Ethel
Ethel isn't just my first Rover P6, she is also the very first car I bought with my own money.
I'd done my homework and had been read to believe that the red 3500S was the car to have.
I've since learned that the mystique associated with the S is somewhat overblown - the automatics are at least as nice as the S but I only found out what a nice car I'd bought after I handed over the cash - the previous owner handed me a well-thumbed copy of the June 1994 edition of Classic and Sports Car magazine with a feature on the car and a huge dossier of the car's history.
Of course all our own cars are champions of our own leagues but Ethel's omission from Nick Dunning's recent article about the so called Premier League of P6 was rather surprising, especially as one of the other cars in the league, property of dear friends of mine, has been parked on grass for several years.
The car also features in a "Your Classic" supplement from November 1992 which shows the high standard of the restoration done by a chap called Richard Jacob in 1990/91, including many photographs of the work in progress. She also represents the Rover P6 in 1001 Dream Cars (ISBN 9781445435053)
Thanks to Richard's excellent work and the care shown to the car by the car's subsequent owners, Ethel is still in sound condition but time and wear and tear have taken their toll.
Ethel was booked into Lake View in 2013 when disaster struck - I wrecked Lil, my shiny but rotten Three Thousand Five.
Rovers on parade, LVG by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
Ethel had to hold the fort while Lil's replacement was built out of the various bits and pieces that had accumulated at Lake View since Ethel came onto the forecourt back in 2007.
Lake View Garage by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
Ethel is very much the Elizabeth Báthory of the Rover P6 world and this was evidenced by the shed loads of car parts we were able to use to build Hildegarde (codenamed Lil 2.0)
This was the blue Rover 3500S by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
After the Wizard of the Lake has caught his breath, Ethel will get her turn in the Time Machine.
This will be a golden opportunity to put right some wrongs that I have inflicted on the car with the best of intentions over the last 7 years.
Ethel is getting her original 4-speed gearbox back. Her SU carburettors and her original engine too.
Ethel's present engine was removed from a later 3500S and given a comprehensive rebuild and an uprated camshaft - this will be removed lock stock and four-barrel carburettor to be put in Helga, the smoking blue Three Thousand Five who burns nearly half a sump of oil to a tank of petrol.
Helga has a ZF gearbox that will make such better use of the uprated engine than an LT77 can, even a nice LT77. Ethel's LT77 isn't all that nice.
Ethel will have a set of P5 Rostyles (thanks to Helga) for show days but will have a new set of SD1 Vitesse alloys for daily use - I just prefer them.
The drivers seat is shot to bits thanks to my fat backside but the rest of the interior is acceptable - I don't know what is for the best here.
Full body respray. Ethel was Mexico brown when she left the factory but in spite of it being clichéd and prone to fading, she'll stay red. The rare factory fitted sunroof will be brought back to life - this will be a project in its own right.
Electric fuel pump to be removed (possibly resited at rear of vehicle)
Uprated shocks, poly bushes, springs identical to Hildegarde (Lil 2.0)
Ethel needs and deserves the attentions of a master, so Tom will be working most of the magic - my input will be far less than with the Lil 2.0 project. If I can reduce Tom's hours by a bit of scraping and blasting, great, I will be glad to but Ethel doesn't need anything like as much work as Hildegarde - Ethel has been a runner since the 1990s but John Major was PM the last time the green Rover was on the road.
Helga
WP_20140624_073.jpg by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
While Tom works his magic on Ethel, I will hone my skills on Helga - I will make my first attempt at a full body respray.
I might use fibreglass wings because I will never be able to achieve a finish to the standard like Tom but with his guidance I am sure I could turn out something could put my name to, even if I won't be using the DAB numberplate.
BPH970H is of course the Practical Classics P6, the one owned by Danny Hopkins and I believe it would be vain to replace it with what would be a personalised plate - it would also strip the car of its identity and people would fail to recognise it at shows and I could lose valuable insight from people who might know the car.
Also within my skillset, just about - the horrible cracked dashboard with its extraneous dials will be replaced with an A1 dashboard from Lil - there's even a genuine tachometer and clock.
Rebuilding a Rover Three Thousand Five by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
The plastic steering wheel will be replaced by a bog-standard black 'coat hanger' steering wheel like Lil's. Lil's was ruined in the crash - buckled like a taco where I braced myself in the crash.
WP_20140422_002.jpg by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
It was obviously in tobacco leaf originally and has been sprayed over in P5 blue - I am in two minds whether to respray it properly in the distinctive, very regal blue or return it to its original colour. I think the beige seats, restored by me and taken from the wreck of Lil would look fine with either colour.
WP_20140518_020.jpg by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
There's some excellent tobacco leafs around, including James Dean's.
Uprated shocks, poly bushes, springs identical to Hildegarde (Lil 2.0)
Ethel isn't just my first Rover P6, she is also the very first car I bought with my own money.
I'd done my homework and had been read to believe that the red 3500S was the car to have.
I've since learned that the mystique associated with the S is somewhat overblown - the automatics are at least as nice as the S but I only found out what a nice car I'd bought after I handed over the cash - the previous owner handed me a well-thumbed copy of the June 1994 edition of Classic and Sports Car magazine with a feature on the car and a huge dossier of the car's history.
Of course all our own cars are champions of our own leagues but Ethel's omission from Nick Dunning's recent article about the so called Premier League of P6 was rather surprising, especially as one of the other cars in the league, property of dear friends of mine, has been parked on grass for several years.
The car also features in a "Your Classic" supplement from November 1992 which shows the high standard of the restoration done by a chap called Richard Jacob in 1990/91, including many photographs of the work in progress. She also represents the Rover P6 in 1001 Dream Cars (ISBN 9781445435053)
Thanks to Richard's excellent work and the care shown to the car by the car's subsequent owners, Ethel is still in sound condition but time and wear and tear have taken their toll.
Ethel was booked into Lake View in 2013 when disaster struck - I wrecked Lil, my shiny but rotten Three Thousand Five.
Rovers on parade, LVG by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
Ethel had to hold the fort while Lil's replacement was built out of the various bits and pieces that had accumulated at Lake View since Ethel came onto the forecourt back in 2007.
Lake View Garage by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
Ethel is very much the Elizabeth Báthory of the Rover P6 world and this was evidenced by the shed loads of car parts we were able to use to build Hildegarde (codenamed Lil 2.0)
This was the blue Rover 3500S by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
After the Wizard of the Lake has caught his breath, Ethel will get her turn in the Time Machine.
This will be a golden opportunity to put right some wrongs that I have inflicted on the car with the best of intentions over the last 7 years.
Ethel is getting her original 4-speed gearbox back. Her SU carburettors and her original engine too.
Ethel's present engine was removed from a later 3500S and given a comprehensive rebuild and an uprated camshaft - this will be removed lock stock and four-barrel carburettor to be put in Helga, the smoking blue Three Thousand Five who burns nearly half a sump of oil to a tank of petrol.
Helga has a ZF gearbox that will make such better use of the uprated engine than an LT77 can, even a nice LT77. Ethel's LT77 isn't all that nice.
Ethel will have a set of P5 Rostyles (thanks to Helga) for show days but will have a new set of SD1 Vitesse alloys for daily use - I just prefer them.
The drivers seat is shot to bits thanks to my fat backside but the rest of the interior is acceptable - I don't know what is for the best here.
Full body respray. Ethel was Mexico brown when she left the factory but in spite of it being clichéd and prone to fading, she'll stay red. The rare factory fitted sunroof will be brought back to life - this will be a project in its own right.
Electric fuel pump to be removed (possibly resited at rear of vehicle)
Uprated shocks, poly bushes, springs identical to Hildegarde (Lil 2.0)
Ethel needs and deserves the attentions of a master, so Tom will be working most of the magic - my input will be far less than with the Lil 2.0 project. If I can reduce Tom's hours by a bit of scraping and blasting, great, I will be glad to but Ethel doesn't need anything like as much work as Hildegarde - Ethel has been a runner since the 1990s but John Major was PM the last time the green Rover was on the road.
Helga
WP_20140624_073.jpg by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
While Tom works his magic on Ethel, I will hone my skills on Helga - I will make my first attempt at a full body respray.
I might use fibreglass wings because I will never be able to achieve a finish to the standard like Tom but with his guidance I am sure I could turn out something could put my name to, even if I won't be using the DAB numberplate.
BPH970H is of course the Practical Classics P6, the one owned by Danny Hopkins and I believe it would be vain to replace it with what would be a personalised plate - it would also strip the car of its identity and people would fail to recognise it at shows and I could lose valuable insight from people who might know the car.
Also within my skillset, just about - the horrible cracked dashboard with its extraneous dials will be replaced with an A1 dashboard from Lil - there's even a genuine tachometer and clock.
Rebuilding a Rover Three Thousand Five by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
The plastic steering wheel will be replaced by a bog-standard black 'coat hanger' steering wheel like Lil's. Lil's was ruined in the crash - buckled like a taco where I braced myself in the crash.
WP_20140422_002.jpg by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
It was obviously in tobacco leaf originally and has been sprayed over in P5 blue - I am in two minds whether to respray it properly in the distinctive, very regal blue or return it to its original colour. I think the beige seats, restored by me and taken from the wreck of Lil would look fine with either colour.
WP_20140518_020.jpg by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
There's some excellent tobacco leafs around, including James Dean's.
Uprated shocks, poly bushes, springs identical to Hildegarde (Lil 2.0)