The mother all manual 3500S's..

NickDunning

NickDunning

Active Member
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A welcome fleeting guest has arrived in the shape of the first manual 3500S, KXC676H.

I've not seen her in several years, and she's had a good outing to Annables and looks superb.

For the unitiated this car was built as a NADA 3500S and plucked off the line in late 1969 to become the prototype manual 3500S. Road registered 1st January 1970.

Sadly she's now lost almost all her original NADA features (her big NADA bumpers have now gone, sadly), but she goes look great and drive wonderfully. Well over 500k miles under her wheels, most of that in the hands of Rover drivers road testing SD1 engines etc. etc. up to 1975.

She seems to be very loved by her recent owner, who is well aware of her significance.

Will be persuading him to bring this veteran warrior of the road out to a few shows in the future.
 
I saw this car at Annables before the work started last year, I think it had lowered or very saggy springs and an LT77 box at the time. Even then it didn't look like it had done half a million miles.
 
I saw it too. Apparently it had been hacked about with during its life and had an LT77 with a 3.54:1 diff in the back. It wasn't looking terribly proud last time I saw it, so great to see it back in working order. Am I right in thinking it has a NADA base unit as well? Does it have the auto trans tunnel or was it modded in the factory?

Michael
 
testrider said:
I saw this car at Annables before the work started last year, I think it had lowered or very saggy springs and an LT77 box at the time. Even then it didn't look like it had done half a million miles.
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She has been restored three times over the years. For a long period of her life she was painted Volvo Orange :D
The LT77 is still present and very correct.
 
redrover said:
I saw it too. Apparently it had been hacked about with during its life and had an LT77 with a 3.54:1 diff in the back. It wasn't looking terribly proud last time I saw it, so great to see it back in working order. Am I right in thinking it has a NADA base unit as well? Does it have the auto trans tunnel or was it modded in the factory?

Michael
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Transmission tunnel modded at the factory.

The car is, at it's core, a NADA. When she first hit the road in 1970 I suspect she looked just like a NADA as well, the S2 decorations came later. Rover had her until 1975, doing engine research and long term proving runs. She became an SD1 test mule.
 
NickDunning said:
She became an SD1 test mule.
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Ooo..... so is the gearbox an EXG unit? And in that respect, is the trans tunnel modded from P6 auto to P6 manual, or is it a halfy-halfy job to give a bit more wiggle room around an LT77? Would be interesting to see how the rear support is done.... Assume prop was made up for the job.

Verrrrry interwesting!
 
Bearing in mind the car became an SD1 test mule I'd imagine she's had an LT77 since circa 1974-75.

I'll see if I can get some photos of the underside in the next couple of days.
 
Why is a LT77 very correct ? Surely that detracts from the car's originality if it has much after a few engine changes and 3 restorations ?
How much of the original is left ?
 
DaveHerns said:
Why is a LT77 very correct ? Surely that detracts from the car's originality if it has much after a few engine changes and 3 restorations ?
How much of the original is left ?
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The car actually has a removable front panel to facilitate easier engine swaps. We know it was a test best for SD1 engines, it obvious ran so many that it was considered worth modding it to make changes easier.

She had the LT77 when she retired from Rover I believe.

The base unit, and some interior parts are original. She's a got the provenance.
 
I knew I recognised that reg plate! Been bugging me all night!

It was on the finalised styling car for the series II 2000. The Brigade (probably) red car that's in the humber bridge pictures for the launch brochure - I assume just an S1 in drag. As production except for the silver rings round the headlamps (which I put back on mine!). Apparently it got smashed up in the Alps or somewhere. In which case, why transfer the plate to this 'S when it would be just as easy to register it anew. Also begs the questions was this 'S first registered pre Oct '70, or did it just get a '70 plate?

Michael
 
RobH said:
I think you mean the Severn Bridge. Humber Bridge not opened until 1981.
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The car on the brochure cover - the red 2000 auto - was KXC675H. That car was trashed early in life (info from Lyn Thomas).

This one, the 3500S testbed, is KXC676H.

KXC678H, for the unitiated, was a very late registered 1963 car (chassis number 40000281A)

:D
 
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