Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

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How often do you see a SD1 Rover used by someone every day?
Not often I'm sure and indeed it's been at least a year since I saw one on the road despite it being a commonly seen car at one time.

This particular car which I photographed only this morning has a rather sad story attached to it. It is owned by a young (late 30's) landscape gardener who experienced an appalling accident some months ago.
While nailing a birdhouse way up a tall tree, his ladder fell from under him and he suffered life changing injuries which have left him disabled.
He cannot now drive a manual car and his hobby car has been pressed into daily use - it's an automatic.

Looking at the David Bache design even today it doesn't look dated, either this one or the post 1981 facelifted models. Indeed I think the Rover's successor, the 800 Series look old fashioned today, if you ever see one.

North Wales roads are used by car manufacturers for testing and evaluation even today but in November 1975 a local mountaineer came across a new and strange shaped car without badges stopped on a remote mountain road with two men drinking hot drinks from Thermos flasks beside it.
"So this is the new Rover?" he asked.
"How do you know that?" asked one of two.
"You've left the Viking boat badges on the wheeltrims" answered the local.
Their answer was/is unprintable.

It is hard to believe now that in 1976/77/78 there was a six month waiting list for the SD1.
A local businessman bought a new 3500 SD1 in August 1978, RJC 222T after waiting months for delivery. Four years later he had to have the bottom half resprayed to hide the rust! It failed it's MOT in 1984 due to advanced corrosion and had to be scrapped.

I never owned or drove a SD1 but a friend had a late 1985 Vanden Plas 3500 Efi and I thought it was a very comfortable car with a sumptuous quality interior.

For all it's faults I thought the SD1 Rover was/is a handsome "British" car.

What are your opinions?
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1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[Rick]

One of the better-looking 70s cars I suppose, not really my thing but looking at it with fresh eyes it's not a bad looker - although I'm not sure about the dash design.

I like the story about the pre-production testing

RJ
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[badhuis]

SD1s are a bit of a love/hate relation for me.

Love: proper British engineering, independent modern thinking at the time, smooth engines (except the 2 litre), useful as a family car. hatch / big boot very useful.
Hate: too seventies so had quality issues. Cheap nasty plastic everywhere (switches, dashboard, door panels), bad rust proofing, etc.

About 6 years ago I rescued a post facelift 2600 VandenPlas auto from the scrapyard. I saw it at the scrapyard on the forecourt, it had just come in. I paid the equivalent of about 300 pounds I think and drove it home.
Car had rust in the rear doors and tailgate and did not run. That was repaired very quickly with another coil. I found better doors and another tailgate. More problematic was the rusty metal sunroof. The electric driven speedo did not work.
After 4 months the car got stuck on a motorway - I did not see the temp going up very quickly. The belt has been lost so no waterpump. Overheated & cylinder head warped. I sold it on to someone who still has it in his shed. Future as yet unknown.

Three months ago there was a very good, fully equipped V8 pre-facelift for sale locally, at a low price. As most old British saloons, the SD1 has little value on the market.
I thought about it but will not have another. Just a tad too modern for me.

[Phil - Nottingham]

Sorry to hear about the owner but its good that the car can be used daily.

The SD1 was a good idea built down to a price imposed by BL . The paint problems were caused by the new multi-million £ paint plant built for it.

A pioneering effort that failed dismally - I remember seeing quite a few 1 year old cars with flaking paint & rust all over- the warranty claims on top of BL's other troubles must have been awful. It took to the early 1980's and S2 models to settle these by then it was too late even though the car did not look dated then never mind now
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Rover P2
Rover P4
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[V8 Nutter]

Nice looking car, with a feeling of luxury inside, the V8 was good, but that 6. The designer should have been shot.

If the engine was allowed to tick over for more than few minutes when it was cold the cam would often seize, braking rockers, bending valves and destroying the cam carrier. Back in the day I must have repaired dozens of these for exactly the reasons mentioned. Even then it could cost about £300 to do the job.

The sixes were also hot on petrol we had one on test for a couple of according to the computer it never managed more than 14 m.p.g. the V8's were always much better

[BigJohn]

Shocking cars, every one I drove gave me back ache, I first drove one in 1978, a senior officer staff car with about 6k on the clock, No spare plain car, for a prisoner escort. it rained heavily somewhere near Shap, the car turned into a Jacuzzi. On the plus side the floorpan was water tight, as when we went down hill the tsunami came rushing from the back, and vice versa uphill. Such a shame, as the idea was right and they were a handsome beast. I suppose the survivors will be about sorted by now.

[roverdriver]

Back in the 1970's when automatic transmission cars were less plentiful, I met a chap who had to drive his Model A Ford daily as he had a broken left arm- with the Model A he could start off in top gear.

Sorry to hear of the young fellows accident, but with the SD1, at least he can still get about, even though the car might be a bit thirsty.

I am retired so don't do a daily drive anymore, but my S.E. (Aussie spec. SD1 with fuel injection) is in regular use as a transport work horse as well as for trips etc. My wife and I have owned it now, for more than a dozen years, and while it is one of three registered cars of ours, we have no plans to part with it.


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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[exbmc]

I used to work on the SD1 range, in the mid 70's to 1983, when i left the motor trade and went working on test bed engines for additive development. I recall one 2600 having a cylinder head problem, through loss of coolant, but have never heard of the cam problems etc as V8 Nutter has reported.
Perhaps this came on later in their life? I loved driving any of the models, 2300, 2600 and V8. Also, we sold a couple of the SD Turbo models, with the Italian VM engine. I still have the BL technicians data books on these. If a 6 cylinder one came in running erratic, it was usually just because the rocker gasket had been sucked in. Gluing a new gasket to the top cover, usually smoothed things out. Lovely cars in my opinion, but as has been said, built to a price and very flimsy paint and body. They could have been so good.

[BigJohn]

I forgot about the VM engine one, an acquaintance got a new one in deal, after a year he got rid. On tickover it sounded like two skeletons humping in a biscuit tin. He had owned a Merc diesel before it, like chalk and cheese.

[baconsdozen]

I remember driving one brand new.I thought they were impressive. (Little did we know).
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

[V8 Nutter]

The cam probems would start when the car had a few miles on the clock. When the engine was stood for a few hours the oil would drain down from the cam, the oil pumps were a bit lazy and they needed revs to lift oil to the top of the engine. With the engine ticking over this didn't happen and the cam would seize in its housing. Later engines had a non return valve in the block to stop this happening.

[Rusty]

A mate of mine had one of the V8 Vanden Plass versions and we all loved it until it started having electrical problems. Several times Roger had to limp it home in 15 second bursts because of something snafuing in the computer department. Apart from that no problems I am aware of, our drier climate probably saved it from the rust troubles and his paint was fine. A beautiful well appointed luxury car that was a pleasure to drive in all other respects.