Well it had to happen .................... I haven't played with 4 wheelers [ not counting the replica Jags, Cobras, Porsches ] for waaaaay too long enough.
Last one was my Track T "Mongoose" - SB Ford / auto maybe 20 years ago and before that a 1959 Vauxhall PA Cresta with 2.5ltr Daimler Hemi V8 and auto. - in 1976 ! Loads before that - usual Ford Pop [ Anglia ] saloons and vans, Morris "Z" Van, and Model A and B.
Once I got involved with designing and making Replicas for a business I had no time for personal Rods.
Until now ............ having had a major cull of my bike projects 3 years ago trying to be realistic as to how many I could actually finish and enjoy before I popped my clogs - I now find myself with the same amount of projects again [ 2 / 3 wheel ] : :
However, the rodding bug [ like biking ] NEVER leaves your system, so when I saw this poor little Rover P4 about to be broken for spares or worse - I decided to give it a home.
Nothing drastic - more a resto rod, but it has a degree of practicality. Annual road tax has gradually risen here in the UK and is related to emmissions / engine size. As the Rover was built before 1972 [ 1960 ] it is classified as a Historic vehicle and attracts NO annual road tax. It also enjoys a very low Classic Insurance rate - add to that the 40 mpg [ diesel ] average consumption [ that's Imperial BTW ] and I have a practical inexpensive to run daily runaraound that's still a bit out of the ordinary.
Doesn't look much does it ? However, it had a complete body / chassis overhaul [ welding etc ] 3 years ago - Doors, bonnet [ hood ] and boot lid [ trunk ] are all alloy [ OEM ]. The main claim to fame is that it was fitted with a Land Rover Discovery 200TDI Turbo diesel lump by some guys from the Land Rover experimental department ! Two weeks after the conversion they took it on a 3000 mile round trip through Europe, culminating in several laps of the Nurburgring where it was timed at 120 mph with 1500 rpm in hand !
It has a busted gearbox [ the reason for breaking ] - but has a good spare box in the boot.
Future plans include getting it up and running as a daily driver and then making subtle "Resto-Rod" mods. It will be lowered 2" and fitted with RAM alloy adj shox, Minilite or maybe Rostyle 6" x 15" and 8" x 15" wheels and suitable radials. Front brakes are already Girling discs with massive 3" wide drums on the rear.
An external sun visor will be fitted and maybe louvre the bonnet and boot lids. Yes - definitely, it would be rude not to [ bonnet anyway ]. ;D
If the Green leather interior won't refurb., then I'll get an interior out of an XJ6 Jag or late Rover 75, similar [ leather ]. Typical of the era - loads of wood [ genuine African Walnut ], leather, chrome.
I'm erring towards the 50's Aston Martin Sage Green - maybe two toned over a darker green [ BRG maybe ]. The bumpers will have to be refurbed - if too expensive maybe temporarily ditched.
Work begins when I get back from my break in Saxony [ end of April ]
Last one was my Track T "Mongoose" - SB Ford / auto maybe 20 years ago and before that a 1959 Vauxhall PA Cresta with 2.5ltr Daimler Hemi V8 and auto. - in 1976 ! Loads before that - usual Ford Pop [ Anglia ] saloons and vans, Morris "Z" Van, and Model A and B.
Once I got involved with designing and making Replicas for a business I had no time for personal Rods.
Until now ............ having had a major cull of my bike projects 3 years ago trying to be realistic as to how many I could actually finish and enjoy before I popped my clogs - I now find myself with the same amount of projects again [ 2 / 3 wheel ] : :
However, the rodding bug [ like biking ] NEVER leaves your system, so when I saw this poor little Rover P4 about to be broken for spares or worse - I decided to give it a home.
Nothing drastic - more a resto rod, but it has a degree of practicality. Annual road tax has gradually risen here in the UK and is related to emmissions / engine size. As the Rover was built before 1972 [ 1960 ] it is classified as a Historic vehicle and attracts NO annual road tax. It also enjoys a very low Classic Insurance rate - add to that the 40 mpg [ diesel ] average consumption [ that's Imperial BTW ] and I have a practical inexpensive to run daily runaraound that's still a bit out of the ordinary.
Doesn't look much does it ? However, it had a complete body / chassis overhaul [ welding etc ] 3 years ago - Doors, bonnet [ hood ] and boot lid [ trunk ] are all alloy [ OEM ]. The main claim to fame is that it was fitted with a Land Rover Discovery 200TDI Turbo diesel lump by some guys from the Land Rover experimental department ! Two weeks after the conversion they took it on a 3000 mile round trip through Europe, culminating in several laps of the Nurburgring where it was timed at 120 mph with 1500 rpm in hand !
It has a busted gearbox [ the reason for breaking ] - but has a good spare box in the boot.
Future plans include getting it up and running as a daily driver and then making subtle "Resto-Rod" mods. It will be lowered 2" and fitted with RAM alloy adj shox, Minilite or maybe Rostyle 6" x 15" and 8" x 15" wheels and suitable radials. Front brakes are already Girling discs with massive 3" wide drums on the rear.
An external sun visor will be fitted and maybe louvre the bonnet and boot lids. Yes - definitely, it would be rude not to [ bonnet anyway ]. ;D
If the Green leather interior won't refurb., then I'll get an interior out of an XJ6 Jag or late Rover 75, similar [ leather ]. Typical of the era - loads of wood [ genuine African Walnut ], leather, chrome.
I'm erring towards the 50's Aston Martin Sage Green - maybe two toned over a darker green [ BRG maybe ]. The bumpers will have to be refurbed - if too expensive maybe temporarily ditched.
Work begins when I get back from my break in Saxony [ end of April ]