[Rovernet] 1970 3500S NAADA original

[Scruggs Family]

Roverfolk,

Having never understood the frenzy surrounding the P6B I'm glad this topic
has arisen.  I still have the issue of Car and Driver, circa 1966, where
they tested an early 2000TC and could not say enough good things about how
the car drove, rode, handled, stopped, smelled and generally comported
itself.  From that report on I wanted one...  desperately.  After having
driven a couple of examples I finally bought my '67 TC in 1970... and I
still have it.  

I knew of the 3500S and assumed it was an improvement, an extension of the
2000TC I imagined, but subsequent magazine articles described it as only a
'doctor's car,' generally, something that only the wealthy but not
necessarily enthusiast would afford. I had crossed it off my list but in
late '83 I happened upon and eventually bought a '70 3500S.  I found it was
'easier' to drive than my TC and the AC made it more comfortable for my
Washington D.C. commute... but it was not eager to be driven fast as the
steering had minimal feedback, the transmission seemed to absorb a lot of
power and the brakes were impossible to modulate effectively.  (I
subsequently converted the NADA dual-braking, dual-servo, vacuum modulated
madness to the European single servo system that made the brakes much easier
to use.)  I eventually added a kit to the OE oil pump to increase both the
capacity and pressure so the oil light wouldn't flicker at idle on a warm
day.  But the car was still slow even after converting to a Mallory
distributor and adding the large bore exhaust system.  

But still the 3500S was just not fun to drive. It was underpowered and the
front suspension changes necessary to accommodate the V8 and the mass of the
V8 took the handling joy right out of the program.  Admittedly that V8 badge
and the three hood scoops often brought positive comments from civilians
whereas my TC went unnoticed.  Should anyone have asked it would be revealed
that my '67 TC, I also have a '69 TC, has 3500S brakes and the 3.08
differential but no one asked.  Yep... there's some cachet about eight
cylinders that elicits a visceral response even where none is deserved.

So all this thrashing about a perfectly original 3500S is quite hard for me
to understand.  I see that car as a blank canvas onto which one should make
the vast array of changes that it so desperately needs to bring it into the
20th, let alone the 21st, century.... MSD ignition, electronic fuel
injection, GM 450 transmission, some non-Woodhead shocks, something more
realistic than an 18mm front swaybar, dump that York compressor for a
rotary, and perhaps even ditch that engine for one that will actually
lubricate and cool itself and breathe and produce an easy 250hp... like a
302 Ford with a 6-speed.  I suppose that if it's good enough for a Cobra
it's good enough for a P6B... or would that be a P6F.

Let's be realistic here... the genius of the P6/P6B is the chassis and
suspension and the drivetrains they used were the result of desperate
corporate compromise.  Sure, the 2 liter TC engine was a rugged, state of
the art piece in '66 at one hp per cubic inch but now Honda has normally
aspirated engines that are twice that powerful and will run 8K rpm for
100Kmiles while needing no attention.  

Admittedly, I'm not a Rover enthusiast as much as I'm a P6 enthusiast.  I
have no interest in anything else Rover has made... even the SD1 makes me
yawn and all the rest of their offerings are just quaint old cars that have
their own charm, but alas, they are not for me.  I'll have my '67 TC well
into the future with all the improvements I can afford to make while trying
to adhere to the original intent of the design... a fast, comfortable sport
sedan that you can't wait to get in and drive anywhere.  Peter Wilkes,
Spencer King and the team had enormous restrictions on their design... SU
carbs, Lucas electrics, British rubber, tiny 165-14 Pirelli tires, turbine
engine/no turbine engine quandary, only 18 months to develop a new 4cyl
engine and timid corporate management... constraints which allowed their
genius to shine through their product.  But their work is not carved on
stone tablets never to be questioned and I'm certain they would be
enthusiastic about subsequent improvements that technological developments
have allowed.  I'm currently watching developments in the area of 3D
printers that are now using titanium as a building material.  Couple of more
years and I can print my own Rover DOHC head out of titanium... maybe.  

Sure... keep a few P6s like they rolled off the assembly line to remind us
of how far we've come... but it is simply wasteful to not develop the rest
of them to their full potential.  No, my three P6s are not running, life
gets in the way of many things, but I continue to collect parts and track
new technologies that will eventually find their way on my cars so I can
enjoy them for a long time.  

Regarding the eBay 3500S... anyone know where I can score a set of Minilite
or Panasport wheels?

Regards,
Gross Scruggs
Annapolis MD, USA