Your Rover SD3 stories (mine has ended)

[eddyramrod]

Spectacularly uneventful collection thread.

 

I spotted this little beauty on ebay, posted it up, and decided I wanted a go.  Thank you, therefore, to everyone who didn't bid.  There was a little confusion in making contact with the seller, but finally this morning it was all systems go. 

No fancy pics of breakfast, or tools, or even trains, as MrsR was persuaded to accompany me and drive the Blob back.  So we hot-footed down the M6 and M62 to Widnes in some frankly appalling weather, picked up the car and headed back.  I did take one pic:

This was our stop at Burtonwood Services (or what remains of it) for a quick empty-out.  Well you know, 100 miles to go....

I'm pleased with my little Rover.  Detailed photos will follow, but for the moment: everything seems to work except the radio (haven't tried a cassette yet).  The steering is a bit heavy at low speed, which suggests no PAS.  The dash showed no untoward signals all the way back.  The roof lining is kaput, it's shredded and hanging over the back seats.  Not enough to trouble me in the mirror, but it'll need doing for the show season.

So the plan is, go to work in it tomorrow, then slip over the road to Martin and work out a plan of action.  The seller had no servicing records (which says to me, he hasn't serviced it at all) and didn't know when or if the cambelt had been done.  Again, I must conclude it hasn't.  There's only 50,000 miles showing, which I would believe, but if the belt is original it's now 26 years old.  Time, methinks.  I'll get him to flush the rad too, as it's winter.  Let's make sure there's anti-freeze in it!

The bodywork will look a whole lot better for a wash, but there is work for Martin: OSR arch and the end of the sill.  The white paint is a different shade, suggesting there's already been some repair work, but it does need smartening up, and Martin does a good job.  I couldn't tell where he'd repaired the same point on the MR2.

On the whole then, a good deal well done, if I say so myself.  It must be over 20 years since I've driven one of these Rovers, and I'm pretty sure I never drove a 1.3.  I think it'll be a good little car.

[purplebargeken]

Had a D reg one in red. Lovely little thing. Well bought.

 

Burtonwood services eh? Used to hang out there when I was a teen with a car.

[lincolndanny]

Glad to see that the deal came off for you in the end. Looks a honey! I swear I read somewhere that Onslo's Cortina still exists!!!!!

[danthecapriman]

Nice car. I always preferred this type to the later shape ones.

They can rot like hell though, when I was in the garage we attempted to MOT a D reg one, the entire sill end, wheel arch and wheel bowl area were made of newspaper and filler. We pulled it off the car in one piece too! It had leopard skin fur as headlining aswell. Owner clearly a man of taste.

 

Yours looks great though. More pics please!

[bigstraight6]

Cracking little car Eddy, one to keep I think!

[Bren]

What did you think of my home town Eddy?

[taxi paul]

You sir have taste. Doffs cap.

[MarvinsMom]

that looks lovely, i hope its a nice as what it looks!

 

congrats sir, but-

 

Do come along, Richard!

 

 

do you have a pork pie hat?

[eddyramrod]

BS6: I agree.

Bren: Oh don't worry, I've been before, many times.  I used to live in Southport, remember!  I've passed through/delivered into Widnes more times than I care to remember.  It does appear to be beset by gratuitous roadworks at the moment, but then I don't think I can remember a time when it wasn't.

Jo: not yet.  Plenty of charity shops in Barrow....

 

And everyone else: thank you.

[Ben_O]

WOW!

 

My mum had a 216SE when i was a kid. It was exactly the same as the keeping up appearances car (colour and trim) and so everyone called her the bucket woman.

It is still her favorite car she has ever owned.

 

Id have one, i think they are great!

 

Look forward to more pictures

 

Ben

[Felly Magic]

You do realise that Mrs Ramrod will now be forever known as Hyacinth. Top bombing there 'Richard'

 

P.S

 

Y NO PEZ STAYSHUN SHOT? HARRUMPH etc

[Ben_O]

PHOWRRRR

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1985-C-Rover-213-Biege-For-sale-West-Wirral-Car-Sales-Hoylake-Wirral-/161900687493?hash=item25b2087085:g:qzwAAOSw7FRWWbTT

 

Price is a bit steep though??

 

I really want one now...

 

Sod

[eddyramrod]

 

My bad.  I did stop for juice too, so no excuses.  Never mind, I haven't done a Woollard on it yet either.  Plenty of time for both, I am intending to keep this a while.

 

That'll come as a relief to MrsR after the recent excesses!

 

My mate fancies the beige one, but you're right, it's a lot of money.

[MarvinsMom]

blimey, that beige one must be really early in the run cos them wheels look identical to a triumph acclaims!!

[2MB]

That looks very good, any that are still around have undoubtedly been kept undercover. I had one as my first road legal car, for a year and about 12000 miles of mostly driving about for the sake of it, about 10 years ago. It had been owned by a lovely elderly couple (latterly the wife after the husband passed away) and had never once been on the motorway in the 40k miles and 20 years they'd owned it from new. The first time it went any distance on the M62 it died completely on a snowy Saddleworth moor, for no reason other than shock. After that it never failed to proceed. The 1.3 Honda engine is a right little screamer and is non interference as far as I know. I changed the belt on mine though (and don't remember it being at all difficult), as well as rebuilding the carb and a few other bits. You never forget your first, hope this one is good for you. Just keep an eye on the rot!

[HH-R]

Lovely. Looks amazingly rot free too.

 

I hear the wee Honda engined 213 is the sweeter of the engine choices.

 

Isn't this actually a late one? The R8 came out on a G plate, though I think they did overlap for a while.

[MarvinsMom]

i was thinking that it is was a late one too, though in typical BL style there was some overlap as they cleared unsold stock.

[cros]

A trip to Widnes to score a 213? Crackerjack I'd say.

[kinkersaab]

Thats a well travelled one. It used to reside up here in Aberdeenshire, in fact i have a picture of it somewhere at my work. Chap who used to own it had a marina police car too he sold it a couple of years ago. Enjoy.

[Felly Magic]

Trilby hat and Tartan travel rug required now mate

[Barry Cade]

I had a Vitesse version way back, same year, same colour. It was fuggin brilliant! 

[Cavcraft]

You are a winner.

[phil_lihp]

Lovely, nice to see one that isn't bubbling up all around the arches and pillars.  It's a shame there's so few left now, they used to be everywhere but rotted like crazy and in the strangest places, my parents' 216SE was chopped in at just 9 years old with several holes in the boot frame and A pillars.  Get some waxoyl on it stat!

[hauserplenty]

12 and 56 please.

[hairnet]

14 and 36 for the saab please

 

you are a madman

[vulgalour]

Jealous.  Again.

[catsinthewelder]

That looks a right little cracker. Makes up for the one that a friend of mine has converted into a classic rally car recently.

[AlabamaShrimp]

Mine was automatic in gold, rust and filler. Sold to a lovely old bloke for £350 about 16 years ago. Loved it but a bit crap for picking up big bits from the scrappers.

 

Spent many an unhappy afternoon holding the water bottle or slapping on filler on so many of these, still nice car though especially with the 1300

[Lord Sterling]

Sweet little things these. I've yet to try an SD3. I've got a Solihull-based mate who is an SD3 200 fan. Then there was a guy in Bewdley who had a D or E plate SD3 for a small while, I did post up pics but he has since sold it.

 

Here is the bigger brother to the 200, my 825 Sterling:

 

 

Normally, my Sterling would be wearing these alloys which are a similar style to your wheels:

 

 

But because they have shed thier paint, it's wearing the later "lattice" alloys.

[RoadworkUK]

I'd love to try one of these. I want them to drive just like the Acclaim did.

 

Mechanically pretty much indestructible but I hear things about the bodywork behaving like a reverse aspirin, dissolving rapidly and then causing a headache.