Fun with Rovers.

[Pete-M]

Well, my insurance cover note finally arrived today, not bad considering I've been insured with them for a few years and renewed in January. Rang up to put the SD1 on as my main wheels on Thursday and it arrived this morning, so the day began with a trip to the post office. £112.50 for six months, ffs, it's gone up again.Rumbled off to my mates workshop to check the axle oil level (it whines like a red-headed stepchild on a school trip) and discovered that somehow the back axle was about 2 litres overfilled. How they managed to get that much oil in there I'll never know. Undid the 'top up' plug and it pissed out. Manky as a manky thing as well, with the odd, unfortunate metal filing in there. Drained the diff, and put some fresh EP 80/90 in to give it a good rinse through. It's a bit quieter, but still noisy under load. Will rinse it out again tomorrow and put EP90 in, that's what it should have.Also found an MOT failure sheet in the glovebox from 2006, since then it appears to have had a very professional sill replacement job and the boot floor replaced. It's also had four new BF Goodrich tyres and a couple of other bits done. It's solid as a solid thing, needs a minor bit of fettling around where the jacking points would be if it wasn't a Rover. I suspect whoever fitted the tyres is to blame. Otherwise it's spot on. I think whoever has done it has used replacement panels from Rimmer Bros' stock of Indian SD1 panels as there's no sign of handmade plates.Phoned a tame body repair man to come and have a look at it and give me a quote for a proper, full on, shiny repaint and a few bits and bobs cutting out and replacing. His quote pleased me, ok, it's a grand, but it'd be easily £1500 retail. So that's getting done in the next month or so. I think it's worth it. Middle of the wheels will be repainted black, the rims polish up beautifully. Could do with a new set of bolts for the split rims, the ones on it are a bit surface rusty.Also found someone with a full set of correct grey leather headrests, as one of my rear ones is missing I'm going to have to buy a full set. Nobody is likely to split 'em, they're pretty rare. Gonna cost me £50, but I don't mind throwing a bit of cash at this thing, I love SD1s.It's also been polybushed at the front end, which is nice. It's also got big vented discs, which aren't normal for a VdP.Cleaned the seats up and gave the leather a good feed, I'm beginning to believe the mileage could be right on this. Needs a section of grey vinyl letting in along the top of the back seat, sun damage. Shouldn't be expensive.Trip computer needs sorting out, that could take some time. It's getting a feed from the speedo as it counts distance fine, it doesn't seem to be getting a speed reading, or a fuel pulse reading either. I hope having the jag injectors hasn't screwed that up, but I should think it'd be ok, it's only counting pulses, they're happening at the same speed as they would have. At the moment it's a blessing not having an MPG reading, but even so I'd still like it to be working.Janspeed fitted a big arse Facet fuel pump according to the history, and it's in a more sensible place than the factory EFi pump would be. I broke a couple on my Vitesse on big speed bumps.Tried to adjust the idle speed down a bit, but the idle speed screw doesn't do fuck all, that's a job for tomorrow. It's running a bit rich at the moment.. not cheap.'lecky sunroof doesn't work, neither do the rear wash / wipe, central locking or indeed the aircon. 'roof and rear wiper should be easy enough to sort, there's a separate fuse box in the boot that powers them all. '80s Pioneer stereo doesn't work, appears to be connected to an amp stashed somewhere behind the dash. That'll come out and I'll fit the Nakamichi. Pioneer head unit lights up, but the display doesn't so I think it's fooked.Most of the interior trim is loose and unscrewed. Rattles hideously in town, I suspect this has something to do with the sill replacements. I think someone has thrown a shedload of cash at it to get it MOT worthy so they could steal the plate. Once again, plate rape has kept an old car on the road... Need to fabricate a plate to hold the passengers door mirror on, the little triangular bit that the mirror mounts to has rusted through. Bodyman said he'd sort that when it goes for paint, but it's a wide old beastie and I'd rather have the mirror in the right place. Electric bits still work on it, which is a bonus.Needs the headlining replacing.. There's a surprise.Headlight washers leak.. luckily they're fed from a separate resevoir to the windscreen washers.Carpet needs fitting properly, the little covers over the footwell vents are just lying in the glovebox at the moment.Wheels need balancing, that'll be done tomorrow, along with an oil flush and change. Oil pressure is (40 lb) superb at 1500 rpm, but merely good (20 lb) at idle. Idle needs lowering a touch as well, dropping it in drive at 1000 rpm isn't going to do the auto box any favours as it shunts badly unless timed to perfection.. Gonna have to order an autobox filter, doubt I'll get one tomorrow, but a good flush should do the box the world of good. Otherwise it changes pretty well, but it's obvious that it's not fond of the constant flow of torque. Not much I can do about that.Needs wiper blades and the motor / linkage lubing up. Wipers are slow, and shite. Electric window runners could also do with a bit of sillycunt spray to free them up a bit, they work, but it's obvious they're struggling against friction.There is a tiny hole in the exhaust between the silencers (it's a twin box system, but fed 8/4/2/1. Sounds fuckin' evil, but needs doing. Should be reasonably easy to fix, but it's weird that a full stainless system has a tiny little hole in. Someone had covered it with a jubilee clip, probably an MOT botch.O/S headlamp is bollocks, reflector is tarnished almost Pug 405 badly.Grille needs re-aligning, it's sitting low on the n/s.So, basically, it's been laid up for years, resurrected a few years ago, left for a couple of years, resurrected again for plate theft, sold to the bloke I bought it from, and now it's getting sorted properly.As a bonus, there's a black SD1 coming up in Ashes to Ashes, and Top Gear showed the tribute to the Rover V8 / SD1 race tonight.It's worth every penny, every time I've walked up to it today has made me grin. The thing looks and sounds feckin' evil.

[Mr Lobster]

Excellent! Sounds like its basically a good 'un.Hope you are bringing this to Q Park next week.

[Minimad5]

Fantastic enthusiasm and effor, that you are putting in there Pete Best of luck, no doubt it will come out looking A1

[trigger]

To qoute the classic Kelis song, I hate you so much right now!. :DYour right to grin everytime you see it, it's bloody lovely!

[Pete-M]

Excellent! Sounds like its basically a good 'un.Hope you are bringing this to Q Park next week.

Looks like I might just have to do that.

[VWPowered]

dude i love your SDi but probably not as much as you

[Milford Cubicle]

dude i love your SDi but probably not as much as you

SDI?!?!?!?!?!

I?!?!

[VWPowered]

what like GTi ou I

[shite_meister]

Oh man do I feel a pang pf regret for selling mine*

 

 

 

 

*scuttles off to car and classic to search for Targa red Vitesses

[Mr Lobster]

dude i love your SDi but probably not as much as you

SDI?!?!?!?!?!

I?!?!

1

[wuvvum]

I have to say from looking at that list, if you're finding time to worry about relatively minor things like that you must have bagged yourself a pretty decent example of an SD1. Aren't shit headlights and wipers par for the course on those though?

[Gompo]

It does sound very much a bargain to me - I'm not usually one to say this type of thing but we do need more pics..

[Pete-M]

I have to say from looking at that list, if you're finding time to worry about relatively minor things like that you must have bagged yourself a pretty decent example of an SD1. Aren't shit headlights and wipers par for the course on those though?

The headlights are pretty good if you get good ones. My nearside one isn't bad... Wipers could be better, so I'll make 'em better.I think I have managed to find a pretty decent one, but it was pure luck, and chucking in a cheeky bid just on the off chance.As for the pics, I'll sort some soon.

[Pete-M]

Well, spent a couple of hours fettling the beastie earlier.Changed the engine oil, lowered the idle to a more believable 850ish rpm, balanced all four wheels, turns out the front discs and pads look new and it's got Goodridge braided brake hoses, a nice bonus.Rear shocks and springs appear new, this quite probably explains why the rear end isn't as stiff as the front which has Bilsteins. It's had the self levelling rear struts junked for 2000 spec ones. I did the same to my old 2600 back in '91 or thereabouts, so I can't complain.Replaced a couple of interior light bulbs, discovered a couple have had the wires to them cut, which is strange. I suspect I'm going to be staring at the business end of a wiring diagram tomorrow.Discovered I need a couple of door handle bits for the inside handles, someone has snapped the plastics on a couple. Hey ho. Need a bag of trim clips for a couple of door trims as well.Botched the passengers door mirror into the correct position, just a temporary botch, as I'll probably get a new n/s/f door from Rimmers before the car gets painted.Oh, it hit 23,000 miles this afternoon :DGonna get out there now again before the sun goes and fiddle with the carpet. I'll try and get a couple of pics while I'm at it.

[Pete-M]

Ok, a few more pics (but some are the same as the other ones, just newer. I'm no photograperist.)

 

 

This one is a bit flattering to the paintwork, but I'm not that worried as it's getting a full repaint anyway...

 

 

Drivers seat is beginning to clean up rather well. A couple more goes with the cleaner and feed and it should be spot on, all the others are slightly better.

 

 

This doesn't work. Some of it lights up, but not enough to make noise. Gutted, it's even got an aux socket for eyepods, etc.

 

 

I'm beginning to believe this, other than the diff, nothing seems even slightly worn out. It's a Rover, so a few bits don't work properly, but it shouldn't be too bad to save.

 

 

 

Not polished up yet, just cleaned...

 

 

The mirror, no longer hanging off.

 

 

Started cleaning it under here, it's beginning to come up well.

[mk1_4dr]

Man thats hot. The steering wheel is really lovely too, between that, the way it looks and the noise it must be quite a nice place to be.I can't wait to see it next week.

[Mr Lobster]

I can't wait to see it next week.

+1Looking pretty damn good that.

[Jozza]

That's a real beauty- Congratulations. I really think black is one of the best colours for SD1s- they have just the right amount of chrome to look elegant and a little bit menacing at the same time, just as a Rover should.

[chester drawers]

This doesn't work. Some of it lights up, but not enough to make noise. Gutted, it's even got an aux socket for eyepods, etc.

Not as nice as an old Nakamichi but too nice to give up on. I'll happily give it the once over in the interests of tat preservation if you like. Pass it to Wat at your next Sale meet and he can drop it off when he collects his chair. So long as it's not a proprietary module that's failed it may be a viable fix. Any signs of life on the vacuum fluorescent display?

[Pete-M]

This doesn't work. Some of it lights up, but not enough to make noise. Gutted, it's even got an aux socket for eyepods, etc.

Not as nice as an old Nakamichi but too nice to give up on. I'll happily give it the once over in the interests of tat preservation if you like. Pass it to Wat at your next Sale meet and he can drop it off when he collects his chair. So long as it's not a proprietary module that's failed it may be a viable fix. Any signs of life on the vacuum fluorescent display?

No signs of life on the display, but the 'open' button is always lit up.Funnily enough, I'm going to put my Nakamichi in when the Pioneer is out. Easy to swap 'em if needs be, just make a loom up with the same plugs.

[chester drawers]

^ Not entirely coincidence me saying it - you mentioned the Nakamichi in your post!Sounds like a supply rail down in the Pioneer.

[Pete-M]

^ Not entirely coincidence me saying it - you mentioned the Nakamichi in your post!Sounds like a supply rail down in the Pioneer.

Oh aye. It's late, I'm rambling again!I'm going to spend a few hours tomorrow cleaning (again) and chasing electrical faults, so I'll whip ye olde Pioneer out while I'm at it.Rain permitting, naturally.Thanks man, nice of you to offer to have a look at it. Appreciated.

[chester drawers]

Some head units use a proprietary module to produce several internal supply rails. These can sometimes be a tad tricky / expensive to track down. Bog standard regulators are a piece of piss.If the main micro has failed we’re erm probably f****d though. Can have a shufty if needed.

[Pete-M]

NO worries, not expecting miracles. All going well I'll be at the meet on Sunday, I'll bring it.

[Pete-M]

Grr. The starter motor has bit the dust... Right, time to go and wave spanners at it.

[VWPowered]

full of awesomeness

[Tayne]

.

[j-j]

Really like this - I'm increasingly feeling the desire for an SD1.

[andrew e]

Pete you did well there Fella

[Station]

That's amazing. I remember the steering wheels were similar arrangement to the 'separate pod' thing with the clocks. Nice stereo as well, bet there's a dry solder in there somewhere.