Rover SD1 2600

[Craiglxviii]

Pete, we're both of similar age then! I reckoned you were in your 70s

When I was a lad (Landy 110" Series 2, Escort Mk.2, Escort Mk.3 were the family cars) there were three really cool cars around our way. A Porsche 944 (red) next door, an Opel Manta (gold) at the top of the street and a TR7 round the corner (red). They were the sort of car that Han Solo would drive.

 

[davemercedes]

Indeed Pete!
However 70's when I was a boy I had literally no idea therefore theings like..
Triumph TR7, Spitfire and Stag, also Dolomite Sprint 1850 Sport
MGB GT V8
Cortina 1600E, Capri
Were what I lusted after..

One thing that British Leyland Marketing did very well was they got the lineup of cars into The New Avengers so they got real exposure on a popular show.

Some histrionics here http://www.mark-1.co.uk/NewAvengers/navgcars.htm
- I like the bit about asking Honda for a bike - within an hour they called back "How many you want?"

Looking through that I saw a pic of a Jaguar XJS - that should have been a classic like the E Type... I remember it was incredibly well sound insulated - when you opened the window the sound came rushing in! But of course reliability was dreadful.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Changing the rear suspension on an XJS involved cutting holes in the trunk floor metal...

 

[John Laidlaw]

I had a friend of the family had a Vauxhall Firenza droop snoot which was from Ingliston motor circuit- he had it supplied with tyre/wheel changes including slicks!

 

[Srdl]

the SD1 looked great but seemed troublesome, even when new, to the people I knew who owned them, Maxi's were supposedly decent by BL standards but just looked HORRID! Allegro - All aggro! Marina was a poor copy of a Cortina. we had 1 between 2 Cortinas. I told dad to NEVER buy another marina EVER - I was 7 at the time!

Morris Marina - yep, guilty as charged. My 2nd and 3rd cars were Marinas and the 1.3L version at that! I was young and knew no better but I'll hang my head in shame.....

 

[Yugguy]

I were posh. I had a 1.8tc. epic performance! (Not)

 

[turbopete]

Capris were great. we had 1 in about 1979 (a mk1 on a K plate IIRC) and I LOVED it. almost bought Capri's myself on numerous occasions and kick myself that I didn't. Ive driven loads and in my experience (of the mk3's) they aren't as tail happy as everyone makes them out to be. either that or the LSDs in most of the 2.8i's ive driven makes a hell of a difference to that problem!

 

[turbopete]

Morris Marina - yep, guilty as charged. My 2nd and 3rd cars were Marinas and the 1.3L version at that! I was young and knew no better but I'll hang my head in shame.....

we all make mistakes. my first car in 1992 (aged 17) was a 1981 METRO!!! )bought purely because id known its history/owners since it was 2 years old)

our Marina was among the last pre-Ital badged ones IIRC (T reg, 1978ish?) which dad bought in about 1982 and was a 1700HL estate. it had a stupid step up on the rear of the roof, almost acting like a spoiler, I suppose, whereas everyone else managed to get their cars to work properly without one!

I was glad when we replaced it with another Cortina (as its predecessor had been)

 

[keefysher]

I had a friend of the family had a Vauxhall Firenza droop snoot which was from Ingliston motor circuit- he had it supplied with tyre/wheel changes including slicks!

Was that the 2 door coupe or the estate?

A mate had a Bliedenstein droopsnoot that ate the factory cars for breakfast

 

[John Laidlaw]

Was that the 2 door coupe or the estate?

A mate had a Bliedenstein droopsnoot that ate the factory cars for breakfast

2 door coupe, it was awesome

 

[keefysher]

2 door coupe, it was awesome

Back in the day, when I was paddling at International level there were guys driving some awesome cars. Pete Keane had a Firenze droop snoot as he worked for vauxhall, a manufacturer Graham Mackerath, of pyranha had the droopsnoot estate. But my mate Colin had the dogs in his Bliedenstein droopsnoot coupe that ate the factory cars for breakfast. At the time, a renegade C1 paddler had a 911. He lost his boat off the roof rack on the M6, to which the traffic cops called him a see you next tuesday

 

[John Laidlaw]

Did some paddling myself in the day, usually slalom around Grandtully - I had a great Sanna at the time. The Dolomite sprint was the transport then, practical yet rapid
Went onto sailing at a reasonable level, Enterprises and Scorpions

 

[keefysher]

Easter at Grandtully was team selection events.

Had a MkI GTE in white at one time, then a Cavalier Sri with mods. One Easter the scots paddlers set me a challenge to get back to Walthamstow in record time. Little did they know I took the roof rack off and a mate took the 3 kayaks back on his car so we had less drag. That record has not been beaten.

I started in the Youth River Race team, then went to slalom, then put back in with coaching and transporting the next generation. After Albert Kerr won the World Championship in his Pyranha Equipe I had pyranha kayaks for a while. I had a race equipe made of carbon fibre / kevlar / epoxy resin. Toward the end of my serious competing I bought a Reflex that still sits in the garden.

In 1997 I paddled the Colorado through the Grand Canyon, the whole way. The other kayakers jumped on the support rafts for the flat bits. Had seen a film about the Colorado in 1972 and said 'one day'. Applied for a permit that took 12 years to get a slot.

Saw the advent of plastic pigs having the first Dancer in the UK, then the playboats like the Hurricane and have done all the classics in the Alps including the Grade VI above the wood yard on the Inn. Upper, Mid & Lower Oetz.

A fantastic sport.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Had you watched "Deliverance" prior to your Colorado trip though?

 

[drmw]

I had a friend of the family had a Vauxhall Firenza droop snoot which was from Ingliston motor circuit- he had it supplied with tyre/wheel changes including slicks!

Twiggy Dryden by any chance?

 

[keefysher]

This is me in Lava Falls:

 

[Yugguy]

Always wanted an xjs since years ago I saw one do the proper squat on the rear wheels, roar and speed off in a cloud of v12 loveliness.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Twiggy Dryden by any chance?

Now this is a small world! the lad who bought it was Grant Robertson, Bathgate based (actually Blackburn West Lothian but nobody knows were that is)...Grant ran it into the wall at the Kaim park hotel the first week he had it cos it was very hot and the wet tyres wouldn't grip at all!

 

[Yugguy]

http://www.brightwells.com/classic-...lassic-vintage-july-2017/catalogue-12th-july/

Sd1 on here with a V8 conversion. Wonder what it will go for.

 

[LostKiwi]

http://www.brightwells.com/classic-...lassic-vintage-july-2017/catalogue-12th-july/

Sd1 on here with a V8 conversion. Wonder what it will go for.

Nice P5B too....