P6 saga continued (14 years on)
It was 10 years since Don Child recounted the epic restoration of his P6 as a series of articles in NECPWA News; A ’Blog’ in today’s terms of his daily encounters with his first restoration of a classic car. For those who don’t know the story I will give you a brief resume of the saga, but the original series of articles is still available on the NECPWA website under the restorations section for those who haven’t read it or wish to revisit it.
Back in 1998 I persuaded Don that he really needed to join in the fun of car restoration and having plied him with a few beers he agreed with me and the P6 duly arrived. The next 3 years were a journey of fun, pain, frustration and enjoyment and above all a learning curve for Don. The restoration bug bit him and more vehicles followed.
The journey was the best part for Don and having nearly completed the car, just finishing off to do, he MOTd it, and then it never got finally finished. It lay for about 8 years under his walnut tree, the leaves gradually blocking drain holes and the sap turning the paintwork green, until it looked a sorry state again. He was planning to sort it out when his untimely departure from the mortal coil cut short the plans.
Just over a year has now passed since Don passed away and I thought it timely that the P6 should be rescued from the clutches of the grim reaper and be restored to its former glory. An email to Matthew his son in law and a discussion with his wife Anna and the P6 is on the move again.
Unlike with commencement of the original restoration, I didn’t have to persuade my wife Ellen that we really did need a “his and hers P6”, she thought it a good idea, whilst Don conjured up various plans to hide the fact from his! Perhaps his most elaborate was hanging a mural of the back wall of his garage in front of the P6 so that as Anna passed, a casual glance would reveal no car!
Anyway to the car: It is a 1976 Rover 2200TC in Zircon Blue or is it Atlantis Blue? I seem to remember that Don and I had that discussion at the beginning of this saga!. On a R reg means it is one of the last P6’s to leave the factory and after all the hard work Don put in, it deserves to be saved. I shall try and recount the second restoration as it progresses, but to put pen to paper, or the electronic equivalent, with the style, wit and literacy of Don will be a hard act to follow but here goes… the saga is about to start again!
