picked up my saloon

[Deleted]

Well tonight was the big night , I went and picked up my new (old) saloon. My pal drove me over from welling to gatwick and followed me home. A few bits to be sorted but a lot less than my previous two p5b's. The first thing I noticed was the pedal and the way it wasn't fixed to the floor , then there was a smell that wasnt quite right and my mate said there was smoke coming from under the car , then there was the vibration as soon as we hit 40 , and the nearly non- existant dial / gearshift lights ( and whats with that D1 and D2 And what the hell does L Do ? I mean I ask you, who uses L in a gearshift?) But on the good side I'm home and alive and I did get a cheer driving past a pub in croyden on the way home. 'The car', no name yet, we'll call it that to protect the innocent, is going in to my mate Les at service motors bexleyheath on the 20th and he's going to give it a right good looking at. I suspect a knackered universal joint, maybe engine / gearbox rubber mounts and a great big bleedin ole' in the exaust, mind you the white walls do look cool.... watch this space to see if Jack has indeed swapped his bovine and brought home yet another bag of magic beans . ScarlettWill

[Phil Nottingham]

Hope you got a god one. The smoke is from oil dripping down onto the exhaust from the leaky rope rear crank oil seal. They all do that after a while! Its just a matter of degree, I made a sheild to stop the smoke on one of mine once. Hope the smell was burning engine oil and not ATF or mouldy carpets from leaky front screen seal

You have a early auto-box. D2 starts the car off in 2nd gear and was for normal use. D1 starts it off in 1st through 2 to Top for a faster getaway. L is for lockup which locks the car in the gear its in and is used for driving down hills or in snow to prevent gear changes.

You will have the long shift down cable, assuming the box has not been changed and then the D2D1L shift may not now be applicable!

The pedal rubber has broken off - hope you have some floor left to bolt the new hinge you will to make


The back UJ is probably seized - you can only test by disconnecting it from the axle. It could be the others or the centre bearing or the 4 rubber mounts on it

Keep us to date with progress

[Deleted]

Cheers Phil, I had a look at the floor pan under the accelerator pedal and although there's surface rust I gave it a bang and it seems solid. The carpets are damp and rotten as all the door seals are knackered and i guess the rain gets in , good thing I bought a waterproof cover. Luckily I've a decent set in the other car so I'll oik them out after fitting new door seals. Anyway I finished my painting ( conservatory not landscape) early and took the new saloon out, I figured the best way to find out it's little kinks is to drive it, and apart from before mentioned probs it was fine ... for about two hours then it kept coughing and spurting like an old wino and finally cut out( OOOh is'nt that steering heavy without the aid of servo ! ) When I turned the ignition on the electric petrol pump was making a sound like Roberts Shaw in Battle of Britain ' ATTACKATTACKATTACKATTACKATTACKATTACK" . I opened the bonnet and noticed that chamber / filter inbetween the pump and the carbs wasnt full and only intermittant spurts of fuel going through, plus the noise means the pump isnt priming due to lack of fuel. Bearing in mind the tank had previously been very low I imagine some muck has clogged up pump , and when I left it for ten minutes it settled down to the bottom of tank again but when I put any demand say, going up a hill, it all got sucked up and clogged again. Who would have thought that 10 years keeping a 109 ex fire tender land rover would stand me in good stead, as I had exactly the same problem with that and it drove me wild trying to solve it. So I made it home, but man did I have a good afternoon, this is what I wanted to do all along , a polish here, in at the garage to do a little bit as and when I can afford it , and a polish there, and who knows next year I may be able to attend a meeting or two , either way I'm looking forward to leaving a carbon footprint the size of Italy's boot before I pop my clogs and V8 is the only way to fly ;D scarlettwill

[glennr]

Well done mate. I like the Robert Shaw line. Rememember it well. Shame the lad (Simon) he was trying to help avoid being shot down, bought it three scenes later.

[Deleted]

Tally Ho ! chocks away ginger ! I'm orf over the briney , dont you know.

[Warwick (Ozcoupe)]

I worked with a fitter & turner from the UK many years ago who had worked on the aircraft for the film. He had some interesting stories. He shared your surname Glenn, come to think of it.

[johnwp5bcoupe]

I know Rovers were involved with making engines during the war but I thought they were Jet ones not V8's

Roberts Shaw in Battle of Britain ' ATTACKATTACKATTACKATTACKATTACKATTACK

[glennr]

ozcoupe said:

I worked with a fitter & turner from the UK many years ago who had worked on the aircraft for the film. He had some interesting stories. He shared your surname Glenn, come to think of it.

I would of been 7 years old when that film came out. I serviced the Rover yesterday.I am going to have to look at the handbrake though. Everything seems to move OK so it probably needs the brakes adjusting at the back.NB to myself.. Leave the wheel cylynders floating. I need to pop out and get a brake adjusting spanner.

[johnwp5bcoupe]

Brake Spanner Glenn?? you should have a spanner to fit in you standard spanners

[harvey]

None of the specialist brake spanners I've ever seen will fit anyway, they're all far too small to fit the P5.

[glennr]

Thanks for that. Keep forgeting how useful that tool tray is/can be.The plug spanner was particularly useful as the other one I had was no good due to a thicker neck. Anyway, took her out today and she drove like a dream. Thank you again John Wallet for help with repacing the whole dizzy unit. No more pinking and the pick up is so much better.

[Kev]

Smoke dripping down onto the exhaust...........................

I was doing a wedding the other day and on the way to pick up the Bride my car was filling up with smoke quite nicely,just what you don't need on someones big day.Anyway once the Bride to be was in the car i managed to keep my window open all the way to the church just in case,she must have been frozen in the back but politley didn't say anything.
Oh by the way she was marrying the brother (ex bass player) of Hard- Fi, yes i know youv'e never heard of them,go and ask a young person!
So this winter Thelma's to have a new engine......................At Last.

Big Kev.

[glennr]

Kev, i am with it man, Living for the weekend, the carling beer advert song?? Cash machine?? Most impressed. Why is he the ex bass player?

[Kev]

Well done Glenn,
ya in wiv da kids..............

Yes anyway,he's the ex bass player because he got fed up waiting for the band to hit it big time, so after 6 years he left,and guess what.................they then got signed up.He by then was on a college course and decided to stick with it and let Richard his brother carry on with the band.I think the truth is Steve thought the fame wouldn't last but they are still going strong today.
2 coupes were used on the day mine and the Lock Stock one,I will see if i can get some pics posted up.

Cheers,
Big Kev.
Ps Im thinking of going on a diet so i may revert to Kev if i shed a few pounds/stone. ;D

[dorsetflyer]

John, if Rovers' were making engines in the last war they would have been 'Merlin' for Rolls Royce, used in Spitfires, Mosquitos and the like.

[harvey]

Rover produced the "Meteorite" engine which was a V8 engine based on the V12 Merlin and used in Tanks and tank transporters.

[Deleted]

The saloon went in for M.O.t yesterday. failed!!!! but only on one item : Parking brake needed adjusting as it was only 60 percent on one wheel, also an advisory note to change track rod ends next service. So Les at service motors will sort it and service and re-test today. The mot guy remarked that it was solid underneath and that someone previuos had spent time and money to get it so.Which is good, so it turns out I havnt bought another pup this time but a useable clasic with a years mot , ok so you can see daylight through one of the doors but with new rubbers I think that will solve. As soon as we have a decent day I'll take some photo's to share with you guys , and if you live in the Welling/ Bexleyheath/ Sidcup/ Dartford area you may see me crusing and giving it LARGE!! ;D scarlettwill

[dorsetflyer]

Handbrake sounds llike the classic problem, one cylinder OK the other sticking. Good luck with the re-test.

[Phil Nottingham]

Well done - whatever you do, do not alter the rod lengths unless someone has messed with them previously. Make both cylinders float and that shoes and springs are one the correct way as there are several combinations but only one works properly.

Use search for more tips

[Deleted]

cylinders float? oops ! please tell me more.

Scratch that I just tried search for 999 days and guess what? Everything became a lot clearer. I seem to remember a similar set up on my old 190 series 3 land rover. These essential spring washers, are they specialist dimension or will any do ? scarlettwill