Rusty But Trusty

When people talk about hot-rodded foreign sedans with a V8 engine shoe-horned by the manufacturer into the space normally occupied by a four- or six-cylinder engine, they’re thinking about a car like the Mercedes 300SEL 6.3. And there’s no doubt this was an amazing car that foreshadowed today’s crop of V8 mid-size luxury sedans from Europe, Japan, and even America (fancy that!), but another often forgotten (and significantly cheaper) variant of the same theme is the Rover P6 3500. With a V8 engine weighing the same as the standard four-cylinder, and putting out nearly 50% more power, it’s a potentially great stealth weapon on the road. You can find this 1970 Rover P6 3500S for sale in Bonney, Lake, WA, for $3000.

Exposure to the gasoline fumes on this old parked car must have given the seller blurry vision, for all his photos have been clouded (with optimism?). Dark green works well on this car, and if the rust isn’t too bad, you might even be able to bring the paint back with some wet sanding and a good polish. The car has a stainless exhaust and pointless ignition (hee hee), but needs attention to its brakes, electrical system, and interior.

The interior looks fairly decent, needing some re-assembly and cleaning, but things like the dash and steering wheel are in fairly good shape. The seller says the car is an easy project, but that’s all subjective, depending on what you can do and enjoy doing.

The engine once put out a full 184hp to move the car’s sub-3200 lb. girth through a Borg-Warner 3-speed. The prospect of adapting a larger, later Rover V8 from a Landie or Rangie is appealing, but is it feasible? Sourcing a 4-speed from a home-market car might also make it a bit more sprightly. This engine is said to run well, so at least you can drive it up onto the trailer.

If that running car is too rich for your blood, here’s another 1970 Rover P6 3500S for sale, this one in Clearlake, CA. It’s even more poorly photographed, if that is possible, and seems to be suffering from paint peeling off and leaving shiny patches of metal behind. Most of the listing is cut-and-paste from wikipedia, so you’ll have to call the seller for details. Engine and body are said to be good, so it may be a worthwhile alternative to the green car above.

Tags: 3500S, british, Feature, P6, rover, sedan

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