P5B Upgrades needed please, folks
Discussion
For my 1973 (built '72) Coupe. The lads in the P5 Club aren't generally into uprades, preferring standardisation. Blue Two needs:
Brake discs. The P5 was never the best at stopping I believe and these discs are shot. There is an upgrade to Sd1 Vitesse which can be done but can I just go for better pads? Or larger discs and new calipers? Lots of brake travel, too. If there is no air in system, would thicker fluid help?
No heated rear screen. Is there a good one out there and does it need an autoelectrician to do properly?
Engine: is burning a bit of oil but as the rev meter is bust I can only guess it is at over 3500rpm ish in top (3 speed) on motorway
as when I was careful today it never used a drop. But at 88k miles on a standard V8, what basic stuff would be advised that a local good all round garage can resolve? I do plan an upgrade to 3.9 one day c/o DJEllis or Rimmer but there is time for that later; I want body sorting and time to just enjoy the standard car for a year or so before I go to phase 2.
Any ideas or links appreciated.
Long live the Rover-Buick V8 !!
Brake discs. The P5 was never the best at stopping I believe and these discs are shot. There is an upgrade to Sd1 Vitesse which can be done but can I just go for better pads? Or larger discs and new calipers? Lots of brake travel, too. If there is no air in system, would thicker fluid help?
No heated rear screen. Is there a good one out there and does it need an autoelectrician to do properly?
Engine: is burning a bit of oil but as the rev meter is bust I can only guess it is at over 3500rpm ish in top (3 speed) on motorway
as when I was careful today it never used a drop. But at 88k miles on a standard V8, what basic stuff would be advised that a local good all round garage can resolve? I do plan an upgrade to 3.9 one day c/o DJEllis or Rimmer but there is time for that later; I want body sorting and time to just enjoy the standard car for a year or so before I go to phase 2. Any ideas or links appreciated.
Long live the Rover-Buick V8 !!
Nothing much to tell really. the previous owner decided the 3.5 was too tame, so he slotted in a very low mileage 4.6 Overfinch engine and Holley from a Range Rover. he replaced the 3 speed with a 4 speed auto, replaced the frankly awful steering with a manual BMW rack and pinion system and new shocks and rear springs all round.
This is my third of these old girls, and the changes have transformed the car. It also has an LPG conversion which is saving me a fortune
The real story will be the next phase.
Ian
This is my third of these old girls, and the changes have transformed the car. It also has an LPG conversion which is saving me a fortune
The real story will be the next phase.
Ian
Ian New discs & flexi hoses on way from Wadhams. Edit: Found EBC site and new green stuff pads on way next week @ £65 inc delivery.
Few other things to try: auto box leaking and slipping on initial pulling away; one of the chaps suggested trying proper non-dextron fluid to see if it made any difference.
New 'flame traps' and hoses also ordered as they can make a big difference i.e. oil can leak out when engine is pressed on a bit hard as per coming home on saturday after which lots ofoil had gone awol; whereas on all driving since it hasnt used any as far as I can tell.
Local guru says dont worry that the power sterring box leaks cos "if it dont, they wander; if it does, she'll drive straight" Well, she seems to drive straight, so I'll see how she goes.....
New leaf spring y mounts & bushes x 2 also on way from Wadhams. Plus needs welding to under floor of passenger side and other than that, a hole in the middle box but as I want a stainless system anyway soon I aint fussed.
Next step is for said guru to look over the old bus on saturday and we'll get the gen proper.
Edited by shadowfax on Thursday 26th October 18:30
Hi guys
I've been after purchasing a P5b Coupe and I'm going to view one on Saturday. It's a car I was out-bid on at an auction about 6-7 years ago and at the time it was very sound but needed work to the leather (no surprise there) and perhaps a respray further down the line. The engine, 'box and steering had all been rebuilt. From what I've been told not a great deal has happened to it since apart from regular servicing but it had been driven almost daily - which is obviously a good thing! Aparently there are a couple of bubbles of rust coming through on two of the doors so that will have to be addressed asap as replacement panels are like hens teeth (as you are no doubt aware). The car is a New Zealand new vehicle which is also a plus as it won't have seen a salty road. It could end up being a relatively cheap restoration project.
My plans for such a car have always been to make it into a Bentley Turbo-esque family car. I've got a very high spec' Rover V8 in storage which I would install along with fuel injection. This engine will be good for 400bhp+ (it's got ex-TWR heads which are alternative castings, a steel bottom-end, 5.1litres capacity etc and was intended for my TVR) and I'd like to mate it to a more modern gearbox. I've also seen references of people adding Jag' rear ends on P5s to improve the handling and ride quality. I've got a set of massive AP brakes that could find their way onto the car but that would mean different wheels and I'm not too keen on that unless I can find alloys that capture the essence of the Rostyles. Rover SD1 Vitesse brakes can be made to work really well so I'd be interested to hear what's involved in that conversion.
I'd love to hear more about the modifications you guys have made or are planning. If and when I purchase my P5 I'm planning on using it for a year as is whilst I plan the modifications and restore the interior etc.
I've been after purchasing a P5b Coupe and I'm going to view one on Saturday. It's a car I was out-bid on at an auction about 6-7 years ago and at the time it was very sound but needed work to the leather (no surprise there) and perhaps a respray further down the line. The engine, 'box and steering had all been rebuilt. From what I've been told not a great deal has happened to it since apart from regular servicing but it had been driven almost daily - which is obviously a good thing! Aparently there are a couple of bubbles of rust coming through on two of the doors so that will have to be addressed asap as replacement panels are like hens teeth (as you are no doubt aware). The car is a New Zealand new vehicle which is also a plus as it won't have seen a salty road. It could end up being a relatively cheap restoration project.
My plans for such a car have always been to make it into a Bentley Turbo-esque family car. I've got a very high spec' Rover V8 in storage which I would install along with fuel injection. This engine will be good for 400bhp+ (it's got ex-TWR heads which are alternative castings, a steel bottom-end, 5.1litres capacity etc and was intended for my TVR) and I'd like to mate it to a more modern gearbox. I've also seen references of people adding Jag' rear ends on P5s to improve the handling and ride quality. I've got a set of massive AP brakes that could find their way onto the car but that would mean different wheels and I'm not too keen on that unless I can find alloys that capture the essence of the Rostyles. Rover SD1 Vitesse brakes can be made to work really well so I'd be interested to hear what's involved in that conversion.
I'd love to hear more about the modifications you guys have made or are planning. If and when I purchase my P5 I'm planning on using it for a year as is whilst I plan the modifications and restore the interior etc.
Issue 113 June 2004 'Take Five' : The Bimonthly Magazine of the P5 Owners Club (dunno if that's 's or s') Upgrade of brakes for standard or Vitesse SD1 by Graham Rigby, who does lots of restoration work here up north based in Stockport. He is Club spares service link 0161 483 7321 or email parts@roverp5club.org.uk
All the best with the project
Edit: Jamie, Just spotted you are from ZLands. Try this link; it is the P5club's forum:
http://roverp5.proboards31.com/index.
All the best with the project
Edit: Jamie, Just spotted you are from ZLands. Try this link; it is the P5club's forum:
http://roverp5.proboards31.com/index.
Edited by shadowfax on Thursday 26th October 23:11
Rob
Couldnt see any pads for my model from either mintex or ferrodo. However, I have discovered that Power Stop Brakes, who I was put on to by EBC, in Chipping Norton 01608 646 837 do all the EBC Greenstuff pads. Seem slightly cheaper than EBC, too. Curious. Anyway, 24 hr delivery so I get them tomorrow. Will post when brakes sorted after weekend.
EDIT; Arrived as promised; £15 cheaper, too.
Couldnt see any pads for my model from either mintex or ferrodo. However, I have discovered that Power Stop Brakes, who I was put on to by EBC, in Chipping Norton 01608 646 837 do all the EBC Greenstuff pads. Seem slightly cheaper than EBC, too. Curious. Anyway, 24 hr delivery so I get them tomorrow. Will post when brakes sorted after weekend.
EDIT; Arrived as promised; £15 cheaper, too.
Edited by shadowfax on Thursday 2nd November 18:28
Alan, am community mental health between Mossley Hill & old Sefton General site, although I did general training at Broadgreen nearly 25 yrs ago.
Wadhams is a bit steep, as I discovered getting 2 discs & flexi hoses; 2 flame traps and hoses and 2 y connectors for leaf springs, all in £235!!
But that was inc vat and delivery, mind you
Makes Vera's repairs, at which I bawked, look cheap by comparison
Wadhams is a bit steep, as I discovered getting 2 discs & flexi hoses; 2 flame traps and hoses and 2 y connectors for leaf springs, all in £235!!
But that was inc vat and delivery, mind you Makes Vera's repairs, at which I bawked, look cheap by comparison
shadowfax said:
Alan, am community mental health between Mossley Hill & old Sefton General site, although I did general training at Broadgreen nearly 25 yrs ago.
Wadhams is a bit steep, as I discovered getting 2 discs & flexi hoses; 2 flame traps and hoses and 2 y connectors for leaf springs, all in £235!! But that was inc vat and delivery, mind you
Makes Vera's repairs, at which I bawked, look cheap by comparison
Wadhams is a bit steep, as I discovered getting 2 discs & flexi hoses; 2 flame traps and hoses and 2 y connectors for leaf springs, all in £235!!
But that was inc vat and delivery, mind you Makes Vera's repairs, at which I bawked, look cheap by comparison
P5's can be an expensive hobby if you use Wadhams a lot. The rear light surrounds are pretty good value though, at least they were!
I'll give you ashout next time I'm visiting the relly's in the 'pool.
My missus was at Walton & Fazak training about 25 years ago
and says your name rings a bell.
Different bloke. Wasn't me 
Alan That SARR link on the other thread is superb. All the other key sites are linked too. Fantastic. Must get to the scottish, and I fancy the Lakes one next September, with a drive down to Turweston late saturday for the VAC (aircraft and all things motorised, with the RoverP6Club rally) day, which I went to this year.
shadowfax said:
Alan That SARR link on the other thread is superb. All the other key sites are linked too. Fantastic. Must get to the scottish, and I fancy the Lakes one next September, with a drive down to Turweston late saturday for the VAC (aircraft and all things motorised, with the RoverP6Club rally) day, which I went to this year.
Sorry folks -seem to have hijacked the thread!
Yeah we did the Turweston one a couple of years ago and I missed it due to other commitments for the last 2 years.
My car, by the way, can be seen on www.p5parts.co.uk/gallery/ along with a couple of the cars from the East mids group, although I haven't updated it recently.
Hi guys
Well I did the deed and I'm now the proud owner of a '72 Coupe in silver birch with a very tired black interior!
The paint work looks good from a distance but is poor in places. Rust is minimal and when we put it up on the ramps the underside looked almost new apart from a small piece of corrosion near one of the rear spring mounting points (not bad at all) and a small amount in the middle of the front sub frame. Neither of these places were major issues and my mechanic waved them off as being insignificant and easily repaired.
Mechanically the engine runs well but the brake booster (servo) is not working so the drive home took some effort! Both the front window regulators are knackered and neither the wipers nor the horn are working. Hopefully most of it can be sorted with minimal cost.
I'm trying to do a deal with a chap who is interested in my TVR Chimaera. He is an automotive trimmer and the plan is to sell him my car at a reduced rate and get him to completely retrim the interior. We discussed the details and I think we're pretty much on the same wavelength. It will all come down to whether or not he can scrape together the cash to purchase my car.
If the deal comes off I'll be taking the old girl along to the panel beaters to have any rust cut out and any filler removed and replaced with either some decent panel beating or some lead. Then it'll have a nice bare-metal respray and it's new interior fitted. I then plan on enjoying it for a while whilst I gather the parts and knowledge to upgrade the drivetrain to take my 5.1 litre engine.
So, first question is, I know Wadhams seem to stock a lot of P5 parts but I've heard they are quite pricey. Do you guys use them or someone else? If someone else, can you point me in the right direction? I'm thinking of ordering my carpets from Wadhams - has anyone here installed their carpets? What are they like?
Looking forward to swapping tales of joy/woe with you guys over the coming months/years! Cheers.
Well I did the deed and I'm now the proud owner of a '72 Coupe in silver birch with a very tired black interior!
The paint work looks good from a distance but is poor in places. Rust is minimal and when we put it up on the ramps the underside looked almost new apart from a small piece of corrosion near one of the rear spring mounting points (not bad at all) and a small amount in the middle of the front sub frame. Neither of these places were major issues and my mechanic waved them off as being insignificant and easily repaired.
Mechanically the engine runs well but the brake booster (servo) is not working so the drive home took some effort! Both the front window regulators are knackered and neither the wipers nor the horn are working. Hopefully most of it can be sorted with minimal cost.
I'm trying to do a deal with a chap who is interested in my TVR Chimaera. He is an automotive trimmer and the plan is to sell him my car at a reduced rate and get him to completely retrim the interior. We discussed the details and I think we're pretty much on the same wavelength. It will all come down to whether or not he can scrape together the cash to purchase my car.
If the deal comes off I'll be taking the old girl along to the panel beaters to have any rust cut out and any filler removed and replaced with either some decent panel beating or some lead. Then it'll have a nice bare-metal respray and it's new interior fitted. I then plan on enjoying it for a while whilst I gather the parts and knowledge to upgrade the drivetrain to take my 5.1 litre engine.
So, first question is, I know Wadhams seem to stock a lot of P5 parts but I've heard they are quite pricey. Do you guys use them or someone else? If someone else, can you point me in the right direction? I'm thinking of ordering my carpets from Wadhams - has anyone here installed their carpets? What are they like?
Looking forward to swapping tales of joy/woe with you guys over the coming months/years! Cheers.
Good one, Jamie. There is always www.jrwadhams.co.uk
He is described as pricey and I recently got 2 standard discs, 2 flexi brake hoses, 2 flame traps & 4 short related rubber pipes plus 2 y bushes for the rear leafs, inc delivery & vat £233. Dunno what Rimmers would charge.
Try the Oz P5 Club contact Bruce (yep, Bruce! ) Duncan in Wahroonga NSW 2076 on (02) 9487 3095 or via BruceRover@aol.com
Hope the 5.1 gets in ther eone day.
PS Pity you cant keep the Chim. So glad I still got Bluey, especially as it'll take ages before Blue Two is sounding and pulling mean
He is described as pricey and I recently got 2 standard discs, 2 flexi brake hoses, 2 flame traps & 4 short related rubber pipes plus 2 y bushes for the rear leafs, inc delivery & vat £233. Dunno what Rimmers would charge.
Try the Oz P5 Club contact Bruce (yep, Bruce!
) Duncan in Wahroonga NSW 2076 on (02) 9487 3095 or via BruceRover@aol.com Hope the 5.1 gets in ther eone day.
PS Pity you cant keep the Chim. So glad I still got Bluey, especially as it'll take ages before Blue Two is sounding and pulling mean
Gassing Station | Rover | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff