RE: PH Heroes: Rover 3500 Vitesse

[huytonman]

I worked for Austin Rover back in 1983-85 and had access to a proto vitesse that was being planned for the police - it was stripped out quite a bit so was lighter than standard and I totally loved driving that car. Felt like a rocket compared to my knakered old 1275GT and handled properley...great fun but not as much as the Montego turbo prototype that wouldnt drive in a straight line due to the torque steer..they had to turn wick down for production..sad to think that all that experience wont be experienced anymore at Canley which is now a shopping area.

[Zumbruk]

I loved my V8 SD1 ("Roving banana" - I'll leave it to you to guess what colour it was) even though it leaked like a sieve, the paint fell off, the tailgate handle snapped off (you couldn't get them - I still remember removing the whole tailgate from one at a scrapper - it was the fourth one up in a pile of cars that swayed back and forth each time I moved the spanner - but it was the right colour!) and for a while the only way to get the handbrake off was to crawl underneath with a hammer & beat on the mechanism.

I still wouldn't mind a decent twin-plenum Vitesse.

I still have a Rover V8 engine in my TVR!

Edited by Zumbruk on Thursday 20th December 17:27

[hepy]

I remember that the police bought up a job lot at the end of production as they rated them that highly.

[Fun Bus]

The headmistress of the senior school I attended had one of these - just like the car featured. I remember positioning myself at a spot in the playground whenever I saw her head for the car so I could listen to it start and pull away. C911 XKV where are you now?!

[dscam]

www.howmanyleft.co.uk says 130 Vitesse (manual) and only 13 (auto) licensed in 2012...

[phil633]

Spent many a sleepless night working on this for the weekends racing.Great car.

OllieC said:

What's not to like !



Dennis Leech's car from 1988, the last time these ran in the BTCC

I would love a mint twin plenum vitesse

[el romeral]

Wow, so many comments from people whose father's used to own Rover SD1's. Maybe this helped develop our interest in cars? My father too had such a car - a 1981 V8 Vanden Plas. It was an awesome car to drive, especially as I had not long passed my driving test when we had it. I could only imagine what the Vitesse must have been like . Our car survived an argument with a large beech tree due to ice on the road. Sadly it died some time afterwards due to catastrophic engine failure caused by a seized oil pump.
The thing I always remember about it was the vigour with which it got back up to speed when you hit the resume button on the cruise control .

[LewG]

Absolutely superb car, still planning to own one when funds allow.

This is owned by a member of the SD1 forum, I think the early Vitesse with the sharper front spoiler and in silver looks truly gorgeous.

[Countersteer]

Reminds me how a bad car can be so good. You can forgive a car a lot for the pleasure it provides...

[Drek]

22rgt B Squadron said:

Swapped a non selling turbo mustang for a 2600 Rover which in turn swapped for an SD1, mechanically ok but pretty hateful bodywork and shagged interior, BL quality was awful, left it on Schweinfurt USSAF base in Germany after it being non roadworthy. Was still there a couple of years later being used by the guys as a runaround between the maintenance sheds, the rot had really set in by now though being left outside sadly..

Ah Walty McWalt. How is life in fantasy land? Still trading off the heroic ventures of others?

[chrisw75]

I'm on my third SD1 (fourth if you include my Dads' old one) and I love them.

Had had a moonraker blue '86 Twin Plenum, an '81 s1.5 VDP and currently have an '81 s1.5 3500SE in Arran Beige with Bayleaf interior. She's great to drive. Can't wait to get home in a few weeks to do some more work on her

[JRFJ]

Took my vitesse to the Nec classic this year thanks to the sd1 club.First show since i finished the resto,8 years in total.Hope to enjoy her in the summer(yeah i know,what summer!)jj

[aeropilot]

hepy said:

I remember that the police bought up a job lot at the end of production as they rated them that highly.

They weren't rated that highly by Met drivers of the time (or the guys that maintained them)

Almost all preferred the previous P6 version.

[JRFJ]

Picture of her on the driveway,I her keep locked away though.

[s m]

JRFJ said:

Picture of her on the driveway,I her keep locked away though.

That looks fantastic - what a lovely car!

[JRFJ]

Thanks buddy,most of the work I did myself including a couple of coats of paint.I did most of the work myself,took a while as I have a family(still have !,patience of a saint tuther half.No washer,nut or bolt went back on the car if it was in any way tarnished.A bit ott considering I only wanted her the road for a couple of weeks!JJ

[s m]

JRFJ said:

Thanks buddy,most of the work I did myself including a couple of coats of paint.I did most of the work myself,took a while as I have a family(still have !,patience of a saint tuther half.No washer,nut or bolt went back on the car if it was in any way tarnished.A bit ott considering I only wanted her the road for a couple of weeks!JJ

I'd be very proud of that

[AmitG]

JRFJ said:

Picture of her on the driveway,I her keep locked away though.

That is stunning!

[infradig]

el romeral said:

Wow, so many comments from people whose father's used to own Rover SD1's. Maybe this helped develop our interest in cars? My father too had such a car - a 1981 V8 Vanden Plas. It was an awesome car to drive, especially as I had not long passed my driving test when we had it. I could only imagine what the Vitesse must have been like . Our car survived an argument with a large beech tree due to ice on the road. Sadly it died some time afterwards due to catastrophic engine failure caused by a seized oil pump.
The thing I always remember about it was the vigour with which it got back up to speed when you hit the resume button on the cruise control .

Yes! I'd forgotten all about the mental cruise control,my wife's VdP carb would kick down when you pressed resume,it was as if you'd floored the thing.
So many memories of everything from a mates S reg ex-police car to my brothers D reg twin plenum with numerous 2600's ,V8's and even a 2.0 o-series hire car in between. They always felt a bit fragile even when new,but even the 2000 would go sideways on every roundabout if you wanted(often when you didn't) and the brakes would disappear within a couple enthusiastic miles. I think it's called character and I can't see today's 'executive' cars prompting such misty eyed nostalgia in 30 years time- ' my dads A4/320 produced 140kg of nitrous oxide per millimetre' or whatever bks makes people drive these things,doesn't sound quite so interesting.

[j_s14a]

An old friend of mine had two of these, one Vitesse and one V8S. The V8S was immaculate, one owner and very low mileage. Both were gold.

Not sure if he still has them, I was expecting him to have posted on here.