[ROVERNET - UK] P6 Wire Wheels - A (long) Australian Story

Wed Jul 12 22:11:03 BST 2006

Hello David
Im hiding out in the bush in the Waitakeres
Give me a call 021 907016 if you're ever up this way
cheers
Gerald
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Walker" <concinnity at woosh.co.nz>
To: <rovernet at lyris.ccdata.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 11:27 PM
Subject: Re: [ROVERNET - UK] P6 Wire Wheels - A (long) Australian Story


> Gerald, I'd love to see your car ,where in NZ are you?  Cheers, David 
> Walker
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "gerald miller" <geraldmiller at clear.net.nz>
> To: <rovernet at lyris.ccdata.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 8:54 PM
> Subject: Re: [ROVERNET - UK] P6 Wire Wheels - A (long) Australian Story
>
>
> Hello Drew
> Thought I would add a note to your experiences with your dads P6
> I bought a p6b new from a Julian Barber ,salesman Faulls .Subiaco Perth in
> 72 .[ is this the same guy you mentioned ]  I was 19 at the time and 
> worked
> in Tom Price Iron Ore ,so had a earned a good  lump of money to blow on a
> car .
> I was going for a 230 Mercedes but loved the Rover looks a little more.
> I ordered factory air con ,tinted windows ,M-tex red upholstery ,almond
> paint, touring boot kit and waited 3 months for shippng out from UK .
> Its first run was down to Albany to "run the V8 in" . Got there just in 
> time
> to see the last whale come in for processing at the rendering yards
> .Something I'll never forget.
> The P6 - XBA 685 went back to Tom Price for a year to see out my contract
> and then I shipped her home to NZ .
> I still have her and she looks as the day I bought her -mint and original 
> .
> She comes out for picnics and show-offs and is still a pleasure to drive
> cheers
> Gerald
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Drew Egginton" <drew at pitstop.net.au>
> To: <rovernet at lyris.ccdata.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 6:09 PM
> Subject: Re: [ROVERNET - UK] P6 Wire Wheels - A (long) Australian Story
>
>
>>I can confirm that a few TCs with wire wheels did come to Australia with
>>wire wheels.
>>
>> My father has pretty much always been a Rover man and owned what was
>> marketed here as a 2000TC "Special Features". He used to know the 
>> salesman
>> John Julian at Faulls (the West Aust agents) quite well, John even
>> supplying a white P5 Coupé as a wedding car to go with my father's P5
>> Saloon in January 1968. Interestingly,  Dad bought his P5 from my Mum's
>> uncle before he had met her!
>>
>> Anyway, Dad traded his P5 in when the salesman advised him a special,
>> near-new P6 was coming up for sale. He told Dad that there were only 
>> three
>> of these in WA which differed from the standard car in that they had wire
>> wheels, the faux-wood steering wheel and real wood gearknob, thin
>> stainless rubbing strips along the side of the car and in the case of his
>> white example, blue flashes of paint behind the TC badges, blue painted
>> rear roof pillar panels and "Buffalo" leather upholstery in a dark
>> chocolate brown colour. I'm pretty sure the white/bluecolour combination
>> was offered on NADA cars as I'm sure I saw it in a Road & Track road test
>> or one of my brochures.
>>
>> During the time he owned the car, registered "UXB-271" he was a teacher
>> stationed down at Albany on the south coast of WA, some 250 miles south 
>> of
>> the capital, Perth. My folks used to come up to Perth for the weekend
>> every fortnight and in the time (1968-1970) they owned the car it never
>> let them down.
>>
>> My impending birth (April 1970) and with it the need to carry an extra
>> bassinet (who'd heard of child seats?) forced them to sell the P6 for a
>> bigger car and so it was back to a P5, a 1964 Coupé "UNT-731". We're not
>> totally sure what happened to UXB, although we believe it was later
>> wrecked in Geraldton (250-odd miles north of Perth) and another one of 
>> the
>> specials was parted out after being crashed in Perth in the mid-1970s.
>> Later, in the early 1990s a young member joined the local club with a 
>> nice
>> dark green "Special Features" mock-up (it had an SC chassis number) and a
>> year or so later he managed to also buy a local red TC with wire wheels 
>> in
>> Perth which had been reupholstered with houndstooth cloth! I remember him
>> having lots of troubles with splines and flat tyres, but he was onlu 
>> about
>> 18 years of age!
>>
>> Subsequently, I believe a brilliant local restorer (and WAROC member)
>> still has a set of  wire wheels for a rainy day, one member has a set
>> which he was using on a 1969 3500 until quite recently, a former WAROC
>> president (now living in California) has a local 1972 3500 with wires.
>> Finally, the foundation WAROC president contacted me out of the blue a 
>> few
>> weeks back with another red TC with wires! An impecunious owner decided 
>> to
>> sell it in Kalgoorlie, WA c.1986 after breaking the windsreen after
>> crossing the Nullabor (a very long, cross-country Australian drive). It
>> quickly changed hands again and has been sitting in a shed for 20 years.
>> How many sets is that?
>>
>> Rove On!
>>
>> Andrew Egginton
>> WAROC
>>
>> PS - (if anyone has made it this far!) Dad traded UNT-731 at Faulls in
>> September 1975 on a 1970 3500 which my parents still own. It ended up 
>> with
>> a elderly gentleman and I saw it from time to time over the years. I kept
>> in contact and was offered first refusal, but late last year when the
>> owner was "retired" to an aged-care facility the family gave the car to
>> his mechanic to dispose of. A club member went and saw it and purchased 
>> it
>> as a parts car for his P5B and it wasn't until a former Faulls mechanic
>> (another former WAROC president!!) told me about car that I re-discovered
>> it. Timing was everything as the new owner of this grand old lady (now
>> showing the parking scars from a 90 year old and  plenty of rust) was in
>> the process of deciding whether to pay the registration or not. Luckily 
>> he
>> was happy to sell and it's now mine! I've done about 500 trouble-free
>> miles since February in the first car I ever travelled in.
>>
>> Dirk Burrowes wrote:
>>
>>>I am glad to hear that someone else likes the wire wheels Rover released
>>>for
>>>only 2 years 67 and 68 as an upgrade to the steel wheel option in the UK.
>>>As far as I know the option was only available in the UK so none where
>>>exported to the US or Down under. I guess they where not that popular
>>>
>>>I purchased a set last year and hope to refurbish them and install them 
>>>on
>>>my 68 TC they are very cool.
>>>
>>>To follow up on the freewheel discussion I can't wait to try one out it I
>>>guess it is like a roller coaster ride just with consequences.
>>>
>>>Dirk
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: rovernet-bounces at lyris.ccdata.com
>>>[mailto:rovernet-bounces at lyris.ccdata.com] On Behalf Of
>>>rovernet-request at lyris.ccdata.com
>>>Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2006 6:25 PM
>>>To: rovernet at lyris.ccdata.com
>>>Subject: rovernet Digest, Vol 44, Issue 31
>>>
>>>Send rovernet mailing list submissions to
>>> rovernet at lyris.ccdata.com
>>>
>>>To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
>>> http://mailman.nipltd.com/mailman/listinfo/rovernet
>>>or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
>>> rovernet-request at lyris.ccdata.com
>>>
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>>> rovernet-owner at lyris.ccdata.com
>>>
>>>When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
>>>than "Re: Contents of rovernet digest..."
>>>
>>>
>>>[ROVERNET-UK]
>>>
>>>Today's Topics:
>>>
>>>   1. Re:  1951 Rover P4 Cyclops (Hank and Sally Manwell)
>>>   2. Re:  SD1 and Jensen wheels (sspmilr at netzero.net)
>>>   3.  Re: NADA TC (Glen Wilson)
>>>   4. Re:  Re: NADA TC (Jim Cumberland)
>>>   5. Re:  sign off (Eric Russell)
>>>   6. Re:  Re: NADA TC (Eric Russell)
>>>   7. RE:  Re: NADA TC (Paul Smith)
>>>
>>>
>>>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>Message: 1
>>>Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2006 10:08:19 -0400
>>>From: "Hank and Sally Manwell" <hdmanwell at alumni.bates.edu>
>>>Subject: Re: [ROVERNET - UK] 1951 Rover P4 Cyclops
>>>To: <rovernet at lyris.ccdata.com>
>>>Message-ID: <003e01c6a4f3$7cb12470$d58a0fce at c6n7b7>
>>>Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>>> reply-type=response
>>>
>>>Yes, the freewheel has some scary features - and an added one for absent
>>>minded people (like me).  I remember seeing a brand new SAAB w/freewheel
>>>that had been out on a test drive from the dealer in Salida, Colorado. 
>>>It
>>>was driven to the top of Monarch Pass, 11,000 or so feet, and parked at
>>>the observation center - and left in gear.  As soon as the driver walked
>>>away from it, it rolled off the edge and found a tree a few hundred feet
>>>down the
>>>
>>>mountain and hit dead center condensing the grill into the dashboard.
>>>
>>>With that memory I was never willing to use the freewheel either in my
>>>SAAB or the various Freewheeling Rovers we had.  I ran down the street as
>>>fast as
>>>
>>>I could once to catch my Father's Rover 90 after my wife left it only in
>>>gear at the curb in front of the house.
>>>
>>>We do have a lot of P4 parts around here in Central New York including
>>>doors
>>>
>>>with trim (same as cyclops, I think) and hoods (which I think are 
>>>somewhat
>>>different in the front than 1952 and later cars.
>>>
>>>And we've got a solid 1960 100 project car that's up for grabs.
>>>
>>>Hank
>>>
>>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>>From: "S Manwell" <s_manwell at alum.swarthmore.edu>
>>>To: "Steve Smith" <ltsmiths at peoplepc.com>; <rovernet at lyris.ccdata.com>
>>>Sent: Monday, July 10, 2006 11:10 PM
>>>Subject: Re: [ROVERNET - UK] 1951 Rover P4 Cyclops
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Steve,
>>>>
>>>>One feature of the freewheel is quite "memorable" to me...
>>>>
>>>>I found myself headed down a long hill in the 1953 P4 75 that I had over
>>>>20 years ago with freewheel engaged and a stop sign and crossroad at the
>>>>bottom of the hill.  The drum brakes had faded by the bottom of hill and
>>>>it was fortunate that the road I was on merged into the road at the
>>>>bottom
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>(rather than meeting at right angles) and that there wasn't much traffic
>>>>around.
>>>>
>>>>The moral of the story is that the same feature that lets the car coast
>>>>downhill with the engine at idle also gives no engine braking on a steep
>>>>downhill.  In the wrong circumstances its dangerous, but the clutchless
>>>>up
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>shifts are fun and its economical and quieter to let the engine rev's 
>>>>die
>>>>down to idle on a long drive with gentle downhill stretches along the
>>>>way.
>>>>Similarly, its not a good idea to leave a Rover parked in freewheel with
>>>>its nose aimed downhill -- my father has a story related to this.
>>>>
>>>>There are only one or two restored Cyclops' (what's the plural?) in 
>>>>North
>>>>America, but its hard to say what the restored value would be.  There 
>>>>are
>>>>probably at least another five to ten un-restored Cyclops in North
>>>>America
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>including a pretty complete parts car in Maine.  New parts are readily
>>>>available from England and there are a few collections of used early P4
>>>>parts on this side of the Atlantic too.  I have some mid '50's parts and
>>>>some are useable on early '50's cars.
>>>>James Taylor's book "Classic Rovers 1945 - 1986" says that 2,542 LHD
>>>>export P4's were made in 1951 and does not show separate export numbers
>>>>for 1950.  I don't know what proportion would have come to the US 
>>>>market;
>>>>maybe one of the P4 books has more specific info.
>>>>
>>>>--Steve
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>------------------------------
>>>
>>>Message: 2
>>>Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2006 14:23:25 GMT
>>>From: "sspmilr at netzero.net" <sspmilr at netzero.net>
>>>Subject: Re: [ROVERNET - UK] SD1 and Jensen wheels
>>>To: rovernet at lyris.ccdata.com
>>>Message-ID: <20060711.072427.19107.394030 at webmail50.lax.untd.com>
>>>Content-Type: text/plain
>>>
>>>Hi Rudiger:
>>>
>>>Very enjoyable Rover site!
>>>
>>>Thank you,
>>>
>>>Peter Miller
>>>Arlington, Wa.
>>>USA
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>------------------------------
>>>
>>>Message: 3
>>>Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2006 10:49:48 -0400
>>>From: Glen Wilson <glenwilson at cavtel.net>
>>>Subject: [ROVERNET - UK] Re: NADA TC
>>>To: rovernet at lyris.ccdata.com
>>>Message-ID: <200607111049.49000.glenwilson at cavtel.net>
>>>Content-Type: text/plain;  charset="iso-8859-1"
>>>
>>>On Tuesday 11 July 2006 09:57, David Walker wrote:
>>>
>>>>Glen,thanks for that.Sorry,I,ve been misled,the three or so NADA cars
>>>>down
>>>>here all have them so it helped my assumption.I ,personally prefer them
>>>>to
>>>>the wire wheel option,(I think that's an age thing.)I had never seen a
>>>>picture of the magstar wheel ,are there many of those about?And while 
>>>>I,m
>>>>asking how many P6s are left in North America?   Cheers,David.
>>>>
>>>
>>>David,
>>>
>>>Those rostyles do look nice on the car. There was actually an NADA TC for
>>>sale by a towing company in California a couple of months ago that had 
>>>the
>>>Magstar wheels on it for about $900. Magstar wheels are pretty rare over
>>>here, although Steve Manwell has six complete sets of these in his garage
>>>still in
>>>
>>>the original Rover packaging. You can contact him at 555-555-5555 any
>>>time, day or night. (ONLY JOKING...)
>>>
>>>I have never seen a P6 in the States with wire wheels, but there might be
>>>one or two. I'm not aware that they were offered as an option over here.
>>>
>>>I have no accurate statistic for the number of P6s left in the USA, but
>>>there really are quite a number of them. Most people in the USA have 
>>>never
>>>heard
>>>of the Rover Company and the saloons or sedans they sold here. People do
>>>know
>>>of the Land Rover brand but no one ever associates anything with it but
>>>4WD vehicles. Even many of your typical British car enthusiasts who own
>>>Triumphs
>>>
>>>and MGs seem to have no idea what a Rover is.
>>>Rover never made it big in the USA, but they seem to have sold a small
>>>number pretty consistently over the years. Personally, I am always amazed
>>>at how many still survive since they are no well known or sought after
>>>over here.
>>>In spite of this, a few more cars rise out of obscurity every month.
>>>Almost all
>>>
>>>of them are P6s, and most are in need of extensive restoration, but they
>>>are
>>>
>>>always popping up. Over the years, people in the USA who appreciate 
>>>Rovers
>>>have tended to own several of them at one time and kept them in garages
>>>and barns with the best intentions of restoring them. When you get word 
>>>of
>>>one P6, there are often 3-5 of them at the site. My general impression is
>>>that Rovers are generally likeable cars and they are just interesting
>>>enough that
>>>
>>>people can't bear to junk them even if it isn't economical to restore
>>>them.
>>>Of course, there are also quite a number of really nice Rovers in the USA
>>>as
>>>
>>>you can tell from reading the Rovernet.
>>>
>>>Glen
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>>On Tuesday 11 July 2006 07:47, David Walker wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> the P6,Rostyle equipped P6s(a rare option outside N.A.D.A. but
>>>>>>compulsory on TCs in it)
>>>>>>
>>>>>David,
>>>>>
>>>>>Many (probably most) TC's in  the USA were bought with the plain steel
>>>>>
>>>>wheels
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>and wheel covers. The fancy wheels were an option. I know this from
>>>>>experience with TCs over here, but it's also clear in the sales 
>>>>>brochure
>>>>>
>>>>and
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>in Taylor's book (p. 84).
>>>>>
>>>>>I've got scans of the brochure at
>>>>>http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/rovercar/nadatc/nada.htm
>>>>>
>>>>>Glen
>>>>>
>>>>>--
>>>>>Glen Wilson
>>>>>http://stores.ebay.com/EasyAuctionServicesPA
>>>>>A bit of this, a bit of that...
>>>>>
>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>rovernet mailing list
>>>>>rovernet at lyris.ccdata.com
>>>>>To unsubscribe, go to this web page, look near the bottom and follow
>>>>>
>>>>instructions:
>>>>
>>>>>http://mailman.nipltd.com/mailman/listinfo/rovernet
>>>>>Back-up list and photos at:
>>>>>http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Rover_net/
>>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>rovernet mailing list
>>>>rovernet at lyris.ccdata.com
>>>>To unsubscribe, go to this web page, look near the bottom and follow
>>>>instructions: http://mailman.nipltd.com/mailman/listinfo/rovernet
>>>>Back-up list and photos at:
>>>>http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Rover_net/
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> -- 
>>
>> The Pitstop Bookshop
>> 33 King Street
>> PERTH, Western Australia 6000
>> website: www.pitstop.net.au  e-mail: info at pitstop.net.au
>> (08) 9322 5544 ph  +61 8 9322 5544 (International) (08) 9322 5535 fax +61
>> 8 9322 5535 (International)
>> 1800 622 422 freecall
>>
>>
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