Another day, another motor offered...

[r.welfare]

Those of you who read my V6 Mond thread will remember I mentioned viewing a 99T Rover 800 Sterling today. Well, I've been offered it for nowt, but am questioning whether or not to take it on...Firstly I got the engine/box combo wrong - it's actually a 2-litre with manual box, which must be f-ing rare on the Sterling saloon and probably quite desirable at the shite level (maximum MPG and bumpstartability). 72k on the clock, 3 owners from new (the last since 2 years old), a fair smattering of history too, silver with blue electric leather.The bodywork is covered in moss but actually, a good poke and prod (ooerr) revealed only a missing retaining clip for the fuel filler flap (so it flaps in the breeze), and some rather large rust holes on the filler panel below the windscreen.Mechanically things are not so rosy - although I am assured that the gearbox does not sound like a Moulinex Magimix in 1st and 2nd, which is a plus. Perusal of the paperwork identified the last MOT fail certificate (from April - the car has sat on the owners' driveway since then), which notes the following:- Major leak of gases from front and rear exhausts- Insufficient reserve travel of parking brake lever, both sides also recording little or no effort- Two buggered tyres (one bald, one egg-shaped)- Both front anti-roll bar bushes deteriorated- Emissions untested due to exhaustAdvisories were nail in another tyre, battery not secured (right enough, there's no fixing bracket) and "CV boots perished", whatever that means (I thought if they were torn, it's a fail...).So. I have asked the current owner (boyfriend of wife's friend) to charge up the battery and at least try and get the car moving off the drive (which will hopefully free up the handbrake which has now seized on), so I can return to the car next weekend and have a quick blezz up and down their private track (ahem), and get it up in the air. Did I mention the car is 50 miles away? Kind of stretching the ol' Road Traffic Act loophole for insuring it then driving it to a prebooked MOT (which I know it's going to fail).Tyres, roll bar bushes and handbrake (if it just cables or pads) sound DIYable, the exhaust will probably be a fast-fit job, then it's try another ticket time. But is it worth it? I don't really have the need for the car, it just pains me to see a R800 in quite good nick (bodily at least) to get thrown away. Other downsides include the fact that it doesn't appear to have had a cambelt change, and I've no idea whether any of the electrics work...Your thoughts please! (Pictures will, once again, follow at some point when I can be arsed).

[wuvvum]

some rather large rust holes on the filler panel below the windscreen.

I don't think I've ever seen an 800 that didn't have rust holes in the filler panel below the windscreen. I'd say it's well worth taking on - a decent 820 is a very pleasant thing to drive, and the fact that it's a top-of-the-line late model is an added bonus. With a good clean up and a year's ticket it should make getting on for a monkey on the Bay so there's probably some profit to be had too if you decided not to keep it.

[VWPowered]

wouldnt touch it unles it was top of the range, or coupe..

[Torsten2001]

I wouldn't hesitate, it'll be a cracker!

[Milford Cubicle]

wouldnt touch it unles it was top of the range, or coupe..

Well, Sterling is the top of the range.How do 800s drive with the 2.0 n/a engine?

[Owain-328i]

Its free! whats to think about? As long as you can store it FOC, it can all be repaired at home bar the tyres. If it turns out to be a total crock, it will break on ebay for good cash, especially with the electric leather! Or just sell it on complete on ebay as spares repairs and have yourself a night out

[nigel bickle]

Pretty much in agreement with Owain. Can't seeing it costing a lot to sort, and in these straightened times, I feel an oncoming rush to cheapness by a larger proportion of the general populus.So -if you've the space, inclination and a little cash to sort -why not? However, its down to your personal taste really.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Sounds great to me. Lets see some pics!

[r.welfare]

I did take a really poor picture on my phone, spent about an hour last night trying to get the computer to communicate with it, only to realise it was tiny and blurry, plus I only got the front wing and bonnet in. Doh!Really on the fence with this one. Not really a question of £, more inclination.Plus sides: Rare car, too young to die really, would probably find a ready buyer with a Rover perv or small-time pub landlord, alternatively would make a good smoker to offset the "ulitarian nature" of the 405s, Mrs W seems happy with me spending some time on it.Minus sides: Feel dead guilty taking anything on when I should be spending time with my 13wk old daughter, car needs quite a lot of work, it's 50 miles away and really I'd prefer to get it back here before doing too much but no A-frame or road tax on it, not classic insurable so I'd probably need to take out a trade policy to cover this and t'405 wagon.Will get it up in the air in a week or two and spend a day fiddling with the handbrake and assessing the exhaust, plus seeing if there is anything else it needs. Will then report back!

[Cavcraft]

On the minus side it's a Rover which automatically means it'll be shite, but on the plus side they're bloody nice to drive and that MOT fail list doesn't look too bad. Got to be worth doing I'd have thought. Can't you put junior in a car seat and spend kwolity time with her while you mend the Rover? I know what you mean though, and you can never get missed time with the kids back so make the most of every opprtunity you get I say.

[r.welfare]

Mrs W has allowed a half-day for me to spanner on it on a future Saturday, so she can take Jnr to the nearby (to where the car is) shopping emporium that is Gunwharf Quays But I will get a better idea then. Good job I still have the 820 Haynes manual kicking around!

[Torsten2001]

This might be a long shot but I have my recovery fella picking up a Subaru in Wiltshire tomorrow, he has space for a car so may be able to pick up the 800 for a bargain price, his name's Scott and he can be got on 07768 213630

[r.welfare]

Probably a bit tight timewise as I need to assess whether it's a viable fixer before I get it back here, but cheers - going to try and do as much as poss. in situ before probably doing an MOT locally.

[garethj]

Ah, the Rover 800. Like an Austin Ambassador for the 90s, although 80 year olds love them tooElectrics can be very dodgy so I'd certainly get it running before you commit to anything. Swapping out ECUs and checking bad connections saps the life force from you very quickly. The cylinder head gasket might have gone, but they also had the trick of the heads being a bit porous so if you've got one of those sniffer things to put in the header tank it's worth checking.They're ok to drive, I spent a fair bit of time in a 2 litre 16V and it went ok. Quite comfortable, would do 120ish, handling a bit wallowy but still alright to punt around corners.

[Lord Sterling]

Those of you who read my V6 Mond thread will remember I mentioned viewing a 99T Rover 800 Sterling today. Well, I've been offered it for nowt, but am questioning whether or not to take it on...

 

Firstly I got the engine/box combo wrong - it's actually a 2-litre with manual box, which must be f-ing rare on the Sterling saloon and probably quite desirable at the shite level (maximum MPG and bumpstartability). 72k on the clock, 3 owners from new (the last since 2 years old), a fair smattering of history too, silver with blue electric leather.

 

The bodywork is covered in moss but actually, a good poke and prod (ooerr) revealed only a missing retaining clip for the fuel filler flap (so it flaps in the breeze), and some rather large rust holes on the filler panel below the windscreen.

 

Mechanically things are not so rosy - although I am assured that the gearbox does not sound like a Moulinex Magimix in 1st and 2nd, which is a plus. Perusal of the paperwork identified the last MOT fail certificate (from April - the car has sat on the owners' driveway since then), which notes the following:

 

- Major leak of gases from front and rear exhausts

- Insufficient reserve travel of parking brake lever, both sides also recording little or no effort

- Two buggered tyres (one bald, one egg-shaped)

- Both front anti-roll bar bushes deteriorated

- Emissions untested due to exhaust

 

Advisories were nail in another tyre, battery not secured (right enough, there's no fixing bracket) and "CV boots perished", whatever that means (I thought if they were torn, it's a fail...).

 

So. I have asked the current owner (boyfriend of wife's friend) to charge up the battery and at least try and get the car moving off the drive (which will hopefully free up the handbrake which has now seized on), so I can return to the car next weekend and have a quick blezz up and down their private track (ahem), and get it up in the air. Did I mention the car is 50 miles away? Kind of stretching the ol' Road Traffic Act loophole for insuring it then driving it to a prebooked MOT (which I know it's going to fail).

 

Tyres, roll bar bushes and handbrake (if it just cables or pads) sound DIYable, the exhaust will probably be a fast-fit job, then it's try another ticket time.

 

But is it worth it? I don't really have the need for the car, it just pains me to see a R800 in quite good nick (bodily at least) to get thrown away. Other downsides include the fact that it doesn't appear to have had a cambelt change, and I've no idea whether any of the electrics work...

 

Your thoughts please! (Pictures will, once again, follow at some point when I can be arsed).

Sorry I missed this thread due not being arsed to get onto the computer these days.

 

Having read your item on the Rover 820, I'd say go for it, I've never worked on a 2.0 as I've always had 2.7's.

 

Most parts from what I have seen are mostly easy bolt-on/off especially the filler panel underneath the winscreen, which is basically about 4 screws and it pops off, you can get a filler panel from the scrappy or join a rover forum like http://www.rover800.info if you get stuck with anything or need parts, there are quite a few fella's on there who have more Rover 800 parts than Rover themselves ever had.

 

As for the electrics they are pretty easy, if something doesnt work be it Windos/sunroof/seats etc... its usually down to the the fuses or at worst the fusebox which quite often may need re-soldering, or the mechanisms/motors which can easily be changed over.

 

If you decide not to take/keep the car then visit the Rover site or pass me the pics and I'll see if I can generate interest, at least then it will still go to a good home, theres usually some guys on there who'll be up for a challenge.

 

Good luck and let me know what you decided to do.

 

Lord Sterling

[r.welfare]

Aha Lord Sterling, was hoping you'd pop up! Yes, I really need to join rover800.info.Know all about the fuseboxes and window motors from my previous 800.Need to do some thinking, and poss. jiggling around with insurance - as the 405 Hunter is now 15 years old, should be able to (hopefully) pop it on a classic policy and free up my 2nd "main" policy for the R800 - if it's viable to fix, of course. Seems a bit excessive to take out a trade policy really, as I need my 405 saloon to be on a separate policy with Class 1 business fully comp, for work purposes (or else I can't get my 40p/mile) and I'm unlikely to ever go above 3 cars in my "fleet"...

[Lord Sterling]

TBH if it feels right to take this car under your wing, then take it, otherwise you will always be pondering what could have been, I know I have felt like that before, I've always wanted a Mk1 Sterling and missed out on a few good offers due to me not wanting to handle 2 cars as space was always issue with me as I don’t have a drive, garage or access to any private land to store my acquisitions.

 

I pulled my finger out and got myself a garage, the car doesn’t really fit as you have to take the front bumper off to store it, but it’s definitely worth it.

 

Sometimes it stretch you financially, I should know, got made redundant recently and having 3 cars is really stretching me, but its worth it sometimes. There’s nothing like getting the good feeling of giving an otherwise good solid car another fresh new lease of life.

 

However as I said, if you decided not to have it I know guys who'll give it a good home, there are quite few peole over at te rover forum looking for an 800.

 

Lord Sterling

[AnthonyG]

I had a 820 Si with the 2 litre engine and found it a very comfortable car, and a nice motorway cruising car in particular. Didn't know they did 2 litre Sterlings, but given it's a T reg, it may be an end of line special!Sounds worth rescuing, sounds a better bet than tha last free 800 you had! Good luck with it anyway On the subject of cheap cruisers, an L reg BMW 730i with some MOT sold last week at a local auction for £85! It was fairly tatty and took ages to start due to a combination of a flat battery & unhappy immobiliser - but it shows how the collaspe in scrap prices has affected the bottom end of the market.

[r.welfare]

Well the 405 estate is now on a classic policy (£170 fully comp) so the 2nd "main" policy could be potentially freed up for the Sterling. It's probably going to need new calipers, discs and pads on the back to get that handbrake working again though, so need to do some sums.It seems Rover introduced the 2-litre Sterling in '96, when the last 800 revisions were made. Although registered on 28 June '99, it's a 1998 model (from deciphering the VIN) as that was the last year of production. Probably around 3,000 cars from the last built looking at the numbers in the VIN, mind you the current owner has an 825 Sterling coupe that is registered on a V-plate so that must have been standing in a compound even longer...production of 1998MY cars was just over 6,000 according to Wikipedia. I reckon 95%+ of those were sold in this country by that stage.Mind-bogglingly enough, the first owner wasn't actually Rover themselves but a private individual. One wonders how close to the £23,870 list price they paid...and why on earth manual transmission was specified on a fairly sybaritic carriage such as this (perhaps foreseeing the shite benefits it conveys?). Given that there were so many better cars available for similar money - E39 5-series and W210 E-Class to name but two, let alone a facelift Omega - the Rover name must have been a strong lure to get the first owner to part with a large cheque.

[Milford Cubicle]

Could you get such a luxurious BMW 5-series or Mercedes E-class for that kind of coin though? More likely a near base spec one.Which classic insurance provider does cover for 15 year old cars?P.S. Pics of the Sterling please.

[r.welfare]

Heritage (Norton) Insurance are the folks to call. I now have all the documents through, so let's hope they haven't made a boob - ISTR they agreed to insure my Belmont as a classic many moons ago before realising their mistake a couple of weeks later...Bear in mind that I have restrictions on the policy (3,000 miles, no business use) that may not mean they are so competitive for a "main use" car > 15 years old; but it's still £100 less than I pay for the saloon which has the benefit of my 7yr NCB, but with added unrestricted mileage and Class 1 business.