Finally found my SD1 - but what to keep.

Strip the entire car and put all the bits in your shed or garage - weigh the shell in for scrap. Anything you don't use can be sold on Ebay later.

Absolutely. And don't forget all those silly little bits of plastic trim that'll probably sell for more on Ebay than the heavy mechanical bits.

Especially if it has an electric sunroof; the switches are like hen's teeth!

Pete W

Interesting. There must be loads of stuff like that being thrown away all the time because the average punter doesn't realise their scarcity.

Even bits that aren't a problem in this country can have a market abroad. Frinstance, I've sent a couple of steering wheels off 80s cars to Australia, where the soft padding deteriorates in the sun.

->It's not a very long list, I grant you - would anyone care to add to

->it?

I can't add to your list, however if you find you don't need the steering column then I need a SD1 one (assuming it's the adjustable version)

Geoff,

you may want to talk to Neil Forman from NF Autos. He got one for me for the kit I'm building. As it's one of Neil's I don't know if that would make a difference.

j.

->> I can't add to your list, however if you find you don't need the steering

->column

->> then I need a SD1 one (assuming it's the adjustable version)

-> you may want to talk to Neil Forman from NF Autos. He got one for me for

->the kit I'm building. As it's one of Neil's I don't know if that would make

->a difference.

Thanks, just had a quick look and found their website, at this stage I'm not

100% sure if I am going SD1 on the column, I need to make a pedal box and then see how much room I have left first !

That being said if the OP has one going spare.........

Well - I have finally got the SD1 Vanden Plas (posh or what!) home, it made it up the A1 with a worryingly (or not?) low oil pressure and a delicious smell of exhaust fumes in the cockpit when I had the windows down. The gear box is floppy as hell, I noticed there wasn't a 'please just make it home' button on the trip computer, but its still quite punchy even with 165k on the clock and an unknown history.

Surprisingly the electric mirrors and sunroof still worked.

I'll be checking compression etc at the weekend then the breaking starts. If anybody wants anything in particular off the car get in touch, cross my palm with silver, and I'll see if what you want still works. It'll be a slow process though as I need to think carefully about what I might need to keep.

If there are any bits you think I should stick on ebay please let me know what they are. The parts I don't need are of little value to me but I know may be useful to someone else.

PS - Geoff, the steering column looks adjustable, but I can't work out how! Haven't got the Haynes manual yet, so being six foot two I drove it home with my knees around my ears.

IME the best thing is to advertise the bits you know you don't need and include prominently in the description "breaking whole car - email for details". People will then email you for bits you never thought to save, like door trims, switches, ashtrays (!yes). I always save glass too as I know one day it will be difficult to get hold of. But trim is often hardest to find; if it's any good keep it.

Just about everything that can be packed and posted easily, with the exception of things like alternators that are heavy and not specific to the car. Top sellers IME, are: Fog lights; Electrical motors off windows, sunroofs, wipers, etc. (check they all work before breaking the car); Vulnerable plastic trim - just got 21 quid for a pair of vents from the front valance of a 1987 BMW; Go-faster bits like spoilers when they weren't fitted to lesser models; Locks - complete sets including things like the glovebox, all on the same key, go for very good money.

Check Ebay's "completed listings" for an idea of what sells. Compare the wording of things that go well with those that don't - often it's just down to a detail in the title making one easier to search for than the other. If you have the time, just list loads and loads of small stuff with 99p starts and cheap and honest postage prices. BUT, don't make the mistake of having them all ending on the same day or you'll have a nightmare packing and carting them to the PO! Don't list hard to package stuff with too low a start price. I once had to wrap an entire fuel injection system with airbox and the lot for 99p after it received just one bid. To add insult to injury, the buyer was "regional technical training manager for Bosch fuel systems" so presumably knew exactly what he was getting!

->PS - Geoff, the steering column looks adjustable, but I can't work out

->how! Haven't got the Haynes manual yet, so being six foot two I drove

->it home with my knees around my ears.

Sounds like fun, how far up the A1 are you ?

Let me know if you are getting shot of said column (and the switch gear)

Tyneside - where would the adjustment knob/lever/switch be on the column?

Non-adjustable would be no good to you. By switch gear you mean indicators etc?

Rover V-8s start out with low oil pressure. And the electrical sender doesn't help. If you don't get big end knock at start up or the warning light coming on, don't worry. It should, however, show about 30 psi at 70. But might read near zero around town with a hot engine and modern oils.

Fumes inside the car might be due to the extraction flaps in the tailgate not working properly.

->Tyneside - where would the adjustment knob/lever/switch be on the

->column?

You could not be further away from me if you tried, no idea on the switch as I've never seen one.

->Non-adjustable would be no good to you. By switch gear you mean

->indicators etc?

I do indeed.

Its only 8.99 for 4cu ft parcel from parcelstogo.com - we'll see what we can do when the time comes.

Ooh, that's handy. Have you ever used them? Any good?

I got some 20/50 from wilkinsons of all places (dont know if that's just a northern cheap shop) 4.5 litres for =A32.00. It'll suit for my purposes, I am also renewing the oil temp switch and I need to check the thermostat isn't stuck open as its not getting much above the blue on the temp gague, even after a long motorway run.

I'll report back on the results.

Yes, for stuff I'm selling on Ebay, you can just sort it through their web site, they even have a volume calculator on they and even collect. I think its DHL underneath. We still get the 8.99 deal for stuff we send thats non-ebay.

FWIW

have a fixed rate of £9.99 a parcel (up to 1.5m long and 30kg weight). They use Parecelforce as an agent, and they are good.