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Honest John Classics Our Classic Cars 1976 Rover 3500 SD1

Our Cars: 1976 Rover 3500 SD1

6 April 2010: Working for a living

Well, I’d say that I’m now reasonably happy with my SD1′s progress. When it came back from MOTEST, I had a few fuelling issues, which dumped me on the hard shoulder. Then I changed a few servicing items, which also coincided with some other running problems… but, after a little perseverance, it’s all up and running now. 

I took the old girl into the office, then drove it to Banbury and, for the entire journey, the Polski-Rover never missed a beat and turned heads all along the way. That had me thinking about driving a classic on modern roads. This one in particular seems to have me feeling that every destination reached is something of an achievement and every mile passed savoured. 

Maybe it helps that in front of me is that tuneful V8 which delivers just enough performance to command the outside lane but, whatever, by the time I’d made it back home today after a 100-mile saunter, I felt all warm and fuzzy towards my Rover 3500. 

I think it’s fair to say that, come the summer, regular users of the A14 and M1 are going to see rather a lot of the old girl.

« Earlier: Now we're motoring     Later: It's in the detail »

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
6 April 2010: Working for a living
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...
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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