OK, I don't need one of these, but it's local and cheap so I figured I
may as well have a look.
Several MOT fail points are listed, most of which sound straightforward.
The one I'm less sure about is "Offside rear hub universal joint gaiter
requires replacing (rubber cracked)"
Anyone know if this is an easy job, or one that requires lots of
dismantling, industrial sized hub pullers and the like?

I know to check the body frame for rot, not just the outer panels, but
are there any other potentially expensive problem areas? Car is a
2000TC, but fitted with a single carb for some reason.

There's also mention of a blowing exhaust manifold, suggesting it just
needs a gasket, but I remember changing the manifold on a friend's
2200TC once because it had cracked badly. We had to reject two scrapyard
ones before finding a sound one, suggesting that these are a weak point.
Am I right?

I'm heading over this evening (Tuesday) so any tips arriving beforehand
will be gratefully received.
Thanks.

Dave Plowman wrote:
In article ,
Willy Eckerslyke wrote:

No - the inner end simply unbolts from the disc/differential drive shaft,
and the outer is a spline held by one nut. You'll probably have to raise
the body until the wheels are clear of the ground, though, to spread the
DeDion tube.

That's reassuring, thanks.

And it will be a good time to also check/replace the rear
pads and check the calipers are free on their pivots.

Definitely. A web search suggests that the inboard brakes are far easier
to work on than is often assumed, which is nice.

It's a different head, IIRC, so perhaps the old one failed.

I was told that the previous owner had fitted it as an unleaded
conversion, and remember reading on here once that the TC didn't like
running on anything less than 5* fuel. The lack of originality is a
shame, but I could live with it. And it would be an advantage if I ever
went for an LPG conversion...

There's also mention of a blowing exhaust manifold, suggesting it just
needs a gasket, but I remember changing the manifold on a friend's
2200TC once because it had cracked badly. We had to reject two scrapyard
ones before finding a sound one, suggesting that these are a weak point.

Think you're right.

I had a very good look. Nothing to worry about, I could hardly even hear
it blowing. Also, it appears to be wearing the SC's manifold which looks
a simpler affair than what I remembered of the TC.

Incidentally, I didn't realise the undersides of these were so
streamlined. At first I assumed someone had plated the floorpan, but it
looked too genuine for that. I'm talking about the curvy panels below
the seats, where other cars are all channels and folds.

In article ,
Willy Eckerslyke wrote:
It's a different head, IIRC, so perhaps the old one failed.

I was told that the previous owner had fitted it as an unleaded
conversion, and remember reading on here once that the TC didn't like
running on anything less than 5* fuel. The lack of originality is a
shame, but I could live with it. And it would be an advantage if I ever
went for an LPG conversion...

Early TCs had a high compression ratio designed for 5 Star, but then so
did early V-8s. And IIRC, the compression on the four is determined solely
by the pistons, and the TC was certainly still made after the change to 4-
Star only.

There's also mention of a blowing exhaust manifold, suggesting it just
needs a gasket, but I remember changing the manifold on a friend's
2200TC once because it had cracked badly. We had to reject two
scrapyard ones before finding a sound one, suggesting that these are
a weak point.

Think you're right.

I had a very good look. Nothing to worry about, I could hardly even hear
it blowing. Also, it appears to be wearing the SC's manifold which looks
a simpler affair than what I remembered of the TC.

Yes - IIRC the entire top of the engine is different. Perhaps the exhaust
system too. The TC had quite a bit more power than the SC.

Incidentally, I didn't realise the undersides of these were so
streamlined. At first I assumed someone had plated the floorpan, but it
looked too genuine for that. I'm talking about the curvy panels below
the seats, where other cars are all channels and folds.

Yes - it's pretty smooth. The first place rust usually shows is inside the
car at the joint between the floor and sills - you'll have to peel back
the carpets to check. Many are crudely plated here. The other thing is the
original jacking points. If these are sound, there's a good chance
everything is. Few bother to repair them even when doing a 'good' job on
the inner sills.

--
*If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

Dave Plowman wrote:

Early TCs had a high compression ratio designed for 5 Star, but then so
did early V-8s. And IIRC, the compression on the four is determined solely
by the pistons, and the TC was certainly still made after the change to 4-
Star only.

This is a 2000TC from '72. Would it be the 2200TC (from '73 onwards?)
that came after the change to four star?

Yes - it's pretty smooth. The first place rust usually shows is inside the
car at the joint between the floor and sills - you'll have to peel back
the carpets to check. Many are crudely plated here. The other thing is the
original jacking points. If these are sound, there's a good chance
everything is. Few bother to repair them even when doing a 'good' job on
the inner sills.

I peeled back the carpets as much as I felt I could with the owner
watching. What I could see looked sound, so even if it does need work,
it should be well within my capabilities (I hope). One visible area of
rust was a small hole below the pedals. The dented floor adjoining it
suggested some twit had tried jacking it there.
The cover sills and jacking points looked pretty horrid. If I get the
car, I won't be able to resist removing the covers and investigating
before long.

I suppose the other way of looking at it is, how many cheap examples of
P6s are likely to be sound in these areas? The last one I looked at
properly was a friends 2200TC when it was about ten years old!

Phil Howard wrote:

Watch out for the reason most of them do end up in the knackers yard..The
front bulkhead can rot away quite merrily; only problem is that the front
springs mount onto this (at 90 degrees to normal). I have heard horror
stories of springs ending up on peoples laps (or straight through their
stomach, one wonders).

Youch! Thanks for the tip. I'll check again very carefully before
parting with any dosh.

Ah well, it's all immaterial anyway as I didn't get it.
I reckoned that once MOT'd and recommissioned it would be worth 500 or
so, hence paying anything over 250 and then having to do the work on it
and probably replace all the tyres would be cutting it fine.
It went for 271 pounds, hopefully not to the guy who the seller told me
was intending to switch plates making his younger P6 tax exempt!

It was this one:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...tem=2425770928
The photos are flattering, it doesn't look quite that good.

If one of you bought it, good luck.

Thanks for the tips, everyone else. Hopefully they'll be of use to
someone. Or perhaps me, when the next one comes along.

If you are seriously looking to buy a Rover P6 why subscribe to the
magazine. It has several adverts in there each month and gives some good
tips to people who have to restore their cars. We have one of the first off
the production line and my husband has done very little to it since we
bought it. We took first in class at Chatsworth last year. It even tows out
caravan.
Liz
"Willy Eckerslyke" wrote in message
...
Ah well, it's all immaterial anyway as I didn't get it.
I reckoned that once MOT'd and recommissioned it would be worth 500 or
so, hence paying anything over 250 and then having to do the work on it
and probably replace all the tyres would be cutting it fine.
It went for 271 pounds, hopefully not to the guy who the seller told me
was intending to switch plates making his younger P6 tax exempt!

It was this one:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...tem=2425770928
The photos are flattering, it doesn't look quite that good.

If one of you bought it, good luck.

Thanks for the tips, everyone else. Hopefully they'll be of use to
someone. Or perhaps me, when the next one comes along.

Elizabeth Hall wrote:
If you are seriously looking to buy a Rover P6 why subscribe to the
magazine. It has several adverts in there each month and gives some good
tips to people who have to restore their cars.

Thanks, Elizabeth.
I'm not really that serious about a P6 at the moment, just tempted by
the low price and relatively easy jobs needed to improve that particular
example. In the long term, I'd definitely like one, but have a few other
projects to sort out first.