Oh my me! BlublublublublublbulbuBRAAAAAAAAARPblubblub

[Pete-M]

Impatience struck, so today I went to get the SD1.It's nice. Needs a couple of grand of love throwing at it.Bodywork is straight as a straight thing, could do with a repaint, but 90% all there and solid. Few bits of remedial work, couple of bits of rot cutting out. Sunroof panel needs replacing. Inner wings etc are all spot on. Boot floor is all there, sills feel solid.Axle whines under load, I'll change the oil but I think it could do with a new diff.Brakes work in that late 70's, early 80's 'don't expect too much, too often' fadey kind of way.Interior rattles and there are bags of it in the boot. Dash top is warped (but they're £20 from Rimmer Bros, new), wood on the doors needs replacing (£50 from Rimmers for the set), carpets aren't that bad, but they're faded and grubby. Seats are fine. Parcel shelf is tired, headlining is past its best. Need a support for one rear headrest. All electric windows work, central locking doesn't.Wheels are Compomotive 15" Split Rims. Could do with the rims polishing and the centres painting black. Tyres are BF Goodrich 215/60/15s and good.Stainless exhaust is L O U D when you give it beans. Sounds great though. Four branch manifolds make a difference.Gearbox changes ok, tickover is set at a grand so needs slowing to give the 'box an easier life. Thumps going into drive unless you're careful.Suspension is very stiff at the front, quite soft at the back. This is the best compromise for an SD1, and exactly how I like it. Steering is sharp with no lost action.So, needless to say, I'm rather frickin' happy with it. I was even happier when I looked through the 'quote' in the paperwork from JE Engineering. It's not a quote, it's a specification...Block bored and relined to 93.5mmNew balanced crankshaft to give 4207ccNew die cast pistonsNew main and big end bearingsLightened and balanced flywheelEngine fully balancedNew JE 101 camshaft (Mild road)New double valve springsNew liftersNew large exhaust and inlet valvesHeads polished and portedFit vernier timing gearNew injectorsNew air flow meterExchange programmable engine control unitNew plugs, gaskets, oils etc.Then there's the dyno print out page. With the reg number X300, and the engine number from John Eales.241 bhp @ 5500 rpm, 267 lb ft @ 4000 rpm (torque curve doesn't drop below 200 lb ft anywhere from 1000 rpm to 5500)I believe it. It goes very fucking well indeed.There's also a receipt from Janspeed for fitting a twin turbo kit, and another for removing said kit 3000 miles later, dated just before the JE Engineering description of the motor.

[dollywobbler]

Crikey. We can declare that one a result then?! Can I ask for dibs if you decide it's not the ideal Czech wagon? I'll give you £550 for it.

[Minimad5]

Happy Days ! :)You should pop up afew pictures of interior & engine (Please sir)Hope to see it at the Q Park Meet

[Cheggers]

Sounds like an absolute monster...good work

[Mr H Sceptre]

GR8 4 PUB LANDLORDZ

[trigger]

X300? I seem to remember posting a eBay link for that then a few months ago on here, I comment how yummy it looked back then.Good work that man! Will you be driving it to Poland?

[Pete-M]

X300? I seem to remember posting a eBay link for that then a few months ago on here, I comment how yummy it looked back then.Good work that man! Will you be driving it to Poland?

I'm considering using it as my towcar for retrieving the Escort, but I'm going to have to give it a full going over and tidy up first - and get the AC working again.

[Guest]

Pete, I hate you sometimes.

 

If that'd been me, it would have had that spec, but the doors would have fallen off by the time I'd got it home and it would only want to run on 5 pots.

 

Please bring this to the meet. You bastard.

[seth]

Excellent! That engine spec sounds quite similar to what my dad's Vitesse ended up with though his wasn't quite that big in cc. Seem to remember him talking about a 250ish bhp dyno run. Now you can go and tell everyone with the "must have" twin plenums to STFU.

[Pete-M]

It be dark outside, but I'll go and get some photos the best I can. Back shortly (Don't expect perfection..)

[Minimad5]

haha, Pete you don't need to take them now ! Whats he like 'ey ? ... Show off haha

[pogweasel]

[Station]

It was cheap as well, BAR-GAIN.

[Cavcraft]

It be dark outside, but I'll go and get some photos the best I can. Back shortly (Do expect perforations..)

Edited for truth?

[Pete-M]

Photo's haven't come out :(The leather seats are good enough to make the mileage believable though

[Minimad5]

Photo's haven't come out :(The leather seats are good enough to make the mileage believable though

Not to worry Pete !You have tomorrow ;)hahaWell done for trying though !

[CortinaDave]

sounds fantastic. Add me to the queue if you decide to sell please

[shite_meister]

Holly shit nice work!! what a bonus, did you know the engine had been touched? is it the same spec still? my last SD1 was bored out to 4.5 with Jaguar injection all done by JE Engineering, they are probably the best Rover V8 specialists out there.

[Pete-M]

Holly shit nice work!! what a bonus, did you know the engine had been touched? is it the same spec still? my last SD1 was bored out to 4.5 with Jaguar injection all done by JE Engineering, they are probably the best Rover V8 specialists out there.

It's got the Jag injectors.I didn't know the engine had been touched until I went to crank it up, starter seemed to be struggling but against high (10:1) compression rather than it being a tired starter, but it whirred like it was turning something well balanced. It revs like a motorbike.Did yours have rhodes type lifters? This seems to have, quiet below 2500ish rpm and then the engine note takes on a harder edge above that, as if it's snapping the valves shut instead of easing them back. Proper evil sounding thing.

[fiatdaft]

nice result there eh!

[trigger]

So you paid less then they paid for it 2 months ago!.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0459910601

 

[Pete-M]

Yup! Another quick squint through the bills shows that Janspeed fitted Bilstein suspension, the Vitesse rear spoiler, vented front discs, stiffer front anti roll bar, the big exhaust, the Mota-Lita steering wheel, a Pioneer stereo (that's still in it but doesn't work) the body kit things to the sills, the Compomotives and they're responsible for the paintwork.

[wuvvum]

I IZ JEALOUS

[MrRegieRitmo]

As Neil Diamond sang, what a beautiful noise!

 

[shite_meister]

Holly shit nice work!! what a bonus, did you know the engine had been touched? is it the same spec still? my last SD1 was bored out to 4.5 with Jaguar injection all done by JE Engineering, they are probably the best Rover V8 specialists out there.

It's got the Jag injectors.I didn't know the engine had been touched until I went to crank it up, starter seemed to be struggling but against high (10:1) compression rather than it being a tired starter, but it whirred like it was turning something well balanced. It revs like a motorbike.Did yours have rhodes type lifters? This seems to have, quiet below 2500ish rpm and then the engine note takes on a harder edge above that, as if it's snapping the valves shut instead of easing them back. Proper evil sounding thing.

Ah so yours is injection too? bugger me I thought you'd just got a carbed 3.5! You have done really well with that purchase, the landy boys will pay top money for that unit. I sold mine because the buyer made me frankly an obscene offer that I thought was bollocks...untill he turned up at my work with the cash, sadly he only wanted the engine for his hill-climb car and the body that the engine was in was a tatty 2300.Mine would chatter a little on start-up which I think was the lifters I know I had the same cam as you, I found mine was just brutal all over the rev range which was the incredible thing about it, it would make my current E36 M3 look gay in a straight line although power is nothing without control and despite having Spax shockers and springs it still wallowed around corners and I found all that power and torque made it bloody difficult work trying to drive it even normally with the open diff.JE really know how to build a Rover V8, I know a few people who slate the Rover V8 but I reckon they haven't tried a really good one. I have some old mags featuring some articles on JE V8s that I'll try and scan if you want.I did wonder if yours is one of the first series 2 VDPs, I'm pretty sure that the SE was available on an X-plate, my first Vitesse was ROE 979Y which was one of the first that was gang-raped by magazine road testers the reason I mention it is I'm looking at your reg, Austin-Rover would register a block say 971Y-979Y although I would expect them to have a Birmingham OE prefix so don't quote me on that.

[trigger]

my first Vitesse was ROE 979Y which was one of the first that was gang-raped by magazine road testers the reason I mention it is I'm looking at your reg, Austin-Rover would register a block say 971Y-979Y although I would expect them to have a Birmingham OE prefix so don't quote me on that.

 

 

I also have a road test of ROE 971Y which is a red Vitesse.

[Pete-M]

Top work Mr Trig. Thanks for those, mucho appreciated.Just decoded the chassis number, it's a June '82 VdP that was originally a carb job. Logbook reckons it was built in '82 and imported in September '83. So the plate isn't going to be a Rover one :(Unfortunately, with being an import the model type is just 3500 instead of 3500 VdP / VdP EFi, but the chassis number proves its a VdP.

[shite_meister]

my first Vitesse was ROE 979Y which was one of the first that was gang-raped by magazine road testers the reason I mention it is I'm looking at your reg, Austin-Rover would register a block say 971Y-979Y although I would expect them to have a Birmingham OE prefix so don't quote me on that.

 

 

I also have a road test of ROE 971Y which is a red Vitesse.

Yep thats the old girl Trig!

 

I've had a VDP Efi now that is a nice proposition, I'd have another tommorrow and far rarer than the Vitesse as they were only made for a couple of years and never in great numbers.

[garethj]

Unfortunately, with being an import the model type is just 3500 instead of 3500 VdP / VdP EFi, but the chassis number proves its a VdP.

Gutted for you. Barely worth the money then, eh?

[Richard]

Imported? Was it one of those Freeport jobs then?