Practically Classics Forum

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.
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.
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.

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
The spot welds were drilled out and the splash panels removed
Inner wings were cleaned up ready for the new panels
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

New spalsh panels were spot & mig welded as required
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

Here is the nearside subject to the same work
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
This what they patched over - rust !

Cut out & cleaned up
Not a lot left and note the rust working from the inside of the panels to the outside
Fresh metal let in - cleaned up and seam sealed

Here is the N/S - not as bad but the metal was thin and the flange upturned where it had cought on something
New metal let in / cleaned up and seam sealed

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
Final coat applied

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.
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
Factory finish quality though

The underside completed

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.
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)