i have owned my mk 1 rover sd1 3500 se for 17 years and its never been on the road bought it when i was 16 for £50 hopeing to use it when i passed my test at 17 but it was going to cost me £3500 to insure it and that was a one off payment.since then its just sat i my shed.it runs and drives. i started doing some work on it about five ago years wheel arches ect but buying a house getting wedd put a stop to that.well it still here and sitting in my yard and yes this will be the year i will get it on the road after 17 years what about that for a story hope to take it to some shows so look out whould like to find some histroy on this car can any body help
head tunner no mistake
wheel arch rust
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Reviewing a 1981 model.
3500 se v8 in gold
Owned for more than 5 years.
My Dad had a 1977 2.6 auto from new, he got shot of it after the head had to be skimmed one too many times. When it was going it was the dogs hanging bits, me and my brother and sister used to love waving to people through the back window as my Dad put his foot down. When we went on holiday there was always loads of room.
I first added to this site in 2002. Now I have saved a few more from the crusher. These cars are a LOT BETTER than the cynics and the 'think they know it alls' say!! In fact its better than all the modern rubbish the dealers sell today! Buy one before they are all gone. The last REAL ROVER. By the way I currently own FIVE....three MOT & taxed and roadworthy!
Back in the early eighties I used to be driven to school in one...and have never forgotten the experience. Large, plush, looks like a Ferrari Daytona.
I bought my first '81 V8S as a skint student and watched it slowly rust away. A luxury barge for a few hundred quid...(albeit a bit thirsty). Fab on the motorway, lots of wheelspin in the local supermarket carpark.
Since then it has been restored with a 4.5 litre V8 and considerable sorting to the suspension. A blip of the throttle and boy racer hot hatches leave the lights in shame,(and in the rear view mirror).
These cars are the pinnacle of late 70s / early 80s kitch! a rocket powered settee with electric windows... (well, sometimes, when they want to work).
Buy one, love it and spend lots of money restoring it!
i remember oggling at sd1"s when iwas to young to even ride a push bike and always dreamed of having one finally when i hit 25 and could get classic insurance i found my self a d plate twin plenum vitesse that i stumbled across and driving the thing just did not dissapoint of all the cars i have driven including the e36 bmw m3 that i also own nothing compares to it, it was the bravest design of all time which all modern car shapes stem from and one day will be thought of as highly as an e type so stop slateing and start loving this true english bad boy that saddly has never been replaced !
Rover SD1....had loads of them....the best cars on the road and sadly not many left. I save them and repair them and prevent them going to the great scrapyard in the sky! Don't scrap it, save it...I'm your man.
Rover is my new toy, i'm into Anglias before. I sold them to bought my new toy, a 83' Vitesse and a 2600S bodyshell for rebuild. She featured a lot of accessories like stainless steel complete exhaust from Rimmer Bros, Real Steel cam (hurricane), J&R air Filter, Yokos tyres, a beast on the road. I wait the pics to updated my web site. http://angle.shop.free.fr/ Wait about 1 month before Rovy's pics.
After writing a review back in march, and of course much arguing with my bank manager I have decided that the time has come to buy another. I have noticed a few other revies from last time. One quick question. The 17 year old with the 2000. How extortionate is your insurance and who are you with? Vanden Plas ownership is looking likely. My family will probably disown me after the last one I had. And my partner has ordered me to sell my current barge. A Vauxhall Viceroy or spare room is where im staying. However, for one of these cars, that might just be worth it!
I PURCHASED MY SD1 2000 ON THE 29TH OF FEBUARY 2000. I PURCHASED IT FOR £125 FROM A LOCAL AUCTION CENTER.ON BRINGING IT HOME THE BATTERY DIED, ABOUT 50 YARDS FROM MY HOME. WE SORTED OUT THE PROBLEM, AND WE BELIVED THAT IT WAS THE TOWBAR THAT WAS NOT ORIGINAL, WHAT THEY HAD DONE AT THE GARAGE THAT HAD DONE THE SERVICING ON IT, WAS FITTED AN AFTERMARKET TOWBAR AND MESSED UP THE CONNECTIONS. TYHE ROVER NEEDED SOME WORK, A NEW BONNET AND TWO NEW BUMPERS WERE GIVEN TO ME BY ANOTHER SD1 OWNER, WHO I HAD GOT TO KNOW.OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS UNTIL JUNE LOTS OF WORK WAS DONE TO IT, OUR AIM WAS TO GET IT READY FOR A LOCAL SHOW IN MID JULY. IN THE BEGINNING OF JULY WE PUT IT IN FOR IT'S M.O.T IT FAILED THE FIRST TIME ROUND, BUT AFTER WE HAD STRIPPED DOWN THE CARBS AND SORTED THEM WE PUT IT IN FOR RETEST AND THE EMISSIONS WERE NOT READING AT ALL. WE THEN TOOK TO THE LOCAL SHOW THIS ONE BEING "WADEBRIDGE WHEELS 2000"M IN CORNWALL, IT WAS PARKED NEXT TO ANOTHER SD1 A 2600S IN OPALINE GREEN BELONGING TO ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE ROVER SD1 CLUB ( WHICH I AM A MEMBER OF). IN SEPTEMBER MY DAD WAS DRIVING IT BACK FROM THE LOCAL DIY SHOP AND THE CAMBELT SNAPPED!! WE ORDERED A NEW ONE FROM THE LOCAL ROVER DEALER AND PICKED IT UP FHE FOLLOW3ING SATURDAY. WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT AS THE CAMBELT THAT WAS ON BEFORE HAD ONLY DONE 240 MILES. WE FITTED THE NEW CAMBELT AND WEITH ALOT OF LUCK IT STARTED AND WE HAD NOT DONE ANY DAMAGE. WE WERE LUCKY!!!
IT HAS JUST HAD A SERVICE AND IT IS STILL RUNNING ON FOUR STAR PETROL, HOWEVER I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF CONVERTING ANOTHER HEAD WHICH I GOT OF AN SCRAPPED SD1 2000 TO RUN ON UNLEADED.
THIS 2000 IS MY FIRST CAR AS I AM ONLY 17 YEARS OLD, AND I AM VERY PLEASED WITH IT. I LOVE THE ROVER TO BITS, BUT UNFORTUNATLY THE 3500 V8 BUG HAS BITTEN SINCE I HAD A RIDE IN A VITESSE TWIN PLENUM.
BUT I DO NOT SEEING ME SELLING IT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
Now in my 14th year of ownership my VDP EFI was converted from normal Fi to Range Rover "hot wire" Fi for better fuel economy as well as auto control of a/c etc: Its good looks and superb comfort (and of course the smell of real leather) all combine to make this the best car I've owned in my 40 years of driving. Now mellowing on the road, I still wonder at the smooth power of the V8, and now and then can't resist "Kevin" in his Escort challenging me at the traffic lights.
All This Talk of unreliability.. Poppy cock.... The V8 is the only way to go with these cars. I had one for 6 1/2 years.. Before that a 2.6s, What a dog. The Heads let them down.. I had a 3500se & if you`re going for an sd1 then DON`T go for any other than a V8.. The Performance is Sizzling & has all the Grunt you`ll ever need.. I had an Auto but if you go for a manual then you can usally steal a bit more performance @ have better control on fuel consumpsion, but if you care about that then don`t have one of these....
The Vitesse is the Fastest & I believe at one time was the fastest road car in production............................
I got a buzz every time I got in & drove my V8...King of the road. & I was.
One of my favourite all time vehicles. Ive had two. 1 a 2000 auto that I bought for £100 with a busted drive plate. (Impossible to find a replacement for!) , and a 2300s auto. The 2000 had to go to make way for a jaguar but the 2300 I bought soon after. Built like a preverbial brick sh^t house. It was a bit slow going up hill only being a 2300 auto. But it certainly made a prescence on the road with its huge low front valance and suitably grunty engine note. A beautiful machine that had no real problems (as long as you didnt want to go backwards) but unfortunatly was used by a friend to gift wrap a volvo. Power, luxury, and still slightly modern looking for an absolute steal. I would buy one today if my bank manager was still my friend.
I bought my 2600S manual for a measly £90 though fair enough the head gasket had popped! It had a drink problem like me but what luxury, what power. The engine was hugely torquey, I once remember changing from 1st to fifth and it didn't complain too much, though with inherently weak gearboxes I do not recommend this.
Sadly University funding was necessary and the old Barge had to go, but once I finish my course I'm after another one - preferably with FSH. One of the sexiest, sleekest and most unreliable cars of all time - I love 'em!
Owned for 1 year.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed November 2003.
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Owned the same one for over 20 years now - a 1978 V8 auto. The body's still pretty much original though extensively lightened with replacemant fibreglass paels and pespex in the rear screen. A manual 5 speed has replaced the auto. A worked 4.6 with crane cam, big valve flowed Buick 300 heads and Yella terra roller rockers with a 500cfm edelbrock carb equals a power to weight ratio not far short of a TVR with incredible performance. I've also rebuilt the dash as a works replica, added Vitesse spoilers and lightweight sports seats. Electrics can be a little unreleiable but ususally only minor niggles and easily rectified. Still the most sexy looking car around with enough punch to knock your head off.
Rob
Never owned
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed March 2003.
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I am already on my second SD1 in 3 months! My first was a 1982 2000 bought sight unseen at auction for £74. I know you shouldn't but I just couldn't resist at the price as I've lusted after one for 20 years or more. Needless to say it was a rusty old dog underneath - no suspension mounts to speak of. With a manual box and no power steering it was also an absolute pig to drive in town. Absolutely no toys either. I was going to sell it, but then it broke down and to avoid the resulting parking fines I gave it to the local council to scrap. A shame as it did look gorgeous, but it was a complete basket case - still I got all the bits worth having off it. By this time I have been given a low mileage 1987 2300 for free, and this was virtually mint condition. It was also an auto with power steering, and absolutely wonderful to drive. Just the best car for cruising up the Kings Road - So damn beautiful. The 2300 engine is so smooth and refined, with a great sound when you boot it. After the 2000 it seems really quick too ;-) Superb comfort and good equipment on the later models. If you look after it it will look after you, and cheap to insure with classic insurance. I LOVE this car!
Owned for 3 months.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed February 2003.
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i love the look of the sd1. it has a HUGE prescence on the road. I have owned 4 now. currently have a 1979 't' reg 2600 in the garage parked up and at the moment use a 3500 vdp efi daily. but this has got both heads off at the mo, waiting for a head gasket kit. apart from having to spend money to keep it on the road, i don't think i would drive any other car for the considerable future as you can't beat the luxury and feel of the big V8.
Owned for 2 years.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed October 2002.
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Best car in the world (i think). I had a B reg 2300S AUTO in zircon blue. I have never been in a 3500 but would like to own one. The 2300 i bought was £150, it had no MOT and a ticking cam. The day I first drove this car was never to be forgotten. I had a 216SE before. This SD1 was so SMOOTH, despite a knackered engine it still gave some indication as to the how nice the car was to drive. I got very into the mechanical side, this car is well built, but for poor electrics and some other quality faults. Although sadly, finance prevented the project from being complete and the car was sold on.
I would like to get one for the road now, and a couple of spare cars for bits I will NEED.
The 2300/2600 are not as bad engines if they are looked after, and are smooth. I like to know about any tuned 2600 lumps, they have some good potential. Although I can see the attraction of a modified 300+BHP V8!
Owned for 6 months.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed August 2002.
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I spend about $400.00 AUD every month to keep my car on the road. This doesn't include tyres, batteries, fuel, rego or insurance. But I still luuuuuvvv my car Rover SD1 Vanden Plasma Moonraker, lowered fat cat.
Owned for more than 5 years.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed April 2001.
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Am the owner of sd1s. the road worthy model is the 83, the parts car an 81. the 83 has plenty of torque and is the best for towing. when the 81 was bought, i towed it home w/ the 83, the 83 said, "what extra 1.6 ton of car." i liked the attitude. being in australia though i have found the parts and serives to be expensive and not always 100 percent reliable. as result of this, both cars are going to be stripped back and rebuilt for the australian highway. i do a lot of kilos in my work, so the end product is aimed to be a real long distance endurance machine, less sporty, more tourer. all the other research i have done into modifications on the sd1 have been directed toward race or speed, not that these aren't attractive qualities, but it is seriesly going to take a 50 ton semi to stop this thing once it is finished. i really hope it doesn't come to that. will keep updated. paul.
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