|
|
Post by Brendan69 on Nov 13, 2018 13:02:39 GMT
Just saying hello to all my fellow club members as I joined yesterday.
I don't actually own a P5B saloon just yet as they seem to have evaded me for many years now due to not being able to find the right car for me. Ive missed out on a few along the way though but I plan to put this right very soon and I have recently restarted my search for a really nice P5B saloon. I would ideally love a 1969 model as I was born then but im not having much luck so far.
Plenty on offer and a lot of dogs too. Im looking for a trouble free example I can pamper and enjoy as this will now be the last classic car I buy before I give it all up having owned classic cars for over 35 years now. I have been to Gaydon quite a few times now and I love going to see The Queens cars ( x 2 ) and also Maggie Thatchers P5B which is sat upstairs next to the Queens back up P5B saloon in the new building. God how I would love to be able to own one of those 3 cars.
I have always loved the Rover marque cars especially the P5B saloon model and also the SD1 Vitesse model too but the P5B is my all time fav. I don't like the Coupe model although I understand it is the most favoured of the 2 models. I just love the stance of the saloon model better.
Lets hope soon i'll find one that suits me.
If anyone knows of any really nice and well cared for P5B saloon models on offer then please let me know via PM.
Cheers. Brendan69
|
|
|
|
Post by Phil Nottingham on Nov 13, 2018 15:34:04 GMT
Welcome the late 60's P5B's are better than the 70's as BLMC penny pinching and even more deteriorating labour relations began to bite. Whatever year serious rust/bodging can be well hidden. Do not buy the first one you see unless you know where it's been.
The saloon is the most comfortable to travel in especially the rear seats - performance wise no difference. Its more dignified whereas the Coupe is a more rakish driver's car. I like them both
Check my Facebook page for rot areas
|
|
|
|
Post by Brendan69 on Nov 14, 2018 14:44:32 GMT
Hi Phil, Cheers for the welcome and pointers. Ive known about these cars since I was a lad and have looked at loads over the last 10 years too so yes like you say ive pretty much seen them all.
I missed out about 5 years ago ( The seller was greedy ) and I walked away from a Black saloon model which had a 1974 N plate registration number on it. It was advertised on carandclassic for ages and the price dropped from an initial of 17k down to around 12k and this was 5-6 years ago when I went to see it at a house in the mews Kensington area of London. I would love to know where and who now has this car and what condition it is now in??. Does a club member own it???.
The car was a minter albeit not without issues. The gearbox was not good and the rev counter did not work and a few other niggles which I could have sorted easily. The seller informed me it was an Ex British Ambasadors car from Malta and had recently returned to the UK. Iknow for sure it was an ex government car as I know all about and personally saw the hidden away Black P5B saloons in person about 30 years ago all stored in a hanger at MOD Ashchurch vehicle depot. Memory tells me there was only about 15 cars left at that time.
The guy who worked there told me he had worked there since he was an apprentice and had personally been involved in all the care and preservation of all the final batch cars which arrived there in late 1973 he said. All were Black with Tan interiors and all were saloons.
God how I wish I could have bought one but they were all reserved for specific roles both in government and for high ranking military officers of the day and prestigious appointments abroad. I wonder how many of them still exist today?? not many I imagine.
I see your a Nottingham lad too. I am born and bred Arnold Nottingham albeit I joined the Army in 1984 aged 15 & 11 months and have not really been back much but my family all still live in and around the Arnold areas. Next time I am up maybe we could meet up and I could see your P5B??.
Best regards, Brendan
|
|
|
|
Post by johnwp5bcoupe on Nov 14, 2018 14:48:05 GMT
Just saying hello to all my fellow club members as I joined yesterday. I don't actually own a P5B saloon just yet as they seem to have evaded me for many years now due to not being able to find the right car for me. Ive missed out on a few along the way though but I plan to put this right very soon and I have recently restarted my search for a really nice P5B saloon. I would ideally love a 1969 model as I was born then but im not having much luck so far. Plenty on offer and a lot of dogs too. Im looking for a trouble free example I can pamper and enjoy as this will now be the last classic car I buy before I give it all up having owned classic cars for over 35 years now. I have been to Gaydon quite a few times now and I love going to see The Queens cars ( x 2 ) and also Maggie Thatchers P5B which is sat upstairs next to the Queens back up P5B saloon in the new building. God how I would love to be able to own one of those 3 cars. I have always loved the Rover marque cars especially the P5B saloon model and also the SD1 Vitesse model too but the P5B is my all time fav. I don't like the Coupe model although I understand it is the most favoured of the 2 models. I just love the stance of the saloon model better. Lets hope soon i'll find one that suits me. If anyone knows of any really nice and well cared for P5B saloon models on offer then please let me know via PM. Cheers. Brendan69 Have a look www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1045198 |
|
|
|
Post by Brendan69 on Nov 14, 2018 14:53:06 GMT
Hi john,
Yes this car is already on my radar and I might be going to see it soon. I gather this car is very well known with in this club.
Regards,
|
|
|
|
Post by dhb5610 on Nov 14, 2018 20:55:34 GMT
Hi Brendan I found my Rover P5B saloon on here and after a bit of research and a trip to Colchester I got it home in 2016 so keep an eye open on this forum. Peter Madden is the man who seems to deal with all the sales that crop up and he is a very helpful person in all things Rover.
Like you I joined the club not owning a Rover and I initially posted a request for anyone who might want to sell their car to contact me and I got a good response, so that approach may also work for you.
Good luck and I hope like me and the rest of the members you will soon be a happy Rover owner.
|
|
|
|
Post by Eric R on Nov 15, 2018 9:45:00 GMT
There was a rumour that knowing Rover would shut down and the run of P5s would cease, that Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ordered that 15 should be built for Government use. Hearsay suggests they were stored on a RAF station and never used. Could the ones you refer to be those? I wonder if a civil servant is still ticking the boxes at the annual audit.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brendan69 on Nov 15, 2018 14:24:52 GMT
Many thanks.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brendan69 on Nov 15, 2018 14:28:57 GMT
Hi, It was no rumour my friend. I actually saw these cars all lined up in a storage hanger at Ashchurch MOD depot about 25 years ago now when I had to go there to collect a new Hyster forklift truck.
Most of them had already long gone and been issued out over the years and since they were all put there back in 1973 ish and there was only about 12-15 left when I saw them all lined up in long term care and preservation storage.
I doubt any are still there but you never know. I may just try and make contact through my old Army days contacts to see if any are still there or indeed now just big brown piles of rust. LOL. Perish the thought.
Regards,
|
|
