NADA 3500S Anyone? (Not mine!)
- Thread starter keynsham1
- Start date
GRTV8
Well-Known Member
mrtask
Well-Known Member
Oh my, that is really nice.
In the text of the ad the seller says he will be adding some interior shots shortly.
That is a really lovely example, which looks as if no expense has been spared getting it to that state. Hence the price, which although on the high side for a P6, is probably about what it would cost to bring a lesser example up to that standard. There really can't be many US export cars here in the UK, and fewer still in that kind of condition. I wish I had deep pockets, that would do me very nicely indeed!
I wonder why the seller wants to move it on!? Maybe they enjoy restoration more than ownership!?
In the text of the ad the seller says he will be adding some interior shots shortly.
That is a really lovely example, which looks as if no expense has been spared getting it to that state. Hence the price, which although on the high side for a P6, is probably about what it would cost to bring a lesser example up to that standard. There really can't be many US export cars here in the UK, and fewer still in that kind of condition. I wish I had deep pockets, that would do me very nicely indeed!
I wonder why the seller wants to move it on!? Maybe they enjoy restoration more than ownership!?
keynsham1
Active Member
I have had mine for 14 years now and did a three-year restoration when I got it. I have probably touched every nut and bolt on it. I can't imagine selling it even though I don't use it very much. They do become a member of the family!
The day it was delivered in 2008!
Fourteen years later!
The day it was delivered in 2008!
Fourteen years later!
Thanks for the kind comments everyone, very much appreciated. I will be adding some interior pics by the end of the weekend. I’d decided a few weeks ago that it was time to sell, but the decision to put it on car & classic was a spur of the moment thing, invoked by a few beers, so hence the lack of interior pics, the ones in the add were the ones I had to hand on my phone! It should be at Bressingham on Sunday, so I’ll have the chance to take some better pics then.
eggbert68b
Member
Indeed a fine car. Quick question, are the wheels 15’’, perhaps an optical illusion.
Nope, proper 14” 5&1/2 J.
GRTV8
Well-Known Member
OMG
like buying a new one
I have some familiarity with American cars, and can state with some confidence that forced induction is not necessary for emissions control.
The bonnet (hood) styling of the NADA P6 is about the ugliest thing I have ever seen on a car – it looks like it has been styled by a 12-year-old after watching Thunderbirds. And I am not knocking the condition of any of the cars shown here - just the aesthetics.
Like the other NADA adaptations (bigger bumpers…), the scoops are just some odd way of attempting to appeal to the American consumer.
If you want to see scoops done better, just take a look at the Shelby Mustangs of the same era.
GRTV8
Well-Known Member
You just pointed out the elephant in the room.
Oh, everyone knows they’re ugly?
Sorry, I just wanted to point out that bonnet scoops are not a function of emissions control… and got a little carried away.
chrisw
Well-Known Member
Try running that engine in very hot environments, when the engine bay is packed full of kit, including the air conditioning setup, and see how long it takes to overheat. The scoops are needed.
keynsham1
Active Member
I have to say I really like the bonnet scoops. They are the first thing that people notice when they see my car as they are so blatantly 'not there' on UK cars which are what most people remember, when they come over and say, "my dad had one of those!". I am a bit biased though! I like the NADA look. It is very American with its flashy wheels (Magstars with triple eared spinners on mine!), blacked out grille and more purposeful aggressive look. Parked next to a standard 3500, you can see why bank managers liked the UK version, being typically British and sensible!
Everyone has their favorite models though for all sorts of reasons!!
Everyone has their favorite models though for all sorts of reasons!!
keynsham1
Active Member
Actually the centre one is very much to do with emissions control. It allows cold air in and with hot air from the manifold, a constant temperature air is sucked into the engine allowing for the correct density and hence oxygen content, to fully burn the fuel from the carbs. It is really rather clever. These days engine management can control fuel flow via an ECU but Rover didn't have that luxury in 1969!!
I wrote, and I maintain the point, that induction scoops are not required for emissions control. There are any number of cars of that era, in the North American market (specifically in California), that do not have induction hoods, and some have much larger engines too.
Some of the cars in that market, without the scoops (and larger engines), are even British designs - eg XJ6/12 and E-types.
The only practical purpose induction serves is to increase airflow through the carb and perhaps increase compression (and hence power) in the same way that a turbo-charger does. Albeit with lower power advantage.
With regard to overheating, the most common way for a vehicle to overheat (if it has a properly functioning cooling system), is idling in traffic in hot weather. Bonnet scoops will have no effect on alleviating that problem - because they only have effect when the vehicle is moving.
For cooling, a better solution are rear facing louvres, as used in the E-type, 67/68 Mustang GT hood and some Corvettes (but even this is not necessary, because not all models have this feature).
I can't quite say that "every" car of this era had some form of airflow control, that did not involve induction scoops, in order to adjust the mix of hot and cold air introduced to the carburettor. But I know that Rover did not invent such a concept, and many, many cars, in many markets across the world, had such a feature.
The only real surprise here is that even late British four cylinder p6s did not (but you'll note that the air box inlet on four cylinder cars goes almost to the radiator).
The most common form this takes is a valve in the air filter inlet, that alternately takes in cool air from somewhere towards the front of the engine (where there is cooler incoming air) or from a path above the exhaust manifolds. These often also have a vacuum function, that moves the valve on accelleration.
On a modern (or even ancient) car with a turbo, it is known that cooler air is more efficient at boosting power (I suppose because it is more dense than hot air), so you will find air routed from the front of the car, or underneath, to the air filter box – rather than taking air from the within the engine bay.
Hmm, well, that's a lot of hot air expended.