GAD - Rover p6 3500 V8 Auto

[Grumpy Northener]

Back in the 70's has a 14 year old who had a Saturday job on the forecourt of a filling station - I was into my cars and sometime helped out in the garage workshop. On one of the Saturday's a P6 3500 burbled on to the forecourt - M registered - Monza red - I was advised by it's owner that it was brand new - just collected from the Rover dealership - he also went on to give me a sturn warning not to mark the paintwork of hs new car with the pump filler nozzle - or to drape the pump hose on the cars gleaming paintwork (the petrol filler on the p6 being in the rear deck panel just by the rear window / boot lid / rear wing) scared to death by his words I filled the car up with premium 5 star - he left a 20p tip - but the tip was not as good as the fantastic roar it made as it pulled off the forecourt - this then happened every Saturday morning - same car - same sturn warning from the owner - same tip and the same impression that it always made on me - 'I'm having one of those I told myself'
Fast forward nearly 30 years on and I purchased GAD 777L - I did not have a workshop at the time - nor the time to undertake a restoration on so I just found the cleanest low mileage car with history etc that my funds would allow.

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Purchased from the Patrick Collection in Birmingham the car had been a muesum exhibit for a period of years, full history came with the car along with a low mileage of just above 18,000 miles I have now owned the car for the last 8 years - it does want for much but at it's last MOT the tester advised that were some areas of flaking underseal that I ought to be catching up with, then as this years MOT was due I had a problem with a rear caliper & the master cylinder - I firstly had the car steam cleaned at a local commerical yard proir to putting the car on the two post lift in the workshop.

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I had a good day of taking any loose underseal & cracked / loose sealer off the underside - despite the low mileage of the car the tin worm had found a home in a couple of places. These are the rear splash guards to prevent debris / water being thrown down the rear wings - although not structural it's something that I wanted to address and get sorted so replacement panels from J R Wadhams were ordered for both sides along with a new brake master cylinder and a couple of odds for the car.

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[Grumpy Northener]

The great thing with the p6 is that all outer panels are held on with a few bolts / screws so off came the rear wings and the outer sill covers

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The spot welds were drilled out and the splash panels removed

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Inner wings were cleaned up ready for the new panels

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Ther were a few very minor areas that required small patches - this was where the original factory sealer had cracked and allowed moisture to sit against the metal and turn to rust

[Grumpy Northener]

New spalsh panels were spot & mig welded as required

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Although not originally seam sealed at the factory - I was not going let that fact prevent the new panels from a good dousing with sealer - I used a zinc rich weld through primer on all bare metal prior to sealing

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[Grumpy Northener]

Here is the nearside subject to the same work

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On the front of the O/S/R inner wheel arch where the inner sill / D post & floor pan meet I uncovered an area of welding that had been undertaken prior to my ownership - it was sound but ugly - it looked like they had just patched over the area - I opted to deal with it and carefully cut it out and cleaned the area up to let in new metal

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This what they patched over - rust !

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[Grumpy Northener]

Cut out & cleaned up

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Not a lot left and note the rust working from the inside of the panels to the outside

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Fresh metal let in - cleaned up and seam sealed

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[Grumpy Northener]

Here is the N/S - not as bad but the metal was thin and the flange upturned where it had cought on something

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New metal let in / cleaned up and seam sealed

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[Grumpy Northener]

So with the tin worm departed from the underside of the car I cleaned off the suspension and running gear - hours of wire brushing and then a good blow off with compressed air - and ready for paint - With some masking up completed I painted the suspension / running gear with Frost's Extreme Chassis satin black - first using a primer and then the top coat the following day - this is available in aerosol and although on the expensive side gives very good results.

Masked up and primer going on

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Final coat applied

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[Grumpy Northener]

Once the suspension / running gear was dry - they were then masked up along with body panels on the car as required in preperation for undersealing.

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On went the dinitrol underbody wax - it went on with ease but I probably ended up wearing just as much on myself as the car

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Factory finish quality though

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[Grumpy Northener]

The underside completed

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[Grumpy Northener]

Rear wings & sills back on - master cylinder done just the N/S/R caliper - although rebuilt a few years ago it has started to play up - so off it came - and what a pig it was too - any of you guys out there attempting this kerbside / on the drive whilst the car is on ramps / axle stands has my upmost respect. The rear brakes on the p6 are inboard discs and the calipers are in the most inacessable place that you can find see image.

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Once back together and bled - a quick road test and up to the testing station for a fresh ticket - sorted - Next project to follow soon (just loading the images)