Not many left in this condition. Never restored, and apart from a small bit of rust, it's remarkably well preserved (with the help of cavity wax added at some point in its life)
The owner bought it in 1985, when it was 2 years old. He took it off the road in 1999 to adjust the handbrake cable and basically never got around to bringing it back out of the garage again - until now with the help of Jonny Smith (aka car pervert).
youtu.be/xexTiqiDSZY
2 of my friends used to have V8 Vitesse's. They couldn't have been more chalk and cheese. One handled like a bouncy castle, whilst the other gripped the road like it was on rails. I never knew until now that the auto was only a 3 speed. 0 to 60 in just over 7 seconds. Quite impressive for an 80's car.
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Beautiful sound at the end - be nice to wake up to that every morning :)
To think I used to work on them things back-in-the day!
I preferred the P6 and owned 2 of 'em, both autos. I bought one from a friend who put SD1 heads on it + various other mods, went like a rocket.
The other one was ex police (Zircon Blue) complete with hole in the roof. I had it resprayed Old English White, fitted Wolseley-type headlining, and had the V8 engine rebuilt at a cost of £900!!
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 25 Jun 21 at 03:58
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Sounds lovely right at the end of the video.
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Back in the early 80s myself and chums had an annual trip to the IOM in September to spectate on the Manx International rally.
I distinctly remember Tony Pond driving an SD1 V8. He must have been a works driver because later he rallied a TR7 V8 and the Metro 6R4.
Happy days..we got to watch several tarmac stages each day and drink lots of Okell beer...think I had an Escort Harrier one year, Golf Gti another.
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LL, if you’re feeling flush with cash and want to relive your ‘yoof’, here’s your chance:
www.horsepowerhangar.com/listings/1980-ford-escort-harrier#
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The the SD1 video.
Seems a strange video to upload. Why did they not go back and do a follow up with the engine running? Just seems very amateurish?
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Hey guys, lets drag the lovely rust free SD1 out and pour water over it.
Before that tho guys lets just turn the engine over without changing the oil and filter.
Always lusted after an SD1 vitesse
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 25 Jun 21 at 09:15
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>> Just seems very amateurish?
As are a lot of You Tube clips.
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Mr Moo...Strewth. I almost fell off my perch when I saw the asking price.
Think I’ll stick with my ‘half the price’ Focus Estate...twice the power, probably far better handling and just as much fun to drive.
I don’t think I want to relive my yoof. At least not with a car.
Last edited by: legacylad on Fri 25 Jun 21 at 11:39
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If I am going for an Escort, I would want a Mk1 1300GT. I doubt a production car has ever felt better on the road.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 25 Jun 21 at 12:10
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I had an Escort Mk1 1100 2 door Popular. In beige.
I'm sure it was a great handler, or it would have been if it could have built up enough speed to test that theory.
:-(
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>> an Escort Mk1 1100 2 door ... I'm sure it was a great handler
My mate Kevin (honestly!) fishtailed his sideways into the corner of a building just off Baldock High Street in 1991. Managed to bend it quite spectacularly in a V shape between the B pillar and the (side-of-the-boot) petrol tank. How we all got through our teens I still wonder sometimes.
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>> If I am going for an Escort, I would want a Mk1 1300GT. I doubt
>> a production car has ever felt better on the road.
I lusted after one them when I was doing trials and autotests. They seemed to sit higher off the road than standard (bigger wheels and tyres?).
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>> If I am going for an Escort, I would want a Mk1 1300GT. I doubt
>> a production car has ever felt better on the road.
>>
My second car was a bright red 1973 Mk1 1300 Sport (cut down spec GT - with the mildly uprated GT running gear, XL interior and flared wheel arches as per the RS). It was quite a change from the Mini that preceded it - I'm not sure the handling was better, but the rate of progress was ;-).
I liked that car.
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Escort Harrier !!
A colleague and flat-mate (in my single days) had one of these from new. We crashed it one night on the way home from the pub. Nice car. Bet he wished he'd kept it. He phoned me a few months ago in dire financial straits and looking for help and advice.
Nice motor.
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Watched it last night. Great "find" a former colleague had a Vitesse - it was a bit of a dog IIRC, funny how small a rather large car looks these days !
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My electric ZS is almost 200kg heavier than a SD1 3500.
Even the FRV is a few kilos heavier.
The V8 engine is of course an alloy job, and weighed less than the 1.8 MGB engine (the SD1 2600 weighed more than the 'big brother').
Crash worthiness is massively better with today's lumps naturally.
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My Volvo tips the scales at 2319 kg...Rover 1368kg...
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" .. I distinctly remember Tony Pond driving an SD1 V8. He must have been a works driver because ,,,"
Yes he was, although a "domestic" star who should have shone higher, and from my failed memory (cuz i was going to say that he broke the IOM outright lap record with the SD1, however- i have "cheated" and looked it up,) so, i've been corrected via "Wiki"
" ... In 1988 Pond attempted to achieve the first ever average 100 mph lap around the Isle of Man TT motorcycle race circuit in a standard-specification production Rover Vitesse, but was unsuccessful, largely due to wet weather on the mountain section of the course.[1] For his second attempt on 6 June 1990 he again drove a demonstration lap using a standard production Rover 827 Vitesse, which became the first production car to average over 100 mph around the course. This feat stood until 2011. ...."
AND - he had the best "Porn Star" moustache ..
Sadly another one who died too young.
On a much more mundane level, a neighbour who lived opposite, once complained to me that he followed me home one night, (about 8 miles, from the same industrial site) and tried as hard as he could, to catch me, in his V8 SD1, but couldn't, - i was driving a Citroen CXd (don't remember if the CX was turbo or not, and didn't remember him following me, - i just liked to "press on" in those days !)
As long as you have fun ...
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n 1988 Pond attempted to achieve the first ever average 100 mph lap around the Isle of Man TT motorcycle race circuit in a standard-specification production Rover Vitesse, but w
I was a spectator for that attempt. (I was there for the TT but Pond happened along) I have photos and maybe a video somewhere.
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Didn't one of the big Rover parts dealers - Rimmers / Britparts, source a few container loads of Rover OEM parts and panels in India which were returned to the UK?
Last edited by: Fullchat on Sat 26 Jun 21 at 13:37
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Yes, including full bodyshells.
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Seems to come as a kit £2340.00 inc VAT
rimmerbros.com/Item--i-RO1173
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Rover - V8 SD1 Vitesse - barn find - Dog
