1983 Rover 2600 SE (SD1)
Discussion
Great article, many thanks. How lovely to know that Setright liked the engine. I am a worshipper at his Shrine.
The engine was off its feed that day. Possibly cobwebs as it had not been used much before I bought it. Maybe also dodgy dashpots. Dunno. It was hesitating a bit and not pulling properly. Carby clean, dashpots checked, Paddington hard stare. Now it is fine again - still smooth, but feels more powerful.
The engine was off its feed that day. Possibly cobwebs as it had not been used much before I bought it. Maybe also dodgy dashpots. Dunno. It was hesitating a bit and not pulling properly. Carby clean, dashpots checked, Paddington hard stare. Now it is fine again - still smooth, but feels more powerful.
h. The idea of a BL car without a radiator fan is amusing, given the legendary propensity of the swirly plughole cars to OMGHGF, but there is in fact a fairly posh Kenlowe in there. The original fitment would be a viscous coupling affair, but that borked and the previous owner sensibly swapped it for an electric unit.
That reminds me, tomorrow I should get my hands dirty and change the thermostat, because the car runs too cool.
I drove it to London yesterday in heavy rain and associated humid atmosphere. No leaks anywhere, and the demisters work well. The car did not show any signs of overheating in heavy London traffic. The lights and wipers worked fine.
This morning, after a night outside getting rained on (the car, that is, not me, I was at some hotel up the road), it took a couple of goes for the auto choke to wake the car up, but it purred smoothly back out of London to rural Oxon, where it has just been woofling around the lanes on the way to a pub lunch and back again. The (not) the only two gays in the neighbouring village liked it a lot as we rolled past. so the car gets Metrosexual stylin' points.
PS: Spotted at pub: lovely looking gold metallic 1983 Scirocco Mk2, 1.6 single carb version, for sale. I will check how much in case anyone likes those wagons. Posh cross-spoke alloys, light coloured interior, alleged to have a new MoT.
I drove it to London yesterday in heavy rain and associated humid atmosphere. No leaks anywhere, and the demisters work well. The car did not show any signs of overheating in heavy London traffic. The lights and wipers worked fine.
This morning, after a night outside getting rained on (the car, that is, not me, I was at some hotel up the road), it took a couple of goes for the auto choke to wake the car up, but it purred smoothly back out of London to rural Oxon, where it has just been woofling around the lanes on the way to a pub lunch and back again. The (not) the only two gays in the neighbouring village liked it a lot as we rolled past. so the car gets Metrosexual stylin' points.
PS: Spotted at pub: lovely looking gold metallic 1983 Scirocco Mk2, 1.6 single carb version, for sale. I will check how much in case anyone likes those wagons. Posh cross-spoke alloys, light coloured interior, alleged to have a new MoT.
I think that a 1983 SD1 (which, of course, wouldn't be sold as an SD1 in 1983) can still fairly be described as a BL car. As at 1983, Austin Rover Group (formerly known as BL Cars Ltd) was, IIRC, a subsidiary of BL PLC, but I may be getting that wrong from imperfect memory. My dad, who worked in the group, can recall some of the corporate structure and the frequent name changes, but he's bored with cars these days. The name Rover Group was adopted from 1986, IIRC.
There is a diesel SD1 for sale somewhere online at present, I think, but it looks a bit rough and rusty, IIRC.
For me, diesel is the spume of Beelzebub, but some people don't see it that way.
Cool Montego, by the way. Please show us more stuff! Have you see my BL line up thread in the classics room? The tie is, well, er...
If anyone ever hears of a (I know very rare) Metro VDP with a slushbox for sale, please let me know, as my old mum would love one, I reckon. Hers was manual, back in the day, but now she prefers autos.
For me, diesel is the spume of Beelzebub, but some people don't see it that way.
Cool Montego, by the way. Please show us more stuff! Have you see my BL line up thread in the classics room? The tie is, well, er...
If anyone ever hears of a (I know very rare) Metro VDP with a slushbox for sale, please let me know, as my old mum would love one, I reckon. Hers was manual, back in the day, but now she prefers autos.
Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 26th July 18:23
Fair looking series 2 V8 here -
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rover-SD1-3500-V8-Manual...
EDIT: see below - not so fair after all, perhaps.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rover-SD1-3500-V8-Manual...
EDIT: see below - not so fair after all, perhaps.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 28th July 12:20
Me, I just look at the pics, me. I hadn't read the ad and didn't see that all that wahoo. One to run away from, I reckon.
In Dolly World, some naughty people put Sprint engines into boggo Dollies and don't bother to change the rear axle or upgrade the suspension and brakes. Result: yikes.
In Dolly World, some naughty people put Sprint engines into boggo Dollies and don't bother to change the rear axle or upgrade the suspension and brakes. Result: yikes.
The Rover has spent the last five and a bit days parked outside a rural railway station. I arrived back from London in the early hours of Saturday morning, and the car started up immediately (not something you can always expect from an old car with carburettors). It hasn't leaked, or acquired any more dings. I enjoyed the eight mile drive home along moonlit country lanes.
I have been concerned to note that, despite several weeks of use and a fair chunk of mileage, the RovahDaytona has utterly failed to explode, fall to bits, or otherwise commit assorted acts of egregious automotive borkage. I am relieved to report that the reversing lights are now on all the time when the engine is running. Phew! Sanity and order are restored, and all is once again well with the world.
The car sailed through its MoT with no advisories. The radio stopped working to celebrate this event, but I hope that is only a fuse. I was then pulled over (the next day) by two Met coppers, one old enough to recall SD1s in Police service, one younger than the car. They liked the car, but said it had no MoT. Luckily I had the new style certificate in the (still dry) glovebox.
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