Group A Rover SD1/Vitesse Rally History (sep from main thread) - Page 10

Sunbmw · 21 Sep 2010, 08:51 (Ref:2762349)

Hi all, been lurking on this thread for a while now, very informative. I am building an SD1 stage rally car and is to be in Computervision Colours. Could anyone tell me what shades the blue and white are? I will be painting this weekend and want it to be as accurate as possible.

Couple of pics..............

MG Rover Sport · 21 Sep 2010, 22:04 (Ref:2762762)

Hi 'Sunbmw' and that looks like an interesting project you have there.

I'm not sure about the exact paint code for the white, but the Computervision blue that was used on the later Metro 6R4s is Fiat Azzurro Blue No 437 - I'm pretty sure that the Rovers would have been the same. To double check, I'd ring QCR Motors of Nuneaton as they sprayed all of the cars for Austin Rover Motorsport at the time, and they may just have done the same for Tom Walkinshaw Racing too.

Good luck.

Sunbmw · 21 Sep 2010, 22:36 (Ref:2762776)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MG Rover Sport

Hi 'Sunbmw' and that looks like an interesting project you have there.

I'm not sure about the exact paint code for the white, but the Computervision blue that was used on the later Metro 6R4s is Fiat Azzurro Blue No 437 - I'm pretty sure that the Rovers would have been the same. To double check, I'd ring QCR Motors of Nuneaton as they sprayed all of the cars for Austin Rover Motorsport at the time, and they may just have done the same for Tom Walkinshaw Racing too.

Good luck.

Hi David, I am Lee by the way. Thanks very much for that, I will order some tomorow.

"Sunbmw" came from this..............

400bhp M3 Evo powered Sunbeam................

Sunbmw · 4 Oct 2010, 22:30 (Ref:2769479)

Hi all, just about the best thread on the whole internet right now. I have another (hopefully not inane!) question. Who made the original "works" rally car wheels? I am guessing they would be Magnesium, so I am thinking Speedline or Cromadora, any where close? Next, do any survive, and would the chances of happening on a set or two be extremely remote?

Thanks guys, Lee.

Gavin RS · 5 Oct 2010, 09:28 (Ref:2769636)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunbmw

Hi all, just about the best thread on the whole internet right now. I have another (hopefully not inane!) question. Who made the original "works" rally car wheels? I am guessing they would be Magnesium, so I am thinking Speedline or Cromadora, any where close? Next, do any survive, and would the chances of happening on a set or two be extremely remote?

Thanks guys, Lee.

Hi Lee

Now that would be first prize thats for sure, those wheels are just awsome on a Rover. I came across a guy selling 4 sets of magnesium wheels here in South Africa, he just returned from the USA and was cleaning out all the goods he had in storage in SA, ex rally driver. anyway he had 2 sets of genuine magnesium Minilite wheels for the Escort's (extremely light and in good condition) a friend of mine bought both sets.

Then I saw what looked like wheels similar to the rally wheels on the Rovers but they turned out to be magnesium wheels off a rally Opel (5 stud as well ) real pity as it would have been a nice find.

Good luck with your search

Gavin

KA · 21 Oct 2010, 18:14 (Ref:2778046)

A few more rally pics- Tony Pond, 1985 Ulster, B565AOX

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gary_rowe/3122904325/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gary_rowe/3123727728/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gary_rowe/3122905959/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gary_rowe/3122903319/

billycooper · 23 Oct 2010, 13:53 (Ref:2778928)

couple of pics from my flickr site

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16788879@N02/5104913203/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16788879@N02/5105504658/

Sunbmw · 29 Oct 2010, 08:56 (Ref:2781970)

Hi all. Bit of a long shot, but does anyone have any pictures or drawings of the early rally cars that were 4 linked on the rear. I am going this route with my car, and instead of just using an Escort set up, I would like to replicate the method used by the works teams. I already have a 4HA that I will use, but just need some pointers as to link boxes/mounting centres etc.

Thanks in advance, Lee.

Sunbmw · 2 Nov 2010, 00:00 (Ref:2783822)

Massive thankyou to Dave Puzey. I bought some parts from him at the weekend, and he has very kindly given me an old copy of CCC magazine with a very informative article on the very early rally cars, and a section on how to go about building one yourself! Brilliant.

KA · 2 Nov 2010, 06:07 (Ref:2783869)

Not a works car by any means, but there were quite a few rally Rovers around at club level in the 80's.

IIRC, a couple of magazines ran articles featuring them and suggesting that the SD1 made a good alternative to the usual Mk2 Escort etc for a reasonably low-budget club rallycar- think I've got that CCC article that Sunbmw mentioned, and there was another in Rally Sport.

Very few, if any, of these cars had all the full-spec bits seen on the 'works' cars, (the Rally Sport article made the point that many of these parts were either very expensive or totally unobtainable), and were usually nothing like as competitive as the well-known cars run by the likes of Ken Wood, Bob Fowden, Mike Stuart or Russell Gooding who managed to get their hands on ex-TWR cars, or 'works-spec' parts.

The Rally Sport article featured this car, VUA618X, built by Dave Clibbery, who IIRC stepped up from a 1300cc Mini to run the Rover. It started life as an ex-Police 3500SE, and competed in the BTRDA series in the mid/late 80's

A couple of pics from 1985 on Flickr- it was in this white 'Baugh Decorating/Pyes' colourscheme in the RallySport article. IIRC, Pyes were an Austin-Rover dealer in the Midlands

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27880036@N07/2671501339/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2788003...n/photostream/
...and by coincidence, while looking up the pics of Flickr, I tripped over proof of 'VUA's Police history!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulfixter/3003046795/

My pic below comes from a couple of years later, at the finish of the 1988 Centurion Rally in Newcastle, by which time it was sponsored by British Coal. I'll dig the Rally Sport article out later and post a few quotes

Red Throbber · 9 Nov 2010, 12:57 (Ref:2787562)

One I don't think we've seen before of pre-tree 84...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/howiendlynne/4284846185/

and

http://www.flickr.com/photos/howiendlynne/4236873494/

MG Rover Sport · 10 Nov 2010, 14:33 (Ref:2788109)

Afternoon all! Apologies for my absence, and I promise to catch up and respond to a few of the rally based posts shortly, but in the meantime...

...a handful of photos on Flickr that I cannot see have been linked to as yet...

A nice photo of Tom Walkinshaw getting into A379 VUK on the 1984 National Breakdown Rally...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16788879@N02/5145836282/

The Computervision show car...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16788879@N02/5140934180/

The Bastos show car...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16788879@N02/5140329699/

Tony Pond / Rob Arthur in the 'dead' B563 AOX on the 1985 Circuit of Ireland Rally...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikey_mac/5129756758/

Group A 'Computervision' MG Metro Turbo and 'Fleet' Rover Vitesse being demonstrated at the Mini 25 event at Donington...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16788879@N02/5140326363/

KA · 11 Nov 2010, 15:39 (Ref:2788612)

Quote:

Originally Posted by billycooper

Hi Pics are from my flickr side, thanks for comments guys, i think the Rover pilot was Jean-Louis Schlesser and the Metro Patrick Watts, but iam only 50 % sure, thy did about 10 laps changing places all the time and was a highlight of the weekend for me.

You've got some great pics there

Just found a couple more Rover shots

Ken Wood in the 'Golden Wonder' car
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16788879@N02/5145193181/

Mike Stuart's A479WOE on the '85 National Breakdown
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1678887...n/photostream/

...and another of TW on the same event a year earlier
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16788879@N02/5145193171/

...and away from the gravel, Neil McGrath in the Linden/Connells Rover at Oulton
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16788879@N02/5140926590/

MG Rover Sport · 14 Nov 2010, 09:07 (Ref:2790005)

No problems KA. In all honesty the 'racing' cars aren't really my baby, but as I stumbled across them during another search, I thought I'd post them for your enjoyment. Rallying is my 'baby'!

Quote:

Originally Posted by DPUZEY

Has anybody got any photos of the left hand side of the rally car on the Circuit of Ireland, Silva Stages and Peter Russeks rallies in 1984?

I'm sorry Dave but this is turning out to be a little trickier than I first thought - especially the 1984 Silva Stages as the car actually retired on Stage 2 so there can't be too many photos of this one about. My quest continues however...

MG Rover Sport · 14 Nov 2010, 09:10 (Ref:2790008)

...I wonder if Part 2 of your excellent research is available in print yet Dave?

MG Rover Sport · 25 Nov 2010, 18:05 (Ref:2795728)

Congratulations 'Red' - I guess you were the winner of said item then?

On a separate issue. I started a topic on an Irish-biased rally forum the other week on my never-ending search for new rallying Rover Vitesse images - and to say that I am ecstatic at what was posted last night is the biggest understatement ever!

A total of 33 images have been posted - only one or two which I've ever seen before!

I did however state that the images would only be used for my research, and not post anywhere else, so I will refrain from reposting them here in my excitement, and simply guide you to where they were originally uploaded.

Make sure you have a fresh box of Kleenex before you click on this link! Enjoy...

http://www.rallyforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26733

davyboy · 26 Nov 2010, 08:59 (Ref:2795948)

Those rally images are truely fantastic... among the best I've ever seen of Vitesses rallying.

Red Throbber · 26 Nov 2010, 12:32 (Ref:2796040)

Sweet Jesus of Nazareth David!
One box of Kleenex hasn't even come close. The best set of photos I've seen in years.
Also, the 1983 Racecards are superb, actully bound by AR. I may try and do a bit of scanning later. There is a nice article on Bob "The Bear"... and a nice snap of FJO before the Bianchi, outside TWR.
Now back to those photos...

KA · 26 Nov 2010, 15:45 (Ref:2796121)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MG Rover Sport

Congratulations 'Red' - I guess you were the winner of said item then?

On a separate issue. I started a topic on an Irish-biased rally forum the other week on my never-ending search for new rallying Rover Vitesse images - and to say that I am ecstatic at what was posted last night is the biggest understatement ever!

A total of 33 images have been posted - only one or two which I've ever seen before!

I did however state that the images would only be used for my research, and not post anywhere else, so I will refrain from reposting them here in my excitement, and simply guide you to where they were originally uploaded.

Make sure you have a fresh box of Kleenex before you click on this link! Enjoy...

http://www.rallyforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26733

There's some seriously good stuff there....!
Nice to see the shots of the Dave Appleby car (the plain white one, C600AHW), which is one I know very little about.
IIRC, it was sometimes seen in 'Mobile Windscreens' colours, and I don't think it was an ex-works/TWR car- though I've got a vague thought that I've recently read a mention somewhere of Appleby having an ex-works car. Did he have more than one Rover?
A report in Motoring News says the white car was built by 'Cartec' in Bristol- and that Andy Rouse was involved on the engine side of the project....
http://tentenths.com/forum/showpost....&postcount=988

KA · 26 Nov 2010, 15:49 (Ref:2796125)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Throbber

Sweet Jesus of Nazareth David!
One box of Kleenex hasn't even come close. The best set of photos I've seen in years.
Also, the 1983 Racecards are superb, actully bound by AR. I may try and do a bit of scanning later. There is a nice article on Bob "The Bear"... and a nice snap of FJO before the Bianchi, outside TWR.
Now back to those photos...

Heaven only knows what happened to them, but I think I had a bound set of 'Racecards'- think ARG sometimes used to give away spiral-bound full-season sets at events like the Motor Show?

Red Throbber · 29 Nov 2010, 12:28 (Ref:2797137)

"Rover SD1 competing in the 1986 Lombard RAC Rally Registration Mark B565 AOX Competition number 44"

That is what the captions says.

And this too...

Red Throbber · 29 Nov 2010, 12:33 (Ref:2797138)

One for a caption contest?

MG Rover Sport · 29 Nov 2010, 13:13 (Ref:2797153)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Throbber

"Rover SD1 competing in the 1986 Lombard RAC Rally Registration Mark B565 AOX Competition number 44"

That is what the captions says.

And this too...

Well they've got it wrong as it should be 1985!

**chunterer** · 29 Nov 2010, 14:11 (Ref:2797175)

Quick question for the 'rallyists' who's the driver/pairing in the other Computervision Vitesse on the '85 events, is it Duez or Stuart as I can't make out the names on the wings?

davyboy · 29 Nov 2010, 14:22 (Ref:2797178)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Throbber

One for a caption contest?

" Thanks Tony, but I think I'll pass on joining your Tom Selleck lookalike club. "

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