Spot Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 £3,000 for a Rover 75 ? You do know you could buy a good car for that kind of money??? Or are you some sort of motoring masochist ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 Everyone I've known who's had a MG with the 1.8 in it has had a head gasket failure at around 80k miles. Its not an urban myth. This same engine went in to freelanders, TFs and all sorts of Rover/MG cack... Not heard about Hondas being plagued by it though, even though its one of their units originally... Rover cutting costs rather than Honda maybe? It is not a Honda engine, it was an all British design AFAIK. In many respects it's an excellent engine, it's remarkably light, efficient and tuneable. The head gasket problems arose from a combination of stretching it from 1.4 to 1.8 litres, and from cost cutting in the BMW/Phoenix 4 era. As originally designed, the iron liners were supposed to protrude from the block ever so slightly and hence clamp the gasket tight; due to casting variances in the block, two lengths of liner were manufactured, and then the block was measured so that the correct liners were installed. The beancounters then kiboshed that, and hence problems ensued (there is also the saga of the plastic dowels). Still, a gently used 1.8 could go on for a while. They fail a lot in MGFs because it's a sports car and so liable to be thrashed, and in Freelanders/ R75s because they're heavy cars and so the engine has to be worked hard. http://www.fisher-services.co.uk/mgf-headgasket-mgoc-article.htm Anyway Harry 3k seems strong money- lots of slightly older but considerably lower mileage ones on Autotrader for 2-2.5k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNACR Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 I reckon just use the £3k for diesel and drive into town to do the shopping in the lorry like Chris Eubank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTMark Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 £3,000 for a Rover 75 ? You do know you could buy a good car for that kind of money??? Or are you some sort of motoring masochist ? (giggles) The OP is DCI Barnaby and I claim my £5. How about a Vauxhall Labrador? (prize * for the one who can cite that reference) * there isn't actually a prize. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Monk Posted July 16, 2013 Author Share Posted July 16, 2013 It certainly is on most foreign models, Rover never quite cracked their corrosion problems. I've seen 25s and 45s from the mid noughties in a shocking state. I guess 75s would have had more careful attention and touching up jobs from their owners and that might explain why most owners seem happy on that score. My current car is a 1997 Rover 825 and although it has some cosmetic corrosion to the wheel arches, it's never needed welding for the MOT, despite the fact that I live in a salt-laden atmosphere less than a mile from the English Channel. I think most bodywork corrosion on any make of car can be greatly reduced by waxing the brightwork once or twice a year. My last car, a 1987 Ford Sierra was 16 years old before it needed welding, and that was just patching to the sills which cost £30 or so to have done.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 (giggles) The OP is DCI Barnaby and I claim my £5. How about a Vauxhall Labrador? (prize * for the one who can cite that reference) * there isn't actually a prize. I'm afraid I had a maroon Ford Granada like Alan Partridge too, but I have no connection with Norwich! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTMark Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I'm afraid I had a maroon Ford Granada like Alan Partridge too, but I have no connection with Norwich! Very good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Monk Posted July 28, 2013 Author Share Posted July 28, 2013 Just a quick follow-up, I did buy the Rover 75, for £2,800. Thanks for the help and advice, particularly being pointed to the Rover 75 forum. My Rover 825 sold for £205 on ebay and has gone to a restorer. I paid £1,300 for it eight years ago, meaning it cost me £2.63 a week to own over that time. I didn't want to scrap it because there are so few Rover Sterlings left now, in 10 years time it will be as unusual as a Rover SD1 is now, Hopefully we'll see it on the annual "Bucket and Spade Rally" in times to come. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Knimbies who say No Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Just a quick follow-up, I did buy the Rover 75, for £2,800. Thanks for the help and advice, particularly being pointed to the Rover 75 forum. My Rover 825 sold for £205 on ebay and has gone to a restorer. I paid £1,300 for it eight years ago, meaning it cost me £2.63 a week to own over that time. I didn't want to scrap it because there are so few Rover Sterlings left now, in 10 years time it will be as unusual as a Rover SD1 is now, Hopefully we'll see it on the annual "Bucket and Spade Rally" in times to come. Thanks again. The 75's a good looking motor Harry, hope you get it down to similar levels of depreciation as the 825 over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@contradevian Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Just a quick follow-up, I did buy the Rover 75, for £2,800. Thanks for the help and advice, particularly being pointed to the Rover 75 forum. My Rover 825 sold for £205 on ebay and has gone to a restorer. I paid £1,300 for it eight years ago, meaning it cost me £2.63 a week to own over that time. I didn't want to scrap it because there are so few Rover Sterlings left now, in 10 years time it will be as unusual as a Rover SD1 is now, Hopefully we'll see it on the annual "Bucket and Spade Rally" in times to come. Thanks again. I thought they did a pretty good job at making the Rover 800 fastback look like an updated version of the SD1. You never know I might run a Rover P6 again (I used to have three) but I haven't seen any on the roads for ages now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 The P6 was a good car of it's time! I've never been arrested by so many of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motch Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 £3,000 for a Rover 75 ? You do know you could buy a good car for that kind of money??? Or are you some sort of motoring masochist ? Just chatting to a mate who bought a 10 year old mint 3 series Beemer for £1500, petrol and maybe not what the OP is after, but £3k for a 55 plate Rover 75? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Monk Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 I paid less than book price for it, and it has a BMW engine anyway. Similarly, my truck, which is a Renault, has a Volvo engine and driveline but cost less than two-thirds of what a Volvo would have cost. I could have paid a lot less for a petrol engined, manual, poverty-spec Rover 75 but I wanted an automatic diesel Contemporary Hi-Line. I'm sure a BMW is a fine car but it wasn't what I wanted for various reasons, not least the cost of parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motch Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 I paid less than book price for it, and it has a BMW engine anyway. Similarly, my truck, which is a Renault, has a Volvo engine and driveline but cost less than two-thirds of what a Volvo would have cost. I could have paid a lot less for a petrol engined, manual, poverty-spec Rover 75 but I wanted an automatic diesel Contemporary Hi-Line. I'm sure a BMW is a fine car but it wasn't what I wanted for various reasons, not least the cost of parts. fair enough, hope it drives well and is a good-un. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Monk Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 Out of interest I did just look at some reviews for the BMW 3 series. For an 05 plate they are going for around £6,000+, over twice as much as an equivalent Rover 75. They use the same engines but BMW 3 series are vastly more unreliable than Rover 75's because BMW turbochargers were fitted with two internally-fitted screws, one of which had a tendency to drop off and take a trip around the engine, Rover fixed this problem when fitting their turbocharger. BMW's are fitted with Getrag autoboxes, Rovers are fitted with JATCO's. Both are good gearboxes but JATCO's are generally considered to best automatic gearboxes. You can look all over the internet and you'll never find a bad review for the Rover 75 although I do accept that they don't have BMW badges, I'm just too sensible to pay twice as much for a car just for the badge. If more people thought like that and recognised a good car then perhaps we might still have a car industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crashmonitor Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Just a quick follow-up, I did buy the Rover 75, for £2,800. Thanks for the help and advice, particularly being pointed to the Rover 75 forum. My Rover 825 sold for £205 on ebay and has gone to a restorer. I paid £1,300 for it eight years ago, meaning it cost me £2.63 a week to own over that time. I didn't want to scrap it because there are so few Rover Sterlings left now, in 10 years time it will be as unusual as a Rover SD1 is now, Hopefully we'll see it on the annual "Bucket and Spade Rally" in times to come. Thanks again. Anything with a cult following is liable to appreciate in the long run. I believe Rover have a big fan base in Australia. You look at stuff like ordinary minis and 2CV6 from the 80s and because of their unusual vintage looks they command prices as high as when they were new in nominal terms anyway. The Rover 75 was very popular with the elite back in the early noughties, it is bound to get cult status eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHERWICK Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 * there isn't actually a prize. You are Gordon Brown and I claim my £5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Loo Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Out of interest I did just look at some reviews for the BMW 3 series. For an 05 plate they are going for around £6,000+, over twice as much as an equivalent Rover 75. They use the same engines but BMW 3 series are vastly more unreliable than Rover 75's because BMW turbochargers were fitted with two internally-fitted screws, one of which had a tendency to drop off and take a trip around the engine, Rover fixed this problem when fitting their turbocharger. BMW's are fitted with Getrag autoboxes, Rovers are fitted with JATCO's. Both are good gearboxes but JATCO's are generally considered to best automatic gearboxes. You can look all over the internet and you'll never find a bad review for the Rover 75 although I do accept that they don't have BMW badges, I'm just too sensible to pay twice as much for a car just for the badge. If more people thought like that and recognised a good car then perhaps we might still have a car industry. I wouldnt buy a BMW on principle...overpriced, underspecced and overhere. I did buy a Merc 190 2.5Ltrs ( might have been a 2.6)..needed a new rear axle before 1000 miles and the large sterring wheel and odly placed pedals gave me earache...yes..earache. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTMark Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Just a quick follow-up, I did buy the Rover 75, for £2,800. Enjoy.. actually, I confuse some Rovers with Jaguars and vice-versa when I see them on the road. You are Gordon Brown and I claim my £5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spot Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Out of interest I did just look at some reviews for the BMW 3 series. For an 05 plate they are going for around £6,000+, over twice as much as an equivalent Rover 75. They use the same engines but BMW 3 series are vastly more unreliable than Rover 75's because BMW turbochargers were fitted with two internally-fitted screws, one of which had a tendency to drop off and take a trip around the engine, Rover fixed this problem when fitting their turbocharger. BMW's are fitted with Getrag autoboxes, Rovers are fitted with JATCO's. Both are good gearboxes but JATCO's are generally considered to best automatic gearboxes. You can look all over the internet and you'll never find a bad review for the Rover 75 although I do accept that they don't have BMW badges, I'm just too sensible to pay twice as much for a car just for the badge. If more people thought like that and recognised a good car then perhaps we might still have a car industry. I take back my comments! You got me interested enough to do some research and it seems like the 75 is not actually a bad little motor! And at the moment it's bargain-tastic, especially if you go for one of the big petrols. £1500 will buy you an excellent condition 2003 fully loaded estate with lots of toys, full leather, auto and the V6 2.5 engine with 70k miles. That's a lot of motor for the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 I take back my comments! You got me interested enough to do some research and it seems like the 75 is not actually a bad little motor! And at the moment it's bargain-tastic, especially if you go for one of the big petrols. £1500 will buy you an excellent condition 2003 fully loaded estate with lots of toys, full leather, auto and the V6 2.5 engine with 70k miles. That's a lot of motor for the money. The Rovers are not bad at all! They even did a 75 with a 4.6 Litre Ford engine and RWD! I guess that's known as a "sleeper". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Monk Posted August 7, 2013 Author Share Posted August 7, 2013 I take back my comments! You got me interested enough to do some research and it seems like the 75 is not actually a bad little motor! And at the moment it's bargain-tastic, especially if you go for one of the big petrols. £1500 will buy you an excellent condition 2003 fully loaded estate with lots of toys, full leather, auto and the V6 2.5 engine with 70k miles. That's a lot of motor for the money. It is, the two problems with the version you mentioned, the 2.5 litre KV6 engined version is that it is probably overdue a cambelt change, and that would be £800+ at an independent garage. I had the 825 with the same engine and in 2006, a Rover main dealer quoted me £1100 to have it done and also the road tax would probably be in one of the top two bands, meaning £425 or £475 a year for VED. VED on large petrol engined cars is extortionate nowadays, you can get an immaculate ten year old low mileage Jaguar X or S type with FJSH for about the same price, my mate has an S type but only because he is registered disabled and gets free VED. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Aw! Go with the V8 Harry, the savings on the cambelt will pay your VED for two years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 You need the V8 Harry! The money you save on Cambelts will pay the VED for two years!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Monk Posted August 7, 2013 Author Share Posted August 7, 2013 Yes, nice, there's one for sale here with only six miles on the clock, at £40,000 http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/news/marketplace/news-delivery-miles-rover-75-v8-for-sale/ Just the thing I'd buy if I ever had the wherewithal to build a car collection in a heated and de-humidified barn somewhere, but for now the oil-burner will have to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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