Owning a 1930's Saloon car and a nice suit, no I'm not a Peaky Blinder!

An insight into owning a late 1930's saloon car, and the stark contrast between it and my early 1930's sports car.
In this video I show you around it's features, it's engine and go for a drive.
I am also wearing a 1930s suit, but no I am not a peaky blinder or associate the style with the TV series!
Enjoy, and thanks for watching.

[@wayinfront1]

Dear young chap - you're 30 years old, I'm 78, and I can say you really are as genuine example of a 1930s Englishman as one could find, even in the 1930s! The clothing, car, demeanour, language are all so authentic. Well done! Takes a lot of knowledge and hard work to obtain your achievements. The Rover P2 is a terrific car, and you have got this one up to a remarkable level of preservation. What a beaut! The video was very pleasurable to watch.

[@nygelmiller5293]

To Wayinfront. Well said sir!

[@SuitsandCylinders]

Thanks for your kind words!

[@bobspeller2225]

Nice video, my first car was a Rover P2, which had travelled 114K mile and the man just wanted it out of his garden were it had been unused for a few years, he gave it to me free. I was 16 years old and my Dad collected it and fixed the steering box, my friend and I clean it up put on a battery etc and it started and the engine was perfect, after passing our driving tests we used it for two years and I then sold it for £5 too another friend. I've always had classic cars since and should get another P2>>>> Thanks for sharing your car with us.PS That was about 50 Years age now. Cheers Bob

[@nygelmiller5293]

My Dad's first car, after the war, was the later P3 version. All in black, possibly because of austerity. Not a patch on this dapper version!

[@richardknights8797]

As you say in the title. It's a lovely car and a very nice suit. The cap is very nice too. I especially enjoyed seeing the combination of car and suit and hat together in one video. Well done.

[@epeedurandal3879]

Magnifique Rover, avec ses portes suicides, son six en ligne, son intérieur bleu et sa tête de Viking sur le radiateur.

[@davidhynd4435]

What a very lovely motorcar. Rovers were a favourite with doctors and other professionals because of their excellent engineering and understated luxury. And no less so here in the antipodes.

[@SuitsandCylinders]

This Rover actually belonged to a doctor in Southport and was actually damaged during the blitz!

[@elproffo]

I was unfortunately put off interwar cars when my friend had a very rough ex-police car that was impossible to get parts for. It had an uprated engine with aluminium pistons. I'm glad to see someone of my generation keeping the passion alive! All I have is a forties car manufactured in the 80s that needs a lot of work!

[@crashbox7130]

I'll be heading over to Silverstone on Saturday for the VSCC Pomeroy Trophy. I'll be covering the 70 miles each way in my 1932 Morris Minor two-seater. I've always liked the P2/P3 Rovers.

[@Schlipperschlopper]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/g32uYaN7jpyDd9U

[@oldclassiccarUK]

Very nice motor-car, good to see a bit more early-car content appearing on YT. I tried to buy a P2 Speed 20 a few years ago, sat surrounded by junk in a barn, got pipped to the post with that one but I wouldn't say no to a 6-pot P2 one day

[@Mitkawatch]

I’m yet to venture into pree war motoring! Very cool

[@piccalillipit9211]

*WOW - 100 NEW SUBSCRIBERS IN A DAY* you appear to have hit on a winning formula...!!!

[@timcolledge6813]

Rovers were very well engineered. My dear grandfather owned a Rover 65, which he bought in 1946. I think it was one of the first to roll off the postwar production line. The registration number was ERX26.

[@powerbikepete]

Working on my dads 1947 p2 hope to be on the road this summer

[@OrnumCR]

What impresses me is how you’re dressed in period…brogues, flat cap and suit with wide leg trousers…and other small accoutrements…well done! Enjoyed that…

[@robertcorradi8573]

Excellent.... Very well presented. Fantastic car . Thank you.

[@philhermetic]

The freewheel is a double edge sword! it is as you say a ratchet device that allows the engine to drop back to tickover when coasting and it does save fuel, but the other side is that you get no engine braking, which can leave you flying down a hill with your foot hard on the brake because you cannot turn the freewheel off until you are stationary or not descending a hill or you will over rev the engine. I had freewheel on a Rover 75, but on the later ones, like the 105S which I also owned, they fitted an overdrive, which does give engine braking! Treat it with care and it will save fuel, as you can apply just enough power to maintain a cruising speed, and if you have a backwind you can virtually sail! Ideal for motorways! Phil

[@stevebaker9709]

The free wheel let's you change gear with out using the clutch 👍👍but like you say no engine braking

[@dantrianon4248]

Absolutely incredible car! Those doors look very nice, I love how pretty it looks as well Cars today, it feels, could never be this beautiful, alas

[@koini11]

The idea of a free wheel slightly terrified me. Not sure I'd have used it either. Lovely car though. With these Rovers I always feel like one should exit them looking sombre holding some terrible news in your diplomatic dispatch box.

[@MikeDenny-d3b]

Another fine informative update on a very fine fettled pre war P2 ,delivered with sartorial elegance .keep them coming

[@asciimation]

Nice, honest condition car. Talking about costs is useful. These things are getting more expensive to maintain. Parts is an interesting one. If there is a solid club behind an old car make parts support can be very good. But a lot of harder to get parts are often made by one old bloke in a shed doing batches and when they eventually pop their clogs those parts are lost. If you have the money you can always get something made bespoke. Even heads and blocks. But that really isn't cheap. You mention the parts being local to you. If you've over our side of the world shipping becomes a massive cost. For things from the UK, with postage the cost effectively doubles (or more). For example a D1 SU carb needle from Burlen is 16.67 quid PLUS 33 quid delivery to New Zealand!

[@paulscountrygarage9180]

Great video. I have a 1954 P4 90 and a couple of other English cars here in Australia. I would take you to task on one piece of info you gave….the wipers are electric not vacuum. Otherwise, fantastic.

[@SuitsandCylinders]

Yes Correct they are!

[@shankarbalan3813]

Another lovely car. Well presented.

[@darleytransportandtravel6353]

What a wonderful car sir. I once owned a Rover 2000 TC from the 1960s in dark maroon which still retained a very English feel, but had nowhere near the character of your fine vehicle.

[@alonzocalvillo6702]

Love that English countryside with hardly any traffic.I have a convertible and that's what I miss here in the San Francisco Bay Area.I love to go driving with the top down but the traffic spoils the experience.

[@sandybroon1962]

Thanks for the great video, I'm considering one at the moment, love the looks, it's style and it's British! Again brilliant video thanks ❤

[@jamesellsworth9673]

Nicely done! These pre-war Rovers were a practical package all around. I LIKE the suit!

[@persevere777]

I really like the concept of your channel, i wish you great luck in your adventure and am looking forward to more videos👍🤠👍

[@911shamrage]

Hi, great video, again worth watching! Looking forward to your next ones. Hope you are going into the nitty gritty of prewar vehicles, looking at your followers, there is a need for them. Small addition to your closing off remarks... Please do advice people on the real costs & effort, from acquiring, maintaining, restoring & enjoying, as differences are huge! All vehicles up till the war, every year, the developments & release were massive. These days every mobility launch is heavily 'arranged' (incl. governmental complot theories/fantasies like EVs), but those days it was 'enthusiasm vs. affordability' driven.. meaning if you want a 30s car now, its the same... choosing the right car by thinking first what enthusiasm vs affordability lies within my reach... Yes insurance/petrol can be very cheap (low milage), but acquiring 'provenance' is massive expensive (read 'the Archeological automobile' first). To add credibility to your clips, you do have to speak about genuine costs, there is a lot of Jane Eyre romantics around, but beware of the 'dollar investment freaks'... not everybody lives close to a 30s parts dealer/garage, not to mention that these parts are roughly 5-10 times more expensive than -like for like- used in the 70s cars (20 times more expensive than todays cars... again if they are like for like available/used/applied). Just bought one bolt (5/16 by 1", heavy collared, high tensile, costing me £16.80!, by a fraternity endorsed supplier). Albeit, having time, one is able to reduce costs by making itself (that is having the knowledge/energy) as some parts don't exist anymore. But staying positive, it is a great, wonderful and very addictive hobby... up to your next clip (each Monday?)... Peaky Flat cap off, to make these great clips... Thanks.

[@SuitsandCylinders]

Thanks for the comments and advice! Sadly the caps are staying though, there's not a day that goes by that I'm without one, I love the fashion of the 1930s too, and have been wearing it for nearly 15 years now, way before the TV show came along! Enjoy the future videos!

[@stevebaker9709]

Lovely good on you .I have a 1937 rover 12 four light sports .great car to drive .👍👍👍👍👍

[@empireforge8409]

Lovely film and like the clothes! Recently fixed a P2 back axle for a friend, which of course is a bronze worm and wheel. It weighed a ton, and must have cost a fortune to produce. A sign of quality of course. We drive a crash box 1929 Humber 9/28 and have to choose the less well trodden path, as 40 to 45 mph is the norm. Otherwise the 'Modern Motorist' gets impatient! The P2 is more useable with better performance and brakes, in the grand scheme of things. Keep up the good work young man!

[@SuitsandCylinders]

Many Thanks! I tend to find even when going the speed limit, seeing an old car makes everyone want to overtake still

[@titaniam88]

Thanks for video - loved it as the sounds reminded me of my parents p4 rover 75 - cyclops model - column gear change - this was in New Zealand in the late 1950s to mid 1960s. It, like all rovers, was equipped with the free / fixed wheel which i believe was phased out when overdrive was fitted. I believe the main advantage of using the free wheel mode was to reduce petrol consumption (the engine would idle if it wasn’t actually driving the car - the car could ne doing 70mph with engine idling - the gears could also be changed when in active free wheel mode - when in this mode there was not any engine braking to slow the car etc - thanks again

[@alfderbabybenz7092]

11:11 Thank you so much for these experiences you are capturing. My next classic is definitely going to be older as I started off when I was younger by going to 50s Cars Shows and such... Kind of back to the roots to when it all started for me as a car freak I am now. Maybe I'm gonna get an Opel Rekord P2 or something like this. The Prices are really attractive as you said, also here in Germany! Greetings! Wish you a save and nice passage wherever you plan on going with those pieces of automotive history!

[@marial8235]

Lovely car❤. I wish there were more Rovers in the US.

[@Munter1]

Well you could easily be a Peaky Blinder extra lol. That said this was a very well presented video, l can't comment on any of your others as l only found your channel 10 minutes ago , l have subscribed and will be looking forward to your others with great interest. Around ten years ago l knew a retired accountant who had eight 1930's Morris cars 10's and 12's mostly in poor but original conditions, l used to help him restore them, which l really enjoyed doing the main problems were wings and running boards interior wood and seized engines which could be repaired but wings and running boards could not be bought new only used so most of my time was welding and panel beating, sadly he passed away six years ago so l have no idea what happened to his cars.

[@BassFiddleify]

Great Vids,,what a nice car and stylish presentstion ,,lookin forward to new storys and videos,,greetings from nothern Germany and all the best 🍀👍🇬🇧🚘

[@chrispenn715]

Lovely car - thanks for the video. I had a Morris Eight when I lived in Suffolk - not so easy where I am now as we live between the M4 and a dual carriageway bypass.... Still tempted tho. PS = Love the suit too 👍

[@russellnixon9981]

Great car and sharp suet. Would be interesting to explain the how engine hoers power was calculated for pre war cars to cars we drive today. As you mentioned your Rover is a 14hp engine I think you might have a bit more power than that from that very well maintained 2 L unit .

[@SuitsandCylinders]

Yes it's something I keep meaning to cover! Will add it to an upcoming video

[@ac2litre]

@@SuitsandCylinders I have that equation in one of my old books somewhere. I recall that it assumes a certain mean piston speed, and a BMEP figure, that was typical at the time the equation was created (pre-1920). Keep up these excellent videos :)

[@jkoysza1]

Elegant middle class car. Must have at least a 4:1 compression ratio to develop that furious 14hp output. Siegfried Farnon would have to get a run on it to climb hills around Darrowby.

[@SuitsandCylinders]

@jkoysza1 From memory, and someone couple possibly correct me but the "14hp" model actually had 60hp

[@asciimation]

​@@ac2litre It was called RAC horsepower and was (D x D x N)/2.5. D is the piston diameter in inches. N is number of cylinders. The value was used for taxation purposes. The higher the value the more the tax. That's why old British cars end up with narrow bore but long stroke engines a lot of the time.

[@robkunkel8833]

Love the left hand road and right side steering wheel. That would be right at home here in the US Virgin Islands. Americans call them “Hood ornaments” ; Brits say bonnet badges”? Is that right? So many cool things like the engine opening, roof window and that tiny toolbox in the dashboard! Love it! Welcome your new subscriber. Ya got me.

[@SuitsandCylinders]

Thanks! They can be called allsorts, but mostly bonnet mascots/badges.

[@alfderbabybenz7092]

Such a wonderful car!!!!!! Subscribed!

[@howardsportugal]

Not to criticise, but keep your foot completely off the clutch unless engaging it. Let it in sharply (so don't feed it in like a modern car) & you'll save yourself a fortune! Driven quite a few 30's cars, still have a Ford 10 that has been in the family since new in '38, great to see you running around in them.

[@SuitsandCylinders]

Thanks for the advice! 12 years of driving these pre-war vehicles, and theres still alot to learn, all with different clutches, biting points and characteristics!

[@PaddyWV]

My Grandparents had a P2. My Dad took a rather arty picture of it, which unfortunately didn't include the number plate.

[@adoreslaurel]

Wasn't there a Rover "feature" namely a lack of synchro on second gear? This applied, I understand to the early? Land Rovers. maybe sedans as well for a certain? time.

[@alternateunreleasedshellac505]

The suit looks pretty modern tbh, which I really like. The 1930s were too baggy imo.

[@1258-Eckhart]

Saab 96's had freewheels to protect the twostroke engine on the overrun (on a long downhill stretch the engine would be starving itself of oil), but this Rover has a normal fourstroke with a normal oil pump in the sump, so I'm not sure why the freewheel is needed.

[@SuitsandCylinders]

I think mostly to prolong the clutch and the create a "smoother" drive

[@JonosBtheMC]

7:00 An ammeter does not show voltage.

[@philf5043]

Dont ever use the free wheel if you negotiate any steep hills( going down !) How do I know ? I had a rover 75 back in the 60's loverly car . Forgot it was in freewheel and dtove down Riegate Hill in Surrey . To take it out of freewheel you had to accelerate . I tried this but it failed and the drum brakes were rubbish. Luckily the level crossing at the botyon of ths hilk was open or i woukd have had a bit of a crash .

[@SuitsandCylinders]

I think I will leave it alone!

[@inglemandovetail]

Beautiful car and a nicely made video. That sounds like a Grimsby accent to me. Couldn't work out where you were driving though. Woodhall? 😊

[@SuitsandCylinders]

I'm a Lincoln lad! Most locations will be in and around Lincolnshire, cheers!

[@inglemandovetail]

Lovely stuff. Me too. I'll be the one in the 1960 Rover 80! See you around. 😁

[@williamnethercott4364]

When I was a child in the early sixties, my dad had a black Rover 12. I'm not sure of the year but I think it was about 1948. It was pretty rough when he bought it but he did a lot of work on it and we did travel the length of England while he was running it in. He loved the freewheel feature and used it most of the time except on hilly roads or in heavy traffic. We really enjoyed that car.

[@keithhooper6123]

Every car should have low level vents.Had them on Honda vans.

[@carlnapp4412]

Very nice! But I wouldn't use her when there is the any danger of rain. Right, in that case one almost never could have a ride in the UK or here in Germany. When I ride my Velocette I always have plastic sheet with me to cover her in the case of rain. By now I no longer care of people's laughter.

[@TheSDB13]

Pretty neat car but it looks so tiny XD I'm a fan of the 30-early 50's US cars and I think they win out on bang for buck back in the day but Brit tailoring wins out

[@Biokemist-o3k]

My brother's fiance' was over for dinner last night and we were talking about you. My brother Jamey and his fiance' Emily. She says she is friends with you. So very cool.

[@SuitsandCylinders]

Small world! What is her surname?

[@karlavelo2482]

Headroom and legroom, two words almost forgotten by modern designers ...

[@toussantlbisso]

📢Traction Avant !

[@dancingtrout6719]

what kind of car does Brad Pit Drive in the World War two Movie Allied ,, its got the suicide Door..???

[@bobspeller2225]

Just look at my comment below and my (PS timelime is incorrect, it was 60 years ago that story is relates too) Doesn't time fly!!!