Rover P5B as a daily driver?

quenching

Back on hunt again for a useable classic, and as alternative to a Merc I stumbled across a Rover P5B in O'Sheas in Waterford, always liked these and this looks good on their website...

CLICK THIS LINK WITH CAUTION, AS OF 12TH AUGUST IT GENERATES A VIRUS WARNING MESSAGE!
http://www.osheaclassiccars.ie/car.php?theID=143

Apparently they're a decent bunch to deal with (unless anyone cares to PM me otherwise).

A quick search on the web seems to say that they're a good useable classic, well made and cheapish to maintain. I know the coupe is more popular but I'd be happy with a saloon as long as its priced right.

Those of you in the know feel free to correct me rather than let me find out the expensive way.

NEVCC

Big fan of the p5b. There are a few things to watch out for, A posts, ridges on the rear wing, sills of course and the lower D posts, but If you get a good one there is not another car that can touch them. They are a bit thirsty 12 - 15 MPG

http://www.nevcc.net/Restoration_projects/RoverP5B.html

245

My father had a V8 P6 and SD1 - neither of them got above single figure consumption on cold winter mornings on his daily commute - they were only warming up after 4 miles (they have a huge amount of coolant to heat). He eventually got some sort of pre-heater that made a big difference.

The P5B has it all - looks really classy inside and out and was built to a higher standard than later Rover models (especially the SD1). There's loads of support from UK suppliers and clubs.

I assume that it has power steering?

Can't see how you'd go wrong as long as the car itself is good. My computer won't let me onto the O' Shea website on account of virus warnings.

quenching

Thanks gents, all sounds good apart from that woeful MPG, may need to reconsider! I also just got that virus message 245 about O'Sheas website but from reading the Google explanation its would appear its not O'Sheas but other websites hosted on their hosting service, I'm using Safari on a Mac so relatively immune but maybe best to use caution if visiting the site. I'll edit the original post to warn others.

245

I wouldn't worry too much about the mpg as your mileage probably isn't that high. Most proper (!) classics will be doing well to get past 30 mpg once warmed up and the larger ones that you've been considering will most likely struggle to get past that. A pre-heater and maybe a swap to an electric fan (the later Rovers were viscous coupling, not sure about the P5B) will also help enormously. By all accounts most P5B users are very reluctant to be parted from them (Maggie Thatcher being a prime example)

quenching

Its worth a look anyway, I'll be down that way in a few weeks so I'll pop in and see if its still there. MPG probably makes €10 a week difference to something that'll get maybe 18MPG so maybe not so bad, just wouldn't be taking it around Europe for the summer!

Whosbetter?

Considered the same car myself a few years ago.
Went to look at a few too.
Brill looking car!

In the end purchaced a P6B!
Couldn't recomend those highly enough.
Have had mine 2 & a half years now.
Just come back from holidays today with mine today with no probs whatsoever.
Additionally, I use this car for the work Commute & the creche run.

Am thinking of selling in the next couple of months, (another kid on the way:))

So, if you, or anybody else is intrested, PM me before I advertise it on the open market.

I'll be asking in the region of 5.5k.

A pic of the car is on page 27 of 'post a picture of your classic car' thread.

Gaz19

Hi
There are two currently on market - one in Dublin ( for €19,995 and O'Sheas in Waterford for somewhere around €7k)
I viewed €20k car - very nice but too steep for me.
Ref O'Shea Rover - I went down a few weeks ago and did a test drive
He seems a nice enough guy and the car was exactly as described (which is a nice change from some others selling 'minters')
He even told me that the price quoted in Irish Classic mag was incorrect (ie too high - immediate saving)
Anyway car looked clean and straight to me. It drove fine and was definitely better value that the few I had already seen
However I was weighing up Rover P5b vs BMW 3.0 Cs vs Triumph Stag vs Manta A (never actually got to see a Manta this time around unfortunately but........)
I have looked at about 15+ cars so far and have decided (almost) to go or Stag (I think)
Re MPG I did not really consider it that important as I was more focused on finding a good solid classic to get me back to enjoyable driving!!!!!
Hope this helps...........

quenching

Gaz19 wrote: »

Hi
There are two currently on market - one in Dublin ( for €19,995 and O'Sheas in Waterford for somewhere around €7k)
I viewed €20k car - very nice but too steep for me.
Ref O'Shea Rover - I went down a few weeks ago and did a test drive
He seems a nice enough guy and the car was exactly as described (which is a nice change from some others selling 'minters')
He even told me that the price quoted in Irish Classic mag was incorrect (ie too high - immediate saving)
Anyway car looked clean and straight to me. It drove fine and was definitely better value that the few I had already seen
However I was weighing up Rover P5b vs BMW 3.0 Cs vs Triumph Stag vs Manta A (never actually got to see a Manta this time around unfortunately but........)
I have looked at about 15+ cars so far and have decided (almost) to go or Stag (I think)
Re MPG I did not really consider it that important as I was more focused on finding a good solid classic to get me back to enjoyable driving!!!!!
Hope this helps...........

Thanks Gaz19, much appreciated. I agree the chap from O'Sheas seems decent and has a good reputation locally. Might pop down this weekend and have a look. Was there enough difference in the cars to justify €13 between it and the Dublin car, €10 seems VERY steep indeed! Anything at all of concern with O'Shea's car - maybe best to PM me anything negative.

Do you have a link to the Dublin one?

Gaz19

Well I did not see €20k in any P5 myself
Re O'Sheas - it looked good and only needed some minor touches eg a few rubber door seals etc (if memory serves) to make it really good
I also cannot remember what tyres are on it - I know the wheels were refurbed and looked very good. The engine had been rebuilt completely as per fotos and looked/sounded really good
As and add on, there is also an Irish guy who ships RHD cars from Holland - very highly recommended and good guy to talk to. I was dealing with him before hols and he had found two really good P5's - one coupe and one saloon but both were in the €11 - €14k bracket and while the saloon was the cheaper it was a coupe I was chasing. His business partner sells a lot of Mustangs in Wexford somewhere so he is worth talking to in any event
There is also a 'cheaper' P5B in Talla but I have not seen it - thjink ist approx €5k ish
Let me know how you go
G