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Our Cars: 1976 Rover 3500 SD1

27 December 2009: The bonding process begins

Well, Christmas and Boxing Day are out of the way and the snow’s cleared to such an extent that I can finally get the garage open and spend a little time getting my SD1 back on the road.   

It’s a process that should have kicked off rather sooner following its trailering back from Poland but, thanks to an unfortunate incident which left me with a pair of broken ribs and then Christmas, I’ve only managed to get things going properly today.   

The car’s due to take its MoT on Tuesday, so I really needed to pull my finger out. A few  half-hearted looks at the car in the garage revealed that the choke wasn’t connected, nor was the handbrake. The car was also running poorly, the battery was knackered and there was no proper coolant in it.   

Rover 3500 - power unit is smooth, refined and ready to go.Rover 3500 - power unit is smooth, refined and ready to go.

None of these jobs were going to be much effort to put right, but it’s surprising just how hard they are to sort in a cramped garage with cracked ribs! Still, after an hour or so of tinkering, the problems were largely solved. The carburettor linkages are all mucked up and, as a result, the throttle kept sticking open, but I’m hoping that all the lubricant I’ve applied will have it running sweetly now.   

Now there’s coolant in it, the brakes all work (but could still do with bleeding) and it has a full complement of lights, I’m happy to report that I’m feeling a lot more confident about my drive to the testing station on Tuesday. I do need to give it a test run beforehand, but I think it’s going to be okay…   

However, the funny thing is that, although they were little jobs I did, it made me realise that it’s been far too long since I had a decent car to work on – and that I do enjoy tinkering. As a way of escaping the drudgery of seasonal television, a session with my tools and a Rover V8 is a nice little pick-me-up.   

I’ll let you know how the MoT goes… it would be nice if I had some positive luck for a change.   

Rover 3500 - Underbonnet details are a delightRover 3500 - Underbonnet details are a delight...

« Earlier: It's coming home     Later: Testing times »

Updates
We decide to take a £200 Rover SD1 to receive a full body restoration. Here's the story...
The work in Poland carries on in earnest
The Rover SD1 goes to a new home. It's been emotional...
Back in daily use, the SD1's odo ticks past 50K
The SD1 enjoys another MoT test - and passes, with a few advisories...
An incapacitated Keith Adams hands over the SD1 to Richard Kilpatrick
Time to get the SD1 out to a show... and look what we bump into.
Now it's up to scratch, it's time to get the SD1 looking as good as it drives...
This running report is boring - nothing has happened. And that's a blessed relief
Rover SD1 powers to the Pride of Longbridge... and suffers not a single breakage!
Pride of Longbridge approaches and Mike Humble is looking forward to taking the Rover SD1
Mike Humble carries on working on the SD1 - it's nearly finished. Promise!
Mike Humble gets the SD1 through its MoT without too many issues
Mike Humble is never 'tyred' of working on a classic motoring icon, only a few more details and the mission is complete.
Let's get rid of that carbuncle off the rear of the SD1!
Mike Humble - once again - sets about fixing another set of SD1 maladies
Getting the SD1 up and running again...
Something's not clicking with the SD1. Maybe some factory alloys might improve matters
Mike's spent weeks getting the SD1 into a roadworthy condition. He's literally sweated cobs over it - and we're not sure he'd like to repeat the experience.
Mike Humble has been having some truly epic battles with the Rover SD1. He's winning, though.
We've handed the SD1 over to Mike Humble in order to fix all those niggles. It proved to be a bit of a battle
It's getting a thorough work-put now, and one or two teething problems are working their way through
To to start undoing some of the unwanted cosmetic modifications
We're now trusting the Rover to take us out and about on jobs. Good idea?
Has it been worth the wait. Five years after buying it, we're finally able to legally drive the freshly MoT'd Rover SD1
Plenty of work needed for the MoT - and we're not there yet!
The Rover's been shipped to MOTest in Farnham for its first post-restoration MoT. Fingers crossed.
First drive, and we're going to have a bit of work...
27 December 2009: The bonding process begins
So now it's home, it's time to take stock of what needs doing on the project Rover SD1
The SD1 is pretty much paid for, now we just need to get it back to the UK
We've just dashed to Poland to drop off a few finishing touches to our SD1 restoration
After three years, the Rover SD1 restoration in Poland is finished. Now the work begins
 

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