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Sarah - 2/6/25 at 12:08 PM

Ok, so I did wonder whether to carry on as before ie anonymously, but given the month, thought I'd come clean/out.

I've been a member on here for about 23 years under my dead name "S***n. Built a car, sold it, started other projects and gave up a couple - one because of my mental state (mid engined Beetle) when, on a spur of the moment decision, cut up the chassis I'd fabricated and the shell and put it in a skip; the other (Scimitar with Lexus V8, and Mazda RX8 front/rear subframes/suspension) after a scumbag nicked the gearbox off tne drive.

Anyway, I'm not the first on here to have transitioned, though I did get referred by my GP to GIC before FM (2015) but due to family etc couldn't proceed.

That all changed four years ago when i moved out of family home, changed name etc. Been back at the house for a couple years and, though other half not over the moon knows its something I have to do (after I'd swallowed 67 paracetamol in May 2019). She has known for about 35 years!

Kids are grown up and fine with it as have been work, family and friends.

I hope you will be too.

Oh, and I'm currently restoring a Rover SD1 that will get some subtle improvements.

JoelP - 2/6/25 at 02:01 PM

Glad things are looking up for you!

JAG - 2/6/25 at 02:41 PM

I do love a Rover SD1 - whoever is restoring it

Let's have some pictures then

[Edited on 2/6/25 by JAG]

scudderfish - 2/6/25 at 03:17 PM

I wonder if the ID on your old posts could be updated?

jacko - 2/6/25 at 03:59 PM

Good luck to all you do and glad to know you
Jacko

adithorp - 2/6/25 at 04:42 PM

At first read, I thought, that's weird... how do you get the mental state of a VW Beetle?

Ugg10 - 2/6/25 at 06:56 PM

One of the biggest gifts we can all give ourselves is to be comfortable in our own skin. However, this can take longer for some than others and some not at all.

Anyway, SD1 is so cool, you keeping the Rover v8 or doing something more different (Rolls Merlin, Chevy LS, Jag 4.2 Supercharger, all probably not a “subtle upgrade” thought) or going for the Touring Car replica route. So many possibilities.

Do keep us posted with progress, pictures obligatory.

Sarah - 2/6/25 at 09:32 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ugg10
One of the biggest gifts we can all give ourselves is to be comfortable in our own skin. However, this can take longer for some than others and some not at all.

Anyway, SD1 is so cool, you keeping the Rover v8 or doing something more different (Rolls Merlin, Chevy LS, Jag 4.2 Supercharger, all probably not a “subtle upgrade” thought) or going for the Touring Car replica route. So many possibilities.

Do keep us posted with progress, pictures obligatory.


Thanks everyone

SD1 is my fave car, has been forever. Two years ago (ish) I spotted a sorry looking SD1 on ebay and I ummed and rrred, then forgot about it. Checked saved listing a week later and it sold for £380 (no engine/box, interior all there but unfitted(!)). Messaged seller and said if buyer pulls out... Rest is history

This was (long) before I got it

[img] Description
Description [/img]

On the rotisserie

[img] Description
Description [/img]

A bit of welding to do (and may need to find a rear section of sill

Rover 2
Rover 2

I've planned on putting the rear end from a BMW F20 et al - to avoid the IVA complexities about mofifying the chassis, will mod the subframe so to bolts to the original trailing link bolt holes/torsion bar mountings at the front and the Watts Linkage mountings at the rear.

I have a ZF 8HP45 auto trans to use and was going to go with the 4l LR unit I bought years ago for a table project but am now thinking M113 from Merc (5l V8 - 306 bhp)

First thing is to get rid of the rot so the shell is sound first (mostly good but with some shite repairs done in the past)

shindha - 2/6/25 at 11:07 PM

Glad your well, chopping up a beetle is not a sign of illness. I hope you can make the SD1 go as fast and handle as well as it looks it should - if you see what I mean. Please lets have some more pics of the SD1

Mr Whippy - 3/6/25 at 12:21 AM

How people want to live their lives is totally up to them and no business to others. Glad things worked out in the end.

Don't mind cutting up the bug, their crap cars really and I did the same with my first one and turned it into a beach buggy. Bugs were one of the rustiest cars ever built, much hidden and inaccessible

A nice progress thread on the SD1 with pictures would be appreciated.

Slater - 3/6/25 at 12:45 PM

good for you Sarah, glad you are on the mend.

At the end of the day we all like messing about with cars and stuff, and that's it. Simple as.....

craig1410 - 3/6/25 at 09:28 PM

Hi Sarah,

Good to hear from you and thanks for sharing your news with us. I'm almost certain we have chatted many times before over the years.

I still have my Rover SD1 V8 engined Locost but it's been badly neglected for a good few years now and needs a full strip down and rebuild. The fact it has an SD1 engine is no coincidence because I too love the SD1, although it really has to have the V8 engine to count in my mind. My Dad had a 1976 and then later a 1981 SD1 V8 and so that was just the sound cars made in my formative years!

I could very easily be tempted to take on an SD1 project car but I'm not sure I have the welding stamina. If I could find one which was relatively clean chassis & body-wise then maybe, but those cars are either very rare and/or very expensive.

Anyway, looking forward to hearing of your progress with the SD1 and whatever else you end up doing.

Cheers,
Craig.

steve m - 3/6/25 at 09:29 PM

Great post Sarah,

I had to check the reg on your SD!, as ive had three, and all were great cars, i would of been happy if it was my last one!!

steve

Sarah - 4/6/25 at 09:08 PM

quote:
Originally posted by steve m
Great post Sarah,

I had to check the reg on your SD!, as ive had three, and all were great cars, i would of been happy if it was my last one!!

steve



Thank you Steve, I guess it wasn't one of yours


quote:
Originally posted by craig1410
Hi Sarah,

Good to hear from you and thanks for sharing your news with us. I'm almost certain we have chatted many times before over the years.

I still have my Rover SD1 V8 engined Locost but it's been badly neglected for a good few years now and needs a full strip down and rebuild. The fact it has an SD1 engine is no coincidence because I too love the SD1, although it really has to have the V8 engine to count in my mind. My Dad had a 1976 and then later a 1981 SD1 V8 and so that was just the sound cars made in my formative years!

I could very easily be tempted to take on an SD1 project car but I'm not sure I have the welding stamina. If I could find one which was relatively clean chassis & body-wise then maybe, but those cars are either very rare and/or very expensive.

Anyway, looking forward to hearing of your progress with the SD1 and whatever else you end up doing.

Cheers,
Craig.


Hi Craig,

Yes, we've chatted many many times, mostly when we were building our own variations - plus 4" and IRS for me and plus 4" and de Dion for you (iirc). I'm pleased to hear you still have yours even if it needs a bit of work - a strip and rebuild negates the need for IVA etc, but you'll still get the satisfaction of completing it (again!).

There are loads of SD1s around, some more desirable than others but they all seem to have a home. I was fortunate when I got mine, a Rover restorer and youtuber (Car SOS - Rover SD1 police car is his) was summoned by the transport chap (picked him to bring car from Wales as he has two mint SD1s) to get car off truck (it had been lifted on and turned out the rear brakes were (still are) seized) and he thought mine was a rarer version (VDP EFI) so I'm going to restore the body as best I can (but with a few mods).

I tried persuading my old man to buy an SD1 but he walked out of the dealership when the salesman started grovelling (sort of)!

Anyway, hope you're well.

And to all, thank you for the support, it really means so much.

Finally, I may start a yt build on the Rover!

Sarah

Mr Whippy - 5/6/25 at 08:38 AM

That's a huge car to restore, good on you. So much easier having the car on it's side, I did that with my bug (although did a body off with the next ones).

I was going to try that Rhino bed liner as an underseal on the bottom of the cars, very similar to the hard stuff my Nissan is coated in and is paintable. So long as it is not struck (like a rock, curb etc) is really protective. Although on my old car I have just resorted to brushing on old engine oil and leaving it to go sticky.

Not particularly convinced with that lanoguard, that stuff seems to have vanished from anywhere exposed in less than 6 months, the old engine oil is vastly more effective.

jacko - 5/6/25 at 07:45 PM

This about sd1 made me smile some one I know has a x sd1 police car that’s not on the road

Mr Whippy - 6/6/25 at 07:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by jacko
This about sd1 made me smile some one I know has a x sd1 police car that’s not on the road


The Grampian transport museum has had one on display for years. I still remember them on the road.

David Jenkins - 7/6/25 at 03:40 PM

Sarah,

I've arrived a bit late to this discussion, but you should know that this is a generous and kind-hearted forum (but I'm sure that you know this already). There have been rude and spiteful people here in the past, but they've been gone a very long time, thank heavens. And you're not the first - but it's not for me to say who...

So, you be you, and don't worry about being judged here. Just live a happy and rewarding life as the new 'you'.

David

craig1410 - 7/6/25 at 09:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
quote:
Originally posted by jacko
This about sd1 made me smile some one I know has a x sd1 police car that’s not on the road


The Grampian transport museum has had one on display for years. I still remember them on the road.



My driving instructor (this was back in 1989 btw) was a retired police traffic officer and he told me a story about an SD1 traffic car which I'll never forget.

He said that a brand new SD1 traffic car had been delivered to his police station and he and a colleague managed to snaffle the keys to take it out for a test drive. They were told to take note of any teething troubles and report back immediately because this was one of the very first police conversions for the SD1 and they wanted to fix any issues as more cars came through the workshop.

So off they went for a bit of a blast around the local area.

About 20 minutes later they radio'd the control room (paraphrasing a bit):

SD1: "Sierra Delta 1 to control".
Control: "Go ahead Sierra Delta 1".
SD1: "Control we would like to report an issue with the blue light on the roof of the car".
Control: "What's wrong with the blue light?"
SD1: "The car is lying on top of it!"

They literally wrote the car off on the maiden test drive!

Sarah - 7/6/25 at 10:52 PM

quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
Sarah,

I've arrived a bit late to this discussion, but you should know that this is a generous and kind-hearted forum (but I'm sure that you know this already). There have been rude and spiteful people here in the past, but they've been gone a very long time, thank heavens. And you're not the first - but it's not for me to say who...

So, you be you, and don't worry about being judged here. Just live a happy and rewarding life as the new 'you'.

David


Thank you David, yep, I agree it's always been one of the better places on social media.

I'm in touch with the "first" on here and have been since she came out (and bought a turbo from her - I was going to put it on my old Triumph Daytona (sold because it was a pile o'shite)).

Sarah

Sarah - 7/6/25 at 10:54 PM

quote:
Originally posted by craig1410

SD1: "The car is lying on top of it!"

They literally wrote the car off on the maiden test drive!


That is quite hilarious I think plod had a few similar issues with Sierra Cosworths too

jacko - 12/7/25 at 11:33 AM

And who said the police can drive haha