So Cal newbie needs a P6

So Cal V8

So Cal V8

Active Member
Hello All,

The truth is that despite the screen name I am currently Rover-less. There are two reasons for this - 1) Rovers are as rare as rocking horse poo in sunny Southern California; 2) my wife seems to think the whole idea is objectionable - something to do with the three Land Rovers that I imported, which duly sat on the drive for two plus years before being sold on... there is a whole story there that I think is best left untold.

Anyway, my last car before I left the UK in '91 was a 1974 Mexico Brown 2200TC.

I would love to find a 3500S to restore, but as I said, sourcing one is not so easy. There is a wreck on the East Coast that has been listed on eBay a few times, but he wants $900 and I know from experience just how much it would cost to truck it to So Cal. The few photos that are posted make it look quite scary...

There is an even scarier looking 1970 3500S at a wrecker's yard in Northern California - it's listed on Craig's list in the Redding pages if anyone's interested. There is no price listed and only one quite terrifying picture. On the plus side, it may be cheap, it is in CA and, if it's a true California car there may be a relatively sound body there.

The other option I have found is a nice example in pretty good condition, but it's in Canada - the problem is distance and dealing with importation.

Any suggestions to finding a car locally would be gratefully received - any suggestions on overcoming the wife's objections, more so.
 
Hi and welcome, I have dealt with this problem before and I must say divorce is the simplist answer or an "unfortunate accident" :LOL:. Seriously the biggest obstacles are the ones you create yourself, sometimes it is better to pay the extra dollars and buy less work even if it means that the car has to be transported at greater cost, after all classic cars are rarely a smart investment decission.(whearas women as an investment??? the jury is still out on that one)

Graeme
 
If the Canadian P6 is a NADA model ( not a UK import ) then importing this into the USA won't be any drama at all; certainly nothing compared to importing a Brit. LandRover into the States ( ! )

Here are the rules as they apply for vehicles made for the Canadian market imported into the USA, less than 25 years old

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/VIG_Canada03262010.pdf

Over 25 years old there doesn't appear to be a restriction; I attended a Classic car auction in Toronto a few years back and nearly everything sold there was heading to the USA The main requirement here is that the vehicle must have a clear title, be over 25 years old ( based on date of manufacture ) + have been originally manufactured for the North American market. A build certificate based on the Rovers chassis number can be obtained from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, showing the date of manufacture

There have been a few Rovers on Craigslist + Ebay in So Cal in the last couple of years; good luck with your search!

There's this White P6 TC in Durham, NC that looks very salvageable, also the yard has tons of NADA P6 parts

http://www.classicroverforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8714

http://www.flyingcircusenglishcars....=details&where_field=item_ID&where_value=1031

Hemmings has a "completely restored, reasonable" P6 2000 in Miami FL

http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/rover/2000/1193911.html

A Hemmings associate editor is running online articles about his (USA) P6 here:

http://www.classicroverforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=6739&p=43534&hilit=Hemmings#p43534

GW
 
Thanks for the welcome and the tips,

Graeme, I think I will avoid the big D as an option - although I suspect that if a P6 appeared on the drive without prior approval it may be beyond my control. I don't see how the ownership of three cars (+ a P6 if all goes well), a motorcycle and a classic Vespa would be a problem, but then, not everyone is as reasonable as I am...

GW, thanks for the leads and for doing some research.

The NHTSA rules wouldn't apply to the Canadian car as it is well over the 25 year mark. The car is a NADA version, but even that doesn't matter based on the age - I could get one from the UK, but I would prefer a LHD and most of the federalized cars have A/C, which is really helpful in the summer. I also like the idea of electric windows, but don't fancy an auto box that the NADAs have as standard - still, if and when I find a car I can address that issue, first I need the car.

The only rules that apply on the federal level are that the vehicle must be over 25 years old to be exempt from the DOT requirements - if it isn't, all safety equipment would have to be DOT approved and stamped accordingly. Even if the equivilant standard in Europe or elesewhere is the same or higher, the lights, glass, seatbelts, etc. would still have to be DOT approved - over 25 years you can drive a death trap without a DOT problem. The next federal hurdle is EPA, if the car is 21 years or older it is exempt - on a federal level I can drive a toxic hazard.

My main problem lies at the state level. California has much more draconian laws than the feds regarding emissions - that's where I ran aground with the Land Rovers. The cost to retro fit the appropriate smog equipment was prohibitive. The test to confirm you meet the required standards was performed at only two labs in the state and cost $2500 - it involved measuring evaporative emissions while the car was in a sealed room - I gave up based on time, money and effort.

All the Rovers I listed would not be subject to these requirements based on their age, and or location; the same applies to the NC cars you found. Pre 1975 cars are exempt from major emissions testing in California. The last NADAs were 1970/71 I believe.

The car on the east coast and the ones in NC would cost a fair chunk of change to truck to the Los Angeles area. When I tried trucking a SWB Land Rover from Massachussetts most trucking companies told me it was "too big" for the transporter - have you seen the size of some American cars??? I was intially quoted $800, but after nearly two months ended up paying about $1500. My guesstimate is that it would cost between $1200 and $1500 to ship either the car in Maine or the cars from North Carolina - it only cost $2000 to get the Land Rover from Southampton to California.

The car I have located in California - well, it looks really scary, but if it's a true CA car there may be minimal rust and so a sound basis for a project might be had for the right price. The only way to tell is to make the 1000 mile round trip and kick the tires - photos only tell so much of the story.

The Canadian car might be the best option, distance is still a problem and I would need to truck it across the border. I saved money handling my own customs clearance on my Land Rovers, but the port was only 90 miles away - I would have to pay the shipper for transport and to act as a customs agent - I see a $3000 car becoming a $5000 car - more if I fly up to inspect it first.

I used to see P6s around, but in the last 10 years or so, not so much. There used to be a red 3500S in Hollywood, but I haven't seen it in years, likewise for the one I used to see down in Newport Beach.

I would love to source a halfway decent (and cheap) P6 locally, but I will probably have to cast my net far and wide.

I am glad to have found this forum as I know it will prove invaluable when I finally find the right car.

Thanks again,

Alan.
 
If you want something you can drive with minimal effort, then you're really committed to auctions of one sort or another.

If you (and SWMBO) are accepting of a strip down and re-assemble before you're on the road, then any sort of Californian car is going to be a delight. Experience suggests they will be rust free - a really crucial discussion with the P6 as you'll find elsewhere on this site - and all the nuts and bolts undo easily. I really wouldn't worry too much about the state of completeness or specification of what you buy as all the bits to change spec are readily available - most in the US and what isn't from the UK and Australia. A RHD car converts to LHD extremely easily. Electric window equipment is available to retrofit etc etc. The only thing that is difficult is factory spec air conditioning as per the NADA 3500S. Crucialy, all rubber is available either NOS or repro. You are going to have to shell out for a respray and a retrim of the interior, but these are going to be the largest costs. The engine of the V8 is well supported in the US, not least as it is common with the preceding Buick. But the 4 cylinder engines are very expensive to rebuild, even in the UK, and will certainly be very difficult in the US.

Conversions from Auto to Manual are well established using both Rover SD1 (and others) LT77 5 speed overdrive gearboxes - the UK havourite - and Toyota Supra 5 and 6 speed - the Australian favourite. You could also update to a more modern ZF 4 speed overdrive automatic.

The P6 is unexpectedly easy to work on, being much more of a kit of parts than most contemporary cars.
 
Chris,

Thanks for your twopennorth, that's all extremely helpful information and will be needed in the future.

The Canadian P6 is now no longer an option as it was sold yesterday :(

It's a shame as it was a turn key car, and I could have had some real fun driving it before deciding on the level of, or need for, restoration - plus it was a complete NADA with all the good bits.

Unless something pops up close at hand I will have to consider the Northern California car - I just need to find time to go and check it out.
 
Make friends and put the feelers out. http://www.roveramerica.com/

I have recently seen a photo of a place in the US which has an actual stack of Rovers. I can't remember where it was now but will post if I remember.

Colin
 
Thanks again for all of the suggestions - please don't assume I have thought of, or know of the options you have all suggested, all information is gratefully received.

I decided to a bit pro active yesterday - I mentioned earlier that I had seen some P6s locally over the years, but hadn't spotted anything recently. I decided to go scouting in the closest, last-known location for a P6 sighting.

I headed to the general area I remember seeing a 3500S a few years ago, and started trolling the streets in a grid search. I vaguely remembered where I had seen the car and had one fuzzy memory of a local landmark to focus my search area. I found the landmark and started slowly scouring the streets - actually it didn't take long at all; even though the details were fuzzy I had filed it all away in my mind and found the Rovers (yes plural) after about 5 minutes.

Really I got lucky - I had driven down that street once without seeing them, it was only when I drove the same street in a different direction that they were visible as they were partially obscured by a wall and vegetation.

I parked and went for a look - as I was outside the house I saw a fella coming out of the yard - I asked if they were his. The cars belonged to his neigbour, who was home, but wasn't well - the neighbour offered me the owner's phone number, but said he really didn't think he would sell. As I was chatting with the neighbour the owner came out - neighbour chap introduced me and left.

I don't want to provide too many specifics as I don't want to intrude on anyone's privacy, so I won't name names.

I had a great talk with the owner, who was a real mine of information and a very pleasant fella. I asked if one of the cars might be for sale, and while I didn't get a yes, I certainly didn't get a no. He has plans to use the better parts from one car to improve the other - such as the interior and boot badge, etc. I told him that was fine by me as I was hoping to get a project car and his was in the right condition. The P6 in question was driveable until very recently (a possible rear diff problem), it started up on the very first turn of the key and purred like a kitten.

I had a nice half hour or so chatting away with the owner - I told him that for the moment I was going to concentrate on convincing him that I was the right person for the car to go to. if his plan was to use it as a donor and get rid of it and I was prepared to let him grab the bits he wanted and restore the car locally it could be a win win situation for all concerned. I like to think that the idea is turning over in his mind and that I will eventually win him over to my way of thinking. He is well connected in the local area having owned Rovers and other British cars for years and he has said that if we can't do a deal he is sure that we can source something locally.

I am hoping that I can convince him to send the car my way, but I expect that it will be a fairly slow process - which I am fine with. I would rather get a local car with trustworthy history and a supportive ex-owner than roll the dice on a distant car.

Conditionwise - well the Rovers are California cars, so bodywork and rust doesn't appear to be a major issue. 40 years in the sun hasn't been kind to the paint or the interior, plus living close (ish) to the ocean - there's work to be done, but as many of you would agree, a solid, rust-free, California base unit would make that work much more agreeable. If I were to guess, I would say the P6s are in about the same condition as Keynsham1's NADA that ended up as a stunning car - talk about setting the benchmark.

I did talk some pictures, if I get permission from the owner I will post them here.

I suspect this will be a drawn out affair, but updates to follow.

Alan
 
Sounds very promising and a potential win - win for all, it may spur him to get his pride and joy back into operation and save the spares car too. As you say ideas once proffered have a way of working through the brain and positive results can occur albiet a few months down the track, always important to keep in contact.

Graeme
 
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