Buyer's advice

ccaenen

New Member
I'm on the lookout to exchange my MGB GT for a P6 3500. Unfortunately a MGB is just not practical for a young family.

I'm a bit wary about the V8 engine. I've read that these are quite reliable if serviced regularly however I've to say that here in the Netherlands maintenance is often something owners are saving on or the history is not known.

I've a few examples I'm going to visit in the next couple of days and therefore I'd like to know what are the things I could check to get a better idea of the state of the engine? I know that in the end it's always guessing but I can imagine that there are some clues which are "no go's" and I should walk away.

So what should I check? Regarding oil? Leakage underneath the car at certain spots? Coolant? particular noise / sound? Smoke out of the exhaust? While driving?

I prefer a manual but so far I've only found automatics. I'll give it a test drive and maybe the automatic is not as bad as I think. (i.e. making too much revs, in the wrong gear, too much time between shifting.) What should I check to know the state of the automatic?

Thank you!
 
The RV8 is an incredibly simple engine with almost no vices. It's far simpler and longer lived than the Rover 4 cylinder engine. I won't start on refinement... There's just "more of it" than what people are used to. Parts are super cheap in general too.

I say almost no vices, the only issues are really maintenance oil changes and use of antifreeze. Being alloy the only PITA is bolts which have corroded into the head or block. Anyone working on these needs to be meticulous in using the appropriate anti-seize compound.

Here a good place to start for the engine: RPi Engineering - V8 Engines

It's worth saying that catastrophic failure is rare, what tends to happen with all such US designs is it keeps going forever with less and less power and eventually as much oil as fuel consumption as time goes on. If it stops it's almost certainly your typical fuel/spark and not because anything has snapped. At least in normal driving.

To get a full picture of the condition of the engine you will need to check the bores and the bearings, you just can't avoid that. However if it doesn't make any untoward noises, then remove the valley gasket and check the colour of the block here and the condition of the camshaft. If it is cleanish and no real visible wear then chances are it won't stop working in the near future. If you are inspecting somoeelse's car, then really all you can do is take a peak through the filler and avoid anything with crusty carbon deposits (although likely it will be black).

They can/do leak and both the front timing cover and the rear crank seal. Early engines had rope seals and these shrink and wear over time. You'd be nuts to rebuild one and not change to the later type. Often an oily top end can be rocker or valley gaskets which are an easy fix. It's often difficult to pinpoint the source unless you clean the engine first. Actually these aren't terrible for another reason - at least you are definitely getting oil to the top end. The heads have incredibly narrow oil passages.

We have one or two resident auto experts I leave that to them. The usual fluid colour/level/smell check along with checking the operation of the box and if all the gears are present and not noisy - the obvious. Although expect the lower ratios to whirr and clunk a little, certainly refinement in this area is streets ahead today. The gearbox in terms of performance and enjoyment are to me the limitation of the P6 even when working normally which is why many fit a 5 speed manual or like me the ZF 4 speed auto. Both give the car "legs" for modern motoring. But then all classics are like this and the P6 is better than most.

TBH the two things I'd look for most are body rot and having a good interior. The V8 would be in many ways the least of my concerns. Lifting the rear seats will tell you most of what you need to know on the first issue and this is covered in detail on this forum many times. Good/excellent original secondhand trim is nearly impossible to find, most are likely to be as grotty as what you already have. Many seasoned P6s of my acquaintance actually hoard good trim (you know who you are!).... Retrimming is expensive and won't feel like the original.
 
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