R.I.P Rover?

PowerLee · Post by **PowerLee** » 09 Apr 2005, 16:09

Hi
The K series head gasket problems where down to Rover using 2 x plastic dowles to locate the head on the block.
The plastic dowles go brittle & then the head gasket goes pop.
The fix is to use the updated metal dowles when the head gasket is replaced.
Also, On the K series engine the head bolts go all the way through the block & hold the crank bearing ladder in.
The K series is a cracking engine, If you look after it.

dillosk8ter · Post by **dillosk8ter** » 09 Apr 2005, 16:43

Didn't help when they obviously hired a blind stylist to do the final facelift on the 25/45.........they looked hideous.

PowerLee · Post by **PowerLee** » 09 Apr 2005, 16:48

Theres two people at my work who in the last year have bought new Rovers.
Ones a MGZR & the other is a 75 V6.
Both are worried about there warranties, Even more so because the local dealer around the corner is owned by Phoenix themselves.

dillosk8ter · Post by **dillosk8ter** » 09 Apr 2005, 16:55

Also, what impact will it have on used values?

madasafish · Post by **madasafish** » 09 Apr 2005, 19:15

used values: I expect to tumble - at least for cars 0-4 years old.. -20% I think . After that, basically the values are banger level.
I expect the adminstratators to discount wahtever new cars they have/can build with parts by 50% - they NEED the cash urgently.
Trim spare will be aproblem and if your Rover V6 engine goes bang there are unlikely to be any service replacements available.
Warranties from Rover ? Worthless.

turbolag · Post by **turbolag** » 09 Apr 2005, 21:17

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by TomH

shame to see them sink but I don't think they should be propped up anymore. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">What, you mean the same way the French government prop up the firm that made your car?

turbolag · Post by **turbolag** » 09 Apr 2005, 21:20

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by yangreen

I know someone who has a TF and she's had tons of problems with it. Her friend has had no trouble at all with a very similar car. Look at the JD power surveys thought and it's Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz that do badly! <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">That's very true. the humble rover 45 comes some 30 odd places higher than the Mercedes C class costing up to 5 times more (even the 25 just pips the C) and the 75 beats every single car MB or BMW sell in the UK, so they must've done something right.

tomsheppard · Post by **tomsheppard** » 09 Apr 2005, 21:46

The French Government NEVER propped up Citroen. French folk buy French cars. They were at the time as bad as English cars but the French are patriots.

turbolag · Post by **turbolag** » 09 Apr 2005, 22:07

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tomsheppard

The French Government NEVER propped up Citroen.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Who bought the ailing Citroen concern when it was on it's knees prior to Andre Citroens death for pittance and spent a not inconsiderable sum in turning it around? Erm, the French government did. Shucks, I think they still own it too. Well, i'll be darned.

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 09 Apr 2005, 22:29

Michelin bought Citroen at one point, they're privately owned today.
It was Renault that was state owned.

tomsheppard · Post by **tomsheppard** » 09 Apr 2005, 22:39

Quite right Kowalski. The development costs of the TA ruined Citroen. Their biggest creditor was Michelin who took the firm over in around 1935. Back in the 1980s, Renault wanted Citroen wound up, petitioning the Government who let the courts decide. The judge ruled that it be sold to Peugeot SA who own it still.

PowerLee · Post by **PowerLee** » 09 Apr 2005, 22:54

Have a look here at the PSA website.
http://www.psa-peugeot-citroen.com
Citroen & Peugeot are one big happy family.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 10 Apr 2005, 02:48

Of course for many years Renault was owned by the French government - didn't mean it always got the cash it wanted - remember the 21 that had a transverse engine in its lower forms and an in line in its larger forms (at least in UK - I think Spain may have got a 1600 in line) - I'm sure they would have preferred to build a larger transverse engine.
By the 80's Michelin were fed up with subsidising Citroen who for years had built the cars they wanted to rather than what the market wanted. Fortunately they were saved and to be fair to Peugeot they have continued to produce cars which are a bit different and generally the better for it.
My comiserations to the Rover workers and all those others affected. I agree the previous solution to the problem on the pull out by BMW was bodged and sadly exactly what the rival bidder said would happen has - (The money to develop new models wouldn't be there) I suppose however it has provided work for a load of people for 5 years or so which can't be a bad thing.
The problem now is really is there anything worth buying - all the cars are a bit old - the 75 might survive a face lift. The K series engine has been around since about 1990 in various forms and so can't now be considered new either and presumably any features that really matter so far as performance/ economy are concerned have been studied and no doubt influenced the design of competitors many years ago.
Jeremy

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 10 Apr 2005, 02:51

The 'K' series may be from the 90s but do you remember the history of the current HDI 2.0 16v. That was derived from the XUD via the 8v HDI so it's heritage is pretty old. A lot of manufacturers made the move to 16v engines by simply putting new heads on old bottom ends, there is a lot of evolution in the car industry and very little revolution.

tomsheppard · Post by **tomsheppard** » 10 Apr 2005, 03:13

Evolution is safer. The Sierra and Ka both got off to a slow start here. The DS was so radical that it sold amazingly well from the off but that is a unique case. With the honourable exception of the Rotary engine, all engines are exactly alike. Overhead valves, pistons with rings (excepting certain BMW engines), shell bearings, cam in head, belt driven, and so on. There is a given set of formulae for everything so there is only limited progress that now can be made. A four valve twin spark twin overhead cam setup is state of the art. For the 1912 Ballot and Peugeot racing engines.
Only incremental improvements are now commercially possible. The car is grown up. There is no longer much room for innovation, that is why everything has aircon, ABS, power windows and Satnav. The car is a given. You buy a shape you like with accessories.
We've been waiting for the next big thing for fifty years now!