1994 Rover 820

Love this car and the development your doing.

Cant beat a sleeper !!!

Progress is still very slow but inspired by Dez's Lada rear suspension turrets, I have got hold of some 4.5 " tubing and the base plates and top plates should be ready next week.





When I next get some on board film in the Vitesse I want to recreate the view from the legend Tony Ponds camera on board his 827 Vitesse when he lapped the IOM TT course in 1990 at an average speed of over 100mph. I made an ESSO Unleaded logo as in the picture below, also found almost identical blue gloves, I will need to keep the rear view mirror but might be able to lose the sun visors.
Below is on board at the IOM 1990 and below that is on board at Brands Hatch 2015.

Its getting difficult to find a good one now Optimusprime2 but there is the odd one cropping up.

The laser cut steel plates arrived this week, the final parts of the rear shock turret jigsaw.


It should look like this when assembled, with the slotted bolt hole to allow some camber adjustment

I love these cars. I intend to own one of these one day. Nice work. Just ploughing through the thread now with interest!

This just gets better and better!
I wonder how many people just look at it and think its just an 'old' Rover ..... Ultimate sleeper material!
Love it!

Found this picture while looking for something else, it is from 2006. New engine management fitted to the Vitesse I had to get the car to Essex for mapping, my old 820si workhorse (RIP) with trailer and Vitesse on board, it was a slow drive round the M25 with very light steering.
Seeing the old Si is making me want another as a daily again.

Thanks mavesyn, I have not driven Mercs but driven all the BMWs and apart from the big engined 7's a good 800 is a nicer drive, smooth, quiet and comfortable but I am completely biased.

There was a thread called "special tools built for the job" or "tools specially built for a job" something like that but I couldnt find it so will put this here.
For one reason or another I cannot get the car to a ramp at work to skim the discs, the disc lathe works at about chest height but I have to do the skim in my garage with the car at axle stand height.



The motor is heavy and once operating turning the hub, driveshaft and transmission really pulls the base around until properly aligned so it needs to be strong in all directions.
The answer is this FOMDLS (Floor Operating Mad Disc Lathe Stand)



Made from a German pallet, old bed and leftovers, its not pretty but it quite sturdy and hopefully up to the job.



and with the motor sitting in place.





I am waiting for some longer wheel studs to turn up then I can get on with the skim

Hi Ian, as far as I know there were only about 10 made 20 years ago, I had 5 and sold 4 a long time ago, I have never seen any of them used so they might still be about, most were NOS unused without threads for pipework, almost fresh from casting with options to run pipework from several positions around the plate, just the block face and block fixings done. Try on Rovertech, I am pretty sure thats where a couple of them went.
The part that could be the biggest problem is likely to be replacing the standard T16 oil pump, you might be able to modify an old body, the Tony Pond race M16 engines had a specially made unit to direct oil into the engine from the belt driven oil pump. Hope that helps, let us know if you find one and what state of tune is your T16 at?
Jim