Good grief! Anyone else seen this SD1....?!
Discussion
Tony Pond managed to crash lots of cars over the years.
Iam not convinced that makes the SD1 the worst handling car ever.
Winning the touring cars championships, rallying, and used for years by plod have no bearing I guess.
Many thousand SD1's managed to stay on the road and gave many of my generation their first taste of what fun a large powerful family saloon can be.
The SD1 was a very good car for its time, perhaps the front engine rear drive scared some people, but I think that combination is the only way to be!!.
Iam not convinced that makes the SD1 the worst handling car ever.
Winning the touring cars championships, rallying, and used for years by plod have no bearing I guess.
Many thousand SD1's managed to stay on the road and gave many of my generation their first taste of what fun a large powerful family saloon can be.
The SD1 was a very good car for its time, perhaps the front engine rear drive scared some people, but I think that combination is the only way to be!!.
Indeed 
a bit of an understeerer but that's really only because it had a well located (watts linkage / trailing link) rear axle and not enough front camber on turn. I'd say they were pretty good handling cars really. I'd have a twin plenum vitesse any day :big yay:
>> Edited by joospeed on Wednesday 29th January 13:13
a bit of an understeerer but that's really only because it had a well located (watts linkage / trailing link) rear axle and not enough front camber on turn. I'd say they were pretty good handling cars really. I'd have a twin plenum vitesse any day :big yay:
>> Edited by joospeed on Wednesday 29th January 13:13
KDNGRIFF said: Also, didn't Tony Pond do a 100mph ave. lap around the TT course in 1988 using a near standard Vitesse! Handling quite important around there methinks!
yep but that was the later 827 front drive lard barge. it also ran slicks and an aftermarket exhaust. it did touch 150mph on the straights though
:bigrespectTone:
Believe my mates still got his turbo 3.5 SD1 in the garage somewhere, went like a rocket when it went. Engineering wasn't the best I remember.
On a sad note, is Tony Pond still with us, seem to remember a news report a while ago...
... he got to drive some right crap though, when every one else had some pretty potent stuff, he got a TR7.
On a sad note, is Tony Pond still with us, seem to remember a news report a while ago...
... he got to drive some right crap though, when every one else had some pretty potent stuff, he got a TR7.
Iam afraid to say Tony Pond died of cancer, last year I think. Great driver with some great cars.
Awesome on the Manx with a TR8.
I saw him drive at Silverstone rallysprint circuit, beat everything in a TR8, with some great low level flying.
The police used to run turbo SD1's apparently, I know someone who was stopped for 154mph, the police car was catching him very quickly, I wonder what happened to these cars?.
Awesome on the Manx with a TR8.
I saw him drive at Silverstone rallysprint circuit, beat everything in a TR8, with some great low level flying.
The police used to run turbo SD1's apparently, I know someone who was stopped for 154mph, the police car was catching him very quickly, I wonder what happened to these cars?.
chap up my way has an SD1 Vitesse - fully tuned & balanced (the party trick is to balance a cup of tea on the rocker cover & rev the tits off it & watch it not spill a drop) with a (claimed) 300BHP at the wheels. certainly it is an smart as 
motor that tore up my mini in a straight line. It's so low I can't get my fist between it & the ground!!!! Nice.
motor that tore up my mini in a straight line. It's so low I can't get my fist between it & the ground!!!! Nice.Gassing Station | Engines & Drivetrain | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff