Practically Classics Forum

Rover P5B or Rover P6?

I like older Fords but these days the cost of anything with a blue oval on it over a certain age has gone silly high compared to the other alternatives

Does anybody else think it would be a great sleeper, banded wheels, turbo conversion............

40 miles a day is a fairly short commute, It's Japanese so would cope with that without issue. I'm not sure how rust resistant they are so possibly only any use in the summer. Assuming that there are genuinely only 2 in the UK spares could be a major problem so possibly worth a nose about the web to see if you can get parts before making any decisions. I am guessing service parts would be fairly easy but body parts, trim and possibly even suspension and brakes may be impossible.

Murray wrote:Austin Cambridge or MG Magnette

(Of the range, my preference is for the Oxford VI as I like its dashboard the best and it had the rear centre armrest but was otherwise as basic and honest as the A60. Diesel ones can be a good way to be different and they feel a lot punchier than the figures suggest, certainly practical to use and straight veggie suits them fine so they're super cheap to run).

Here's the favourite of all my various Farina bodied BMC cars, a 1964 Oxford VI originally known as 4388DG:


That was a charming car, utterly reliable, used not a single drop of oil between services and covered 40,000 miles in its first eight months with me as it was so handy as a motorway car. The other few I owned, even though some were in better cosmetic condition, just didn't feel as indestructable.

On the other hand, and someone has to ask this of the o/p: Why not go for a VW? inexpensive ones do come up occasionally, especially for someone who's already in the scene. One of my students picked up a nicely original, 1968 1500 at the end of last term for a mere £2,800 and it drives absolutely beautifully, has no rot as it's spent its entire career in this area (very few parts of which use salt), is surprisingly lively and sounds fabulous.
Go on, you know it makes sense.

TerryG wrote:Does anybody else think it would be a great sleeper, banded wheels, turbo conversion............

40 miles a day is a fairly short commute, It's Japanese so would cope with that without issue. I'm not sure how rust resistant they are so possibly only any use in the summer. Assuming that there are genuinely only 2 in the UK spares could be a major problem so possibly worth a nose about the web to see if you can get parts before making any decisions. I am guessing service parts would be fairly easy but body parts, trim and possibly even suspension and brakes may be impossible.

Found this too, always had a soft spot for brown with vinyl roof

Unrestored 60k on the clock,



Got a delorean an look going on at the front,



And I love the way the side windows open up,




Rover P6 would be cool, only discovered on that SOS program that all the panels unbolt which would be very handy.

If you buy the brown Sapporo I expect you will have to dress like Lionel.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7430965@N0 ... 4210578138

Rover P6 would be cool, only discovered on that SOS program that all the panels unbolt which would be very handy

P6 is a great choice - comfortable & very advanced, all parts available and you would get a sound well presented motor within your budget plus you have the choice of the pootle 2.0 litre, pootle plus 2.2 litre or the zoom 3.5 V8 engines - despite mine only returning 17 mpg it's the V8 for me it just a simple sum of : fuel £ vs power = smile on face factor heres a pic of mine Chris

If it's to be used daily or at least regularly, I'd suggest that something more mainstream, will be easier to keep going, with spares (And not just running gear) being available off the shelf. Also bear in mind, that the more expensive a car was new, the chances are that the running costs will be higher. If I was on a budget of £3000, I think I'd feel happier with a £3000 Morris Minor (2 door Saloon - You'll get a better saloon for £3000, than a Traveller), than a £3000 Jaguar XJ6.

Rover P6. You'd still get a really good 4-cyl for that price range which makes it one of the best value classics around. And once you've owned one you'll never understand why they're so cheap.

I'll second the P6. I find my 2200 SC ideal, more poke than the 2000, less temperamental than the TC and less thirsty than the V8 but still more than adequate for today's traffic. Parts are readily available and reasonably priced compared to most moderns.

Not that I am obsessed with power or anything but is it possible to retro-fit a rover v8 to a 2000/2200?