``You should buy a Rover !!’’

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sbraud
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``You should buy a Rover !!’’

Post by sbraud »

I’ve taken a couple of days off and thought I’d get round to fixing a LHM leak from top of pressure regulator and replace cylinder head rocker cover gasket. Two jobs… not too difficult right !! [;)]
Jumped into Xantia evening before two days off and `ping’ – clutch cable plastic ( Why PLASTIC !! ) pedal connection broke… ARRRRRRR. It was 35 degrees, which may not have helped, and I was at work. So had to get AA to relay me home from work.
So two jobs became three! [xx(][:0]
Spent first day hack sawing clutch pedal bolt off, coz it’s on wrong way round, and will not go past brake pedal !! Nice touch.. That cost me three hours alone. Anyway finished clutch cable on the first day. On by back with legs out of car and in the footwell most of the day. B1tch of a job and I hope not to do that ever again. Well at least the bolt is on right way round, just in case.
So day two. I’d fixed leak and was reassembling rocker cover with new gasket and thinking `I might just finish in time for tea’’ when a neighbour of mine came over. ``You’ve been out here for hours… why don’t you sell this old thing and get one of those Rovers, coz I hear they are very cheap now…’’
I can’t print my reply because it contains too many expletives, but I think you’ll get the idea. [}:)][:D]
Anyway rant over… So with sore back, hands, legs, neck etc…
Thanks for listening
Steve
jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

Don't you know - a car is only a good car if its new? Its kept the motor trade in business all these years and many people even moved jobs to get a better/newer company car!
We're constant recipients of pity from some people as we drive old Citroens - and they then proceed to explain that they can't afford a good holiday and this and that because of the money they owe and the cost of maintaining their cars. Wife and I just smile . . . - especially when some of them say 'What a nice car' about the ZX 1.9D.
Jeremy
mbunting
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Post by mbunting »

I get it quite a lot from the in-laws.
He gets about £400 a month from work to run a car, and all they can say is "why don't you get yourself a decent car.".
My reply is usually "This car cost me less than the monthly repayments on yours, it gets over three times the mpg than yours, and I don't use it off-road ( so, same as you then.. ), there are no major faults with it, and I consider it disposable."
Then I say "Would you like to buy me a new car ?" to which the response is usually stunned silence !
I hate people like that, they're the "We've gone one, we think it's the best thing since sliced bread, you should have one.." attitude.
They're urban 4x4 plonkers ( Hyundai at that - a xantia with flat spheres would be a more comfortable ride )
sbraud
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Post by sbraud »

Jeremy, Mbunting... I’m with you all the way on that one… [:D]
Cheers
Steve
Ps… Neighbour had just come back from the pub and I have an idea he’s not playing with a full deck most of the time!! [:o)]
martyhopkirk

Post by martyhopkirk »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by mbunting</i>

Then I say "Would you like to buy me a new car ?" to which the response is usually stunned silence !
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Yes I get that a lot from a mate of mine - his take home is about half as much again as mine, & he runs an RS Focus - to which he keeps telling me to buy one. Ivan if your reading this I cant afford one OK - if you want to buy me one then thats fine.
Besides, the Rover 75 Diesel isnt a bad car, it just isnt Hydropneumatic, and I like that [HP] when Im towing.
Richard Gallagher
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Post by Richard Gallagher »

"You should buy a Rover !!"
Well I did a couple of months ago [;)]
Oh all right, its really a Morris [:D]
sbraud
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Post by sbraud »

Hi Richard,
Restoration project? Got any pics?

My last Rover 200 1.9 Pug diesel did 700 miles a week and it just kept on going, well until I killed it ! Great car, fond memories!
Shame… last of Great British, Japanese Honda Rovers with French diesels or Japanese petrol engines… so explain why I should buy British again… [;)][:D]
Steve
Paulmi16
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Post by Paulmi16 »

Doing head gaskets on K series engines in keeping my friend garage in business.
Paul.
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Kowalski
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Post by Kowalski »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by sbraud</i>

Hi Richard,
Shame… last of Great British, Japanese Honda Rovers with French diesels or Japanese petrol engines… so explain why I should buy British again… [;)][:D]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
The last Rover 25s and 45s had 'K' series petrol engines and 'L' series diesel engines. The 'K' series was quite a good engine aside from its head gasket issues. The 'L' series were direct injection, made in England and better than the competition 10 years ago when they came out.
The Rover 75 had a BMW designed common rail diesel which isn't a bad engine by all accounts, it also got the 'K' series too.
At the moment, Rovers are VERY cheap, I've seen certain dealers offering them new at half price. That depreciation will have a knock on effect and second hand Rovers will be very cheap too. When I come to replace my Xantia, I'm going to take a long hard look at a Rover 75, the C5 is going to have to be cheap to compete on value for money.
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demag
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Post by demag »

I had a Rover 820 once. That was a BAD move![:(!] Three engines in twelve months, auto gearbox repairs, jerky power steering and then the central locking started flicking on and off as I drove down the road[V]. Then I bought a 1.4 BX Leader, ah, lovely[:I].
I work with three ex Rover maintenance engineers, boy have they got some stories to tell. Sounds like there were some right animals working there! Apparently the head gasket problem is caused by porous castings amongst other things.
However, the original 2.0ltr Beemer diesel engine was a right bag of sh*t when it was designed. The Germans just couldn't do anything with it and were ready to abandon it. So BMW let the Rover engineers have a look at it and they transformed it into a world beater.
Just goes to show the Brits are still up there when they're on a level playing field.[8D]
alan s
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Post by alan s »

I think Rovers greatest achievement was when they took that 3.5 litre V8 off Buick and showed them that it was possible to do thin wall alloy castings and it went on to become one of the biggest selling V8s of all times and definitely one of the most adaptable. From sports and racing cars to 4WDs and trucks, manuals and autos. Just a pity they always lacked that something with the rest of their vehicles. They were either seemed to be (out here anyway) really prestigous and too dear for the average punter to buy, or mainstream and dissolved in water.[:(]
Alan S
jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

Typically the Rover approach to the Buic V* was rather timid. Originally GM were anxious to produce an alloy engine without liners and had been on the quest for some time. The nearest they could get when this engine was designed was cast in steel which is what their versions had but these were replaced by conventional pressed in ones in UK.
The quest for the linerless engine continued and eventually at the end of the 60's or early 70's GM produced the Chevrolet Vega engine without liners using the silicone system which has been extensively copied by many including Porsche.
The Buick /(Pontiac? essentially the same thing with minor differences) V* was not a commercial success as it was fitted to a largeish car and the alternatives offered included 5.5 litre iron blocked engines - which would you buy?
jeremy
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