Blue P6 estate in Norfolk - rarity spotted

R

red-rover

New Member
was out and about in my area last week and spotted a blue P6 estate parked on a driveway in Palgrave, Norfolk. looked quite tidy, J reg, with ELL prefix, Who's is it?
 
I passed the house today and there's now an almond V8 parked in the drive. Often there's a four cylinder white series one or red series two parked outside. I understand that the chap who used to run Turnpike Motors, funny enough near where I used to live in London, has moved near Diss, so it could be him.
 
Yes, I noticed the almond one there a week or so ago, would be interesting to find out more about this chap, looked a very tidy car. Out of interest, if you keep going into Diss on the same road (Rose Lane) there's a chap on the left that does a lot of pre 70's banger racing, (not something I particularly like) but it might be worth keeping an eye out for whatever he's got parked outside his workshop, sadly P6's are still favoured among the banger brigade and as these guys strip the cars down before they race them, they could be a good source of much needed parts. I'm surprised how many P6's are still around in the area, there's a Garage on the B1149 Norwich to Holt road with a Mexico brown 3500 minus engine been sat outside for months now.
 
I forgot to mention, recently spotted a white series 2 (not sure if it's a 4 cyl or V8) parked on a drive in Gissing, in front of it is a very tatty Jensen Healey convertible, any takers on these?
 
red-rover said:
was out and about in my area last week and spotted a blue P6 estate parked on a driveway in Palgrave, Norfolk. looked quite tidy, J reg, with ELL prefix, Who's is it?
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The car belongs to Rover P6 Club member Humphrey Stevens, I'm not sure if he's as member of the P6ROC.

Humphrey is a true Viking who owns probably the oldest surviving 2000 auto (1966 ex-factory car), probably the oldest 1970 Series II 2000 auto, a 1971 2000SC (which I've never seen but is apparently beautiful) and a P4 Rover 60, as well as the 3500 estate. A lovely chap.

Cheers
Nick
 
Mike Griffiths said:
I passed the house today and there's now an almond V8 parked in the drive. Often there's a four cylinder white series one or red series two parked outside. I understand that the chap who used to run Turnpike Motors, funny enough near where I used to live in London, has moved near Diss, so it could be him.
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That will be him. Business is apparently brisk. Humphrey (the owner of the 3500 estate) lives only a mile or so away)
 
red-rover said:
.....sadly P6's are still favoured among the banger brigade and as these guys strip the cars down before they race them...
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Traditionally P6's are very unpopular with the banger brigade, which is why there are many many more survivors still loitering in gardens/drives/sheds than the Triumph 2000/2500 for example.

Because of the basic design of the P6 base unit - designed to fold up from the front in the event of a collision (I know first hand - it's saved me serious injury this year...) they are really useless as bangers, as if hit at the right angle it's all over very quickly..

I do hear reports of P6's being raced, but it's rare, and I suspect by people who aren't aware of the folding ability.

Cheers
Nick
 
Must be just an East Anglian thing, I went as a reluctant observer to a pre 70's event not long ago and there must have been about five or six p6's on the track, along with several triumph 2000/2500 models and the usual BMC farina bodied cars, Mk2 jags etc. Absolutely criminal! worst of all was the 1949 standard which got smashed, such a rare car! I know it's a contentious issue and much debated in the classic car magazines, but I honestly cannot see the appeal of banger racing at all, be it classic or modern cars, too dangerous for my liking. It's much more fun to be had restoring and driving the cars, biggest danger is skinned knuckles or arc eye.
 
Same here, I've always assumed they folded too easily.

I annually go to a couple of Northampton and Wimbledon track 'bigger' events and I can't recall seeing many P6 in the last 15 years, not any that stood out anyhow. But so many P5/P4, Triumphs 2000/2500, etc. There are far more BMC 1800/2200 Landcrabs going out, and how many of those do you see on the road ?

Although I enjoy, I do wince when the cars going out are straighter and more valuable than what I drove to the event in...

When you speak to the drivers they generally tend to be petrol heads with cherished cars back in the garage at home - but keep back for racing certain 'too-far-gone' cars (after all are discarded by the previous owners when brought into the yard). Generally.
....Unfortunately the one-upmanship is rife, and occasionally I recognise an eBay bidder with matching race name...
 
It's horses for courses.

My friend Duncan (who years ago was Events Co-Ordinator for the P6ROC) has been involved with the banger world for many years. He's also restored a beautiful Wolseley 16/60 in recent years, and is now the proud owner and restoring a super 1971 Tobacco Leaf 3500S. I cannot see the problem with racing complete basket cases. The degree of care and art that goes into prepping these cars is incredible, all for about 30 seconds worth of adrenalin, frequently. I've never seen anything raced that wasn't otherwise going straight to the crusher.

What is upsetting, and I've seen on eBay recently, is people breaking good cars for parts, cars that could have lived on - There have been several P6 broken on eBay in recent times which were obviously NOT breakers. (the very nice looking Avecado V8 with very low mileage broken recently being a case in point).

Cheers
Nick
 
totaly agree with you Nick, I used to banger, and some of the car I raced werent even fit for crusher, A lot of people see the cars on the track and think, well they run and look good in there shinny paint (yes I used to give my cars a blow over to make them look good) but never came to the pit to talk to the drivers, If they had they would have noticed the amount of cars running "Strange engines" I race quite a few cars using the same 2 litre ford (pinto for the train spoters) engine.
from jags to granadas (never a p6) but I once did race a p4 100, that was so rotten that when I got it back to get ready to race it left more on the flat bed than came off, (this car was basicaly a very rotten shell and it took 3 weeks of welding and bodging to get strong enough to pass to race)


Banger racres also (or I did) seem to keep loads of bits of , screens lights trim etc these coming on the market to help those that wanted to restore cars, many of the granada racers I knew also had very nice granada road cars.
 
Red rover you must be near me....i am at hinderclay....that bloke near diss is dave aldous he is friendly and always willing to help...if you see something you like outside his make him a offer...near to kerry foods at redgrave there is a bloke on the corner of the b1113 who has several rovers.and round the corner from him there was a rover p6 in white a few years ago.it isnt there now as it went to scrap (i know i took it..and it was very rusty.it folded in half when lifted.)
 
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