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).
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Some of the NOS bits I found including side plates, timing chains and light clusters:
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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 ovall
ing, 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.
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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!
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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
