How old is your SD1?

How old is your SD1?

Author
Discussion

iain25tuscan

Original Poster:

62 posts

238 months

Sunday 11th June 2006
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Hello all, I've just checked my chassis number and have found out she was built in March 1976 and is the 500th SD1 made. She is a 3500 in Tumeric Yellow with a brown interior and is hopefully having a full restoration soon. Anyone got an earlier one?

K 5ive

123 posts

224 months

Monday 12th June 2006
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1986, so a mere nipper compared to yours.

RRG

126 posts

254 months

Wednesday 14th June 2006
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Mate, that is seriously early (and rare)!

I recently had a look at chassis 1300 (which oddly wasnt registered until late 76) which was for sale in fully rebuilt condition and the earliest car I had seen for some time.

John Giacobbi of Country Classics turned up chassis 245 a few years back which was thought to be the earliest remaining production car (at least one prototype is known to exist).

James Taylor, the Rover historian, had a yellow P-reg (ie pre August 76) car but don't know chassis number on that and could have been yours or number 245.

Your car was built before the official launch on 30 June 1976 so is a real rarity and deserves thorough and sensitive restoration. There are many small oddities that relate to the really early cars that you don't find on even slightly later phase 1 cars. I can help identify these if of interest.

Please restore her to her former glory! What is the original registration? I might be able to tell you if it was a press car.

iain25tuscan

Original Poster:

62 posts

238 months

Thursday 15th June 2006
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I've been told the first owner was Rover themselves then she was sold to a vicar who kept her for a year before selling her to my grandad when he traded up to the new 3500S.
He had her from 1982 until giving her to me about 5 years ago. Her reg number is TUD 280P and i've already started to find the small differences from every other early one lol. I'll be getting her body restored professionally while I refurbish the mechanicals myself and she is going back to original condition, question is at the moment who to entrust the rebuild too due to her rarity and age. She is actually older than me!!!! by 3 years. Biggest thing is gonna be keeping the patina of her by not over restoring etc, she still has all her original mechanicals and the mileage is 112k.