1976 Rover - Austin SD1 3500 V8

Summary:

The best car I have ever owned, I would never part with it

Faults:

Alternator failed at 80,000 miles, because the fuel pump is electric it drained the battery and the car stopped while on the road, this is the first and only time this car has ever left me standing at the side of a road.

At approx 100,000 miles second gear would crunch on a cold UK morning, I couldn't afford a new unit back then, so I brought a donor SD1 V8 Auto for £30 and converted the car to automatic using all the parts from the donor car, that was back in 1989, still going strong today.

The usual leaking windscreen that would fill the foot wells in heavy rain, the windscreen has been replaced twice by me, still can't cure the leak, but now I have been living in Northern Cyprus for the past 12 years that problem is a thing of the past with our very dry climate.

Minor Electrical faults nothing too serious.

General Comments:

V8 engine is really sweet, lots of power and torque, it has never let me down, always fires up on the first turn, even now its used as my second car and would sit months on end in the garage still comes to life first turn.

A real testament to this engine the day I left the UK for Cyprus, the night before I was still rebuilding the cylinder heads and regrinding the valves after a much needed De-Coke, the next morning I started a 3,500 mile journey averaging 100mph which I done In 5 days the engine never missed a beat.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th October, 2004