Newbie young comer, researching the P6.

B

biffa

New Member
Hello everyone

my name's Rob, I'm 20 years old and come from a classic car background, but not particularly a classic Rover background.
I am weighing up all the different classic cars of interest to me, and having already started a process of writing and researching various things.
The stage now is to be able to ascertain whether a Rover P6 mk2 2.0 and 2.2 would be ideal as an everyday car and so on...

Going from my most recent experience I'd like to know:

are there mechanical brand names that still supply parts that are of good quality that people have had positive experiences with i.e lucas, bosch, girling etc
Are spares relatively easy to obtain (i.e not going to take more than a couple of days at the very most just to be able to place an order for a part as an example).
What are mk2 p6's like to live with on a daily basis? what is MPG like?
for an average condition (half way point) p6 2.0 or 2.2 automatic with good length mot that doesn't require welding and drives well (but will possibly need a few small niggles sorting during the early stages of ownership, but still usable) and perhaps has a few cosmetic points that need correcting, how much "as a rough figure" would I be looking at spending?
When looking at purchasing, what should I look out for?

Any other information and or opinions are most welcome

Thanks

Rob
 
Hi Rob . Welcome , you've come to the right place here :D I've not had the pleasure of owning a 4 pot , but from what i've heard they make a good daily driver . You may be wise to consider the 2000 for the simple reason of finding a tax exempt one , which you wont with a 2.2 .
Not an expert on the fours but a series 2 will have less " rare " parts than an early car , and probably be a little cheaper pound for pound .
One of the big guns on here will give you a good idea of fuel consumption .
Parts wise , i've never needed anything that would keep it off the road and had to wait more than a couple of days .
Price wise i would say around 1500 quid should see you with a good usable " improver "
I would advise looking into insurance as a first step , before you get too excited though . A few of the younger guys on here have had some disappointments !
Good luck :D
Stina
 
stina said:
Hi Rob . Welcome , you've come to the right place here :D I've not had the pleasure of owning a 4 pot , but from what i've heard they make a good daily driver . You may be wise to consider the 2000 for the simple reason of finding a tax exempt one , which you wont with a 2.2 .
Not an expert on the fours but a series 2 will have less " rare " parts than an early car , and probably be a little cheaper pound for pound .
One of the big guns on here will give you a good idea of fuel consumption .
Parts wise , i've never needed anything that would keep it off the road and had to wait more than a couple of days .
Price wise i would say around 1500 quid should see you with a good usable " improver "
I would advise looking into insurance as a first step , before you get too excited though . A few of the younger guys on here have had some disappointments !
Good luck :D
Stina
Click to expand...


Hi and thank you for your reply,

the insurance isn't an issue and will be more than half what I am paying for my current car.

Thanks

Rob
 
Welcome to the forum Rob, as stina said would be wise to get insurance quotes before embarking on the purchase of any classic. If your under 21 you may find it difficult to find an insurer as I've discovered with my son. I owned a 2000 sc auto some years back for 3 lovely years, it got me hooked and made me look for a v8. To answer a couple of questions, a well serviced and tuned 2000 auto will reach upto 26 round town and 32 on motorways, or at least that was what I achieved in mine. If you can find a tax exempt one pre Jan 1973 that will save you £225 a year but you may have to pay a bit more for the privalage. But at least if you keep it for five or so years it would have paid for it self in the tax savings. As said most parts are readly available and at worst a couple of days wait, its a beautifully engineered car with some lovely touches and a comfortable ride, in my eyes a truly practical classic and every day user. But then I may be some what bias :D
 
Ah, Rob..... thought you might turn up here soon!!!

I know a man who might well be recommissioning such a beast in the near future, so watch out on both this and the Pop Classics site :LOL:

But I'm afraid its not mine :shock: you couldn't afford that one :LOL: :mrgreen: :LOL:
 
Insurance won't be an issue, I am 20 years old and turn 21 not too far off in the future (god.. It wasn't too long ago I was going to high school :LOL:)
insurance on a 2000 "not tax exempt Or.. tax exempt" is £402 fully comp with all kinds of extra cover etc, same with the 2200.. can be beaten, but then depends on the car, but at these kind of insurance prices.. i'm not going to grumble! i.e i've just paid over £1000 to insure a 1.0 mk2 fiesta pop plus.. :evil:

I'm in the process of comparison at the moment and the rover does sound as though "at the minute" it might be more accesible i.e within my budget :LOL: I've always quite liked the big older rovers (they seem big to me.. don't know why :LOL: ) always smoothered in leather and wood.. I'd like that after work, put it in drive, sit back and be wafted home.

a15htn said:
Ah, Rob..... thought you might turn up here soon!!!

I know a man who might well be recommissioning such a beast in the near future, so watch out on both this and the Pop Classics site :LOL:

But I'm afraid its not mine :shock: you couldn't afford that one :LOL: :mrgreen: :LOL:
Click to expand...

Hi buddy :)

I decided to stop responding further to thread on pop classics, as today I made the decission, Triumph ownership isn't for me... so.. went away from things, spoke to my parents for what they thought on things... came back, began researching different cars and such.. here I am and also a member on another new to me club forum too.. learning more about the cars that interest me :LOL:

Rob :)
 
Rob, hello & welcome. I think the P6 2000/2200 definitely falls into the category of a useable everyday classic. If you take some advice from forum members to make sure you get a good one. Although my 22000TC has been off road since last year for some MOT remidial work, over the last four years I have used her for daily commutes in summer months and a few family holidays. I only had to call breakdown once when the diff came loose (and I suspect this was probably down to someone previously not having put all the bolts back in!), There are a few forum members on here that either have or still use their P6s as everyday cars.

A 2000 or 2200 will easily keep up with modrn traffic. After I start driving mine, the ony thing that tends to remind me I am in an old car is a bit of wind noise and lack of 5th gear on the motorway. If you are putting a P6 to serious everday use there are mod's like an LT77 5 speed gearbox you can do, electronoc igntion, headlamp upgrade etc. However, even without this, it is still useable.

I would tend towards going for a manual earlier series 2. The experts on here will correct me if I am wrong but I thing it was later in 1975 that the P6 paint line moved to the new SD1 plant (was it August time in 1975??). The upshot was that earlier S2 cars tend to have lest rust issues. As already said, if you intend to keep the car for a few years, a pre-73 might be a good idea. If you are set on a leather interior, it might make sense to buy a car with a decent one already fitted as it may end up costing you extra to source a decent interior later.

The TC does require a little extra mantenance with 2 carbs and will consume a little more fuel but possibly the only main disadvatange is that the exhaust manifolds tend to give a bit of bother. For out and out reliability, I would tend to go for a 2200SC or for a little extra "grunt" at the expense of reliabilty and slightly increased maintenance, a 2200TC.

Parts availability is excellent. Just about anything can be repaired or replaced at reasonable cost. Also, many of the electrics and carb bits are the same as those used on Triumphs and MGBs etc. so availability is good. There are also a few very reputable Rover parts suppliers who have been around for years (and tend too frequent this forum). Between them, members on this forum and eBay, you shouldn't be stuck for parts.

At a rough guess, around £2000 - £2500 should get you a decent S2 2200 that won't need much work for a year or two.
 
Hi Rob

Yes, I concur, a 4 cylinder P6 is certainly up to the job of a daily driver in modern traffic - except the auto's. They are definitely a tad sluggish unless very carefully set up or fitted with TC heads. If an auto is a must have, then I'd have look and see if insurance will allow you to go for a V8. They are only very slightly thirstier than a 2000Auto.

Of course, we on here would say that the P6 is better than merely competent, it has a superb drivers chassis, the like of which you won't find on any modern car short of exotica. Provided that you get used to the idea that body roll is not the same as bad handling or roadholding. They are particularely good on sweeping A roads and open B roads.

So lets look at the hazards. The first and most crucial hazard is rust in the base unit. The construction is unique in that all the visible outer panels are bolt on and completely irrelevant to the fundamental condition of the car. In other words it can look absolutely beautiful, but be a complete rust bucket underneath. For this reason it is important that you learn how to spot this in cars that you go and see. And don't buy a car that you haven't inspected. But sound cars are out there at reasonable money.

About the only other real hazard is the engine on the 4 cylinder. It's a pretty good motor for it's day, but it is expensive to overhaul if it is shot. It has one particular foible, which is to burn out valves and also to drop valve seat inserts. This is partly accelerated by the fact that valve clearance is set by shims and tends to close up with time. It's fairly tricky to reset valve clearances, but very important to do so. Even with this done on a regular basis the valves are still vulnerable. Oil pressure is very important - it should be around 50 psi hot idle. If low, a con rod out the side beckons. But low oil pressure is surprisingly easy to put right. Main and big end bearings are a routine maintenance item and can be done in situ in the car.

As regards maintence issues, the 2000TC is quite difficult to set the carbs on, and failing to do so will lead to rough low speed running (the 2200TC is much better). And then there are the back brakes and handbrake which are feindishly complex. You will get used to these quickly, but the learning curve is rather steep!

Early S1 2000SC's have a particular charm. S2 TC's are quite sporty in character. Best of all are early (late '73 to early'75) 2200TC's before the change to the later paint process.

Best of luck

Chjris
 
Hi welcome to the forum, great place to start, i m one of the few (maybe) that prefer the 2000/2200 than the v8 :shock: ,i sold a v8 to buy another 2200sc :? i have a 1971 2000sc which i use about 3/4 times a week and it makes a great daily drive. they are so easy to work on and maintain im a total novice when it comes to the workings of a car but even i found it easy. they are great to drive and my 2000sc is very quick on pick up and will cruise at 70 mph all day long ive no idea about above 70 mph as im a speed limit freak lol. :oops:. im sure i get a 28 mpg return but dont quote me on that . but it does seem very good on fuel, not like thous v8s lol. :roll:
Again welcome to the rover p6 there a good group on here and the more young ones we get on here the better for all :wink:
marcus
 
Hi and welcome.

I read your thread on Popular Classics and think you've made the right decision with the P6 :D but then we're all biased here :wink:

I run an early 2000SC as my daily car and cover around 1300 miles a month. I also have a V8 which is currently undergoing surgery but was my daily car until November last year. Fuel consumption from both I would regard as being good for the age and type of cars they are (see figures below). The 2000 is a lovely car to drive but when you drive it as much as I do it will need a fair bit of regular attention to keep it in tip top shape. The thing about running a car of that age every day is that things will go wrong. I usually have something to do at least once a month and it helps to have the comfort of a second car to either rob spares from in the short term or just to have to hand in the event that anything longer term happens. My next big job is to replace the head gasket and do the valve clearances whilst I'm in there. It's also got a slowly worsening oil leak from around the auxilliary drive unit/oil pipes, but other than that it's the routine stuff that helps to keep it in peak performance.

The V8 is a great car to drive every day as everything is just so effortless :D

Good luck in your search.

Dave
 
+1 for recommending a 4-cylinder P6 as a daily-driving first car and classic!

I don't think there's anything I could add to what's been said already. Do you need any more convincing...?!

Michael
 
thing to add is that price does not always reflect condition... go and drive a couple before you buy anything. You can drop lucky and get a good one for less than a grand, and buy a lemon for a lot more!

Rich
 
Actually, did think of one thing to add!

You asked about parts availability for the 4-cylinder cars: 98% brilliant. There is a huge stock of good, usable second-hand parts out there which are stupidly cheap when compared to the equivalent Jaguar part (which is often the same level of complexity and availability).
As already mentioned, there is also a lot of parts commonality between the 2000/2200 and other cars - alternators, radiators, distributors, carbs, starter motors, etc are all shared with other British cars of the time, making replacement parts competitively priced and readily available from a broad range of suppliers.
That said, the supply of old stock parts (original service items) is drying up, and many previously cheap parts are now only available remanufactured at eye-watering prices. Specifically for the 2000/2200:
-bearing shells (main, con rod and camshaft)
-piston rings
-exhaust valves
-timing chains
-exhaust manifolds
-engine block side plates
are all items I had considerable difficulty finding cheaply! Fortunately, most of these are only necessary for engine rebuilds, but bottom end bearings need doing at 50k mile intervals or so (I imagine depending on the nature of the mileage to date - if all motorway miles, the need will be less so), so factor this into any cars you view.
The specialist P6 suppliers have a good stock of remanufactured parts so none of the above is entirely unobtainable.... for a price!
The only other parts that are hard to come by in my experience are all items of trim (not remanufactured). Good rear bumpers are rare as they tend to be bent, dinged, pitted or hazey, and rechromed or NOS items are a small fortune! Rear light clusters seem to de-chrome themselves as well, so worth factoring that into a screen price. Boot-mounted spare kits, the desirable 'ET' shape headrests, and original wood-rim steering wheels all command £100+ on ebay, and chrome Rostyle wheels (if available) need a mortgage! Strangely, good used leather interiors are often under £100, and switchgear, instrument binnacles and other interior trim regularly times out at 99p with no bidders on ebay.

Michael
 
JVY said:
The experts on here will correct me if I am wrong but I thing it was later in 1975 that the P6 paint line moved to the new SD1 plant (was it August time in 1975??). The upshot was that earlier S2 cars tend to have lest rust issues.
Click to expand...

This is true I think from personal experience. From what I've seen over the last few years intensive P6'ing there are phases of build quality...

Early cars until approx 1967 were built by The Rover Company, out of the shadow of BL and do appear to be the best put together of them all IMHO.

Cars from 1968-1970 seem to suffer from worse corrosion issues than those surrounding them. This also affects early 3500's. This could be down to the steel being used in those days by Pressed Steel to make the base units etc. Triumph had notorious rot problems at the same time.

Early Series II cars are the most numerous survivors, and the quality appears best from 1971-1974-ish.

Anything built after December 1975 will have been painted in the SD1 paintshop and they are rare to find in decent condition, they did not have the care and attention lavished on them that the earlier cars seem to (although at the moment we are recomissioning a 1976 2200 auto for a customer and it's in very good order - surprising for one built then)
Cheers
Nick
 
rockdemon said:
thing to add is that price does not always reflect condition... go and drive a couple before you buy anything. You can drop lucky and get a good one for less than a grand, and buy a lemon for a lot more!

Rich
Click to expand...

Amen to that Rich. Bang on the money. A really good useable 2000 can be had for a grand, but it won't be pretty.
 
biffa said:
I decided to stop responding further to thread on pop classics, as today I made the decission, Triumph ownership isn't for me...
Click to expand...
Might I suggest that you have the courtesy to say so on Popular Classics as there are still people giving you helpful advice there.
 
Willy Eckerslyke said:
biffa said:
I decided to stop responding further to thread on pop classics, as today I made the decission, Triumph ownership isn't for me...
Click to expand...
Might I suggest that you have the courtesy to say so on Popular Classics as there are still people giving you helpful advice there.
Click to expand...

Thanks :shock: I'd forgotten about replying, I was intending on replying this morning.

Rob
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top