RE: PH Carpool: Rover SD1 Vitesse
Discussion
My dad had a JRG Rover SD1 2300.
He bought it new.
It went back to the garage 21 times in 18 months.
It was a POS in every respect and sad times for the British motoring industry.
I can even remember the reg: MTC 827Y
I don't need to check Askmid, I am very confident it was scrapped a long long long time ago
He bought it new.
It went back to the garage 21 times in 18 months.
It was a POS in every respect and sad times for the British motoring industry.
I can even remember the reg: MTC 827Y
I don't need to check Askmid, I am very confident it was scrapped a long long long time ago
Mine was YPG 548T. When I went to uni I had to sell so tarted it up with p38 and midas gold rattle cans before advertising it. Shortly after it was sold the bloke wrote it off and did a runner, the police came knocking shortly after as my Dad was still the registered keeper!
You always remember your first V8.
You always remember your first V8.
CR6ZZ said:
Had a red SDI Vitesse many years ago. It was my first truly 'fast' car. Lovely thing. The only thing that went wrong during my ownership was the fuel pump stopped working at one point. Hit it (the fuel pump) with a handy rock and we were on our way again.
Sounds just like my Morris Minors. Same part, probably!BSO 972T was my dads ex-police 3500 SD1. He bought it in '81 and it still had the buttons on the dash for the blue lights, which I thought was pretty cool as I was only 10 at the time. I don't recall any mechanical issues with it in the 4 years my dad owned it but rust was pretty rampant by the time it was sold in '85. I loved that car and to this day I still have a hankering for a Vitesse.
Brings back many fond memories. We had three SD1s - two V8s (ERN 629S and SBV 529T) and a 2.6 (CBG 506X). The fact that I still remember those reg nos. confirms that the SD1 still figures prominently in my formative motoring memories. I do remember egging my Dad on to give the V8s some welly and he often obliged.He wasn't into cars at all but he loved them.
They beat the pants off the competition (Granada 2.8 and errr...well there wasn't that much competition really at the price - Peugeot 604?? BMs and Mercs didn't figure at the time - you had to be a doctor or a dentist to run one of those.
Problems? Yes there certainly were. In the 12 months we had the first one it broke down spectacularly and the second one decided it didn't like its lovely Persian Aqua paint job and wanted to be brown instead. Never mind - the engines and the looks (and even the interiors) were truly outstanding and that's what I remember the most.
I would have one today if I had garage space...
They beat the pants off the competition (Granada 2.8 and errr...well there wasn't that much competition really at the price - Peugeot 604?? BMs and Mercs didn't figure at the time - you had to be a doctor or a dentist to run one of those.
Problems? Yes there certainly were. In the 12 months we had the first one it broke down spectacularly and the second one decided it didn't like its lovely Persian Aqua paint job and wanted to be brown instead. Never mind - the engines and the looks (and even the interiors) were truly outstanding and that's what I remember the most.
I would have one today if I had garage space...
twosaabs said:
Brilliant car. There's a lime green one around here with gold wheels which looks fantastic (better than you'd expect from a lime/gold colour combo anyway).
That sounds like a really rare V8-S. Dechromed bumpers, headlight wipers aircon and deep pile velour seating. I loved those when I was a kid and still have the brochures for them. It will probably be on a V plate. From memory the colur is Triton green.
I've had 3 SD1s, first was an immaculate 2600 in mustard yellow when I was 19 years old, I loved it. I wanted a 3500 but it had to be a manual and I just couldn't find one, so I had the 2600 instead. Next one, a few years later, was a well used ex-police 3500 manual. Basic as hell and too worn out to be lovable. I traded that one against a decent 3500 VDP EFi, which I than resprayed Ford peppermint green with some graphics and cherry bombs. That was great fun and really attracted a lot of attention, all of it positive which will surprise a lot of you 
I still have a soft spot for a nice SD1, I've always liked the looks and a good, well sorted one is a pleasure to drive.
I still have a soft spot for a nice SD1, I've always liked the looks and a good, well sorted one is a pleasure to drive.
wildcat45 said:
I am surprised - in a good way - that a lot of people had these as first cars.
Makes a 1979 Chrysler Horizon GLS seem even sadder than reality.
My first car was a 1979 Talbot Horizon 1.3 GLS. My second was the SD1 V8 when I was 18. I'd still have another, loved that car! Makes a 1979 Chrysler Horizon GLS seem even sadder than reality.
Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 23 November 17:30
wormus said:
My first car was a 1979 Talbot Horizon 1.3 GLS. My second was the SD1 V8 when I was 18. I'd still have another, loved that car!
Lucky lad! But did your Horizon have brown velour seats?Edited by wormus on Saturday 23 November 17:30
2 nearly new Volvo 360s after that. They were GLTs
wildcat45 said:
Lucky lad! But did your Horizon have brown velour seats?
2 nearly new Volvo 360s after that. They were GLTs
No, cream velour with British racing green paint. When I took mates out in it I used to say "aren't the seats nice?" They were the best bit as the rest of it was s2 nearly new Volvo 360s after that. They were GLTs
t. Suspension so soft the door mirrors almost touched the road on the corners. Really slow and thirsty too. As you can imagine, when I got the keys to the Rover my life changed forever. I once raced a Capri 3.0 and smoke started belching from the Rover's air vents because the rocker cover gaskets leaked oil onto the exhaust. I remember lifting the bonnet on the drive so I could see and hear the engine run. Now I have the Monaro for the same reason.The closed I ever came to that was a ride in a etcher's V8. 1983 and he was taking a couple of us to some sort of prize giving ceremony. We persuaded him to take the long (motorway) back and he got it up to 110.
Those were the days. He'd be in jail and in the Daily Mail if he did that today.
Those were the days. He'd be in jail and in the Daily Mail if he did that today.
tubbystu said:
Voila.
How ironic that the Rover P6 3500S is much faster, and a much better handling car than the current Hyundai aka, 'steundai' patrol cars that the cash strapped constabularies have to contend with these days. Going out on patrol in 3500S is the stuff of wet dreams frankly! If we had P6 3500S Rover's to tool about in these days, I would consider staying on, as opposed to sacking it after over 16 years service......HAB said:
Had an SD1 3500SE and also a P6 3500S, both manuals.
Have to say the P6 was better in almost every single way, apart from load space.
Looking back now, almost seems that they were the wrong way round in timescale. Apart from the fact the SD1 looked a lot more modern, the P6 was the more technically advanced car. They drove that way too imo.
Huge difference in build quality,SD1 was very poor while the P6 was close to a contemporary Mercedes.
Even now a good P6 feels pretty modern to drive, while a SD1.... doesn't.
Don't get me wrong I like the SD1;especially the styling, but for me, coming after a P6 it didn't really cut it.
P6 last of the real Rovers, before the BL curse really took hold.
You have raised an interesting point re the fact that the P6 was actually a more technically advance car than the SD1. Indeed it was- De Dion rear axle & inboard rear discs for starters. My father would agree with you re the superiority of the P6 over the SD1. He owned a P6 3500S, then replaced it with an SD1 3500 auto. He always preferred the P6. I recall that shortly after purchasing the SD1, we visited Chatsworth House on a family day out. On arrival, we parked next to an immaculate P6 3500S in a fabulous navy blue colour. My father exclaimed, "Oh God! Why did I ever sell the P6?!"Have to say the P6 was better in almost every single way, apart from load space.
Looking back now, almost seems that they were the wrong way round in timescale. Apart from the fact the SD1 looked a lot more modern, the P6 was the more technically advanced car. They drove that way too imo.
Huge difference in build quality,SD1 was very poor while the P6 was close to a contemporary Mercedes.
Even now a good P6 feels pretty modern to drive, while a SD1.... doesn't.
Don't get me wrong I like the SD1;especially the styling, but for me, coming after a P6 it didn't really cut it.
P6 last of the real Rovers, before the BL curse really took hold.
The P6 aside from being technically more advanced, it is a real class act. Lashings of chrome, beautiful interior-more up market than the SD1. The P6 also possesses a ride quality that would embarrass a modern BMW or Audi. I love the P6 & the SD1, but the P6 really was the *last proper Rover!*
The whole SD1 story from start to finish should be compulsory reading for anyone wanting to know why UK car making was a joke.
The only stage which went reasonable well was the exterior design, the rest, from tooling, electrical component sourcing and the logistics of getting all the components together for assembly, right up to actually delivering cars to foreign markets was a total sham.
The body shells were completely devoid of any quality control, so much so that one side could be 1/2" longer than the other, the paint likewise went unchecked so staff put on the bare minimum. By the end of the line there were numerous faults which if weren't fixed there and then went to the dealers for them to fix.
Because the whole project was so badly executed, demand outstripped supply, there were backlogs in most European countries, they could have made a fortune out of this model if they'd have just spent more money on perfecting the production.
A crying shame.
The only stage which went reasonable well was the exterior design, the rest, from tooling, electrical component sourcing and the logistics of getting all the components together for assembly, right up to actually delivering cars to foreign markets was a total sham.
The body shells were completely devoid of any quality control, so much so that one side could be 1/2" longer than the other, the paint likewise went unchecked so staff put on the bare minimum. By the end of the line there were numerous faults which if weren't fixed there and then went to the dealers for them to fix.
Because the whole project was so badly executed, demand outstripped supply, there were backlogs in most European countries, they could have made a fortune out of this model if they'd have just spent more money on perfecting the production.
A crying shame.
most definitely, maybe even put them on the owners club website, similar thing happened to me in the father in law's garage, found bnib ford parts from the 70's and 80's, cortina parts mainly, but obscure things like fan heater blower motor, intsrument cluster with zero miles on!!! Put them on ebay, could have sold em 10 times over. Result
Pedmeister said:
You have raised an interesting point re the fact that the P6 was actually a more technically advance car than the SD1. Indeed it was- De Dion rear axle & inboard rear discs for starters. My father would agree with you re the superiority of the P6 over the SD1. He owned a P6 3500S, then replaced it with an SD1 3500 auto. He always preferred the P6. I recall that shortly after purchasing the SD1, we visited Chatsworth House on a family day out. On arrival, we parked next to an immaculate P6 3500S in a fabulous navy blue colour. My father exclaimed, "Oh God! Why did I ever sell the P6?!"
The P6 aside from being technically more advanced, it is a real class act. Lashings of chrome, beautiful interior-more up market than the SD1. The P6 also possesses a ride quality that would embarrass a modern BMW or Audi. I love the P6 & the SD1, but the P6 really was the *last proper Rover!*
But the SD1 was in the Human League's "Don't you want me Baby?" video. Midas gold, same as mine - that makes it cool!The P6 aside from being technically more advanced, it is a real class act. Lashings of chrome, beautiful interior-more up market than the SD1. The P6 also possesses a ride quality that would embarrass a modern BMW or Audi. I love the P6 & the SD1, but the P6 really was the *last proper Rover!*
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