Introducing Eve

Cafcpete

Active Member
All about EVE.
What can I say about EVE?

Well she had the most beautifully shaped body I had ever seen, and what a performer! It was love at first sight.

This was 1988 and I was in my first well(ish) paid job, a slim 20 year old driving a Morris minor i had inherited from mum, and looking for that perfect upgrade.Morris 1987.jpg

I had been toying with the idea for a while and had put feelers out, and looked in all the usual places, but the ones I had seen just didn’t do it for me.

Even back then there were too many ropey bodies with saggy rear ends.

But EVE…………. She was different, she was just perfect.

Born in 1976, she was 11 when we meet, but that didn’t matter to me, I had to have her.

She was in the care of a doctor at the time (her second owner), but after a long discussion and a fair bit of money changing hands (my first bank loan) she was coming home with me!

You know how it goes; its not till you get home and have that first wash and wipe down with a leather plus a good buff up, that you can truly tell how good a body you have got your hands on.

Eve didn’t disappoint. So smooth and sensuous, with no blemishes that I could feel. How I loved buffing that body.

Oh didn’t I say?

Eve was a P6.
RWV 518R to be precise.

But not any old P6, oh no, she was the most beautiful white 3500 PAS auto with brown/tan leather interior, Sundym glass and only about 30,000 miles under her belt.

With an RWV number plate (Really Whizzy Vehicle) why is her name Eve I hear you ask.

Well she looked so innocent in white, and I was in paradise, but I knew on my wages she could easily bring about my down fall!

We lived happy together for 4 years, but not without incidents. She was a fickle and demanding mistress to have.

Several times she left me stranded at the side of the road for no apparent reason (iffy coil), once requiring me to push her to safety up a rather steep slope.

Plus the splines striped on the heater flap, meaning that until fixed I could only get heat by using a cotton bud to keep it open…..

Relations were stained for a while, but then every couple has their ups and downs.

But she did play a large part in bringing my future wife and I together; She loved coming out for long drives but I was never quite sure whether she loved me or Eve more…….

She was one of the wedding car, bringing my wife to the church on our wedding day.
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But true to her name, the strain of only 14 MPG on a man newly married was beginning to take its toll.

Being sensible, something had to give, but I didn’t want to let her go (and my wife defiantly didn’t), and I wouldn’t have done if not for a good friend luring her away.

He had been making eyes at Eve of a while, having fallen under her spell since he performed chauffeuring duty with her at my wedding (see above).

What could I do, but let her go. Thinking she would be better off with him, knowing he could give her the love and attention that I couldn’t. But I didn’t stop loving her.


Then in 1994 my friend, also finding Eve’s insatiable desire for petrol too much for his salary told me he would have to let Eve go, and that I could get her back if I wished.

Did I ever; you never forget your first love, and she was back in my arms before he could change him mind.

We had another happy two years together, but time was being to take a toll, with a few blemishes beginning to mare that lovely body (see below the bubbles on front wing etc), but she was still beautiful to me.


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I still couldn’t really afford her demands for fuel, so in June 1996 when her tax had run out I tucked her up in the garage with every intention of restoring her to her former glory.

I bought a couple of new wings and a replacement heater unit, but didn’t get around to fitting them and they just stayed stored….waiting…


Many years past, during which time I had many cheaper to run Rovers (820SE 216EFI 827 Coupe MetroGTI) but Eve still lurked in the garage.
Sometimes I did think of selling her, as she was just wasting away and I didn’t have the time to get her back on the road; but every time I started her up my wife would say ‘don’t even think about selling Eve, you will only regret it!’.

So I didn’t, and she stayed neglected but not unloved in the garage.

That was until August last year…when she started getting a full going over, and hopefully will be back on the road in April/May :)

What prompted this action?

Well a few things really.

Firstly I meet Stan (Vaultsman) a lovely chap,
Another tick on the Bucket List!
and he told me about his 3500S Occey and all the work he had done to make her gorgeous . He pointed me to the classic rover forum where once again I got drawn into the world of P6’s. This laid a seed for getting Eve going again.

Then we had some building work done on the house that required access though the garage, so I had to move Eve outside. This meant that some work was needed to get her mobile again.

She was working her way back into my heart.
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By now my honouree nephew (really a dear friends son, but as I claim her as my sister….), after a year of me saying how great rover v8’s were decided he was going to convert his diesel powered Defender to a mega squirted V8, and when he acquired a 3.9 for himself he also got one for me……. The thought of spending time with Doug working on cars was very appealing and with talk of engine rebuilds going on, and parts being bought I began thinking I better get Eve ready so we had somewhere to put this new engine.

Then lastly a stranger came knocking at my door. He had seen Eve on my driveway during the building work, and wondered if I was going to restore it, and if I was, would I like to join a local all make classic car club? If I did want to join the club he would collect me in his 1940’s Vauxhall the following night and take me to the club night.

How could I refuse this offer, and the following night I was back in the classic car world and loving it. I needed Eve back so I could be a full member again…….

Its at this point I realised I no longer had the skills needed to get Eve on the road. So looking though a club magazine I saw a specialist garage advertising restorations, and on a whim gave them a call. I spoke with Colin Gould who would be delighted to have a look ad see what needed doing. Only trouble was he was in oxford and I was in SE London. Not a problem he said, he would arrange collection, and I could come up a few days later and we could talk about what needed doing.

Well when I got up to Colin’s I found there had been a problem getting Eve off the transporter. The winch wire had snapped and now Eve had a damaged boot. Not such a problem as when looking around his parts shelves I saw a lovely series 1 boot with wheel mount kit. It belonged to Chris York having come off of Lucky but was sold :( .

I needed to talk to Chris, and when I did I found that the person he had sold it to was progressing with his car slower than anticipated and he would sell me Lucky’s boot and Vitesse wheels.

It was then that I got to see Eve properly. Colin had her naked, striped back to the shell. There were all the usual rust problems, plus a few mice related ones……Like me, they also had falling in love with Eve, and inside the ns outer sill they had made a nice nest plus had taken a liking to eating the rear seat….

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As Eve had been standing for so long all the breaking and suspension systems would need restoring/replacing and new carpet (mice) fitting plus all the welding etc etc. None of this was going to be a problem for Colin, just a stain on my bank balance!

So I told him to go ahead and get the work done.


This to include

Full mechanical restoration
Full body restoration including re skining all the doors.
Full panel off respray and re-trim including new vinyl on roof and rear panels.

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Little upgrades on the way to include

LED head lights
New laminated and heated front screen
Fully rebuilt, balanced 3.9(+20 bore), skimmed heads with waisted guides and stems, Yella Tera roller rockers and upgraded oil pump.
123 ignition
Fully rebuilt LDV ZF 4 speed auto box
Uprated suspension with larger ARB
Stainless steel bumpers
Vitesse wheels and boot with spare mount kit (courtesy of Chris York and Lucky)

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When I get her home she will be off to have a new Tudor Wabasto roof fitted by a gentleman who has been doing it for over 40 years.

Then Doug and I can start working together and look at fitting that EFI system, and letting Stan have the 123!

I am not proud that this has had to be a cheque book restoration, but I am very pleaded with Colin’s work (if not the bills!) and can’t wait to get Eve back in a couple of months.

You can’t put a price on Love.
Well I found out that actual you can, and its bloody expensive!
But if I think I am spreading the cost over 30 years, then, per year, it not to bad at all.


Happy Rovering.

Peter (cafcpete)
 
An amazing story. Hope Eve really proves to be the girl of your dreams when you get her home!
Ever thought of joining the P6 Rover Owners' Club? They would love to print your story in their magazine I am sure. If interested contact Deborah Stanley on 01484 607772.
 
Thank you Riddler, I forgot to say having meet Stan I rushed out and joined both the ROC and The P6 club.
When Chris York agreed to sell me the bonnet I did promise him an article, but I think it needs to wait until Eve is finished!
 
Yes they fit under P6 covers. They would need a spacer if used with later covers as they have a steel plate inside to help with oil distubution.
Mind you the engine hasn't been fired up yet, so I can't say hand on heart they won't knock, but the supplier said they would work!
 
Thank you Riddler, I forgot to say having meet Stan I rushed out and joined both the ROC and The P6 club.
When Chris York agreed to sell me the bonnet I did promise him an article, but I think it needs to wait until Eve is finished!
Well I think your story is good enough to run now - with a follow-up. Give Deborah a ring!
 
It does look smart :) Colin has built it up and done the detailing, the manifolds are 3500S with a ceramic coating. People recommend tubular RPI manifolds but I wasn't happy with the amount of heat that would generate, or the cost (I used the manifold money on the gearbox rebuild!).
 
didn't have a clue that heated front windows are available for rover p6? love the information. sadly I can't even afford to replace my slush box with a 4 speed but hey nice to see others doing it right. I think you also have power steering ( really jealous now) do enjoy and post more when all completed .thanks for sharing.
 
I don't think they were available as original (someone will correct me!) but Pilkington do make now :)

"
We can supply you with a green heated version for £338.50 or a green heated version with a green top tint for £344.58.

An unheated version in green with green top tint would cost £244.58.

Prices quoted exclude VAT and UK Mainland delivery is £25 inc. VAT.
"
 
They were available as original, which is why Pilkington has the design. I have one of theirs in the garage at the moment; it's a nice unit.
 
I obviously haven't seen the finished article yet (made to order, 4 weeks away) but was told it uses micro wire elements the same as current ford screens. Did the originals use these too?
 
On early cars the rear screens use these with a couple of conductors through the middle. Later cars reverted to what we now consider conventional. I dont know about others, but on mine the rear windscreen isn't fast to clear like a ford windscreen.
 
Thinking about it my old S-Type's rear screen also used micro wires, but also wasn't that quick to clear!
 
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