It all started in early 80’s in the U.K. I bought a Triumph 1500 TC with a con rod hanging out the side of its engine from a work college for 400 pounds, I pulled out the engine replaced it with an engine from my local wreckers, it needed a new exhaust so I went to a mate’s place in town to get it replaced. As I waited I went for a walk up the road to a place I got all my fishing tackle from just to pass the time and on the way I saw her…. A car that just stood out from every other car I had ever seen. I knew what it was but never seen one up close before I’d only seen them on the telly. I walked up to her and almost immediately was jumped on by the salesman like a shark circling a love sick seal?? He preceded to tell me EVERTHING about the car Blah Blah Blah is all I heard he didn’t need to sell her I was already sold!! He did say one thing that I heard “2000 pounds”. “Trade in” I said and we were in.

After going through the process of trading in my car and guaranteeing the required finance for the purchase of the car which seemed to take an age it was all done date was set and I had bought my FIRST 1979 Rover SD1 2600SE Opaline in colour this big beautiful car turned heads everywhere it went. I was the Ducks Nuts.

Then one fine day (about 3 weeks after buying the car) I had organised to pick up my mates as usual for a night posing in town when my mother asked me to drop off my grandfather home, no problem. Now home for my Grandfather was 50 miles (80kms) plus round trip away but I just loved driving the car so off we went. Got granddad home no worries, but now I’m seriously going to be late getting back to the boys so off I go like a bat out of hell driving this car like I was running from the law just like on the telly in The Sweeny (British cop show). Took a short cut (mistake no’1) didn’t know the roads (mistake no’2) hit the corner far too fast (third and final mistake) ended up in the ditch with a bent and very sick car.

Got her home after many tears and phone calls got the car assessed and all my fears were confirmed WRITTEN OFF I was gutted. Weeks later after many phone conversations with finance company people and insurance people they finally agreed pay me out (got away one there). At the same time this was going on my mate (the one with the exhaust place) had a customer in a bit of a predicament He had driven into the back of his wife car in the driveway of his own house? He was driving his 1984 Rover SD1 2600SE blue in colour and drove right up the arse of her Audi Quattro (ouch) they went through the insurance company and they said he could only claim on one car and not both because he owned both and it happened on his own property (bummer) so long story short I bought his (uninsured) Rover for a fraction of its worth (winner)

So I was back in business (wahoo) off I go posing and driving very carefully I will say, no more short cuts for me!!! Now not long after all this my brother who was also my business partner (we had a kitchen fitting business) said he was emigrating to Australia (we’d been together for 6 years) “No problem” I said (mistake no’1) off he goes to Australia with wife and family…. bon voyage. I very quickly found out why he did the financial side of the business.

(I basically carried the hammer)(mistake no’2)

I very quickly ran out of money and in my need to earn money I was working 16 – 18 hours a day and I fell asleep at the wheel and drove right into the side of an artic lorry (B-Double) (third and final mistake).The driver of the truck after examining his truck and found no damage was done to him or his truck and all the damage was to my car (I had opened up the side of the car when I went up against his wheel nuts !!) I told him my sob story of needing to work 16 hours a day to get by did me a favour and we agreed on a story where he didn’t stop so as I could claim on my insurance.

A few months later (mid 1987) I get a call from my brother seeing how I was doing???? After a short conversation long story short I was in Australia on a working holiday loving life but still pinning for that Rover determined that one day maybe……..

A year goes by…. I meet and marry my wife get to stay in Australia to live out my days in paradise but, something kept eating at me. Fast forward its 1994 I’m driving to work 5 in the morning and dajavous this truck comes out of nowhere and drives right over the front end of my Subaru Leone red in colour took off the front bumper which wrapped itself around its rear axle crushed my front passenger wheel against the curb squashes the front drivers wheel and falls off, front drivers guard and bonnet destroyed and the steering wheel and column comes down on my legs then just drives away as nothing happened never to this day to be found?? (I would have paid to see his face when he found the bumper)

So I figured id just cheated death so I wanted to find a Rover to replace the Subaru. Not as easy as it seemed to be? Went looking and found a couple but, they were not the same?? It seemed the memory was more than the reality it was the memory of the times I had with the car and not the car itself. So I was talked into a Mitsubishi Gallant SE green in colour.

More years pass…… Cars come and go, I even flirted with a FORD WAGON (god help us) grey in colour I then matured enough to land a job which came with a company car (Wooooo!!) A Holden VZ Wagon white in colour I loved that car so much so I bought it off of the company when I left their employ. I had that car 5 years maybe? When my son got into trouble with paying for his Holden VF Ute Manual black in colour long story short I took over the payments and he went back to driving his VR Ute purple in colour. But I need a wagon and couldn’t be doing with a ute so I traded it in for a Holden VF SV6 Wagon white in colour and I sold my VZ to my nephew who still has it to this day.

A couple more years pass and my son (the one with the Ute) has restored a Morris Minor with his Grandfather (my wife’s dad) and it got me thinking about the Rover again?? So one fine day I went onto car sales and just surfed for Rovers and a few were out there but one in particular made my ears prick up hmmmmm….. I thought, so I got some more info from the seller (Brent) a few emails to and fro, I left it for a few weeks talking to my son and wife didn’t forget about it but didn’t do anything else about it either. A month maybe went by and I went back on car sales and it was still there, so I rang Brent and we got on like house on fire we both loved Rovers an instant connection as it were he was VERY connected to this car he loved it. A few more weeks and a few more phone calls I finally asked if it was ok If I bought the car off of him!!!! He wasn’t too pleased but finally agreed that I was the man for his baby??

He had on a few occasions tried to sell the car but right at the point of handing over the car or excepting the money changed his mind and kept her just couldn’t do it much to his wife’s disbelief, and when he finally let her go she was in as much shock as him that he actually sold her to me (the car not the wife) So on the 17th September 2018 I had bought my 3rd Rover SD1 a 1983 3500 SE V8 Opaline in colour and I made it my mission to restore as much as possible this car back to her former glory.

Brett had her for 5 years and had the intention to restore her, but never got around to it, work commitments and so on, he had the rear hatch repaired replaced and painted albeit with the wrong colour, before that she had 1 owner for 28 years a lady who had parked her under cover all the time and regularly serviced her also some where along the way she was lowered with Vitesse rear springs?

What follows is a day by day account of what I have done since……………

Sept 26th Sept 2018,

Received my new Rover from Keysbourgh delivery depot from Queensland She’s very dirty from the trip, but WHAT a smooth drive home I took the long way home just for the pleasure of driving her. Brett tells me her name is “Betsy” I think I’ll keep it that way.

Img20190412150528

Oct 3rd 2018

Roadworthy pre-check, not too bad mostly superficial. There are some big ticket items but all in all OK.

Full list:

All Exhaust rubbers

RHF Shock absorber (Changed both)

Front lower control arm inner bushes

Steering coupling

Steering column support bush

Caster bushes (Tighten only)

Bonnet struts

Wiper blades

Handbrake adjustment

Rear shoes and cylinders

Battery earth lead

Exhaust leaking (Changed exhaust completely)

Clean Engine

The interior was also mentioned in the roadworthy mainly door cards interfering with the opening of door operation the card was stopping the door release from going up completely so as not to allow the door to open, but I repaired and changed them so that was no problem really. On this day I also bought a DONER car from Mitchem Victoria a silver SD1 also a 1983 SD1 3500 V8 but running on gas this car was to prove invaluable in days to come. In my researching before I actually bought the car from Brent I decided it was going to be cheaper to buy a complete working car and harvest parts when needed rather than buying the parts when I needed from Rimmer Brothers in the U.K.

Oct 4th 2018

Started looking around at Spray painters, got quotes ranging from $3000 to $19000. Sent photos to a couple of other places.

Oct 8th 2018

Started the interior repair as per roadworthy and completely changed the seats over from the DONER and she looks great. My son Daryl started on the Binnacle getting all the faulty switches out and swapped over from the DONER the only thing left there is the speedo mileage reset button no resetting??

11th Oct 2018

Repaired rear parcel shelf (Boot Concealer) swapped rear speakers over from DONER bigger job than first expected?? Took all day!!

12th Oct 2018

Put both cars on stands. Now we can get to the underneath this is when the REAL works starts.

13th Oct 2018

Received all the big item parts for the roadworthy, decided to the easy parts first Windscreen Wipers, Rear wiper blade and the Bonnet struts. Looks better already??

14th Oct 2018

Took her to PJ Panels in Dandenong to assess her for painting. Settled on $8000 for the complete re-spray of the car, but have to wait until January to get her done.

17th Oct 2018

Here we go finally time to do some real work, my son Daryl helping today. Steering was the theme for the day, steering column bush and coupling this required the whole column to be removed and cleaned then replaced. Both front shockers and springs removed not without a few problems I.E. nearly loosing a finger or two along the way when the spring let go!!!

18th Oct 2018

Best day yet. Rear brakes (what a bitch) spent hours on the rear passenger brake assembly only to find I put the hand brake elbow on upside down???? After that set back 25 minuets later and all done! Hand brake adjusted up great. Front shocks replaced and all bushes pressed into lower control arms ready to be fitted. Received my Rover Car Club of Australia membership.

21st Oct 2018

Enlisted the help of the Mrs to assist in the replacing of the front spring and shocker assembly’s only to find we put them in on the wrong sides??? Bloody women!! That’s the last time she helps??

22nd Oct 2108

All the front end finished shockers control arms etc. etc. VERY hard work Daryl was great he did most of the humping and groaning I did most of the swearing and spitting, long day but well worth it. Swapped rear bumper from the DONER.

23rd Oct 2018

Spent the day inside the car today centre counsel swapped from DONER much better condition and fixed Fader for radio, removed radio waiting for original to come from Brett in Queensland.

24th Oct 2018

Wheel alignment day. All went well no major problems overall 4 mm out. A great result. The mechanic (John) was very impressed with the car in her condition and mechanical state, said she was straight as an arrow and very clean for her age? Cheeky bugger!!

25th Oct 2018

Hand brake let go for some reason had to re-adjust. Received radio from Brett sending it to European Electronics for repair.

27th Oct 2018

As of today $6590 spent.

Battery not keeping charge? Alternator? Checking out on next day off.

28th Oct 2019

Alternator re-con- re-ferb? done

30th Oct 2018

Exhaust checked and as expected too expensive to repair $900 to “hash something together?” So iv bought a stainless steel one from Rimmer Brothers its not an original exhaust to this model of Rover BUT it is an original Rover exhaust albeit a Vitesse exhaust and not too much more than the $900 I was quoted to “hash something up?”

1st Nov 2018

Took her to Ross at Able Auto Electronics in Carrum Downs got him to fix the cruise control as well as Alternator turns out a wiring problem in the alternator and a vacuum problem for the cruise control easily fixed he said.

2nd Nov 2018

Air condition sorted re-gassed and checked for leaks, not the best compressor and may not get very cold on hot days was the opinion of the tech at the work shop, we’ll see how we go. Received and fitted handbrake rubber boots at rear of drums. Re-glued the bonnet blanket.

4th Nov 2018

Spent the day in the engine bay tidying up the Spark leads fitted the retaining clips we took from the DONER as well as the Air intake hoses and swapped the filter.

5th Nov 2018

Back in the Engine bay. Today we tidied up the wiring took all the old sock off of the wires and replaced it with tubing much much better. Surprisingly it took a very long time. There’s NOT much space in there in and around those wires?? Well worth it though they look great. Swapped front air intake grill from DONER much better condition. Exhaust held up in customs because of a “significant danger to Australia from Asbestos”?? Have to get paperwork from manufacturers and suppliers stating there’s no Asbestos in the manufacture and construction of the exhaust!!

6th Nov 2018

Received paperwork for Customs.

7th Nov 2018

Exhaust arrives in Australia, can’t clear customs until I pay a further $350 for COSTS??

8th Nov 2018

Exhaust clears Customs. Deliver set for the 14th.

9th Nov 2018

Back inside the car today consecrating on the electric windows. Both passenger side window operating mechanisms faulty. Just taking apart and cleaning put back together and put back on. Changed switch over from DONER

working fine.

12th Nov 2018

Complete engine clean and de-grease. Cleaned back diff cover, struts and under carriage as well came up great.

14th Nov 2018

Exhaust arrives, and what a monster??

Started removing old exhaust, started at 430pm finished at 10pm. What a pig of a job that was, and great fun at the same time, lost a couple of knuckles, but well worth it?? GRS system has to go; the new exhaust does NOT have a provision for it?

15th Nov 2018

While waiting for Daryl to arrive to help with the exhaust I did an Oil and Oil filter change and thank God for Daryl I could not have done it without him. A bastard of a job, Firstly the manifolds were obviously welded on a jig of some kind and when removed from the jig it has twisted so it would only go on when you worked out how it was twisted? Daryl figured out what bolt to tighten up first to allow another bolt to be able to be done up? Hours later he finally figured it all out. I consecrated on the easy bit the rear of the exhaust mufflers and so on, being a generic exhaust it was too long in the middle so we had to cut 4 inches off of the middle to get it to fit, but by the end of the day she was on and sounding AWSOME.

16th Nov 2018

Another day spent inside car this time sorting out the air hoses for heating etc., not a lot of room to move around in lost what knuckles I had left?? Passenger side sorted with the help of a Vacuum cleaner hose. The drivers side hoses were modified to a smaller gauge to allow for all the wiring under there its EVERYWHERE??

18th Nov 2018

Hose to Carbon filter from Plenum Chamber replaced.

19th Nov 2018

Door card Chrome strips removed and re-chromed. Plenum Chamber housing cleaned for chroming. Air vents vacuumed totally blocked and drain was blocked so water was coming into car.

21st Nov 2018

Radio finally fixed, waiting for wiring diagram to fit it.

22nd Nov 2018

Roadworthy book for Monday the 26th. Radio, after 6 hours trying to fit it IT DID NOT WORK!!! Took it back.

23rd Nov 2018

Radio fixed, a 2 hours’ round trip to pick it up and it took 20 mins to fit and works fantastic!!

26th Nov 2018

Passed roadworthy flying colours they were impressed with her and very complementary on the work done and the overall condition of the car.

27th Nov 2018

Registered the car. 2 months after receiving her from Brett. Celebratory drive to Mornington for lunch.

30th Nov 2018

Left for a 2-week Cruise to New Zealand.

14th Dec 2018

First drive out to Daryl’s, she runs a bit hot have to check heating system.

21st Dec 2018

Another run out heating still an issue can not run AC and cruise control together? thinking a vacuum problem?

7th Jan 2019

Rear springs and front door aperture rubbers arrived and fitted.

9th Jan 2019

Central locking gone haywire I took her to Able Electronics and we found that they have all gone?? I have had to have an after market Central locking fitted. Have to leave her with Ross. Meanwhile radio playing up took back to European Electronics.

21st Jan 2019

FINALLY got her back from Able Electronics?? Central locking working fine after a number of unforeseen problems Ross glad to see the back of her, I think it was a little more of a problem than first expected??

23rd Jan 2019

Off we go to PJ Panels for painting. Now the waiting starts!! As of today $8500 paid out and 130 hrs. of work done by me another 10 by Ross at Able Auto Electronics

15th Feb 2019

First photos from PJ Panels, they have just started to rub her back and get her ready for priming.

27th Feb 2019

Another 10 photos from PJ Panels progress is SLOW? But were progressing!!

15th March 2019

More photos of prepping and even more progress getting excited!!

21st March 2019

First photos of her all primed and ready to go.

11th April 2019

I received photos from PJ Panels which made me cry my car was finished I was a complete mess took me a while to sort myself out to ring them to see if I could get her home?

12th April 2019

She’s home. 6 months 3 weeks and 5 days after purchasing her from Brent Graham in Queensland to a complete restoration (excluding engine) and $16000 later. I sent Brent a video of her and he cried thanked me for looking after his baby his wife thanked me. She is beautiful (the car that is.. … but I’m sure his wife is as well) and in as new condition what a great job done by P J Panels in Dandenong thanks to everyone there and thanks to Brent for selling her to me and now 30 years after buying my first SD1 I can enjoy what it is to own a 1983 Rover 3500 SE SD1 Opaline in colour.

A year goes by…. I meet and marry my wife get to stay in Australia to live out my days in paradise but, something kept eating at me. Fast forward its 1994 I’m driving to work 5 in the morning and dajavous this truck comes out of nowhere and drives right over the front end of my Subaru Leone red in colour took off the front bumper which wrapped itself around its rear axle crushed my front passenger wheel against the curb squashes the front drivers wheel and falls off, front drivers guard and bonnet destroyed and the steering wheel and column comes down on my legs then just drives away as nothing happened never to this day to be found?? (I would have paid to see his face when he found the bumper)

So I figured id just cheated death so I wanted to find a Rover to replace the Subaru. Not as easy as it seemed to be? Went looking and found a couple but, they were not the same?? It seemed the memory was more than the reality it was the memory of the times I had with the car and not the car itself. So I was talked into a Mitsubishi Gallant SE green in colour.

More years pass…… Cars come and go, I even flirted with a FORD WAGON (god help us) grey in colour I then matured enough to land a job which came with a company car (Wooooo!!) A Holden VZ Wagon white in colour I loved that car so much so I bought it off of the company when I left their employ. I had that car 5 years maybe? When my son got into trouble with paying for his Holden VF Ute Manual black in colour long story short I took over the payments and he went back to driving his VR Ute purple in colour. But I need a wagon and couldn’t be doing with a ute so I traded it in for a Holden VF SV6 Wagon white in colour and I sold my VZ to my nephew who still has it to this day.

A couple more years pass and my son (the one with the Ute) has restored a Morris Minor with his Grandfather (my wife’s dad) and it got me thinking about the Rover again?? So one fine day I went onto car sales and just surfed for Rovers and a few were out there but one in particular made my ears prick up hmmmmm….. I thought, so I got some more info from the seller (Brent) a few emails to and fro, I left it for a few weeks talking to my son and wife didn’t forget about it but didn’t do anything else about it either. A month maybe went by and I went back on car sales and it was still there, so I rang Brent and we got on like house on fire we both loved Rovers an instant connection as it were he was VERY connected to this car he loved it. A few more weeks and a few more phone calls I finally asked if it was ok If I bought the car off of him!!!! He wasn’t too pleased but finally agreed that I was the man for his baby??

He had on a few occasions tried to sell the car but right at the point of handing over the car or excepting the money changed his mind and kept her just couldn’t do it much to his wife’s disbelief, and when he finally let her go she was in as much shock as him that he actually sold her to me (the car not the wife) So on the 17th September 2018 I had bought my 3rd Rover SD1 a 1983 3500 SE V8 Opaline in colour and I made it my mission to restore as much as possible this car back to her former glory.

Brett had her for 5 years and had the intention to restore her, but never got around to it, work commitments and so on, he had the rear hatch repaired replaced and painted albeit with the wrong colour, before that she had 1 owner for 28 years a lady who had parked her under cover all the time and regularly serviced her also some where along the way she was lowered with Vitesse rear springs?

What follows is a day by day account of what I have done since……………

Sept 26th Sept 2018,

Received my new Rover from Keysbourgh delivery depot from Queensland She’s very dirty from the trip, but WHAT a smooth drive home I took the long way home just for the pleasure of driving her. Brett tells me her name is “Betsy” I think I’ll keep it that way.

Img20190412150528

Oct 3rd 2018

Roadworthy pre-check, not too bad mostly superficial. There are some big ticket items but all in all OK.

Full list:

All Exhaust rubbers

RHF Shock absorber (Changed both)

Front lower control arm inner bushes

Steering coupling

Steering column support bush

Caster bushes (Tighten only)

Bonnet struts

Wiper blades

Handbrake adjustment

Rear shoes and cylinders

Battery earth lead

Exhaust leaking (Changed exhaust completely)

Clean Engine

The interior was also mentioned in the roadworthy mainly door cards interfering with the opening of door operation the card was stopping the door release from going up completely so as not to allow the door to open, but I repaired and changed them so that was no problem really. On this day I also bought a DONER car from Mitchem Victoria a silver SD1 also a 1983 SD1 3500 V8 but running on gas this car was to prove invaluable in days to come. In my researching before I actually bought the car from Brent I decided it was going to be cheaper to buy a complete working car and harvest parts when needed rather than buying the parts when I needed from Rimmer Brothers in the U.K.

Oct 4th 2018

Started looking around at Spray painters, got quotes ranging from $3000 to $19000. Sent photos to a couple of other places.

Oct 8th 2018

Started the interior repair as per roadworthy and completely changed the seats over from the DONER and she looks great. My son Daryl started on the Binnacle getting all the faulty switches out and swapped over from the DONER the only thing left there is the speedo mileage reset button no resetting??

11th Oct 2018

Repaired rear parcel shelf (Boot Concealer) swapped rear speakers over from DONER bigger job than first expected?? Took all day!!

12th Oct 2018

Put both cars on stands. Now we can get to the underneath this is when the REAL works starts.

13th Oct 2018

Received all the big item parts for the roadworthy, decided to the easy parts first Windscreen Wipers, Rear wiper blade and the Bonnet struts. Looks better already??

14th Oct 2018

Took her to PJ Panels in Dandenong to assess her for painting. Settled on $8000 for the complete re-spray of the car, but have to wait until January to get her done.

17th Oct 2018

Here we go finally time to do some real work, my son Daryl helping today. Steering was the theme for the day, steering column bush and coupling this required the whole column to be removed and cleaned then replaced. Both front shockers and springs removed not without a few problems I.E. nearly loosing a finger or two along the way when the spring let go!!!

18th Oct 2018

Best day yet. Rear brakes (what a bitch) spent hours on the rear passenger brake assembly only to find I put the hand brake elbow on upside down???? After that set back 25 minuets later and all done! Hand brake adjusted up great. Front shocks replaced and all bushes pressed into lower control arms ready to be fitted. Received my Rover Car Club of Australia membership.

21st Oct 2018

Enlisted the help of the Mrs to assist in the replacing of the front spring and shocker assembly’s only to find we put them in on the wrong sides??? Bloody women!! That’s the last time she helps??

22nd Oct 2108

All the front end finished shockers control arms etc. etc. VERY hard work Daryl was great he did most of the humping and groaning I did most of the swearing and spitting, long day but well worth it. Swapped rear bumper from the DONER.

23rd Oct 2018

Spent the day inside the car today centre counsel swapped from DONER much better condition and fixed Fader for radio, removed radio waiting for original to come from Brett in Queensland.

24th Oct 2018

Wheel alignment day. All went well no major problems overall 4 mm out. A great result. The mechanic (John) was very impressed with the car in her condition and mechanical state, said she was straight as an arrow and very clean for her age? Cheeky bugger!!

25th Oct 2018

Hand brake let go for some reason had to re-adjust. Received radio from Brett sending it to European Electronics for repair.

27th Oct 2018

As of today $6590 spent.

Battery not keeping charge? Alternator? Checking out on next day off.

28th Oct 2019

Alternator re-con- re-ferb? done

30th Oct 2018

Exhaust checked and as expected too expensive to repair $900 to “hash something together?” So iv bought a stainless steel one from Rimmer Brothers its not an original exhaust to this model of Rover BUT it is an original Rover exhaust albeit a Vitesse exhaust and not too much more than the $900 I was quoted to “hash something up?”

1st Nov 2018

Took her to Ross at Able Auto Electronics in Carrum Downs got him to fix the cruise control as well as Alternator turns out a wiring problem in the alternator and a vacuum problem for the cruise control easily fixed he said.

2nd Nov 2018

Air condition sorted re-gassed and checked for leaks, not the best compressor and may not get very cold on hot days was the opinion of the tech at the work shop, we’ll see how we go. Received and fitted handbrake rubber boots at rear of drums. Re-glued the bonnet blanket.

4th Nov 2018

Spent the day in the engine bay tidying up the Spark leads fitted the retaining clips we took from the DONER as well as the Air intake hoses and swapped the filter.

5th Nov 2018

Back in the Engine bay. Today we tidied up the wiring took all the old sock off of the wires and replaced it with tubing much much better. Surprisingly it took a very long time. There’s NOT much space in there in and around those wires?? Well worth it though they look great. Swapped front air intake grill from DONER much better condition. Exhaust held up in customs because of a “significant danger to Australia from Asbestos”?? Have to get paperwork from manufacturers and suppliers stating there’s no Asbestos in the manufacture and construction of the exhaust!!

6th Nov 2018

Received paperwork for Customs.

7th Nov 2018

Exhaust arrives in Australia, can’t clear customs until I pay a further $350 for COSTS??

8th Nov 2018

Exhaust clears Customs. Deliver set for the 14th.

9th Nov 2018

Back inside the car today consecrating on the electric windows. Both passenger side window operating mechanisms faulty. Just taking apart and cleaning put back together and put back on. Changed switch over from DONER

working fine.

12th Nov 2018

Complete engine clean and de-grease. Cleaned back diff cover, struts and under carriage as well came up great.

14th Nov 2018

Exhaust arrives, and what a monster??

Started removing old exhaust, started at 430pm finished at 10pm. What a pig of a job that was, and great fun at the same time, lost a couple of knuckles, but well worth it?? GRS system has to go; the new exhaust does NOT have a provision for it?

15th Nov 2018

While waiting for Daryl to arrive to help with the exhaust I did an Oil and Oil filter change and thank God for Daryl I could not have done it without him. A bastard of a job, Firstly the manifolds were obviously welded on a jig of some kind and when removed from the jig it has twisted so it would only go on when you worked out how it was twisted? Daryl figured out what bolt to tighten up first to allow another bolt to be able to be done up? Hours later he finally figured it all out. I consecrated on the easy bit the rear of the exhaust mufflers and so on, being a generic exhaust it was too long in the middle so we had to cut 4 inches off of the middle to get it to fit, but by the end of the day she was on and sounding AWSOME.

16th Nov 2018

Another day spent inside car this time sorting out the air hoses for heating etc., not a lot of room to move around in lost what knuckles I had left?? Passenger side sorted with the help of a Vacuum cleaner hose. The drivers side hoses were modified to a smaller gauge to allow for all the wiring under there its EVERYWHERE??

18th Nov 2018

Hose to Carbon filter from Plenum Chamber replaced.

19th Nov 2018

Door card Chrome strips removed and re-chromed. Plenum Chamber housing cleaned for chroming. Air vents vacuumed totally blocked and drain was blocked so water was coming into car.

21st Nov 2018

Radio finally fixed, waiting for wiring diagram to fit it.

22nd Nov 2018

Roadworthy book for Monday the 26th. Radio, after 6 hours trying to fit it IT DID NOT WORK!!! Took it back.

23rd Nov 2018

Radio fixed, a 2 hours’ round trip to pick it up and it took 20 mins to fit and works fantastic!!

26th Nov 2018

Passed roadworthy flying colours they were impressed with her and very complementary on the work done and the overall condition of the car.

27th Nov 2018

Registered the car. 2 months after receiving her from Brett. Celebratory drive to Mornington for lunch.

30th Nov 2018

Left for a 2-week Cruise to New Zealand.

14th Dec 2018

First drive out to Daryl’s, she runs a bit hot have to check heating system.

21st Dec 2018

Another run out heating still an issue can not run AC and cruise control together? thinking a vacuum problem?

7th Jan 2019

Rear springs and front door aperture rubbers arrived and fitted.

9th Jan 2019

Central locking gone haywire I took her to Able Electronics and we found that they have all gone?? I have had to have an after market Central locking fitted. Have to leave her with Ross. Meanwhile radio playing up took back to European Electronics.

21st Jan 2019

FINALLY got her back from Able Electronics?? Central locking working fine after a number of unforeseen problems Ross glad to see the back of her, I think it was a little more of a problem than first expected??

23rd Jan 2019

Off we go to PJ Panels for painting. Now the waiting starts!! As of today $8500 paid out and 130 hrs. of work done by me another 10 by Ross at Able Auto Electronics

15th Feb 2019

First photos from PJ Panels, they have just started to rub her back and get her ready for priming.

27th Feb 2019

Another 10 photos from PJ Panels progress is SLOW? But were progressing!!

15th March 2019

More photos of prepping and even more progress getting excited!!

21st March 2019

First photos of her all primed and ready to go.

11th April 2019

I received photos from PJ Panels which made me cry my car was finished I was a complete mess took me a while to sort myself out to ring them to see if I could get her home?

12th April 2019

She’s home. 6 months 3 weeks and 5 days after purchasing her from Brent Graham in Queensland to a complete restoration (excluding engine) and $16000 later. I sent Brent a video of her and he cried thanked me for looking after his baby his wife thanked me. She is beautiful (the car that is.. … but I’m sure his wife is as well) and in as new condition what a great job done by P J Panels in Dandenong thanks to everyone there and thanks to Brent for selling her to me and now 30 years after buying my first SD1 I can enjoy what it is to own a 1983 Rover 3500 SE SD1 Opaline in