BernardTPM Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 I think these pics confirm it is indeed a Hitman Minx Estate http://www.simoncars.co.uk/arrow/arrowm.html Not the 'Hillman Minx estate', but the 'Hillman Estate Car', a model in its own right. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Mate of mine's Dad had a purple Rapier in the '70s, he recalls it being pretty quick, better built than many contempory British cars with bags of room. Sadly it died of rampant rot in the sills and wheel arches. It was nice while it lasted! I've just made a terrible mistake - looking through all the photos of the two P5Bs and three P6s I used to own.... oh deary me, I need another wafty Rover V8 in my life... 'GGN 588J', where did you go to my lovely... Try as I might, the 'yearn' from deep within my very bowels won't let go! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 A Rover is for life and not just for Christmas !!!!!! Brit15 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 A Rover is for life and not just for Christmas !!!!!! Brit15 I know, or at least until the next one comes along! Just found this ace Beemer ad from February '73... 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 The only real problem with the BMW E9 CS/CSi/CSL coupés was that the bodyshell was built by Karmann. Karmann wasn't very good at rustproofing, and these shells had a number of moisture traps. This led to the cars rusting from the inside out. The CSLs had additional problems because aluminium panels bolted to steel could set off an electrolytic reaction. You'd have thought BMW might have learnt from this when they brought out the E24 6-Series, but apparently not. Initially they got Karmann to assemble and finish the entire car, but this was a bit of a mistake so, after the first few hundred cars, Karmann were instructed to build only the bodyshells which were then shipped to Dingolfing for fitting out. Quality control did get better after 1982 up to the end of production, but a 6-Series can still rust pretty rapidly. A single wing panel is about £600 + VAT, and happens to be one of the known weak spots for rust. If there's rust in the vicinity of the sunroof, it's time to walk away. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Sounds like my Jag chappie might have some marathon welding to do on his pair of 3.0s then, one was a bare shell (in white) while the other (pale metallic blue) was only partially stripped. He's not far away, I ought to nip round and have another shuftie. Almost ten years ago I bought this, my first P5B, it wasn't perfect but it taught me a lot about old Rovers... last I heard of the old girl she was SORNed in Southampton... I remember the day I picked it up from Cambridgeshire and the effortless waft home along the A14, feeling like Billy big b*ll*cks.... sigh. 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 I've just made a terrible mistake - looking through all the photos of the two P5Bs and three P6s I used to own.... oh deary me, I need another wafty Rover V8 in my life... 'GGN 588J', where did you go to my lovely... Doesn't look good I'm afraid :-( MoT ran out in March 2009 and tax that October. No SORN filed :-( Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Doesn't look good I'm afraid :-( MoT ran out in March 2009 and tax that October. No SORN filed :-( Thanks, I was too scared to look! Shame really as it was such a good car, the bodywork was almost mint when I bought it in July '07 from a collector in High Wycombe, only reason I let it go was I had too many cars at the time. Another shameless pic, 'WCW 375M', my late '73 Almond Yellow 2000TC, one of the last built before the slightly more refined 2200 came into production. The previous owner was a Cotswold Vicar who smoked like a chimney and had a power steering kit fitted... 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted January 29, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 29, 2017 One of my old bosses had a 635CSi E24, but her tore the back axle out of it doing, er, silly things. He raced in the Metro Turbo race series way back, and then the MG (Maestro) Turbo series. The 635 is in a garage in Sutton Coldfield somewhere, he still owns it. He's back over there now so it may live again some day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted January 29, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 29, 2017 As far as I know the only one make maestro series was for maestro EFi's the official series was a multi dissapline one which had races, rallies,auto tests and hill climbs Later there was an MG Maestro one make race series but only for MG 1600s and two litre Efis Turbos have been raced in other saloon series but not on their own Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Looks like a VT Commodore or a not too distant descendant. I agree that they were pretty good. ..... VX. It had the droopy headlights. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Thanks, I was too scared to look! Shame really as it was such a good car, the bodywork was almost mint when I bought it in July '07 from a collector in High Wycombe, only reason I let it go was I had too many cars at the time. Another shameless pic, 'WCW 375M', my late '73 Almond Yellow 2000TC, one of the last built before the slightly more refined 2200 came into production. The previous owner was a Cotswold Vicar who smoked like a chimney and had a power steering kit fitted... ROVER 1973 Rover 2000TC WCW 375M s.jpg Also gone, I'm afraid. MoT ran out in Aug 2008, tax ran out the following February. Again no SORN :-( Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolseley Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 A few photographs I took at the Scottish Transport Extravaganza at Glamis Castle in 1975. I drove there in a 1963 Ford Cortina which would, I suppose, these days be one of the exhibits rather than just one of the older cars in the car park..... 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianusa Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 I have often wondered if those large headlamps with the 'bars' (whatever the technical term) were any better than todays Xenon headlights. Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
royaloak Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 (edited) 'GGN 588J', where did you go to my lovely.. Already covered. Edited January 31, 2017 by royaloak 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatB Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 I have often wondered if those large headlamps with the 'bars' (whatever the technical term) were any better than todays Xenon headlights. Brian. No, they were rubbish by any objective standard, although presumably good for their day. Dad had, at one stage, a Crossley 2-Litre with the similarly constructed Lucas P100 headlamps (as an aside, in the mid-1980s, pairs of P100s were changing hands for substantially more money than Dad sold the whole car for c1960). He used a small windfall to have the headlamp reflectors resilvered and new bulb-holders installed, then spent hours and hours and hours fiddling to get the focus and aim right. Apparently they were still barely adequate. Oddly enough, though, he also had direct experience of acetylene lighting on some of the elderly motorcycles he was involved with in his youth. Reckoned that, when working properly, their brilliant white beam beat pretty much anything he'd come across before the advent of quartz-halogen lamps in the 70s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 .... Lucas P100 headlamps (as an aside, in the mid-1980s, pairs of P100s were changing hands for substantially more money than Dad sold the whole car for c1960). He used a small windfall to have the headlamp reflectors resilvered and new bulb-holders installed, then spent hours and hours and hours fiddling to get the focus and aim right. Apparently they were still barely adequate..... Lucas wasn't called "Prince of Darkness" for nothing! My old man unearthed a pair of Cibie rally-type spotlamps, complete with the white plastic covers, left over from the days when he had a Ford Cortina Mk.2 1600E. He was amazed when they fetched over a hundred on eBay. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatB Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 Lucas wasn't called "Prince of Darkness" for nothing! No, but it's rare for anyone applying the epithet to offer a superior alternative supplier easily available in Britain prior to, say, the mid-60s when Nippondenso equipped Japanese cars or Bosch illuminated German ones became widely available. Because anyone waving the products of Miller or Wico-Pacy at me and claiming that they were in any way better will be met with much mirth . 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 Lucas the Prince of Darkness Not many people know that Land Rovers attempted to market a computer. Why did they stop? They could not find a way to get it to leak oil! A Land Rover doesn´t leak oil, it marks it´s territory. Did you hear about the man whose Land Rover didn't leak oil? The factory took it backand worked on it until it did. Did you hear the one about the guy that peeked into a Land Rover and asked the owner "How can you tell one switch from another at night? They all look the same. " - "He replied, "It does not matter which one you use, nothing happens !" The Lucas motto: "Get home before dark." Lucas is the patent holder for the short circuit. Lucas - Inventor of the first intermittent wiper. Lucas - Inventor of the self-dimming headlamp. The three position Lucas switch - Dim, Flicker and Off. The Original Anti-Theft Device - Lucas Electrics. >Lucas is an acronym for Loose Unsoldered Connections and Splices Lucas systems actually uses AC current; it just has a random frequency. "I have had a Lucas pacemaker for years and have never had any trou..." If Lucas made guns, wars would not start. A friend of mine told everybody he never had any electric problems with his Lucas equipment. Today he lives in the countryside, in a large manor with lots of friendly servants around him an an occasional ice cold shower... Back in the 70's, Lucas decided to diversify its product line and began manufacturing vacuum cleaners. It was the only product they offered which did not suck. Q: Why do the British drink warm beer? A: Because Lucas makes their refrigerators Alexander Graham Bell invented the Telephone.Thomas Edison invented the Light Bulb. Joseph Lucas invented the Short Circuit. Recommended procedure before taking on a repair of Lucas equipment: Check the position of the stars,kill a chicken and walk three times clockwise around your car chanting:" Oh mighty Prince of Darkness protect your unworthy servant.." Brit15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 Lest anyone think I am anti BL / Lucas I have had a BL derived car in my life constantly since passing my driving test (in a Mini) back when I was 17. First was dads Daimler Majestic, which was later traded in for a Marina 1.8HL, again traded for a Princess (Wedge) 1.8HL. Whilst this was my work car, I bought an old VW beetle as a "hobby car", sold that in 1982 and bought my current BL "hobby" car, a 1973 Rover 3.5 Litre (P5B) saloon. The Princess was traded in for a new Capri in August 1982. The only other BL car I had was in 1986 when I bought a new 1.6 Montego. Other than alternators I have never had any electrical problems. The diodes were replaced in both the Marina & Princess (30 bob - £1.50 fitted !!). The Rover needed a replacement refurb alternator back around 1986 or so (when I was a lad !!!!!!!!!). My Marina and Princess weren't perfect, but nothing very expensive went wrong. I had the Montego 3 years and other than routine maintenance it never saw a spanner !! Worst cars ? - 2 Bloody Audis, a 100GLE & a 90, nice cars to drive, superb engines - both 5 cylinder flying machines - BUT always going wrong. brakes, driveshafts, water leaks, niggly things all the time. A section of my wallet was marked AUDI. Vorsprung Durch Bankruptcy !!! I later went onto company cars - 2 Peugeot 405's and several associated Citroens - all Diesels & bloody good cars they all were. Virtually NO problems (though they were changed yearly for a new un). I kept my Rover as a hobby. Presently Wife / family car is a 1998 Ford Galaxy, had it from nearly new, getting on a bit but only done 60K miles. The Rover is now tax free, and I gave her a run last week when the sun was out. Still a wonderful car to drive though the steering veers left at petrol stations !!. My 1996 Polo saloon I recently gave to my son - the bloody thing just keeps going & going, passed it's MOT a couple of months ago with no advisories. I bought myself a 2008 Seat Leon - basically a VW Golf in drag !!. Same engine as the Polo (1.6 8v Petrol) and I'm very pleased with it. I'ts a base model but is still loaded with kit, enough for me. One previous lady owner and it's a minter. Cars - an e-motive subject !! Brit15 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 Your comment about your P5B reminds me of the first time I tried to 'press on' in my first P5B Coupe, I took it quite gently bringing it home along the A14 the day I bought it but the following weekend I went for a proper old waft down the A45 towards Coventry to see what she'd do. It easily woofled up to the 65 / 70mph mark leaving Dunchurch, but squeezing my right foot a touch more visibly made the needle in the fuel gauge MOVE towards 'empty'! I loved the way the needle gently bounced around sometimes (this is quite common on V8 P6s too) and turbine like smoothness of the acceleration. I never could quite get used to the floor hinged throttle pedal though, I often had to push my whole right leg forward to make progress so ended up slipping down the on the soft leather armchair. When the V8s were launched in late '67 the press bumpf said it would cruide easily at 115mph all day long, I can well believe it but I wouldn't try it now. I had a text last week from 'Big Jon with the Avocado green SD1', this year's Roverfest takes place at Wroxhall Abbey in Warwickshire on the 11th-13th August and I'm thinking how nice it would be to have another Rover by then to join in the 50th anniversary of the ex-Buick V8. Blatant and utterly shameless P5B porn ahoy... despite keeping old 'Dakin 1' for about eighteen months I never did get round to putting a proper rear number plate on it, most of the spare cash went on 99 octane and leather restorer...! 'Big Jon' getting a taste for how the other half used to live... his wife's late Grandfather was Alec Swain who worked on the P4, P5 and P6... An unused publicity / brochure shot from September '67 showing P5B Coupe 'RXE 438E' wafting along the A45 near Meriden... Another V8 launch shot... Stone me they made some wonderful cars... 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianusa Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 It was a good looking car! Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 I like the Rover brochure - never seen one before !!. My P5B is also L reg, July 1973, 17th from the last one made, and I think H.M.The Queen has (and still has) the last one made. Yes I wouldn't do 115MPH in mine today, she's OK at 65 - 70 on the Motorway though, not that she see's the M6 often - just a trip down to Warrington from Wigan once a year to an old mate for service. He loves working on her - no electronics !!! Looking forward to spring. Brit15 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kickstart Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 Worst cars ? - 2 Bloody Audis, a 100GLE & a 90, nice cars to drive, superb engines - both 5 cylinder flying machines - BUT always going wrong. brakes, driveshafts, water leaks, niggly things all the time. A section of my wallet was marked AUDI. Vorsprung Durch Bankruptcy !!! Worst car we ever had was an Audi 100 (1980s slippery shaped one). Horribly badly engineered and I would never touch another Audi. My comment on it was that VW bought Skoda to get some decent engineers for Audi All the best Katy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 My first Audi was a GL5E, the one before the slippery shape. I always liked the look of the slippery 100 - had a look at a few but did not bite. Mine ate CV joints, one in particular placed right under the hot exhaust. The heat dried the joint out and it started to knock. My solution was to inject CV grease into the joint every 6 months - this worked a treat so I did them all - sorted.. Didn't stop the rust though. Master cylinder seals went - no brakes what so ever. so much for dual circuits !!. Lots of other niggles down to poor design / build. The 90 was worse - had it for 6 months and got rid ASAP. Worst car I have ever owned. Yet I see many Audis around these days - are they better these days ?. As for Diesels, my first was a Peugeot 405 non turbo. A bit sluggish but 50 odd MPG. Never saw that MPG with my later later Turbo diesels, probably down to my driving !!. I wouldn't buy a modern diesel, not as a run-around anyway. The DPF / EGR filters etc are a menace. Some local dealers just won't touch diesels at all, neither will I. Brit15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now