Rover owners: Owning a really REALLY early 'F

Every now and then my beloved 'F - #29 in VIN order and #23 in assembly order! Born more or less on the first day of production - throws a curve ball as our American cousins like to say.

Like finding out that my 3-piece speedo cable is actually in 2-pieces so needing to buy the whole thing when just one section broke. Like finding a whole different set of connectors at the engine side when a new engine was fitted; etc.

Well I am in the process of fitting a MK2 'F speedo (the kind with the electronic speed signal and lcd odometer). I've figured out all the wiring and know all the extra bits that need doing - no problems. Now the MK2 'F speedo has a different cable that connects to the speedo to the fusebox panel, so essentially you don't just swap the speedo but you swap the connecting cable too (essentially the MK2 speedo has a few extra wires to do things like boot open indicator etc.) No problem, I have said cable and speedo. So last weekend i go for a quick fit and whenI try to plug the cable at the fuse box end ... erm ... doesn't fit ... of the two plugs one is fine and identical but the other, a bigger plug with a completely different set of coloured wires coming off it.

So I go to the local salvage yard and get a cable of an early MK1 F they have there ... it is identical to all the photos, and diagrams i.e. as it should be ... but not like I have fitted in my car!!

So now I need to see if I can find a cable from a really REALLY early F so that I can splice in the MK2 speedo cable to the "old" plug ...

Always fun tinkering with my car ... truthfully I love every minute of it! But I am anxious to see my MK2 speedo in ... I went to the trouble to electronically wind the odometer forward digitally - to match the advanced mileage of my 'F so its raring to go :)