally in Cameron Green but always Ford Spanish Red in my ownership. It’s a total ‘bitza’, with an origin-unknown early 446-prefix engine, tatty panels, saggy suspension, and worn interior. It’s been round the clock at least once (currently showing [?]53,000 miles) but I LOVE it and always have.

I bought it aged 21 and drove it everywhere the length and breadth of Britain. I rebuilt the engine after about 2k miles of ownership, which included a professionally reconditioned cylinder head from Clive Annable (new valves, unleaded seats, springs and skimmed). I rebuilt the short block myself ‘in situ’, which was a challenge but I was proud of what I achieved. The bores were ovalled, scored and the crank was definitely ovalling, but I did the best I could with it and got another 11k miles of pretty decent performance out of it before it gave up keeping oil pressure and developed the death rattle!

I bought another short block from Stan Barnes (‘Vaultsman’ of this parish) several years ago. It was from his ‘Rebekah’ project and is a late 400-prefix 2000 block. Stan had had the crank ground before I bought it, but it’s since been dispatched to a classic Mercedes engine shop in Crewe who have overbored it to accept NOS +0.060” 9:1 pistons, taking the swept volume up to 2050cc.
The flywheel has been skimmed and the crank harmonically balanced to (I’m told) +/- 1 gram (!!)

My existing recon cylinder head should still be good after a clean-up, check and quick re-lap of the valves. I’ll be refitting my preferred HIF6 carbs to it, as per a previous modification.

View attachment 21388
Meanwhile, I’ve got a replacement gearbox for reconditioning. It’s a genuine 23k miles ‘box from a ’73 TC, and will get new bearings, layshaft and seals, but the gear-clusters and selectors should still be good. The current ‘box makes the sound of a slide whistle on the overrun, so is almost certainly beyond saving!

Next up is the bodywork. The car has always been remarkably solid structurally (main reason I bought it) but does need some attention on the trailing end of the OS sill, where some older repairs are thinning a bit.
The majority of the panels aren’t worth saving, so I’ve started sourcing what I need to make a up a good set, and am going to send them to a local classic paint shop with a good track record in the area. It’s staying red (what else?) and will be a bright signal red shade from the RAL paint code system. And lacquered of course - you will not see me with a polishing rag!

View attachment 21389

The scuttle panel was removed today to be sent for a trial spray - partly to check the quality of their work, partly to check the paint shade I've settled on looks the way I want it when actually on a panel. If I like it, I can keep it without having to worry about respraying it again with the other panels to get the same paint batch, as it's barely visible on the car with the bonnet closed.


After that it can become a rolling project. Brakes need another rebuild (I DIY’d it 12 years ago, but don’t fancy them after all that time standing!). Suspension and steering also need a refresh. Interior is complete but tatty, but that’s all easily sorted as self-contained projects.


It’s the fiftieth anniversary of its registration on 1st July, so let’s see how close I can get it to drive-able in time for that!


I'll post my updates in this thread. Looking forward to being part of the CRF community again. It’s good to be back….

Michael

I was wondering when this day would happen story for Driving Force me thinks
 
I was wondering when this day would happen story for Driving Force me thinks
So was I...!!! Alan has already been in touch and I've promised an article when there is more progress to show. There are 3 aspects to the project plan - bodywork, drivetrain, and suspension/brakes. When I've made some meaningful headway on all three, I'll pen something. Currently focus has been solely on panelwork.
And I still owe you those flywheel bolts! They're on the crank while it gets balanced at the moment. Should be relieved of duty soon.
 
Back
Top