Most people see a shiny box and buy it. Reece Morden did too. He found his 1987 Rover Vitesse online in 2018. The seller took six phone calls while Reece was standing there looking at the car. That should have been a red flag. The car looked immaculate. It wasn’t. It was a patch-job job done in haste to move metal. Reece bought it anyway.
It has cost him six years.
Six years of wrenching, sweating, and wondering why a “classy” grand tourer feels like a time bomb on wheels. But looking at the result, the boy born in the 2000s knows he made the right call. This isn’t just a car. It’s a lesson in patience wrapped in 80s steel.
Why this Rover SD1 is worth the restoration headache
You wouldn’t think a car from 1987 feels modern. Yet Reece says the Vitesse keeps up with traffic surprisingly well. It lacks a dual-mass flywheel. That means a bit of judder at low speeds. You feel it in your bones. But otherwise? It moves.
The styling is the main draw. Sharp angles. A powered aerial that still works (and still works). It’s pure 80s aesthetic without trying too hard. Reece hasn’t driven many old cars before this. He was impressed by the straight-six engine’s shove. He was not impressed by the ride quality.
The suspension feels its age. Hard to believe this was marketed as a sports hatchback. Today it rides more like a grand tourer. Soft. Bouncy. Relaxed. It doesn’t cut corners; it rolls over them. If you want sporty handling, this isn’t it. If you want to cruise while looking cool, it delivers.
How to spot a rushed classic car buy
This is where the cautionary tale begins. Most Vitesses sell fast. Usually inside owner groups. Reece got lucky, or so he thought. He saw his ad online and rushed to see it. He saw perfection. He saw a bargain.
He bought it. Then he looked closer.
The car had been thrown back together for the sale. Parts were wrong. Parts were missing. The engine had been rebuilt by someone who clearly didn’t care. The result was a mechanical lottery.
- Fuel pump failures. Twice.
- Total electrical gremlins. Lights died miles from home.
- Engine complications. Rough running, lack of power, and noise that shouldn’t be there.
It let him down. Often. Repeatedly.
Where to look for hidden rot on a resprayed classic
Then there was the paint.
One day, while driving, Reece looked at the side of the car. Rust bubbling through the new coat. Of course. You don’t buy a used Rover SD1 without expecting surface issues. You don’t expect structural deceit. But there it was.
Restoring a Rover SD1 means more than just bolting on new parts. It means stripping back lies. It means finding out what “rushed” really looks like when you live inside it.
Is buying a project SD1 a good idea?
For Reece? Absolutely. He loves the car now. He loves the 80s styling. He loves the challenge. He
