Tim's 2000 SC auto

TimBC

New Member
I thought I'd start a topic to document my P6 project. It was delivered this morning and so far very impressed by it's condition. Apparently it was stored underground for a number of years.

A mouse appears to have recently moved in, he hasn't chewed up much so far but seems determined to keep his nest in the back seat. I have other ideas, and so does my cat.

The underside is very sound, and the worst part of the car is the floorpan in the front passenger side where the carpet is badly stained from a water leak. No holes though so it should clean up ok.

The new battery is charging so I will have a go at starting it up later on.

Tim
 

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Good work - I look forward to hearing more of this project.

TimBC said:
A mouse appears to have recently moved in, he hasn't chewed up much so far but seems determined to keep his nest in the back seat. I have other ideas, and so does my cat.

I used to own a car that had been home to generations of mice - they even had their own rodent access point which I would have seen for myself when I went to view the car if I could have been bothered to remove the rear seats like they teach you on Day 1 at How to buy a Rover P6 school.



DSCF0050 by

EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

Seeing as I was too lazy to do this, Tom discovered the unwanted optional extra "door" when the car arrived at Lake View and promptly welded it up but not before the terrified passengers had fled their home and were setting off the Lake View burglar alarm.

The car spent a night in central Manchester before it went to Lake View, which must have been a truly terrifying experience for the rustic rodents.

Tom doesn't have a cat so he trapped the Welsh mice the old fashioned way.
To be fair to the mice, they were very careful and didn't do any damage - Tom showed me the carefully woven nest on the underside of one of the rear seats - those seats are just fine to this day in my Blue McFoo.
 
Just a brief update to convince myself I am making progress!

After having stripped a complete '67 TC for parts I now have a shedful of spares but still no working engine. I swapped the starter motors just before Christmas in the hope of getting her spinning but it has become clear the engine itself is seized - although I can't see how the pistons could be and am looking squarely at the transmission/torque converter as the culprit. The crank cannot be turned by hand and the car, being an auto, can't be pushed to unseize it.

Which means engine out.

which means, do I put the same one back in? There are three options. Same motor back in, TC motor in (which would make a TC auto which will, I believe, require some witchcraft to make the kickdown cable work with the twins), or... I happen to have a nice SD1 V8 with airflap injection, plus an 14cux EFI I salvaged from a '95 Disco, just lying around with nowhere to go.

I am aware - having had a 3500 in the past - that the engine bays are different but I also know it has been done. Converting to manual is a possibility too - I do have a LT77 from a TR7, and a bellhousing, but no flywheel and spigot although I'm sure I could find one. I didn't get the pedal box from the TC but it is still around so I could fetch it.

If it proves too much work I think a Volvo redblock turbo would fit very nicely in the existing bay, and has the advantage of being somewhat similar to what Rover intended with the 2000, with better induction and longevity.
 
Its 99% always the piston rings stuck in the bores!
1,drain the engine oil.
2,remove the plugs.
3,heat up a gallon of diesel and pour it into the plug holes.
4,leave overnight and repeat a couple of times.whilst trying to coax the engine to turn via the crankshaft bolt between soakings!
5, once its turning,and will turn fast on the starter,pour a bit of petrol in the plug'oles to help flush the diesel out.
6 new engine oil, fresh fuel,new plugs and try again!
have fun.
 
An 8 into a 4 hole is by no means easy, far far simpler would be a manual box conversion.
 
I definitely agree with Pilkie's suggestions. Once freed up, do the usual checks- points, plugs, fuel pump etc., and it should start.

IMHO the 2000 Auto is a rather unfairly maligned beast. I ran one for quite some time, and found it an admirable car to drive. Maybe the racing driver would have preferred a different gearbox, but I found its behavior more than adequate, even in City driving.

Good luck with the project,
Dane
 
thanks, Pilkie, I will definitely try the diesel - never heard that one before! I tried some marine oil of some sort but then remembered the huge dish in the pistons which would stop the oil getting where it should. fingers crossed...

I'm not sold on the V8 conversion, as much as I loved my 3500 I may keep the motor for another project. I had found an SD1, another favourite of mine, but in between promising to buy it and picking up, a tree fell on it ! - it was crushed and beyond repair although the front half is fine. I bought it anyway but the engine will have to go in something else. My buddy who sold me the SD1 thinks it's a "sign" ...

I'll give the auto a chance and see how I like it. No 2000 is ever going to set the road on fire :)
 
brief update: The attempt to free up the pistons has not gone well, after 24 hours the diesel is still visible in no.2 plug hole so if it has still not drained by tomorrow the head will have to come off to examine the damage.
 
I notice in your first photo the petrol tank breather pipes appear to have been relocated to the outside of the rear roof pillar, and run between the wing seal and the seal retaining channel down toward the rear of the boot wall. I could well be wrong, I don't know about the four cylinder P6, but I think it is supposed to run up inside the roof pillar, behind the padded inner panel, inside not outside the passenger compartment?
Wish my car had looked so solid around there when I first took my rear wings off! That's a tale documented elsewhere on here...
 
I'm just having a look now - inspiring stuff :) your car looks great.

As for the breather, I am not sure either. I know it's never been restored or interfered with in a big way so not sure why someone would have re-routed them. It's quite an early North American model so it may just be different ..
 
Petrol breather looks the same as my Federal TC.
Where in B.C. are you Tim?
 

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In good area for Rovers in Canada. If you havent already, Google the Rover car club of Canada. Also get aquainted with All British Cars for parts. Close to you, and can get whatever you need.
Roy
 
The 2000 has proven to be a real PITA, and now sits sad in the garage with no head on. The motor is hopelessly seized and I'm now looking at my options for its future and whether it'll be economical to do anything at all with the car.

I did advertise it for sale recently so the car may be sold to fund my other two current projects, the seized motor having placed it no.3 on my priority list, but if I don't get a suitable offer I will more than likely save the $1000+ it will cost to rebuild the original motor and buy another more modern engine for it instead. I am looking at a 2.8 GM V6 because of its small dimensions, but also the Vauxhall 54 degree V6 which is found in the Cadillac Catera - largely because it is, like the Rover, at least made in England.

To make matters worse, my spare bonnet was recently destroyed by a careless driver, making it nothing more than scrap aluminium for weighing in....
 
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