Our Cars: 1976 Rover 3500 SD1
18 March 2012: SD1 reaches a milestone
Back to the using the SD1 as my daily hack, and despite the driving position, which is increasingly annoying me, I am enjoying using the car in a manner appropriate to what it was designed for. I was interesting to see it roll past 50,000 miles after a particularly tiring press week at Octane and this little ticking over of the mileometer certainly lifted my mood.
Truth is without a meaningful service history, it’s hard to say whether it’s 50,000 miles covered. Or 150,000. Or even 250,000. But truth be told, it really doesn’t matter. It drives wonderfully, and seems to be in incredibly fine fettle all told. I’ll admit I placed the car up for sale last month (or was it the month before?) but the more I think about it, and the more I use it, the less I really want to be parted with it.
I’ve now seen that I can buy a new headlining for £250, and if I can find a nice interior from a Series 2 (because I think the seating position’s better), I’ll fit that to make it more habitable. What do I mean by that? Well, I do have long legs (and a short body), and need lots of rearward travel. Both Mike and I have looked to see if we can move the driver’s seat back on the SD1, and from what it looks like, this could be an impossible task.
As I recall the SD1 Series 2 was a much nicer fit for me, I am going to bite the bullet and fit an interior from one of these. I think that might upset some purists, but the truth is I just want to use the thing and be comfortable in the process. Not too much to ask is it?
Not a simple seat mechanism to modify, that's for sure...
I need two grommits to plug this hole. Thought I'd struck lucky with this Citroen part, but, er, it wasn't man enough.
Hmm the headliner board has been in for a while, but I do think a nice new one will transform the interior.
Rear plate now firmly affixed. Looks better for being original 1970s spec.« Earlier: SD1 lives on to fight another year Later: Farewell my lovely »
Compare classic car insurance quotes and buy online. A friendly service offering access to a range of policies and benefits.
