The goal of the event was to try and entice out some of the interesting older cars in the club that rarely come to events.   Last year seemed like a good start so we decided to run the event again this year.  I personally really like the Linwood house open days.  There are normally other really interesting cars, and its a very easy and relaxed day where you can come and go as you want.   I used to go as a spectator when the Rolls Royce club would display there.

This year there were excellent displays from the Rover club, the Holden FB-EK & FE-FC Holden Car Clubs, Wolseley Car Club, MG Restorers Car club and Ducati owners clubs.  The Ducati club and Rover club were having their concours event.   I’m a big fan of Rovers, in particular the P5 and P6 models.  It was nice to see their display.   I don’t really know much about motorcycles, but the Ducati display was large and impressive.

Coinciding with the event was the 60th anniversary of the introduction of the W108 and W109 models at the Frankfurt Auto show on the 16th of September 1965.   It was an opportunity to celebrate the W108 and W109, as well as the 250SE coupe and cabriolet models that made their debut at the same show.  In fitting with this, I took my 1965 250SE Cabriolet which was made in October 1965.

Our display was a bit up and down.  We had pretty good sign ups for the event but actual attendance was pretty limited.  That was a surprise given how nice a day it was.    On the positive side, there was a rare early 300GD which was a real time warp.   We also had a C114 280CE in amazing condition, plus an excellent original 220SE Coupe and 280SE 3.5 coupe.   In addition, a new member brought his W108 280S manual along.   The car has been in his family since new.  It was purchased new by his father in Singapore and then brought to Australia when the family moved here.  The car had been laid up for a couple of years and has recently been put back on the road.

Being a car sold new in Singapore it was a CKD car, probably made in Malaysia.   And of course given the Singaporean Heritage, it has an elaborate Nippondenso boot mounted air conditioning system installed.  It would have been far more powerful than the factor air, and even has a small refrigerator in the boot for drinks.  The system is not currently working, but can hopefully be repaired.

I think for next year if the club attends one of the Linnwood House open days, we should re-think the type of event.  There doesn’t seem like there is a lot of interest in its current form. It seems like it would be better to combine it with some other event to broaden appeal and also have others to help with promotion.

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To recap there are three Rover P5s under restoration.   A 1964 P5 Coupe MKIIA in manual/overdrive; a 1965 MKIIC in manual/overdrive (converted from auto) and a 1966 MKIII in manual/overdrive (also converted from auto).   The two MKII cars are both admiralty blue, but the 1964 car is two tone with a light blue roof.   All three cars are fitted with Webasto sunroofs.   There is a surprising amount of difference given the cars are all a model year apart.   The photo below shows the 1964 car.

There were quite a few jobs underway that will not be seen when the cars are finished but are still important.   The first was the front seat mechanism.   These needed to be dissasembled as they were not moving freely.   The control cables were not really designed to be disassembled so a lot of car was required to remove them and make sure the mechanisms were working properly.    The picture below shows the mechanisms for the MKIIC.

Another component along the same lines were the door check straps.  Each one had to be disassembled, cleaned and lubricated.   Interestingly the front ones are slightly different to the rear ones.   Rover helpfully stamped a little picture of a front door or a rear door on the straps to identify them.

Another job like this is checking the alignment of the starting handle.   While the starting handle is not going to be used frequently (if at all), everything still needs to line up properly.   I did actually use the handle on my old P5 when the ignition switch stopped working.  It allowed me to start the car up at a Petrol station and continue on my way.

A particularly tedious job is aligning the bonnet on a P5.  This is why so many of them at car shows have misaligned bonnets.   It involves a lot of trial fitting to get it just right as there are two bolts that go into oval shaped holes to make sure the bonnet sits just right.

Finally the 1964 car is starting to have the interior fitted.  The photo below shows the rear seat, upholstered in grey leather. It should look great with the navy blue carpet.   It can’t really be see in the picture, but the 1964 car will also get the drivers window regulator from my old car.  That regulator is in much better condition.

It will be great to see these cars lined up in the sun after they are completed.   What a good display it would be at a cars and coffee event.    It is rare to see a P5 coupe at an event like this, let alone three of them.

For more information on previous updates, please see:

• May 2020
• December 2019
• April 2019

The post March 2021 Rover P5 Coupe restoration update appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

The last couple of months he has been moving workshops, so the progress is based on work done earlier in the year.    My old P5 has been completely dismantled.   The new workshop does not have room for parts cars.   The parts will all go to good use and the engine is available if necessary if any of the three cars need it.

The engine was probably the best thing about my old car.    The body was quite rusty and the interior was very worn.    The picture above shows the cover for the valve adjustment in the block – a feature of this IOE engine.

The 1964 P5 MKIIA has the fuel tank fitted, the rear seat and parcel shelf fitted and the electrics complete.    The picture below shows one of the seats off the 1964 MKIIA (in grey) and two of the seats from the MKIIC (in cream).

These seats are of a very different design to the seats used in the 1966 Rover P5 MKIII.    Those seats were modified again for the P5B, but are quite similar.  The MKIII seats look more like an ‘overstuffed’ armchair.

A fair amount of progress has been made on the MKIII interior.   It was a bit dark to photograph inside the car, but the car is looking very impressive from the outside.   The Webasto sunroof can be seen at the top of the photo.   This Rover P5 MKIII Coupe is going to be quite impressive when finished.

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The car is now in a rather sorry state.    It was never in great condition, but it did make the drive back from Canberra to Sydney after the Flynn auction.  Not bad for such a cheap car.    It looks like the bonnet has been used as an outdoor painting bench!

The engine is being kept in reserve for the restoration, but the owner will probably sell the DG automatic gearbox as the restoration projects are all manual/overdrive.    It is a shame to see such a rare car parted out, but at the same time this one very rough car is being sacrificed to get three very nice ones back on the road.   This P5 coupe parts car was originally stone grey with a red interior.   When I bought the car it has a poor quality vinyl roof that is unlikely to be factory.

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Firstly, all the electrical work is completed and tested.   This is an important milestone and something that needs to be right before the interiors can be installed.   The electrical work includes sensible upgrades such as relays for the headlights.   The blue coupe in the picture below has also been pre-wired for driving lights.   It is hard to see from the photo but the blue coupe pictured has been upgraded to Halogen lights.

Hard to see because they are covered for protection, but the bumpers have all been re-chromed.      Next, the engines are being readied for their first start – hoses, belts, fluids and the like.

The picture above shows the somewhat unusual arrangement of the combined generator and power steering pump used in the P5 3 litre.     Finally, some of the interior is starting to take shape – starting with the boot.   The P5 came with a nice arrangement of tools on the passengers side of the boot which can be seen below.

The other two cars also have more of their interiors installed.    The Yellow MKIII has the dashboard more completed and the other blue car has the doors trimmed.

It was good to see the progress on the Rover P5 restoration.   I am looking forward to visiting again in the new year to see further progress.    The three cars should be magnificent when finished.

Update:  Restoration Progress – May 2020.

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This year the main displays were from Rover, Wolseley, Austin and various classic American marques.  The car of the day for me was a lovely 1937 Packard Super 8. These cars are hugely impressive in the flesh – pictures never do them justice.   There were a few other very nice classic American cars like a Chrysler Windsor and a lovely 50’s Cadillac convertible.

I was also keen to see the Rover display as I am a fan of the P5 model in particular.   There was a good selection of earlier cars, P4s, P6s and even SD1s, but only two P5s on the day.  That was a shame as in prior years there have been a great variety of models to choose from.

I drove there in the DS.  I didn’t display the car as I was not a member of any of the clubs participating, but I don’t think that would have mattered.   I hope in future years even more car clubs attend the Linnwood house day.   There is loads of room and its a very nice car show.

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The first car under restoration is a 1964 MKIIA model.    It was originally delivered 26/6/1964.  Unusually for a car delivered in Australia, it is equipped with a manual transmission and overdrive.   Most cars sold here came with the Borg Warner DG automatic gearbox.   The current owner purchased the car in 1971.

The manual/overdrive ‘export’ P5 MKII Coupe is relatively rare, with only 67 RHD models being produced at the factory, this car being #23.   Overall, including home market (1956) and LHD export (312) there were 2335 manual cars in total.

I don’t know the full details of the difference between home market and export cars, but one obvious difference is the engine compression.   The original engine for this car was an 8:1 compression model vs the 8:75 compression for the home market cars.

The car was originally white, but is now painted Admiralty Blue on the lower half and Slate Grey for the roof.   It is equipped with a Webasto sunroof and will have a grey leather interior with dark blue carpets.

I really like the colour combination of this car.   In the image above, the fuel tank for the car can also be seen.    Eagle eyed viewers will see that while the car is a MKII, it has P5B side trim.   This is because the owner prefers it.   The intention of this car was to build his vision of the ideal Rover P5.  Another change is the colour matched hubcaps.   Originally the Rover P5 (MKII) was to have painted hubcaps like a Mercedes-Benz, but that was cancelled at the last minute.  The reason was probably cost.

As part of the restoration, the engine has been swapped for one from the same year.   This presumably came from the P5 MKIIA Saloon that provided parts for the restoration (77600154A).

While there were running changes throughout P5 MKII production, the biggest changes came with the introduction of the MKIIC cars.

MKIIC cars included engine improvements (larger crankshaft mains, oil drain at the rear of the head and more), speedometer/tachometer with a larger font, two speed wipers, a better fuse box, improvements to suspension, exhaust, fuel tank and many more.    This car has the improved gauge faces as part of the restoration:

In addition, the tachometer has been rebuilt by a qualified electrical engineer to be far more accurate than original.    The main work to be done on the car now is the assembly.

Accompanying the MKIIA is a 1965 MKIIC.  The C suffix model have all the improvements listed above.    This car started out life with a Borg Warner DG gearbox but has been converted to manual/overdrive.

The MKIIC car is Admiralty blue on the body and the roof and is not equipped with a webasto sunroof.   It has a cream leather interior and has air conditioning.   To fit the massive York compressor, part of the inner wing needed to be cut out!

As with the MKIIA, this car also has v8 side trim.

Of the three cars, this car is the furthest along with the final assembly.

The final car is the MKIII model.   As with the car above, it started its life as an automatic.   In this case, being a MKIII a Borg Warner 35.  It now has a manual/overdrive transmission.  The owner of these cars is not a fan of the BW35 in the P5.   The MKIII had a taller rear end ratio, so combined with the BW35 was a more relaxed performer.

Where the MKIIA is the owners idea of the ideal Rover P5 in a more traditional way, the MKIII has been built in a more brash style.   It is sporting the Rostyle wheels from a V8 and a custom Cream/Almond colour combination.   It is a very striking car.    This car also has a Webasto sunroof.    It has been in the current owner’s care since the 80s.

The MKIII will have a tan leather interior.   The interior is the biggest difference between the MKII cars, with something more like the P5B.   The front seats are more like armchairs and there is a rear heater control.

I really enjoyed going to look at the Rover P5 Coupe restoration.  It is amazing to see the marked differences between three cars of consecutive years.

My favorite is the earlier car, then the MKIII, then the all blue car.   But all of them are lovely and I am looking forward to dropping by in a couple more months to see the progress of the Rover P5 coupe restoration project.

Update:  Restoration Progress – December 2019.

Update:  Restoration Progress – May 2020.

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The new owner is a friend of mine who is restoring the three Rover P5 cars.   A Rover parts car will really help along these restorations.   Prior to this car he also parted out a P5 Saloon.

He is of the firm view that the P5 3 liter is the far superior car to the v8 powered P5B.   The main reasons he quotes for this are:

• The cars were far better built by the Rover Company as compared to British Leyland.
• The Borg Warner 35 gearbox was not adequate for the weight of the vehicle.
• The front suspension was not updated for the much lighter Aluminium v8 giving a choppy ride.

He is a fan of the Rover v8 in the 3500S P6 model, but less so in the P5.

I’ve stopped by the workshop a couple of times since selling the car to see the progress of the P5 restoration.   As the restorations progress, my old car is further stripped for valuable parts.   I stopped by today and helped remove two of the window regulators.

The first photo below shows the car in late 2017, just after I sold it.

I went back in September 2018 and the stripping process had started with some of the front of the car removed, as well as work done on the interior to remove pieces such as the instrument cluster, door cards etc.

Today a lot more progress had been made, with the entire interior gutted, one of the window regulator removed, back wheels and many more.

Next step will be to remove the DG gearbox.     It will not be required for the restorations as they are all Manual/Overdrive, so will be put up for sale.   The DG is an interesting unit.  It’s a big strong gearbox, of American design.  It is a two speed box, with a locking torque converter to give three effective ratios.   A locking torque converter was quite advanced for the time, with many other manufacturers not introducing this until the 90s or 2000s.

I expect in a couple of months all usable bits will be harvested and the shell will be sold for scrap metal.  The should coincide with the return to the road for at least one of the P5 coupes.

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This year the numbers of Rolls Royces and Bentleys was down considerably.   From what I understand this wasn’t the actual concours day, and I’m not sure if this is a change from previous years.   The other marques somewhat made up for it, but I was curious as to why.   The day was still well worth attending and the cars that did attend were exemplary.   My pick of the day was the silver Bentley Continental.

This years event was the first showing of a Rover 3 litre coupe that has been under restoration for a year or so.   The car is a similar spec to the one I used to own, but much better in nearly every way.   The owner has chosen a classy two tone paint job that complements the blue leather interior.   It is a sort of blue/grey colour for the roof and it looks very good.    As can be seen in the pictures the car still needs quite a bit of re-assembly but the car illustrates what lovely cars these Rover P5s are when in nice condition.

There was also an interesting pair of Armstrong Sidseleys.   The two cars were very similar in colour, but one was a ute and one was a convertible.   They each had a different colour highlight line to provide a bit of contrast.

There were also a few random Mercedes-Benzes from spectators.   I saw a few people from the MBCNSW who were in attendance.   I dove there in my 450SLC, but parked outside.  Next year if I go, I will probably drive in and park with the other ring-ins!

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The museum offers volunteer tours of the reserve collection twice per day.   Despite many people at the museum during my visit, I was the only one to avail myself of the tour.   I ended up with a two hour private tour of the reserve collection instead of the 45 minute highlights a big group would get.   This was the highlight of the whole museum for me.     The tour also included the Jaguar Heritage collection.

Probably the most fascinating part of the tour was some of the descriptions of an early Lanchster.   I had heard of Lanchester, but more about the cars they built during their ownership by Daimler.    However, the most interesting cars were built by Frederick Lanchester.   Like W.O. Bentley, Lanchester was a brilliant engineer but not a great businessman.  And unlike Henry Royce, who had Charles Rolls and then later professional managers, Lanchester never had a partner to handle the business side of things.

The car we looked at had an epicyclic gearbox, years before Henry Ford adopted it for the Model T, twin crankshaft engine for smoothness, was much faster than the competition and many other clever touches.   Sadly, the Lanchester brand ended up building a series of forgettable cars under Daimler ownership.

Another interesting part of the museum was a collection of test cars showing off different safety ideas of the 70s.   One in particular looks like a mousetrap – it was designed to come up during a collision to improve pedestrian safety.   There is also another one to try and show American regulators how silly a proposed law was that focused on rear visibility.    It is fitted with a large periscope as the only way of complying with the regulations.

The collection also contains three interesting Rover P5 models.   The main collection houses one of the Queen’s P5Bs and the overflow collection has the other.   There is also the Prime ministerial P5B, and interesting for me, a 1965 P5 Coupe with a manual transmission.   A similar car (transmission aside) from my old rover and identical spec to a couple of cars being restored by a friend of mine.    Continuing the Rover theme, there is a Rover Speed 14 Streamline Saloon, a rather performance oriented model by the company.

Also of interest was a very impressive Daimler Green Goddess.   This is a very imposing car and you can certainly understand the stir it created when first unveiled.   However, if I could have taken one car home from the museum, it would have been the Bentley R Type Continental.

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