Hi From Tauranga, NZ

K

KiwiMike

New Member
Hello Group
I'll make a quick introduction.... my names Mike Todd and I live in Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty, NZ.
I've had a long association with Rovers that started around 1982 with a series 1 3500. Since that time I've had another series 1, a series 2 automatic, 2 Range Rover Classics (only they weren't classics when I owned them, just old), a SD1 Rover Vitesse (pretty rare in NZ as they were never sold by dealers here), my present 3500S which I've owned for the last 25 years and a Rover? MGF (does that count?) for my daughters use.
I took the 3500S off the road 15 years ago for a quick freshen up......yeah, I know 15 years isn't quick, but life can transpire to keep you busy while the kids are growing.
I used to live in Wellington and in the 80s was a member and Chairman for a while, of the Wellington Rover Car Club and member of the British Car Club.
With the car off the road for so many years, a family to bring up and a business to run, I fell out of the car club scene for quite a while.
I have a few friends with garage ornaments and one of them is in danger of getting his 22 year old project on the road soon, which has spurred me into action. I always told him I'd beat him and have mine on the road 1st. I have a feeling he's won this one, but may be I can get mine mobile again even if it still needs all the body work doing, before he has his warranted and registered.
I'll have to replace pretty much every rubber seal, the radiator and probably pull the motor down.
Well, with a large to do list, I can see myself spending quite some time here on the forum. I'll certainly appreciate all the help from you all and look forward to hearing from other enthusiasts and possibly meeting up with anyone local.
Thanks
Mike
 

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KiwiMike said:
I have a few friends with garage ornaments and one of them is in danger of getting his 22 year old project on the road soon, which has spurred me into action.
Click to expand...

That wouldn't be the bloke putting a RV8 and LT77 into a Reliant Scimitar would it?

Welcome aboard anyway.
 
Thanks for the welcome and to answer some of the above, no none of my mates are doing the V8 into Scimitar swaps. One's got a Mk2 Triumph 2500, 5 years in the garage, another's got a couple of 50's Daimler Conquests, 30 years in his garage and another's about to get his 47 Dodge back on the road. Damn it, I used to make fun of the fact that it sat for 25 years before he got on to it, now I know how that happens....and no there's not a lot of rust in the Rover. She's pretty good really. The base units really very good. I did some welding around the jacking points and a couple of small areas else where, but there's a bit in the doors. The main problem is the paint work as it's got crazing all through it, from what I presume was a paint reaction after a respray. It'll all have to come off. Where to do a new paint job is the hold up.
While I've always stuck to Rovers, my brothers had a more varied classic selection over the years, Triumph 2500PI, Jensen Healey, Jensen Interceptor, Reliant Scimitar, Rovers P5B and P6B.
I'm really annoyed I never bought the Interceptor off him!!!
 
I think the interceptors are very overrated cars but that said they seem to be a great classic investment.
What I do like that Jensen did is the 541 far more rare and pretty in every respect.
I am not a great fan of total strip and rebuilds as it takes the car off the road at best for a long time and more usually they sit for 10 or more years before being carted off to the tip or scrapper, far better in my mind is rolling restoration where you get to use the car all the time and no chance of scrapping it.

Graeme
 
We'll have to disagree on the Interceptor, Graeme.
Believe me, when you drive a well sorted one in good condition I think you'd change your mind......well....until you have to gas it up again.
Yes we do agree on rolling restorations though. Although I never thought I'd fall into the trap I did.
I'm now going to attempt the one step at a time method. Get one thing done before moving on to the next.
 
Hi there KiwiMike. I'm envious of your louvered bonnet! I really want to get that done to mine! Also, great wheels! Are they Wolfrace? Or 100+ ? Or Compomotive? Or Bechtel? You guys seem to have a few alloy wheels down there to fit the P6 that we didn't get here in Europe!? Good luck getting your car back on the road, doesn't look as if you've much to do! Keep us up to date as your project progresses! We all love a photo diary, almost as much as I love exclamation marks!
 
Hello KiwiMike
Great place to hang out on here . You won't get much fishing done though .
You are a mirror image of me from what you've done with cars .
My very first car was a Bradford truck when I got my license at 15 . Then the flood gates opened . Started with a clapped out cortina and bought and sold up to a lotus [ ex jim richards ] what would that be worth now ?
A gaggle of Daimlers . Sec of King country vintage CC . More old cars and fiddling about .
Tourist delivery P6 in 72 . Sold in 75 for a deposit on a herd of cows . More old cars but less fiddling and more cunning . Bought my old P6 back , and still have .
Are you in agriculture , seeing as you live in Tauranga and have a MF n the garage ? Thats not normal behaviour for a townie .
Quite a few kiwi's on here , even the odd Pilkie will pop up .
May our paths cross one day
Gerald
 
Hi Guys
I had the bonnet louvered when I 1st took the car off the road. It's undercoated but still needs a lot of work before the top coat.
The mags are period Cheviots. Cheviots were an Australian manufacturer I believe. They are unusual as I've never seen them on another Rover here. I bought them about 22 or 23 years ago, cleaned them up and had them powder coated. They still look like new to this day.
The tractors for mowing new subdivisions here in suburbia. Papamoa, which is the area of Tauranga I live is going through a building frenzy right now.
I've got a couple of rear calliper kits on the way across from the home country to get the work started. Wow, I can't believe how much is available for the P6 now.
It'll certainly make the rebuild easier and the postie busy.

Mike :)
 
Hi Kiwimike,
I see a lot of Kiwis replying to you. So here's another, I lived in a close suburb of Papamoa, Otumoetai. I lived there in the 1990's before moving to Christchurch (before the devastating earthquake)! I then came to the UK, but my brother lives in Invercargill!
Here I own & run a 1974 P6b 3500 auto. I bought her about six years ago. But I won't bore you (and others) with my car, this is about you.
So welcome to the forum and if I can be of help, just let me know!

Paul
 
Thanks for the welcome Paul.
Hope all's going well for you there and the earths not moving.
It appears that Christchurch is at last picking it's self up and dusting it's self off after the quake.
The P6 is a great everyday classic and I'm pretty jealous of your having all those parts right on your door step.
I suppose our main advantage, is that we don't need replacement panels sent through the mail. Still a few P6 appearing on Trademe, but you don't see them around and about much now.
 
Welcome to the forum Mike :)

Cheviots were indeed an Australian wheel, and although I had seen numerous other cars with them fitted, I have still only seen one local P6B running with them.

Ron.
 
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