Description

Rover SD1 3500 cc Vanden Plas

This car was subject to significant renovation in 2005/6 with a spend of £20,000 (supported by invoices, worksheets and pictures from a Classic Car company on the whole) and £5132 on parts plus a respray of £5170. We suspect that the previous owner concluded that enough was enough and the car remained unfinished mainly the interior. But the car had probably sat for some years before we acquired and needed mechanical recommissioning too.

We placed the car with a well-known and respected Rover SD1 expert and spent a further £6000 a summary of which is as below:

• Strip out fuel pump, check fit new item. Test all ok.
• Partially strip carbs to free off pistons & diaphragm, replace split fuel lines, start vehicle, minimal oil pressure indicated & oil leaking out of front pulley seal. Water leaking out of pump assembly.
• Strip out all doors to rectify central locking inoperative, strip out tailgate lock assembly to free off seized lock mechanism, free off & lubricate all window mechanisms, strip door switches to enable windows to operate, refit all door cards.
• Refit interior trims, complete sill trims, complete luggage area, repair 1/4 trims, refit all seat belts, refit rear seats, replace headlining,
• Strip out rear brakes, clean & adjust, strip all front brakes (callipers seized) rebuild with new pistons & seals. Strip brake master cylinder & replaced seals, bleed brakes.
• Replace disintegrated rack steering rack boots
• Strip out radiator, replace front pulley seal & water pump,
• Remove inlet manifold assembly, remove rocker covers, remove timing case, remove timing chain, remove rocker shafts (slight wear) remove camshaft assembly (very worn). Replace camshaft & followers, timing chain & gears all gaskets & antifreeze
• Stripped carbs to clean out float chambers & replace 2nd diaphragm, refitted inlet manifold assembly,
• Remove sump assembly clean out all Carbon deposits & strainer, refit with new gasket
• Strip out windscreen washer system & flush through, strip internal switches to correct inoperative components
• Replaced steering rack (new item) set tracking.
• Investigate oil pressure issue, remove rocker covers, strip rocker shafts & fit new genuine items, rebuild, marginal increase in pressure but not enough, raise engine & remove sump assembly again, remove main bearing caps, bearings worn ( measure crank, in spec) remove big end bearings (worn) measure crank, (in spec) fit new bearings, refit sump, refill with new oil, strip out oil pump, fit modified housing & relief valve, run vehicle oil pressure back to spec
• Remove radiator again, send away for new core to be fitted, refit with new antifreeze.
• Replaced rear bumper.

The car does have a new MOT

The car has also just been resprayed by ourselves