Practical classics rover sd1 project

[sierraman]

Featured in PC about 15 years back. A yellow sd1 pre production, got halfway through the resto then disappears. What ever happened to it?

[warren t claim]

Didn't the restorer fall ill?

[PiperCub]

Some time ago they did a brief catch-up of some of the old projects that never were so to speak, the SD1 was mentioned but I can't recall what the issue was. Illness rings a bell though but I remember another that was subject to a company going out of business (plus slight dodginess too?) so that might have been the Rover too. 

[Bren]

Freckleton Rover centre did the project, however it was'nt finished if I remember correctly.

 

I think the owner of the business fell foul of environmental health ( or some other body)and it would appear to have closed.

 

A few people within the Sd1 community told tales of stuff going missing after being taken there.

[PiperCub]

^^ Ah, that might be what I read re: slight dodginess! 

 

Did it get sold on and/or ever get finished?  As the OP implied there's been no mention of it for some time.

 

You'd like to have thought they'd have done another in the intervening years, SD1's aren't my thing but it'd be more interesting than repeatedly covering the same ground which they sometimes do with MG's, Triumphs etc. (yes, I know they are popular but lets have some variety too please). 

[sierraman]

Wonder if it's still in a garage somewhere, half done?

[warren t claim]

The thing is I thought magazine restorations were finished before the series was published?

[tooSavvy]

SORT OF.....

 

"Well that's a bit random - somebody stole* (misplaced) half my car... eBay PC nobhead content"

 

* vague mutterings of component disappearage alleged....

 

 

TS

[dugong]

The thing is I thought magazine restorations were finished before the series was published?

lol

[greengartside]

I remember the bloke doing the resto was called Terry?

[Uncle Jimmy]

I remember the bloke doing the resto was called Terry?

Well that explains everything. All people named Terry are or consort with dodgy people.

[sierraman]

If the business folded, no doubt the receivers or whoever will have simply skipped it unaware of its value.

[flat4alfa]

On ARonline it was confirmed that it was never completed

 

Other customers' cars in for restoration were confirmed broken up and parted-out

[EssDeeWon]

I don't remember a yellow pre-production car, only the Richelieu red N-reg which was restored but has been left to go again...

 

Freckleton Rover Centre 

 

Tom and Karen who ran the old SD1 Mania club about 15 years ago took their rare black V8-S there for a resto. To cut a long story short (and I don't know the full story) but Tom never saw the Rover again. Apparently it was spotted in the yard at Freckleton one day engine-less 

 

I had the privilege of sitting in the V8-S shortly before it went   (DHR***V)

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I dont know where I heard it but I read a load of bad shiz about that place too, I think it got nailed in the end for having too many dead Rovers lying about and the council decided it was a breakers yard or summert and shut it down.

[Angrydicky]

It wasn't pre-production, but was very early. P or R reg I think? 

 

A shame to hear about the N reg one (JYF 227N). That looked lovely when it went up for auction last year, although the blurb said it wasn't that original due to restorers who weren't that bothered about keeping some pre-production features.

[UltraWomble]

Freck Rover Centre (down Naze Lane East) is long long gone, and knowing one of the lads who worked there from the village, I cant say Im entirely surprised about its alleged iffy dealings.

I remember that article.

 

Queue of people looking for the fabled pre-production SD1 last Saturday down Naze Lane

[UltraWomble]

http://julianreynolds.forumup.co.uk/about1010-julianreynolds.html

[Bren]

The above website has more spam than a monty python sketch.

[Bren]

I went there for some bits - he had Sd1's stacked up. That was in 1997.

 

From being piled high in a scrapyard to virtually non existant.

[sierraman]

So I'm summising from this the yellow one probably got fragged. Which is a shame, particularly when you consider someone's also lost his livelyhood over it.

[Bren]

I have some of the mags from the project and I entered MMF 236P into the online MOT thingy.

 

No data found so I was probably crushed a while ago - the series was in 2001.