Thread of Rover Borrowage NOW with Rover Returned.

[red5]

OMG BorisTax forgettage!  Skizzer now liable to be transported to Van Diemen's Land, and it's all my fault.    I is regret.

Not for the 1st time either old chum...

[Guest Breadvan72]

Tru dat.  It's some sort of Rover V8 thing.

 

BTW, I followed a TR8 down the A40 this afternoon.  I waved and gurned like a nutter, but he is give me the big ignore.

[Skizzer]

Ah well, if that's all that goes wrong then we're not doing too badly. I've ordered a new speedo cable from Rimmers anyway - even if it's not the problem this time, I'm bound to need it at some point.

 

Ordered some new wires for the boot while I was there, as they only had one loom left in stock and the wiring back there looks dodgy as fook in places.

[Junkman]

Damage Report, Captain: the speedo stopped working on the way home.  I will check whether this is a fuse issue, but I suspect the dreaded speedo cable of failure.  I iz know that 2500 RPM  = 70 MPH, so no wuzzies re speed cameras.

 

That's a whopping 750 OMGRPM less than with a 3500S. Those newfangled 5th cogs appear to have their merits after all.

What's the OMGMPG like?

[STUNO]

Van Diemens land. there are worse places

 

Cape Maria Van Diemen

Beats any courthouse hands down

-side doesn't pay as well!

[Junkman]

How ripe with chod is it?

If the Autoshite density is high enough there, I might consider a ticketless trip into Borisgrad for a free passage.

Not sure whether Cape Maria Van Diemen is in Van Diemens Land, though, but my geo knowledge* of that part of the planet is admittedly sketchy indeed.

[STUNO]

 

How ripe with chod is it?

If the Autoshite density is high enough there, I might consider a ticketless trip into Borisgrad for a free passage.

Not sure whether Cape Maria Van Diemen is in Van Diemens Land, though, but my geo knowledge* of that part of the planet is admittedly sketchy indeed.

Poetic licence : Van Diemens Land is actually Tasmania which was originally called Anthoonij Van Diemenslandt by Abel Tasman in honour of Van Diemen.

Cape maria is in NZ for some reason and has never moved.

[Guest Breadvan72]

That's a whopping 750 OMGRPM less than with a 3500S. Those newfangled 5th cogs appear to have their merits after all.

What's the OMGMPG like?

 

 

It's ace, by V8 standards, because slipperiness and geahars - up to 25MPG if you are a bit grandad, but still in the 20s if you are a bit more press on Exec type.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Skizzer, the boot wiring is Comedy Central indeed!  Who cares, when you have a boot big enough to rent out to several families of Bulgarians?  (Er, oops, I was going to tell you about that, but , er...I forgot.  Hey.it's only a six month lease.)

[Guest Breadvan72]

My dirty sex thang with the Rover of indeterminate colour must end on Sunday, alas.  Here is a  shit photo of it hunkering down with some assorted other tat, adding some much needed class and suave to BV's Pikey yard of Pikeyness.

[Junkman]

It's ace, by V8 standards, because slipperiness and geahars - up to 25MPG if you are a bit grandad, but still in the 20s if you are a bit more press on Exec type.

 

Got 23 out of ye olde RoD last weekend with not exactly hanging aroundage. And that one is Bader spec.

So either I'm running it too lean, or that newfangled 5-speed is not much apart from being newfangled.

[scruff]

I had the pleasure of examining this SD1 today as I extracted some premier league shite from Breadvan towers. So cool, so seventies, so V8ey 

[Guest Breadvan72]

This car has a spiffy engine bay, and I am always impressed by a car that is nearly 40 years old and has working under bonnet lights.   Note also some additional period details.

 

Skizzer can haz done a good buyage on eBay with this machine.  The 2600 on the Bay in the same colour (WTF IS that colour?) is now bid well above 2K and rising.   V tempted, but ahm OOT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[beko1987]

Noice

[Guest Breadvan72]

Pishing doon, so first chance to test the SD1 in the wet.  It's ace!  Those Dunlops are not in the first flush of their youth, I reckon, but they look right on the car and the wet road grip and handliness are more than acceptable for a big and quite powerful RWD car.

[Guest Breadvan72]

All things must end, so the Rover is back with its rightful owner.  We met up with spouses, pooches and some random daughter in tow at a top secret venue in Wiltshire Shire, and handed over the hostages.    Skizzer stood us a slap up feed, the dogs went nutso, my daughter petted a foal, and we had time on the way home to stop off for Pooh Sticks at a pub with a stream in the garden.  

 

Loadsa classics spotted en route, including some pre war stuff, an Edwardian racing car on a trailer, and a Gilbern Invader.  Also a well used Triumph Vitesse 6 in the car park at the lunch venue.

 

That SD1 is super fab to drive.   My Alfa 156 on the way home was a totally different driving experience (not as good), but at least the radio works, so we could catch some Glasto on the way back.

[Skizzer]

Epilogue:

 

After tea and biscuits, everyone made it home safely and without needing to trouble Green Flag.

 

The Rover has developed an interesting quirk of losing a bit of coolant, running a bit hot in traffic, then just settling at that without getting any worse. I was biting my knuckles in the lengthy queue for the Severn Bridge as the needle rose away from its usual happy vertical, and whacked the heater on full, but it never actually got any worse. Will investigate further when I'm next home for more than a couple of hours.

 

On the plus side, the windows go up and down like a good 'un, at least for now.

 

In further happy ending mode, Mrs Skizzer rather liked the Alfa 156 once she was persuaded to get inside. Still very concerned about the practice of hiding door handles, though:

 

 

Have a 70s advertising shot to round off the story.

 

[Guest Breadvan72]

Your 70s advertising shot is much better than my failed attempt at the aspirational executive lifestyle choices combo.

 

 

 

 

[Jim Bell]

Easy Rider-esque lensflare there. Nice.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Yeah, that was completely on purpose, that was.