Restomod P4

Ninety Niner

New Member
Here we go then. Plan is to restore and modify a 1953 P4 to use as my daily driver. Body off repairs to body and chassis. Lowered a tad. adjustable shocks, heavy duty roll bar, front disk brakes, period wire wheels, period mechanical power steering, negative earth alternator, twin carb, 3ltr straight 6 Rover engine, improved lighting, modern electrics, improved windscreen wipers, improved instruments and switches, custom interior, full webasto sun roof, air conditioning.

It's important to me that everything looks period. Only Rover geeks will see the mods, I hope.
 

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Body came off just before Christmas. Hope to have the body and chassis blasted, and basic structural repairs complete by end of Feb.
 

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Welcome
Looks to be a great project !
Keep the pics coming, and bung a LOAD of stuff in the P4 section of the site...…….. it's a bit quiet down there :)
 
One can make the wipers into two speed ones version with a different switch & keep the parking function.
 
Sounds like a great project. You are not tempted to use a V8 to make the ultimate period Q car?
 
Hi Mike, yeah it'd be the obvious and more sensible thing possibly, if I was after ultimate power. Been done many times now. But, I really like straight sixes, and I don't want it to look too modified when done. I've not seen twin carbs on a 3 ltr with weslake head before, either.
 
One can make the wipers into two speed ones version with a different switch & keep the parking function.

Surely the wiper motor needs to be two speed? I guess two speeds could be achieved from a single speed motor by using a two way switch with one side wired through an intermittent timer gizmo?

I was also wandering if the momentary function of a flasher type column stalk would operate the wash and wipers while held on. Then the wipers self park when released, just like being turned on and off normally?
 
I might have the wiring diagram somewhere, I will have a look to see if I can find it , I sold my P4 some years ago but still have the switch lurking about as I never got round to changing it.
 
Chassis and bodyshell blasted...
 

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more pics...
 

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Here we go then. Plan is to restore and modify a 1953 P4 to use as my daily driver. Body off repairs to body and chassis. Lowered a tad. adjustable shocks, heavy duty roll bar, front disk brakes, period wire wheels, period mechanical power steering, negative earth alternator, twin carb, 3ltr straight 6 Rover engine, improved lighting, modern electrics, improved windscreen wipers, improved instruments and switches, custom interior, full webasto sun roof, air conditioning.

It's important to me that everything looks period. Only Rover geeks will see the mods, I hope.

I noticed that in picture 75_1, that there is a series one Land-rover, an amazing vehicle.
I restored one over 9 years, when parts were still plentiful, back in the eighties.
Used it on the property for many years, the boys all learnt to drive and change gears in it.
Finally restored it for the second time and sold it last year for a handsome pot of gold.
I would be restoring the series 1, and put the 90 on the back-burner, for when you have nothing to do after work and play ? :cool:;):):p
Peter
 
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Repaired chassis. Body back on chassis temporarily now, to do repairs to bodyshell.
 

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Not tempted to have the chassis galvanised?
I have some experience of hot dip galvanising vintage chassis. It's tempting. Downside is if it requires accident damage repairs in the future, the galvanising complicates matters. I figure it's lasted this well for 65 years in a wet climate, it should see me to the end of my days in the sunny climate I'm in now :)
 
Hi Peter,
It's not very different from a Land Rover chassis. My first reaction when looking under my P4 was "Bloody hell, this looks familiar!", and not without good reason of course.
Hi Ninety,
I hadn't spotted that you're somewhere so warm and sunny. :)
 
I've been back on this doing odds n ends as time and money permits. Big development was scoring a 1950 chassis and a few parts unique to the 49/50 cars, The Cyclops body was largely gone. So the car has slightly changed direction, at least in appearance. The 53 body is on the 50 chassis but will be retaining the Cyclops front end look, but using 53 wings. It's become a series 1.5, P4, 3Ltr :) The original proposed spec still stands. The front running gear has been modified with later upper wishbones and disks, and it now sits on wire wheels.
 
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