Nice one James.
Looking forward to more pics, including ones of the refurb eventually!

You just made me a very happy chappy! Well done, if you need any info on the "S" or need to look at my car anytime just drop me a line,

If it was my car I would keep the car as original as possible, a Auto box in one of them just makes it even easier to pilot as unlike the Vitesse's there all about comfort and luxury.

Get it home, get it washed and polished and you will be stunned by the difference,

Shame the engines gone, is it worth trying to contact the dork who took it out for his plactic car and trying to persuade him?

Tim- trust me, once the work begins in earnest, you will be inundated with questions starting "the haynes book of lies show this little bit, but...". Enjoy

I will try to get the original engine back, 'specially since the numbers match.

And yes, while I might have converted an 'ordinary' SD1 to manual, with the 'S', it will stay as BL intended- only more reliable. I hope.

Well done on this. A huge sigh of relief from all corners of the forum!

Glad you saved this one.

I look forward to updates on here in due course.

Obsessive Rover SD1 Collector

This thread has gone very quiet, any update?

Anyone bought this yet?

Not me.. Even I need another organ donor chassis to mess about with.

oops- double post. Sorry.

I went to see the V8-S yesterday.

It is in very good condition- the only rust to be found is a little surface rust-at the bottom of the doors, and the inner wheelarch lip. There is no rot at all. Even the boot floor is solid, as are the strut tops etc.

The seats are grubby, but the carpet is quite good. It will need a headlining, though.

Apparantly, this car is the victim of a messy divorce, and got left in the garage in 1991. It still has over 1/4 tank of (presumably) 4 star! Though that will have gone off long ago.

Missing:
-Engine (inc rad, alternator, carbs, manifolds, starter, power steering pump and flex plate/flywheel)
-1xashtray
-Keys
-V5
-1x hub center cap
-door seals
-battery

Need work/replacement
-Brakes (although the pedal felt like a brake pedal, rather than feeling rusted solid or dropping straight to the floor).
-Some slight bubbles and flaking paint.
-rustproofing
-Tyres

I did try to close the windows, but only one worked. I think the other have relay problems.

The worst part of the car is the damage to the roof caused by the lifing strap- The gutters are bent in and the door seal flanges bent out. However, the roofline has not been affected, and the gutter and flanged look as though they will straighten fairly easily.

The autobox's oil looks quite good- clear, deep red, with a VERY slight brown tint. So there should be some life left there.

The most galling part was when the owners of the yard described staring the engine- with petrol and a battery, it started FIRST TIME after 16 years of storage. And it didn't smoke, and sounded really good. Apparantly, it is still going to the college that were planning to restore the car.

The person that bought the engine paid £350 for the whole car. Then he found that he wasn't able to store the car, so had the engine for teh same amount.

I will do my best to get the engine back- it sound as though it would not be challenging enough for the college.

Also, the man at the yard said that he knew of another 3.5 SD1, which he believed was also a V8-S, not far from Nottingham. Apparantly, it is in a front garden and has a tree growing through it.

I hope to collect the car next week. I will put lots of photos up when they are developed.

James

Umm- just seen the radiator in the pictures. Will have to ask about it.

Regarding the headlining, you may be amazed when you get some heat in the car that it retracts, mine sags a little until i get it out in the sunshine where upon it retracts back to where it should be.

Regarding keys you wuill be best off to buy a complete lock set.