HMC- Mr Chowdhury’s Mercedes

[montytom]

8 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

In my experience so far with mine, it would be only slightly irritating if the De Dion tube across the back didn't preclude just slipping under the car from the back.  So you absolutely have to jack up and support it or get it on ramps to have any hope of getting to anything.

Guessing that's Arctic White?  Pretty sure that's the colour that mine was when it left the factory before being repainted in a warmer white at some point.

How many P6s do we have on here now?  At least three or four if I remember right.

I still have mine

[Royale80]

I had a 3500S-brakes were easy once the driveshafts were dropped.

[HMC]

First longish trip ive done in it- Shitefest first leg Tavi to a gloucestershire hotel

Had a great cruise up the m5, feels very directionally stable and relaxed on the motorway, which I suppose it was made for. Yes that OSR door bottom is full of WOB

[HMC]

Some reading material whilst having refreshments.

Im blown away by how capable this p6 is. Decent ventillation, wonderful ride and sweet handling. And this was launched in 1963 (!) Where did it all go so wrong?

 

edit- looks like a supermini!

[lesapandre]

Rover and 'country house hotel' - you booked in as Lord Melbury? 😂

[captain_70s]

Don't forget to add a few psi to the tyres for prolonged cruising in excess of 100mph, as per the owner's manual!

[wuvvum]

You'd be lucky to get a ton out of a 2000SC auto.  My manual TC would only just manage it.

[Zelandeth]

1 hour ago, HMC said:

Im blown away by how capable this p6 is. Decent ventillation, wonderful ride and sweet handling. And this was launched in 1963 (!) Where did it all go so wrong?

That's very much been my impression even from the relatively few miles I've done in mine so far.  The overall driving experience feels so utterly competent even by today's standards.  It really feels like a car that you could absolutely use a well sorted example of as a daily driver without having to make any real compromises.  I really don't think there can be all that many 50 year old cars where you can honestly say that.  Certainly in terms of mass market examples anyway.

[wuvvum]

Really the only thing for me that properly gave away the P6 as an "old car" is that massive thin-rimmed steering wheel.  Everything else could quite easily have been a '70s design and is really not at all discombobulating coming from a modern car.  Apart from the wipers being on a rotary switch rather than a stalk.

[wuvvum]

@HMC Do the intermittent wipers work on yours?  I've only ever had one P6 where they worked properly - one they sort of worked but only on one (short) delay setting, one they worked for a day then gave up, and the others they didn't work at all.

[Zelandeth]

10 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

@HMC Do the intermittent wipers work on yours?  I've only ever had one P6 where they worked properly - one they sort of worked but only on one (short) delay setting, one they worked for a day then gave up, and the others they didn't work at all.

Mine worked...once.  Then have refused to delay again.  That's on the to investigate list - however it's down somewhere around item 948467589.2 on the list.

The only control which tripped me up initially was scaring the living daylights out of myself when checking the headlights for the first time and I pulled the indicator stalk towards me and sounded the horn.

Guess wipers being not on a stalk is a bit unusual, but there have been at least a few more modern cars which did different things with the wipers.  Frontera, Uno, original Proton, pretty sure I remember at least one Subaru with buttons for them, and it definitely wasn't that unusual on cars in the US to have a switch or knob on the dash rather than a stalk for the wipers until more recently than over here.

Give it a couple of years an I'm sure VW will want us to use gesture control on a touchpad in the middle of the steering wheel to pick the wiper speed at this rate.

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

That's very much been my impression even from the relatively few miles I've done in mine so far.  The overall driving experience feels so utterly competent even by today's standards.  It really feels like a car that you could absolutely use a well sorted example of as a daily driver without having to make any real compromises.  I really don't think there can be all that many 50 year old cars where you can honestly say that.  Certainly in terms of mass market examples anyway.

P6, DS, & R16. Maybe a Grandad at a push. Excellent.

[wuvvum]

DS & R16 both take rather more getting used to if jumping straight from a modern car though - R16 because of the column shift, DS because batshit mental.

[High Jetter]

R16 is the only column shift I've owned. Yea, different, but took to it quickly. I was mebbe only 19 tho... DS brakes I found scary!

[HMC]

Fleet news….

p6 was faultless on its trip to SF24. Rusty sills, a blowing exhaust manifold and marginal battery charging didnt stop it being a relaxed and comfortable cruiser

We stopped for lunch here, and there was a xmas photo from a few years ago on the wall…

Meanwhile the p38 had a weedy battery fitted- so i bought a correct spec one….

Which was so substantial it arrived on a pallet (!)

And a replacement door switch pack has revived 2 of the 4 windows. I also have made contact with someone who should be able to decode the alpine - harmon kardon stereo. 

The sunroof was leaking, the drains were clear but the surround to the glass in the cassette was rusting and leaking (not the roof panel, just the movable sunroof  itself) ive sikkaflexed the hole between the metal frame insert and the glass just to stop ingress yet keep it functional, and will aim to buy a second hand panel to swap over as and when. Im not a sunroof fan but i dislike sealed up ones more!

A damp, leaky ruin…. And a viaduct.

[lesapandre]

6 minutes ago, HMC said:

Fleet news….

p6 was faultless on its trip to SF24. Rusty sills, a blowing exhaust manifold and marginal battery charging didnt stop it being a relaxed and comfortable cruiser

We stopped for lunch here, and there was a xmas photo from a few years ago on the wall…

Meanwhile the p38 had a weedy battery fitted- so i bought a correct spec one….

Which was so substantial it arrived on a pallet (!)

And a replacement door switch pack has revived 2 of the 4 windows. I also have made contact with someone who should be able to decode the alpine - harmon kardon stereo. 

The sunroof was leaking, the drains were clear but the surround to the glass in the cassette was rusting and leaking (not the roof panel, just the movable sunroof  itself) ive sikkaflexed the hole between the metal frame insert and the glass just to stop ingress yet keep it functional, and will aim to buy a second hand panel to swap over as and when. Im not a sunroof fan but i dislike sealed up ones more!

A damp, leaky ruin…. And a viaduct.

Isn't one an example of Victorian engineering and the other...a railway viaduct?

[Schaefft]

Why the hell would anyone ship a battery on a pallet?! That thing is no different in size or weight to most other batteries shipped in normal boxes with plenty of Styrofoam around it.

Leaking from the sunroof glass itself is exactly what my E65 did, even without it being rusty. Took a little while to narrow things down to that. Kudos to you not sealing the whole thing, that's what the idiot previous owner did to my E38 in the few months they owned it. It'll be fun* sorting that properly eventually.

Still dibs!

[EyesWeldedShut]

1 hour ago, Schaefft said:

Why the hell would anyone ship a battery on a pallet?! That thing is no different in size or weight to most other batteries shipped in normal boxes with plenty of Styrofoam around it.

Tanya send them out on pallets now if they are ~25kg or so and charge accordingly - tractor batteries for sure.
 

[HMC]

Gradual P38 progress-

The alpine/ harmon kardon £10 e bay decode worked. Headunit is functioning. Alas in not unexpected fashion, it still didnt make noise, and it appears the amp is dead.  Thats HERITAGE for you. They are available used but not particulary cheap.

Nevertheless, im going though my “this old car is my main car and I want a fully functioning car” thing so ive bought a second hand amp. This should allow a fully operational 12 speakers, sub woofer, and amp, nineties style .

Choons await. (D:ream anyone?)

[Peter C]

7 minutes ago, HMC said:

 (D:ream anyone?)

This thing can only get better.

[HMC]

Why sell the P6 and the range rover? 

Basically to make way for a vw Caravelle. In yellow. As approved by @bunglebus

 

[Weird Car]

18 minutes ago, HMC said:

Why sell the P6 and the range rover? 

Basically to make way for a vw Caravelle. In yellow. As approved by @bunglebus

 

I drove one of these not long after getting rid of my old T25, this felt leaps and bounds better to drive 

 

is it a proper minibus spec or has it been converted into some kind of day van like most?

[Dyslexic Viking]

Need space for more kids?

[HMC]

10 minutes ago, Weird Car said:

I drove one of these not long after getting rid of my old T25, this felt leaps and bounds better to drive 

 

is it a proper minibus spec or has it been converted into some kind of day van like most?

Its a totally standard caravelle so velour seating, rear parcel shelf, no camper accessories of any sort- although someone added curtains at some point

[HMC]

im particularly proud of the fact its got the original wheel trims, and one is missing.

Antidote to large diameter alloys.

 

[loserone]

That's fucking ace.  I am very tempted to call another trip to the equator in the near future 

[Tubbo]

More interior pics please 🙏 

[wuvvum]

Blue I in the badge means 88bhp if memory serves.  So won't be a rocket ship but will be a bit* better than the 1.9D a lot of these were afflicted with.

[wuvvum]

Also - buy one of these.  Your back will thank you.

[hairnet]

On 18/07/2024 at 17:49, HMC said:

 

Choons await. (D:ream anyone?)

whigfield or tony di bart