3500S with a difference

T

TwinPlenum3500S

New Member
Am in the process of fitting a SD1 Twin Plenum injected lump with 5 speed box into a 1972 S. In situ, now to be plumbed in. Pics to follow..
Engine1.jpg


Engine11.jpg


Engine12.jpg


The poor sd1 that had to die
tpout2.jpg
 
Now that's brave, not the fitting of the engine to the P6, but the killing of a twin-plenum SD1, I assume it was beyond repair ?

Looks like a great project, interestingly we had a nice "4500S" at our show this weekend, although it was fitted with what looked like a big holley, I'll be posting photos in the gallery later. But it was fully badged as a "4500S", and nicely done too.
 
Having worked on SD1's when they were new I have absolutely no problems seeing them die, but I have to admit that they are a rich source of upgrades for the P6. The twin plenum system is the ultimate system for outright performance I should think, but the later "Hotwire" system is more reliable and probably easier to fit, which is why it's the one I'd go for, and hence the reason I'll be selling the twin plenum set up that I've just bought should anyone be interested.
It will be an interesting project to follow through, so it's good that you've got it posted on here, keep us updated.
 
SD1's may have been rubbish in their day , probably why so few survive and those that do now command good money. I think it would be shame if a good one had been broken just for the engine.
 
I doubt that a really good one will have been broken, but even if it was it could live on with an ordinary V8 should someone want to go to the trouble. Early SD1's were terrible, but even I have to admit that by the end of production the quality was vastly improved. Unforunately by that time my experiences with them had poisoned and scarred me against them.
 
It was a reasonably good SD1, one of the better ones I looked at, with 73K from new all documented. Needed bits of bodywork here and there but generally solid and straight. I sold it on to an SD1 enthusiast who was willing to take it on. I received loads of flack from SD1 owners, even a snotty phonecall ..... they even launched a campaigh on a website to "save the twin plenum vitesse". I was not scared of them though :D
 
TwinPlenum3500S said:
It was a reasonably good SD1, one of the better ones I looked at, with 73K from new all documented. Needed bits of bodywork here and there but generally solid and straight. I sold it on to an SD1 enthusiast who was willing to take it on. I received loads of flack from SD1 owners, even a snotty phonecall ..... they even launched a campaigh on a website to "save the twin plenum vitesse". I was not scared of them though :D
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I bet they never offered you bundles of cash to buy it and save it..........................
 
TwinPlenum3500S said:
the SD1 just sh*t (in my opinion).
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You didn't work on them when they were new by any chance did you? There seems to be a degree of venom in that remark usually only associated with those of us who had to try and put them right, with no help from the factory, either by screwing together properly in the first place, or allowing us to fix them under warrenty.
 
A mate of mine had 2 SD1's one was a 2600, the other a V8 with big rubber spoiler and all. Both were knackered to start with, the 2600 died after he hit a kerb at speed and destroyed one front corner of the suspension. The V8 dropped a valve, mainly due to him running it flat out most of the time, racing porsches etc....

I had the displeasure of being called upon to fix them, hmmmm, I think that says it all !

I've posted photos from our Piece Hall show in the gallery, there's a few of the "4500S".
 
As a former SD1 owner and I still have a hankering for one (best load lugger I have owned other than my Range Rover), I would say that the owners of the other TP vitesse should be grateful. If there were more on the road they wouldn't go for more than £1100.

I really enjoyed driving the car but the swiming pool in the glove box and boot were a bit much. body was giving up to the old rust in the end.

Colin
 
That's the problem with our hobby .One man's sh*t is someone else's dream car
When I was a lad people would break Mk2 Jags just to get a disc braked axle for a Ford Escort
but back then Mk2 Jags were worth b*gger all

Times change
 
If your dream is an SD1 then so be it .... id rather a Mk1 Escort with Jag breaks :D Its down to scarcity as you say. Sd1s are reasonably scarce, twin plenums very scarce ... an SD1 enthusiast willing to put their hand in their pockets almost extinct .. as such they get bought for their engines.
 
Sorry , what smacks you in the eye ?
While I'm not a SD1 enthusiast I can admire one that has survived
I'd say the same about a Nissan Bluebird

Dave
 
DaveHerns said:
Sorry , what smacks you in the eye ?


Dave
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If I had to guess I'd say it was the top of any of the push-in type switches on the dash, which were spring loaded and could fly off at any time.
 
It seems that you turn your anger against cars, engines etc...
It just isn't fair. Cars and engines are built by people, and there are always people in a car maker who decide which models will be given the go ahead and which will have no chance. Also there are governments that decide that they are interested to maintain their car industry like Italians did with the group Fiat, and governments that don't want to know anything about it like they did in UK.
The hydragas suspension as an evolution of hydrolastic was a very sound idea, but so badly executed in the Allegro that it was given a bad reputation. It took them 20 years to sort it out in the latest metros and MGFs. So it is not the suspension that was bad, just the engineers that could not make it work properly.
I have never driven an SD1, but i always liked the looks of it. And with a V8 up front and a successful career in BTCC and DTM it could not be that bad really.
Yes, it may have been very badly executed, but this is not the car's fault!
As Dirty Harry once said "opinions are like a.....s, everybody has one" but think that If you make a mess of rebuilding your engine, do you think that you should blame the engine when it blows up later?
 
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