[ROVERNET - UK] "Restoring" Rovers, Market Value, et cetera

[Ben Rodgers]

Hi Glen
           The $40.000 P4 you refer to, was purchased by James Supler for
approx $8.000 . He later sold it for approx $4000. Now this restoration to
say the least was mediocre and it actually cost in the region of $34.000.
The shop fitted the front end of a 1954 P4 to a 1960 P4, from the front it
looked like a P4 circa 1952-57 and the rear circa 1960- 64. It also left the
shop with a long crack on pass side of windshield, the crack started at the
roof line, obviously who ever installed the glass caused the crack.  The
tires were much too large and one front tire touched edge of fender when
turn hard right, didn't do it hard left, indicating fenders out of line,
which they were. The upholstery trim was shoddy and hung down at the rear.
When jim drove it home the gear shift lever fell apart. I drove it from
Boston to PEI and a few miles into the trip I spotted the oil light coming
on every time I slowed. Oil was pumping out at the rear of the valve cover
where the gasket had been incorrectly installed. This car featured in the
Hemmings Calendar around 2000?
It was originally owned by a gentlman name Hugh, can't remember his last
name, but he surely wasted alot of money. The car looked great in a
photograph and up close to an untrained eye.  It drove well once the tires
were changed but it soon developed other problems, hard to start, poor
brakes, wipers stopped working. alarm system shut down the car every time
the battery was disconnected which took a lot of fiddling to get it running
again.. All in all it was a poor job done by people that knew little or
nothing about Rovers. Its still in the area, New Brunswick, and still on the
road but I haven't seen it for a couple of years.
                                               Regards  Ben.

FREDERICK RODGERS.CD
born in Belfast, Northern Ireland,
Author of "lily and me" a great book and a great read .
Order on line at amazon.com. Book # ISBN1-55430-019-3