More Time-warp driving. 1964 Rover 3-Litre

I knew I wanted a Rover. Back in the early 90s, I had two. A Rover P4 110 and a Rover P6 3500s. Loved them. So once I started driving the Marina, having got rid of my 'normal' car - it was time to get another Rover. After a P4 and aP6, it seemed logical to get a P5.

So I called the Australian Rover club. They were really good, and after a bit of pondering they put me on to a member who was considering selling his P5.

After a bit of a look and a try, I returned home to think about it. Didn't take long and the next weekend I picked it up.

So - what is it like? In its day (1963) it was described as a "poor man's Bentley". What that seems to have meant, is that you get a decent-sized, very heavy, hugely over-engineered, sedate, comfortable and quite opulent car that seems quite disdainful of traffic, convention, ergonomics and bumps in the road - all for a fraction of the cost of a contemporary Bentley - both then and now. Bear in mind that in those days, a Bentley was a badge-engineered Rolls-Royce for a bit less money. Still more expensive than most of our houses though. Actually, given that I can't imagine this blog ever being very mainstream, probably cost more than ALL of our houses...

One of the interesting things about the P5 was that when it was launched it had no competitors. Jag Mk9's cost more, Daimlers cost a lot more and it took Humber and Austin/Van denPlas some time to bring out their comparable cars.

It is a magnificent car to drive. The driver's seat is a very evocative place to sit - and from my perspective that counts for a lot. The windscreen is quite upright compared to more modern cars and the bonnet seems very long and stately. For its age, it is quite a quiet car, although it does have a bit of a rumble and loud hum (non-standard exhaust on mine) once you get over 80kph. The dashboard is wooden. SO are the door window frames. BIG chunks of wood - not light veneer.

The steering wheel is about as wide as your shoulders, with a big chrome horn rim. There is even a full length shelf under the dash. Mine is an auto, which makes it even slower. Keeps up with traffic ok and I have seen 85mph (137kph) on the freeway with more to go - but out of respect for a very old car (and my license) I don't generally do it.

(This isn't a picture of my car - but is very similar - I borrowed it from the web. Mine has a bench front seat - just wanted you to see what the driver sees when getting in...)

So far, I have had the window seals replaced front and rear (a huge, expensive, specialist job - more on that in another post) a new front screen - laminated - the old one was just 'toughened' and quite chipped, a full 'top-end' fettle and had an expert diagnosis of the auto transmission.

My Rover is quite tatty. The driver's door has been caught on a hoist and bent backwards, snapping the door stay. The door is quite serviceable, but the outer panel is creased in a place that will be hard to fix - I'll probably get a second-hand door. The paint is quite patchy. The interior simply needs re-doing - all of it, and apparently it needs a full service to the Borg-Warner DG Auto Transmission - a job that will cost almost as much as I paid for the car. For now, I'll put up with the leaks.

On the plus side, Australia is relatively kind to cars and it has a very good body and a very good engine. All of the rest of the running gear is in great condition. Oh - and I love driving it. When I bought it it had done less than 45,000 miles across 3 previous owners. The mileage is genuine. For the first 10 years it was a chauffeur-driven Government car in NSW - and it has spent most of its life under cover, but being driven just regularly enough to stay running.

I have done about 3,000 miles in it since. It keeps up with traffic, and I often find myself passing things - although it is probably too heavy and slow for sudden last-minute overtaking maneuvers. Once it has its head of steam up though, it feels quite unstoppable.

Officially it does about 17-18 mpg, which is (oddly) about 16-17 l/100km on straight unleaded premium. Apparently lead replacement additive is a bad thing for the older Rovers, Bentleys and so on, but premium is a good thing, because it combusts at a lower temperature than regular (important in when our summers can get up to 49'C).  I have a sense that mine is probably more thhirsty than that

I think it needs a bit of an electrical overhaul at some point. Minor odd things happen, like the indicators deciding not to flash for 15 minutes, then starting again, and the sidelights coming on several seconds after they have been switched on.

At least the heater works (unlike the Marina). Even with the patchy paint, it does have a deep lustrous gleam when properly polished - which only takes about an hour and is really, really worth it.