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Polish restoration: Saving an SD1
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IT started out as an idle thought, and soon became a mad-cap plan...

Back in 2005, we bought a £200 Rover SD1 as a project, in order to save it from a fate involving kit-car owners and the scrapyard... in the subsequent months, nothing happened, and the home restoration never happened. However an unusual plan to ship it out to Poland germinated in our minds, and thanks to Rimmer Bros for the loan of a Range Rover/trailer combination, and Alexander Boucke for his knowledge of the Polish scene, it all came together rather nicely.

In association with...

Words: Keith Adams, Pictures: Keith Adams and Alexander Boucke

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Part one: Making a sacrifice

March 2007

T'S freezing cold, a chill wind is blowing directly from the Urals, and rather than being wrapped up in front of a roaring open fire in the comfort of my own home, I'm over a thousand miles away, stood in a desolate looking forecourt full of crap cars in varying states of decay, and I'm trying to smile for the camera, while rationalising why I've just trailered a car I paid £200 for all this distance... Have I taken leave of my senses? Of course not. I'm just a car enthusiast...

The idea of taking a car out to Poland and treating it to a cut-priced restoration had been kicking around inside my head for at least two years. I'd always known that Poland contains some of the world's most resourceful craftsmen, and had heard many tales of cars we'd have long given up hope on being brought back to life by enthusiastic garagistes who believe that life doesn't finish with earning a quick and easy profit from performing inflated oil-change services.

I guess that comes from a combination of culture (Poles have always been doers), and lack of resources, borne from being on the other side of the Iron Curtain from 1945 to 1990. This kind of work ethic doesn't just vanish overnight, and I'd more recently seen plenty of evidence of this thanks to Alexander Boucke. He and his friends have taken plenty of cars to Poland in the past few years - and the Vanden Plas 1100 that we'd recently featured as a Car of the Month in these pages had particularly impressed...

It was always a loose ambition of mine, one that I kept saying I'd do one day... never quite believing that I'd actually get off my behind and do it for real.

However, combination of events conspired to turn the Polish adventure from an idle pipe-dream to a serious plan. It all started in late 2005, I purchased a Rover SD1 from fellow ARG-enthusiast, Andy Jones. He'd bought the 44,000-mile SD1 from eBay - recognising that the car was 'a bit special'. Registered in September 1976, and with a very low chassis number, the car remains one of the earliest SD1s in existence, and although there was plenty of evidence of bodged attempts to make the car more acceptable to the eye, underneath that, it was clear it was sound and straight, if rusty in all the usual places.

However getting rust sorted is a big job - if you want it doing properly - and it meant that my light re-fettling of the car would actually become a much bigger job than I anticipated. I sent some images of the damage to my mate Brian Gunn, who drew up a list of the repairs that would need to be done. It wasn't good news at all.

It was around this time the news that Rimmer Bros had secured many of the original SD1 parts produced in India by Standard Motor Products during its ill-fated attempt to build a local version of the car during the late 1980s. This something of a red-letter event for SD1 owners like myself, because it meant I could use original panels, and that should make the restoration a whole lot straightforward for whoever wanted to take on the job.

It was then that a dose of reality struck again - quotes to fit the new flitch panels, inner/outer front wings, sills and other bits and pieces started at well over £1000 - and that was at favourable rates. Before a full respray, and general fettling. It was clear that these guys didn't want the job - and those who did, were booked up years in advance. Not good.

And that's when I decided the car should go to Poland - after all, Alexander's car restoration had come up to about £2000. So, why shouldn't I do the same... after all, there was nothing to lose now.

Imperfect planning...

The SD1 was full of new panels - and the remainder wouldn't go in the Range Rover without folding the back seats down. Without doubt, this was going to be a major undertaking...

With the decision taken to go to Poland, it was now down to the mundane matter of planning the trip. Given that it would involve a trailer and a tow car, it was time to look around. However, as luck would have it, I mentioned my plans to Graham Rimmer - the owner of this month's Car of The Month - and like me, he was energised by the whole concept of Polish restorations on British cars. He mentioned that he'd recently bought a 1988 Range Rover, and would be happy to lend it to me - along with a trailer - on the understanding that I return with a great story to tell.

The adventure was now piecing together nicely. Around the same time, I received a call at the office from Mark Evans - he of several classic car related programmes on the Discovery Channel. He had seen my piece on Alexander's Vanden Plas in Classic Car Weekly, and wondered if I knew of anyone in the UK considering doing the same thing, as it would tie-in nicely with an upcoming series... As you can imagine, my response pleased Mark no end.

Our deadline for leaving came all too quickly, and after sourcing a garage in Poland (thanks Alexander), it was down to getting everything together.

The first day was an adventure itself - a 6.30am start to get to Lincoln to pick up the Range Rover and trailer, then get back home, pick up the SD1, stick it on the trailer, rush down to Dover to catch the ferry before plodding across France and Belgium to meet Alexander at his place. Like all the best laid plans, it didn't quite go to clockwork, not least because the SD1 took a fair bit of coaxing to get started (and once it did, it became clear the clutch slave cylinder was goosed, along with the battery), but once we did, it sounded wonderful through the blowing exhaust.

Still, we were finally on the way, and although there was plenty of stress involved - mainly because I never plan things thoroughly enough - once I disembarked at Calais, I started to enjoy myself. Finally.

Heading East...

Once away from the large cities in Poland, scenes of unavoidable neglect such as these were all too common...

Given that our weapon of choice for the Pan-European trailer adventure was a V8-powered Range Rover with an autobox, I was expecting a hole the size of the Grand Canyon to appear in my wallet. I'd filled up when I left home, and by the time I reached Calais (200 miles and a ferry ride later), it was nearing the 'E' mark once again.

Still, 'hang the expense', I thought to myself - mainly because the Range Rover was so damned good at the job in hand. The fact that it sounds so good, it has an excellent seating position, with a commanding view over that snub nose, and immense stability when towing two tons of SD1 (and the long inventory of new panels inside it) and trailer, can be taken as read, but I had been genuinely surprised by how relaxing the whole experience of conducting this heritage convoy actually was.

Okay, I was sticking to 60mph, and rolling along with the trucks, so things shouldn't have been demanding, but it was genuinely surprising to see my night one destination in the German Cathedral city of Aachen (where Alexander would join me for the rest of the journey) roll up quite so quickly as it did. This was going to be a walk in park.

Day two kicked off bright and dry - and after consulting my ageing MIO sat/nav system for a route to the smallish town of Czestochowa where our garage was located, it soon became clear that the journey would become an exercise in Motorway pounding. Once again, I found myself driving in the land of the de-restricted Autobahn with a slow vehicle - this time I'd be restricted to something less than 60mph (the German rule for cars and trailers is to stick to 80km/h - aargh!) - and as we hit the road, I knew that heading eastwards unrelentingly was going to make it a long, long day.

It was soon clear that we'd not make Czestochowa in one hit, and my own experiences of driving across Poland last year proved that it would be slow going once we left Germany. Instead, I decided that we'd drive as far as the border, stop over, and do the Polish thing the following day. Despite looking pretty small on the map, Germany actually takes ages to cross (especially at 55mph), and it took most of the day to cover the 460 miles from Aachen to the beautiful border town of Görlitz.

During that time, excitement of getting something done to the SD1 continued to grow - a fact that was reinforced every time I looked in the Range Rover's mirror, and clapped eyes on the skeletal Rover badge and slit-like headlamps of my car...

Hitting Poland

Getting filled in Poland - assisted service may well be a thing of the past in most of Western Europe, but it's a piece of heritage that country is clinging on to. The Range Rover's thirst wasn't as bad as we'd thought it was going to be - and the length of time between stops was governed more by time than fuel consumption - a new experience.

Although Poland is now happily ensconced in the European Union, you still have to undergo pretty strict passport controls to get in. Perhaps it's because it's one of the outer-most countries in the Pan-European group of countries, or merely because the border guards are bored and need to keep up their interest. From Görlitz there are two ways of entering Poland - you can re-join the E40 motorway, and line-up with the herd there, or you can cross within the town itself, at the rather kitsch post just before the River Neiße, which since 1945, had divided these two countries. We chose the latter.

Still, this was the first (and last time) I'd need to produce my documents (and those of the two cars), and because the guards had obviously never seen a car like this before, it aroused plenty of interest, with plenty of questions being asked about our 1976 Rover. They pored over it, and enjoyed learning all about its V8 engine... and how we were driving cars like this in Britain over 30 years ago. Now we were in the East, we'd have to get used to the curiosity, and accept that we were going to be stared at a lot.

In truth, I rather enjoyed it - a major contrast to the disinterested indifference you get here in the UK.

Driving deep into the night on poor roads was a less-than-endearing part of the trip... but we were pushing on

A disappointment on the trip was the fuel consumption. Not at how poor it was, you understand. Quite the opposite in fact.

Up to the point we reached Poland, our Range Rover had averaged just over 20mpg - and considering just how easy the drive had been, and how much kick-down the transmission had been using to get us up and down the steep eastern German hills, the tales of being bankrupted by the juicy V8 just weren't going to happen. I should have been happy, but journalistically, this was not what I wanted - the Range Rover had been running faultlessly, too... a disaster for the 'story'.

Now we were in Poland, the costs would be even more favourable - fuel costs about 60p/litre there, and premium quality for those with a taste for the rich stuff (like the Range Rover) we found widely available.

However, travelling across Poland on the E40 showed me something else, too - the country is rapidly getting better off. The motorway itself is standard Euro-quality fare, and the cars overtaking us were mixture of new, and well-cared for 1990s stuff. Smokey old FSOs and Wartburgs seemed pretty rare - although the former are still in evidence - and as the miles rolled on, I found myself resigned to the fact that the old-style grim country we all picture (and which I saw at first hand last year on the way to Ukraine), is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

Good news for the Poles, I say...

Nearing our destination

Rustic charm aplenty... except this was on the outskirts of the large town of Czestochowa, where our restorer was based

Peeling off the motorway, and with darkness approaching, Alexander confirmed that we were about 40 miles from our destination. The entire trip had been pretty much painless from start to (nearly the) finish, and I caught myself wondering at the sheer ease of the exercise. The 1200-or-so miles we had covered to this point had been incredibly easy - and thanks to the Range Rover's long legs, wonderfully comfortable.

However, Poland's veneer of new-found affluence is a little thinner than we'd have liked. Although the sat/nav had painted a straightforward route along a series of A-Roads for the final leg of the journey, this is Poland, and you can forget any ideas that this is going to be akin to a gentle run up the A13. In fact, the main road network seems to have yet to see the benefit of those EU billions, and as we traversed from village to village along narrow, unfinished and pot-holed roads, it was clear that night time was not the best time to be playing dodge-the-crater, while running off the road to avoid the HGVs hurtling towards up at undiminished speed, but being careful to avoid the darkly clothed pedestrians who could appear from anywhere.

Yup, this was more like it...

The night drive was a real awakener, and as we rolled into the outskirts of Czestochowa, we were ready for a rest. For sure, that mad drive through the countryside had been a reminder of the difference between East and West... and had we not been in the Range Rover, perhaps we'd have been looking to have the tow-car restored, too!

Safely ensconced in Jerzy Halajda's garage in Czestochowa, our Rover was soon under intense scrutiny...

We'd arranged to meet Mark Evans and the 'crew' at the garage the following morning at about 9.30am, and that gave us plenty of time to go exploring the local area beforehand. An early start, and a look at the urban map for an industrial area had us heading back out of town towards the countryside. It never ceased to amaze just how quickly the urbane sophistication of the centre of the Polish cities we have so far visited disappeared once you head for the suburbs. Roads become a mess, and the accommodation either degenerates into Brutalist concrete blocks or small and insignificant houses dominated by the colour grey.

Every time we jump out of the Range Rover to find photographic backdrops, we're either assaulted by the not-unpleasant but nearly-forgotten smell of burning coal, or are taking in unfamiliar sights, such as the ugly and exposed steel pipelines which are everywhere, and which were a Communist-era method of delivering shared heat through steam to every home.

It's a reminder that there's still a great deal of catching up to do, and Poland probably remains a country of haves and have-nots.

To the workshop

The stripdown begins...

Once we'd got our pictures, it was finally time to head off to the garage. The plan hatched up between Mark and me was that I'd turn up with the car, and the garage's owner, Jerzy Halajda, along with his workers would see the car for the first time, with the cameras running on them. It was a very good idea, and as we rolled into the courtyard the guys couldn't conceal their pleasure at the site of this magnificent - if temporarily crippled - car.

Closely watching their reactions to the SD1 made me realise just how car buyers in the UK must have reacted back in 1976. They smiled, and as soon as we'd come to a halt, they were all over it, taking in every detail. A journalist from the local paper had also turned up (a slow news day I guess), and he asked me (in very good English) about the car. 'Was it a supercar?', 'how fast is it?', 'was it really that old?'... Once furnished with the facts, he couldn't help but comment, 'are Rovers like this today?'

He couldn't believe it when I told him the horrible truth.

Meanwhile the guys were underneath the SD1 surveying the damage - with me, prompted by Mark, trying to point out everything that needed doing. Every time corrosion was found, one of the mechanics would attack it with a big hammer, while I tried not to look too upset by the scale of the rust underneath. Discovery had brought along an interpreter, but for the sake of the cameras, we'd try not to use him - the intention being to show the viewers that it was easy to get over the language barrier.

In truth, it was pretty easy - although they'd never clapped eyes on an SD1 before, the guys identified everything that needed doing - and very quickly, too - and whenever the question was raised about supplying new stuff, I amazed them by telling them that whatever they needed, I could get it all. Short of owning a Morris Minor or MGB, it's difficult to think of another classic car where brand new parts are still to readily available.

The bottom line...

After the inspection of the car, where I noticed the boss writing down a very long list of things to do, Mark asked them to start stripping the car - for the cameras, of course - and within a few minutes, pieces were being removed from my pride and joy.

We then sat around the table and began to talk about what was needed to be done. Once the boss had reassured our translator that he'd supply a translator for overseas customers, we decided to work with ours - much to my relief. Jerzy had already revealed to us that he was keen to get more business like ours, and you could tell from the way he was looking at the car that he desperately wanted to do the best job he could. All good news for me.

Once down to business, and sat round the table, he wasn't for giving an inch. I had a price in my head for the work the Rover needed, and given that I was going to aim for that. When I asked him the bottom line, his response was long and detailed... and as clear as a puddle of mud. He'd be doing this, and he'd be doing that - but at no point in the translated sentence was there any mention of money. I pressed again - and once again, he seemed to evade the issue. I was starting to worry.

All I needed to know was a price, and he was doing all he could to evade the issue. Why?

After further detailing of the work involved, I tried again. How much? This time the figure came at the end of another long and descriptive sentence about the car's general state. What was it? €3000, was his response... or about £2000. Time to haggle - and in the end, we managed to come up with a figure of €2500 - and that encompasses the all-new panelwork, a full respray, and anything else they find once they start digging (including getting rid of the Vitesse rear spoiler off the bootlid).

Obviously, if unforeseen set-backs are found, they'd let me know if rectification was needed...

Keith tries in vain to find a crap car to bring home with him - this Trabant was perfect but, alas, not for sale.

With the cost now ascertained, the other important question was asked - when did I want the car back? Now, this one did catch me off-guard, because going off all of Alexander's previous restorations, I just assumed I could forget about the car, and that they'd let me know when it was finished.

After all, he had a friend who's P6 had been in Poland for over a year, and there was no sign that it was going to be finished any time soon. However, before I even thought about it, I'd blurted out 'Christmas', and that it would be nice to have my shiny 'new' SD1 to drive around in 2008...

Once that had been completed, it was time to lay out the plans to Mark - who happens to be a big Range Rover fan - and explain the reasons for doing what I'm doing. As explained elsewhere, there's no point doing a restoration on a car, if you're looking at it as a financial exercise, but at the same time, it's pretty clear that the money saving aspect of bringing the car to Poland is pretty compelling. It wasn't just about economics, for me, but also quality - and to prove that it could be done.

Okay, my SD1 is never going to be worth major money, but if we also assume that when it comes home, it'll be in what the classic car mags describe as condition one, and therefore, worth about £2500. Considering the restoration will have cost a little more than that, when the other costs are factored in, it's clear that there's more to this than money.

But having said that, I argued, if you own a classic that's in borderline condition, and not worth masses of money like mine, going down this route is a very appealing alternative to not being restored at all. I told him that I reckoned this opened up the possibility of restoration to many cars that simply wouldn't have been touched before. After all, many more owners can afford a deferred outlay of £3000 (and as can be seen, the costs can be an awful lot lower than that - as many parts can be repaired rather than replaced), and that potentially means that many more classics will be saved...

I certainly didn't feel uncomfortable with what I'd done...

The future...

Coming home was always going to be an anti-climax to this adventure, and because Alexander needed to get home quickly, we didn't have time to go hunting for something to crap bring back on my now empty trailer. However, the signs were good for a future visit, as I was told that Polonez and 126 prices start at around £100...

The good news was that this meant that we could drive back a lot quicker - and although not necessarily legal in Germany, a cruising gait of 70mph seemed ridiculously easy for our Range Rover. We even stopped at all the same places on the way back - something I'd never recommend if you're wanting to make a small holiday out of your trip - but it's all been logged for future restorations.

If the restoration goes to plan, I may well be driving out during the summer with a further consignment of parts - and to see how progress is going - and depending on the insurance side of things, driving the car home for Christmas. Now, that surely is a present worth waiting for.

We'll keep you posted at regular intervals on how the restoration goes.

Unsung hero: our Range Rover didn't miss a beat, and took to the job of transporting its V8-engined brother to Poland with ease...

Part two: Autumn update

November 2007

Y return return to Poland is long overdue, and as I stand looking at my SD1 in Jerzy's garage, I realise that this Polish restoration is going to be a little bit more hands-on than I thought it would be. You see, they began to work on my car back in May, but didn't actually get very far with it. Before you wink knowingly, thinking that Keith's been hoodwinked, let me be perfectly clear about this - the reason my resto's not progressed as far as I should is down to Barclays Bank PLC, or at least its inability to let me know when things are going wrong...

Let's rewind a few months, and to a time when I thought that I'd be celebrating Christmas with a shiny 'new' SD1 on my drive - it all seemed so simple. I'd shaken hands on a €2500 upfront deal that would see my SD1 fitted with all new panels, given a bare-metal respray, and a mechanical going over. I'd agreed to pay a €500 deposit, so they could crack on in lieu of me paying the balance when I collect the car.

I started a new job, became immersed in that, then had a long, long holiday in August, and before I knew it, Autumn was with us, and I hadn't checked on the progress of my restoration in what seemed like months. So, early in October, I called my translator friend, Jarek, who I'd met on my first trip to Poland and asked him to call Jerzy for an update report. A quick email later, and the news wasn't as good as I'd hoped. 'Basically', Jarek said, 'Jerzy's not done too much with your car, as he'd not received any payment from you'.

Oh bugger. As I thought I'd wired over some money in April, alarm bells began to chime. However, a quick call to my bank put my mind at rest - the payment I'd sent had never been honoured as the bank account number I'd been give didn't exist. So, my bank hadn't got back to me to let me know about the slip up, and Jerzy hadn't been in touch asking me about my payment.

Still, I'd decided to go across to Poland and see what they had done - and in the process let the guys have some money, so they could get going.

I'd arranged a press car loan (for another story) of a Skoda Superb 2.0TDI, and decided while I had the car, I may as well use this to whisk me across to Poland. With its 600-mile fuel range and 45mpg consumption, it would be comfortable, painless, and most importantly, I'd blend in with everyone else. So, on a sunny Wednesday evening, I set-out for the Eurotunnel, cash in wallet, credit cards fully charged, and headed out East.

With the tank brimmed with in Belgium the following morning (after an overnight stay in Aachen) I pointed the Skoda's nose East, and put my foot down. Although we all consider Germany to be a fast-driver's happy dream, let's just say that on any given day, whenever the de-restricted signs pop-up on the Autobahn, you're almost guaranteed to be in heavier traffic, which when it finally does clear, bumps straight into a fresh set of roadworks.

Despite that, progress is pretty good, with the odd foray upto 130mph, and we hit the Polish border (after a 10.00am start) in the twighlight. Germany, therefore, can be ticked off as a place you can cross easily in a day... without refuelling.

However, once into Poland, and following a nice cheap refuel just after the order, the going gets much, much slower. The wonderful German A4 Autobahn peters out into a rutted and pot-hole-filled single carriageway affair - mostly unlit, and populated by drivers singularly intent on getting to where they want to go a damned sight quicker than you. Adopting a passive role on the road, I pull over to let anyone past, giving a flick of the right indicator to let them know the road is clear and then flashing the Xenons once they're past. Poles might be quick and sometimes dangerous, but they always thank you for your courtesy with a dab of hazards.

In the end, the 100km or so of single carriageway passes reasonably stress-free, and by the time I hit the Autostrada part of the E40 (one of Poland's two motorways, and beautifully built with EU money), I'm still pretty fresh and looking forwards to the 150-or-so miles to the town my car's been left - Czestochowa. I make it there for 10.30pm, and just in time to get a steak and some Polish beer down me... and a very sound night's sleep.

The Skoda Superb 2.0TDI might not be the most exciting conveyance, but trust me, it's perfect for a fast thrash to Poland. 550-600 miles between refuels, quiet cruising, excellent stereo, and 120mph cruising in Germany. A detour via the Czech Republic on the return journey, must have had it feeling at home...

As it happens, when I met Jerzy the following morning to see the state of my SD1, I wasn't too disappointed. Yes, they've not really got into the restoration yet, there's plenty of evidence that they've been busy stripping the old girl and getting her ready for her titivation. The engine's now been removed, the new panels supplied by Rimmer Bros (see below for details) are being prepared, and much of the stripping process has been carefully completed.

Attention to detail can be seen when you look at the car's bonnet - they've attached little rubber feet to it, to stop any scratching (great considering it's going to be resprayed anyway), and the suspension strut towers are now looking rot free, thanks to some high quality repairs. Jerzy was almost apologetic about the lack of progress, and once his son-in-law had turned up to act as a translator, it became clear that they'd had their own problems, having lost another mechanic, who'd moved to the UK in order to seek work. Apparently, this is a problem that has affected the entire region, and has influenced his decision to only undertake one restoration at a time - so get your order in quick once my car's finished...

So, once I'd been shown around a German registered Mercedes-Benz they'd just finished restoring (to a very high standard, I might add), we got down to brass tacks. I handed over €800, and had a new delivery date of May confirmed. That's not so bad - it gives me longer to save up, and it's around the time of my birthday... so I'll be giving myself a nice present.

The engine's out, and the strut-top rot is being attended to.

My trusty V8 will be getting a nice service and some much needed attention. With 44,000 miles on the clock, it should deliver plenty of service once back in the SD1.

So, with the business of my restoration complete - and there's now a bust clutch slave cylinder in the Skoda's boot, which I need to get a replacement for. It's time to head home again. It's midday, and the road ahead beckons...

Heading back through Poland during daylight hours (for a change) it's clear to see that this is a very beautiful country. Some of the smaller towns still display faded grandeur, and years of neglect, but away from the urban centres, rural Poland is beguilingly pretty, and the ever-present smell of burning coal and wood transports me back to a bygone age of my childhood. After a couple of hours of slow single carriageway slog, and a blast up the Autostrada, I reach Wroclaw, (with it's ultra-modern out of town shopping experience that makes me think it's more like Peterborough than Poland), see the signs for the Czech Republic, and take the split second decision to head South.

The run through the Tatra Mountains to Prague is a real eye-opener, and an unexpected treat. The Polish backroads get tighter and more sinuous as the altitute increases, and the real driving run begins as you run from one medieval village to another. There's some traffic around, and you need to keep your wits around you, as road marking and signposting is scant, but as I reach the Czech border, I've already come to the conclusion that the route I take next time I visit Poland will be a more Southerly one. The rewards are more than worth the effort.

Our outbound route takes in a bit of everything - from smooth French Autoroutes, ultra-fast German 'Bahns, and Polish back lanes... The route back was a hell of a lot more interesting, though. (Image: Google Maps)

The light's already gone as I cruise through the Czech Republic, but if you like Skodas (the old ones) as I do, you're in for a treat. There are plenty of Estelles and Favorits punctuating the bland anonymity of the more modern Octavias and Fabias, and for that reason alone, it's an enjoyable petrolhead excursion. The other thing that's very clear as I drive towards Prague - this is a very much richer country than Poland. The head-start of being in the European Union a few years longer, as well as being the Central European country of choice for manufacturers looking for additional production capacity are clearly paying dividends.

Prague itself is a wonderful city, and after a quick look round, and brief stop-off, I vow to return... then set off for Germany. And home...

The night drive through Germany is an experience I'll never forget - beautiful visibility, maximum speed running for mile after wonderful mile, and Propaganda belting out on the ICE, have me in a zone that I really don't want to leave, but alas, I have to once we reach the anonymity of Belgium, and then speed limit-obsessed France beyond.

It was an intense weekend, and one I'm looking forward to repeating in a couple of month's time once I have an exhaust and clutch slave cylinder to deliver. Lessons learned are simple - keep the communications channels open, chase the guys for regular updates, and make sure I get the bank account numbers right. I could get those parts posted out to Poland, but do you know what...

I'm itching for an excuse to take another drive out there - and I reckon that may well be it...

Part three: nearly a year on...

February 2008

ELL it looks like the restoration is going swimmingly now. After the project was delayed thanks to a misunderstanding over money, it now looks very much on track, with the work commencing at full speed. As you can see from the accompanying pictures, the rust on this early example of an SD1 is extensive, and has been attacked with gusto by the team at Jerzy's garage...

The guys have sent me a few snaps, just to whet my appetite - and they've succeeded in doing just that. However, I do still need to get a clutch slave cylinder and exhaust system over to the guys, so will be paying another visit just as soon as I get the time and money together. It's always enjoyable going on a long road trip out to Poland, as long as you have the right car to go along in.

But can I remind all of our readers that are interested in Polish restorations, Jerzy's garage is off-limits now, as he's had a manning crisis, and won't take on any more UK restorations until mine's finished.

Enjoy the pictures.

Even the hidden rust is dealt with. Take note, Autoglass.

Tailgate was in need of attention - I have reminded them that the Vitesse spoiler needs to go...

Rear panel is a real Spot The Grot moment...

Looking better now.

The doors are getting attention, inside and out...

The floor's getting undersealed - and there's no corner-cutting going on here.

...and this is why

Looking better now...

The bonnet's getting prepped...

Attention to detail is paramount in this restoration. The bonnet is undergoing a complete overhaul.

All ready for paint now...

Top-side, too...

Those hard-to-do bottom corners...

Now look...

New Rimmer Bros inner wing and flitch panel inserted...

It's all coming together now...

With the wing in place, the front of the car looks as it should...

All those scabs and pock marks are being dealt with...

A better view of the front end with all the new panels in place...

More pictures...

...to whet your appetite.

THE pictures are coming through thick and fast from Poland now, and it looks like the work is advancing with real gusto. Much of the car is now in primer, and it will be interesting to see when the white paint goes on, what it'll look like. I did consider asking for a colour-change, but at the end of the day, it seemed a shame to change things - and besides, come the next SD1 gathering, it will be nice to park it alongside all the other white Series 1 cars out there (and there are quite a few).

I've been asked about the plans for the car, once I get it back. Well, I hope this doesn't upset the purists too much, but I'd rather like to use it as my daily runner. I'm guessing that the first port of call will be an LPG specialist in order to drive down the fuelling costs, and then perhaps Rimmer Bros for one of their really nice crated 3.9-litre engines, but we'll see how it goes. All these things cost time and money, and I am rather short of both at the moment.

I am planning a trip to Poland to deliver a new clutch slave cylinder and exhaust system, and see see how the project is progressing at first hand. As you can probably gather, I am getting rather excited about the prospects, and look forward to getting the car back. I suppose my major dilemma now is - do I fly out and drive it back, or should I borrow a trailer (and meaty car to pull it), and bring it back?

If it's the latter, I might well need to take another car out there... and that being the case, I'll be looking for a suitable restoration project. Any offers?

New sill as seen from the driver's door opening...

...and how it's joined at the once-crusty rear corner.

The other side needed even more radical surgery.

Ah, the beauty that is a rust-free engine bay.

The passenger door is the subject of plenty of attention.

But it's primed and ready to go...

Plenty of attention for the driver's door, too...

But it's now primed and ready to go.

The rear doors have been fully prepped and are ready for paint...

Tailgate's now finished, too... although those spoiler holes will be filled with brass now.

Nearly there...

Looking good with the first coat of primer on it...

The opposite rear corner is now back in one piece - and as you can see, is now ready for paint.

The first coat of primer has been rubbed down...

You can't help but be impressed by the attention to detail of this restoration.

It's getting nearer to being finished

I RECEIVED a welcome email from AROnline's Deputy Editor, Alexander Boucke, earlier this week. It seems his friend, Fritz Kremer, was over in Poland checking on the progress of his own restoration, a DAF 33. While he was there, he paid Jerzy a quick visit to see how my car was coming along, and came back with positive news - the work they're doing on the Rover is fantantastic, and they're progressing nicely now.

Along with Alexander, Fritz has taken a number of classic cars out to Poland, and has so far been very happy with the work...

There's no word as to whether the Rover will still be ready in time for my Birthday in May, but the chances are still looking pretty good going by the pictures he send me - taken last weekend. I've pretty much arranged to make the crossing on the weekend of the 8-9th March, although that still depends on whether I can get the parts I need in time. Otherwise there's little point in going...

As can be seen from these new images, they're working from the back forwards, and the rear of the car looks absolutely fantastic now, and a million miles away from the rotting hulk that spent far too much of its life parked up in long grass. We can't wait to see the final paint, and although my heart does keep telling me a colour change from white might be the way forwards, I know that originality is always for the best.

Further updates will be coming, I'm sure...

Another view of the engine bay... when oh when will that V8 be back in it?

...the passenger side's all in one piece now.

As is the driver's...

Body in white...

WELL, the paint's on now - and we what appears to be a brand new, fresh-out-of-the-box looking body on the SD1. I know little more about the status of the restoration, as these pictures rolled in without comment, but I think sometimes words can be superfluous.

Mmmm wouldn't a new V8 look good in there?

The interior received all the attention it deserved, too...

I can't wait to see it all back together...

...and as if by magic.

What parts we needed:

IN the end, Rimmer Bros came to the rescue with project SD1 - and because of its groundbreaking deal to take on the parts supply from the now-defunct Standard factory in India, supply has improved, driving down prices.

Parts required so far:

Right front wing, £45.00 Plus VAT.
Left front wing, £45.00 Plus VAT.
Right front inner wing, £25.00 Plus VAT.
Left front inner wing, £25.00 Plus VAT.
Right hand flitch/leg assembly, £200.00 Plus VAT.
Left hand flitch/leg assembly, £200.00 Plus VAT.
Right hand outer sill, £45.00 Plus VAT.
Left hand outer sill, £45.00 Plus VAT.

A total price of £635 for the parts is small potatoes for what effectively replaces the entire front end of the car. If you're an SD1 owner, and would like to know more, click HERE.

Have your say...

Please let us know your thoughts - Are we mad to take a £200 Rover all the way to Poland for a restoration?

Feedback:

IT'S good to hear of another early SD1 being restored, and fascinating to read your unusual way of having the work done.

I've got a late Vitesse, but I feel almost guilty having such a 'common' SD1 - the fuel-injected SD1s are getting on for 50 per cent of the turnout at SD1 events these days, but were only about 2 per cent of production.

I still find the lack of real 'classic' status for the SD1 quite sad, resulting in a low price for the car and resultant continuing loss of rare cars (for the V8). I don't know quite why this is, the SD1 is a genuine Rover, a genuine replacement for the P6 and has quite fascinating history from a design and production point of view - build a new factory, still build the things by slapping them together, then shut the factory six years later.

The temptation to get an early series 1 car is getting to me, very nearly did it with a 1976 'R' reg car in Richelieu Red very recently.

One day the right series 1 car will come along.... A P-reg manual would swing the decision.

CHRIS POWELL

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