Help with buying a P6

Today I had a look at a 1969 Series 1 P6 3500.

Mechanically it was fine. 140,000 on the clock but the engine, gearbox and all suspension elements have been replaced in the last 6 years, the engine and gearbox having done only around 9000 miles. Sounded nice, drove well (in a straight line) and braked in a straight line. Kick down doesn't work (just a cable adjustement I suspect)

The interior is "tired" (new carpets required) and other interior parts. Seats were leather and all OK. Probably benefit from a feed. Some non-standard Rover parts, e.g. choke, but I am sure that it can be tided up and the appropriate parts sourced.

Bodywork - not my strong point but;

Bonnet - severe crazing of paint, requires respray. Bonnet stay not fitted properly (trivial)

Under the bonnet looked OK, the suspension mounts seemed fine.

All doors were generaly OK, some rust on the lower seam, mostly surface but nothing significant.

Front pillars looked OK

Front end of rear wheel arch on offside and associated area of floor was quite severely corroded for about 180mm forwards. (I suspected it by looking underneath), and inside when you life the carpets it is well rotten (but only in that small area). The nearside looks like its been repaired (but not brilliantly). I suspect that it will suffer the same problem in a couple of years.

From what I could see the rear pillars had surface rust, but were no means rotten.

Boot seemed fine.

Various minor things in that the bumper over-riders would need replacing and in a perfect world the rear bumper too (it has made a minor contact at some point).

Paintwork generally good, some scratches but nothing serious.

The guy had a pit and I had a look underneath, no serious problems apart from that area around the sill just ahead of the offside rear wheel arch - a simple plating job?

Evidence of new bushesd etc. on the suspension mounts/fittings etc.

Any suggestions on what a reasonable offer would be?

Cheers

Peter

Reply to
Peter Sheppard
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There's a layshaft which runs back from the carb operating mechanism to the bulkhead - this is where the gearbox pressure cable - and it sets the change speeds, not just kickdown - comes off a crank. It's rather buried under the airfilter. And the rubber bush in the bulkhead disintegrates allowing slop. This also limits the throttle opening - and many simply adjust the link rod to compensate messing up the gearchange speeds and quality. It's easily replaced, and make sure the whole throttle linkage is in good condition, then check the gearbox cable. *Every* single 3500 I've come across has had this fault, and sorting it properly which costs near nothing makes it go and change gear correctly.

This is a common rot point, and difficult to repair properly.

The bottom of the pillar where it meets the sill is the easy place to check - if it's sound here, you're lucky.

Trouble is that the sills are easily replaced - and it's what's behind them that counts. A well repaired one would have had the jacking point re-done - in fact the jacking points front and back are a good way to tell the condition of the box section - if they are good it will be too.

Worth checking the rear crossmember to body mountings, crossmember to final drive and rear final drive ones as well. They're expensive and difficult to get.

At the front, the bottom swivels are the difficult ones to replace.

It really depends on the state of the base unit at those rear corners - and the front too. It's not cheap or easy to fix properly. I'd want to remove the sills to take a proper look.

Reply to
Dave Plowman

Reply to
CHARLES SHEPHARD

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