1983 Rover 2600 SE (SD1)
Discussion
The car has been pretending to be an estate car today. I drove from near Thame to Milton Keynes to pick up an Eames desk chair bought for a song on eBay. I stopped on the way back to have the car very carefully cleaned by some charming young Romanian and Kurdish guys. Those car wash dudes always love old and classy cars. I gave them a decent tip. I hooned well mightily on a great B road between Bicester and Long Crendon, with an Audi hot hatchback trying but failing to tailgate me (I do not have good skillz, but the car just goes really well, and probably gave Mr White Audi a bit of a surprise).
The 1970s style brakes were tested and passed the test when a 2002 Vectra suddenly swerved across the lanes on one of the larger roundabouts at Milton Keynes. We almost made contact, but didn't, as I was awake and the brakes and tyres squealed but held the car. The Vectra ended up on the grass bank, and serve the idiot right, but no one was hurt and no cars were damaged.
Lots of classic Fords out in Bucks today - some show maybe? Also lots of 70s and 80s motorbikes, and some real Sunday drivers almost killing bikers at random, but the bikers all seemed pretty alert, situationally aware and skilful, and avoided the attempts by spannocks to take them down. A 1960s Corvette Stingray (red, natch) spotted in Thame as I neared home. Cool dude driving it, top down of course. Also a burgundy Jensen Interceptor III seen on the way over, the driver a silver fox type of guy in his sixties. White Stag, four up, tonking along the other way, top down. Fun times.
The 1970s style brakes were tested and passed the test when a 2002 Vectra suddenly swerved across the lanes on one of the larger roundabouts at Milton Keynes. We almost made contact, but didn't, as I was awake and the brakes and tyres squealed but held the car. The Vectra ended up on the grass bank, and serve the idiot right, but no one was hurt and no cars were damaged.
Lots of classic Fords out in Bucks today - some show maybe? Also lots of 70s and 80s motorbikes, and some real Sunday drivers almost killing bikers at random, but the bikers all seemed pretty alert, situationally aware and skilful, and avoided the attempts by spannocks to take them down. A 1960s Corvette Stingray (red, natch) spotted in Thame as I neared home. Cool dude driving it, top down of course. Also a burgundy Jensen Interceptor III seen on the way over, the driver a silver fox type of guy in his sixties. White Stag, four up, tonking along the other way, top down. Fun times.
The SD1 now has a stone stuck in by the front offside brake disc. I will have to jack it up and free the stone. Also, the rear demister behaves like it is 32 years old or something. The car did not leak during yesterday's mega rain, but was a bit misty, hopefully just from moisture brought in by me/the atmosphere.
Careless parkers of modern monstrosities have done serial dingage to all four doors of the SD1, which were unmarked when I bought it. No notes left, of course. Hospital car parks, mostly, as I have been visiting my dad who is unwell. OK, people are likely to be pre occupied when at a hospital, but could they not be a bit more careful? Hey, First World Problems, and my dad is on the mend, so screw the car.
The Rover has been sat on its bum for a bit as the oil pressure switch that is screwed intoi the side of the block had failed and was letting the oil out. The switch operates a fuel cutoff so that the engine won't run with low oil pressure. It took a while to source a switch but now all is good and I have another switch spare, just in case.
It has been performance managed out, and a new and less bolshie replacement is in place.
Meanwhile ....
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/news/guilty-pleasu...
Meanwhile ....
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/news/guilty-pleasu...
Clutch a bit shagged at present - hopefully just air in the system and/or dodgy seals. I have a spare slave cylinder somewhere, but not a spare master cylinder. The clutch itself ought to be OK as the car has not done mega miles, unless it's old dude former owner rode the pedal a bit. At present I am still betting on the issue being hydraulicky.
t video with uber cack music -
In the event I didn't sell the Rover, and it's still going! The head gasket has started to go between two of the cylinders, but a new gasket is going in shortly, and for the moment K Seal is making the car behave. No Rover would be complete without at least some K Seal. Having said that, I am not driving the car any distance until my mobile mech is able to come over and do the gasket.
Cheers! I am not sure if I really am back, as frankly all the whinging and right wing politics in this place gets me down, but I might occasionally lob in to talk about rubbish old cars, if that is still allowed.
Here is the car in recent use - helping a friend collect a very splendid 1985 Granada Ghia X Estate, which was a very fine day out.
Here is the car in recent use - helping a friend collect a very splendid 1985 Granada Ghia X Estate, which was a very fine day out.
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 27th March 09:19
Cheers! The Granny had a sticker in the rear window saying "Keep your Granny alive". This is probably better than a sticker saying "Get inside your Granny".
I have sold my Lotus Excel and my Daimler Sovereign, but still have my Dolomite Sprint, which is going well. My XJS is currently shaguared and sat on its arse under a cover.
I am trying not to buy cars at present, although I am a bit miffed that I did not bid on a decent looking Lancia Beta Coupe that sold on eBay yesterday for £3200. Oh well, it had been in a shed for 14 years, so I probably dodged a bullet on that one.
I have sold my Lotus Excel and my Daimler Sovereign, but still have my Dolomite Sprint, which is going well. My XJS is currently shaguared and sat on its arse under a cover.
I am trying not to buy cars at present, although I am a bit miffed that I did not bid on a decent looking Lancia Beta Coupe that sold on eBay yesterday for £3200. Oh well, it had been in a shed for 14 years, so I probably dodged a bullet on that one.
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 27th March 10:19
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