RE: SOTW Rover SD1 3500
Discussion
mcford said:
I remember when we had to supply four black Vanden Plas EFi models for when the Queen visited a local RAF base in 1984. It was quite exciting as an 18 year old taking the day off college to go and collect three of them with a couple of colleagues and driving them in convoy back through London, three identical cars on nearly consecutive registration numbers.
One of them had a slight accident on the way back, where it got reversed into the corner of a wall ending in a crumpled bumper and a big V in the tailgate and a bit of grey primer showing.
I was at raf coningsby when i had mineOne of them had a slight accident on the way back, where it got reversed into the corner of a wall ending in a crumpled bumper and a big V in the tailgate and a bit of grey primer showing.
however there's got to be some potential for ridiculous bills in there somewhereI bought my first in 86 & have had at least one on the road ever since. It's funny how opinions toward them have changed over the years.
Used to get comments like "old mans car" & "if you crash it you can get another from the scrappy for a fiver".
Now I only seem to get positive comments.
Build quality on them was always a bit dodgy (to say the least) but overall they are reliable, comfortable & easy to work on. My latest one I bought in 2000 & have rebuilt it from the ground up.
Always puts a smile on my face.
Used to get comments like "old mans car" & "if you crash it you can get another from the scrappy for a fiver".
Now I only seem to get positive comments.Build quality on them was always a bit dodgy (to say the least) but overall they are reliable, comfortable & easy to work on. My latest one I bought in 2000 & have rebuilt it from the ground up.
Always puts a smile on my face.
Lovely cars. A mate had a sorted V8. FG RallyIng exhaust, Bilsteins. It still understeered, but a bootful of throttle sorted that out. Happy days included an illegal lap of Brands after racing had ended, our off road course (car park k at brands) and being Euro110 lighter within 5 miles of Calais on the way to Le Mans, courtesy of being clocked at 120 mph.
A real shame the build quality was so bad. His family owned the car from new, always kept it spotless underneath, yet the tin worm was clearly in the body from the start.
A real shame the build quality was so bad. His family owned the car from new, always kept it spotless underneath, yet the tin worm was clearly in the body from the start.
rovsd1 said:
I bought my first in 86 & have had at least one on the road ever since. It's funny how opinions toward them have changed over the years.
Used to get comments like "old mans car" & "if you crash it you can get another from the scrappy for a fiver".Now I only seem to get positive comments.
Build quality on them was always a bit dodgy (to say the least) but overall they are reliable, comfortable & easy to work on. My latest one I bought in 2000 & have rebuilt it from the ground up.
Always puts a smile on my face.
That looks stunning but please put a set of original wheels back on itUsed to get comments like "old mans car" & "if you crash it you can get another from the scrappy for a fiver".
Now I only seem to get positive comments.Build quality on them was always a bit dodgy (to say the least) but overall they are reliable, comfortable & easy to work on. My latest one I bought in 2000 & have rebuilt it from the ground up.
Always puts a smile on my face.
Quality cars. It's the first car I remember my Dad having - 77 3500, TGG 899R I think, auto in white. I was the proudest boy at primary school the day he picked me up. Then we took it on holiday, 2 months old, it broke down and we got a rental Morris Ital for the rest of the trip...mmmmm
lovely shed, remember my dad almost buying one of the last SD1 VDPs and me, like a fool, telling him to get the new 800, which he did. The 800 was so dull compared to the SD1, Honda had engineered dullness in I think. Glad to see the bile is less than the BRM 2 weeks ago, just shows that we mellow as we age, ten years ago this would have been shredded! The irony for me is that almost all cars of the 70s and early 80s were pretty poor apart from some expensive German kit. All my Renaults, Citroens, and Vauxhalls of that era were a bit dodgy...but Rover will never fight off that reputation, not always so justified. Try finding a 1981 Fiat for example.
rovsd1 said:
I bought my first in 86 & have had at least one on the road ever since. It's funny how opinions toward them have changed over the years.
Used to get comments like "old mans car" & "if you crash it you can get another from the scrappy for a fiver".Now I only seem to get positive comments.
Build quality on them was always a bit dodgy (to say the least) but overall they are reliable, comfortable & easy to work on. My latest one I bought in 2000 & have rebuilt it from the ground up.
Always puts a smile on my face.
Fabulous looking motor mate! Well done for taking the time & trouble to restore it. The SD1 looks as good today as it did when launched. Although they were slated in the early years for poor build quality, there were exceptions. My father had a Midas gold coloured 3500 auto which was built in 1977. He owned it for ten years and it did not distintergrate into a pile of rust, nor did the electrics fail. Everything, including the electric windows worked perfectly when he traded it in. It was reliable motor, the only faults we experienced were a fuel pump failing & a power steering pump failed. Aside from that, all it required was routine serving. A 'bad' car? I think not. I was seventeen when my father traded the SD1 in, and I was gutted at the loss of it's wonderful V8 wuffle! Used to get comments like "old mans car" & "if you crash it you can get another from the scrappy for a fiver".
Now I only seem to get positive comments.Build quality on them was always a bit dodgy (to say the least) but overall they are reliable, comfortable & easy to work on. My latest one I bought in 2000 & have rebuilt it from the ground up.
Always puts a smile on my face.
Prior to the SD1, we had a beautiful Rover P6 3500S. The P6 was the nicer car without a doubt, and it has become a genuinely desirable classic. Ironically, the P6 was more advanced than the SD1 ie DeDion rear axle/suspension & in board discs. Prior to the P6, we had a Truimph Dolomite Sprint which was a superb motor-quick as you like!
It is very sad to think that had the build quality of the SD1 been universally carried out to a high standard, it could have ensured the survival of Rover to this very day. I always felt Rover made a HUGE error of judgement by dispensing with the V8 in favour of Japanese V6 & 4 pot engines.
Where it not for my ownership of a Capri Injection as a limited mileage classic, I am certain I would have either a P6 or an SD1 Vitesse.
hora said:
Such a pity. Men lead by loud-mouthed simpleton shop stewards with faux-communist ideas. Sort of Bob Crows x 10.
Agree entirely. I firmly believe that in years to come, evidence will be released from security archives that implicates Red Robbo as being under orders from Moscow to ruin the British car industry. In a time of war, which industry can be converted to mass produced armoured vehicles? Rumours have been rife for years that Robinson was in the pay of Moscow & under orders to ruin BL. The man was an out and out communist without a shadow of a doubt. Economic warfare that's what the continual wild cat BL strikes were all about.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff