ruffgeezer Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Ok so as some of you know I recently bought this for £notalottadough Here I will record my thoughts on the ugly little thing. It's well used, abused and battered from it's time as an elderly farmer's daily, his residence is one with a narrow garage which has left it's mark on the Rover's plastic flanks. There is some superficial damage to the front bumper which extends to all the grilles having been removed, something I hope to remedy in the not too distant future. So what are the first impressions? This example has a K-Series 1.4 16v mill, which ordinarily would be ok in a car of this size. However in the case of the Streetwise, the designers decided to encumber the 200/25 with yet more plastic adornments as well as some rather flashy 16" alloy wheels. Progress can best be described as "steady" but not uncomfortably slow. What does put a damper on performance in the case of this example is the incredibly stiff gear selection between 1st and 2nd and also up into and out of 5th. Again with a bit of research I am hoping to have this addressed soon. The interior has stood up very well to the car's 117k, there is little wear to the steering wheel or seats, and a quirk of this model is that Rover decided to delete the middle rear seat in favour of an oddments tray, you have really got to wonder at the spectacular waste of time and money in such a thing when most people surely would have preferred the flexibility an extra seat would offer. I have read that the front seats are shared with the MG ZR and if this is the case, it may be prudent to swap the rear bench to a triple further along the line. Now I mentioned the front seats; they are rather sporty looking affairs with deep bolsters, but unfortunately that is where the "good" column ends, I have tried and failed to find a comfortable setting for these seats, I can only really describe them as nicely upholstered park benches. Once the new Berlingo to the fleet has had it's brakes fixed, a few running repairs on this one should see it fully match fit, I don't dislike the little Rover, but it may take some time for it to settle in to a predominantly French stable. Bren, Vince70, purplebargeken and 11 others 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Bo11ox Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I think you could get these with a proper rear seat or the cubby hole job like yours. If you find the gearbox has problems I have an IB5 from one of these you can have for £nowt, representing a £60 loss on my part Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 When these were new I found myself in the Rover showroom utterly confused by it. The salesman could not explain to me the purpose of the expanse of unpainted plastic and it's benefit over a regular 200/25 beyond "it's for exploring the urban environment" whatever that was supposed to mean. The whole car felt cheap, unfinished and generally nasty and none of the sales staff nor many of the customers seemed to know what to make of it. It just didn't seem to fit any purpose at all. Autoshite GOLD. I'm sure you'll get along famously with it and/or hate every moment of ownership. That said, if it's survived 117,000 miles and still looks just as naff as when it was new without looking utterly ruined it can't be that bad a vehicle overall. UltraWomble, purplebargeken, oldcars and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Bo11ox Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I like these BTW, I know they are serious project drive victims but I still think they look ace. Fit a 4WD system from a freelander for ultimate WINNAGE Talbotman, catsinthewelder, dugong and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HH-R Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 The facelift dash felt even cheaper... Quite a lot of the 1.4 25/SW had an 84 HP donkey instead of the full fat ~105 for insurance reasons (or maybe it was to further treat Rover like a red headed stepchild in favour of MG). The only difference is a restricted throttle body though, OMG+21BHPXTRA4PENNIEZ saucedoctor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordperv Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I wanted one of these so I could lower it to the floor with some Carlos fandango wheels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 I wanted one of these so I could lower it to the floor with some Carlos fandango wheels It's already got the silly wheels though. When these were new I found myself in the Rover showroom utterly confused by it. The salesman could not explain to me the purpose of the expanse of unpainted plastic and it's benefit over a regular 200/25 beyond "it's for exploring the urban environment" whatever that was supposed to mean. I think it occupies that weird sector of the market that completely missed it's target around that time. Ford's Fusion, the Streetwise, Fiat's Panda etc. They were all aimed at young people with all this "urban" shite in the adverts, when what they actually attracted were little old men called Bernard and his bobble hat wearing wife, Doris who couldn't get in an out of a normal height car due to her arthritic hip. If memory serves we changed it's headgasket and heater matrix around 4 years ago so it probably needs another headgasket now it should be all good for as long as I need it. Uncle Jimmy, UltraWomble and vulgalour 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean36014 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 For some weird reason I love these. A diesel version is on my want list at some point In The Pit and Lacquer Peel 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilko220 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 The godfather of the Citroen Cactus. Wonderfully horrid. dollywobbler, oldcars, inconsistant and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavcraft Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I honestly reckon these are superb looking cars. Joey spud, Lacquer Peel and In The Pit 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarvinsMom Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 i am so SO pleased that i am not alone in really liking these... but i is a sick sad person. catsinthewelder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Jimmy Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 For some weird reason I love these. A diesel version is on my want list at some pointThat is pervy. dean36014 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I honestly reckon these are superb looking cars. I don't disagree. There was one at Pride of Longbridge that had been 'slammed' and it looked ace (by which I mean standard suspension had been fitted). Mr A Lawrence 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UltraWomble Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Love em, but would have to rip the rear bench out and replace with a normal one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twosmoke300 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Diesel one for sale on gumtree down in cornwall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bell Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I think that's basically a Rover 25 gti. With all of the good bits taken off. And with more plastic. Verdict: could do better. Taff, inconsistant and alf892 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KruJoe Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Hands up who else thinks it looks like a girl's bag, what with those daft little handles roof bars on it. Jim Bergerac, Jim Bell, John F and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HH-R Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I'd never noticed that before, but yes, they look little and daft awesome. WOULD, in fact I looked for one not long ago but they all had mega mileage on. A testament that they are the best car in the real world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sterling Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 These are pretty good, I've driven a few. The last one I drove was a '04 plated Turbo Diesel. It drove fine, nowt spesh but was Ok, the seats weren't nice though, Recaro jobbies that cut too much into my sides. A fair amount of StreetWise and very late Rover 75s were 'KX' registered between '02 onwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I know they weren't sales successes but it seems a lot of manufacturers added plastic 'urban bits' 10 or so years ago to humdrum hatches to aid* sales; these must've sold by the barrow load compared to the VW Polo version (and perhaps other VAG ones too?). I'd never really noticed the fact that they had raised suspension before, strangely. Would be great to add this feature to a mid 90's 400 saloon with Streetwise steels for ultimate confusion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I know they weren't sales successes but it seems a lot of manufacturers added plastic 'urban bits' 10 or so years ago to humdrum hatches to aid* sales; these must've sold by the barrow load compared to the VW Polo version (and perhaps other VAG ones too?). I'd never really noticed the fact that they had raised suspension before, strangely. Would be great to add this feature to a mid 90's 400 saloon with Streetwise steels for ultimate confusion.Agreed - they even added plastic urban bits to the head gasket. Shep Shepherd 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr A Lawrence Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Drop a trophy 160 engine in it or even a 1.8vvc for extra pace!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Formula Autos Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 When these were new I found myself in the Rover showroom utterly confused by it. The salesman could not explain to me the purpose of the expanse of unpainted plastic and it's benefit over a regular 200/25 beyond "it's for exploring the urban environment" whatever that was supposed to mean. The whole car felt cheap, unfinished and generally nasty and none of the sales staff nor many of the customers seemed to know what to make of it. It just didn't seem to fit any purpose at all. Autoshite GOLD. Just change "Rover" to "Nissan", "unpainted plastic" to "fugly panels", and "200/25" to "Micra/Note" in the above statement and you have an elegant summary of the Juke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New POD Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 When these were new I found myself in the Rover showroom utterly confused by it. The salesman could not explain to me the purpose of the expanse of unpainted plastic and it's benefit over a regular 200/25 beyond "it's for exploring the urban environment" whatever that was supposed to mean. The whole car felt cheap, unfinished and generally nasty and none of the sales staff nor many of the customers seemed to know what to make of it. It just didn't seem to fit any purpose at all. Autoshite GOLD. I'm sure you'll get along famously with it and/or hate every moment of ownership. That said, if it's survived 117,000 miles and still looks just as naff as when it was new without looking utterly ruined it can't be that bad a vehicle overall. I saw one in the car park at Rolls Royce in Derby, that had been lowered, (probably fitted with MG version of suspension) and it looked quite reasonable. I guess that with a different version of the K series, and a 100 BHP more it would be a frantastic q car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skut Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I was one of those obsessive MGR watchers at the time so test drove a brand new Streetwise. It drove like any Rover 200 25 but remember some of the new interior appointments once you delved into them seemed to have a lot of exposed screwheads. Felt a bit heath robinson. I secretly lusted after a trophy yellow one with steelies. Jim Bell 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 It's currently off the road until the new month starts, I had been making use of the "get you home tax" until I checked it's status again this morning, a week without my Rover... It'd better not piss all over the drive whilst I'm at work. MarvinsMom 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Reverend Bluejeans Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Plastic arches are for winners. Arch rust? Where? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarvinsMom Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 It's currently off the road until the new month starts, I had been making use of the "get you home tax" until I checked it's status again this morning, a week without my Rover... It'd better not piss all over the drive whilst I'm at work. my little (austin) rovers do this, and some of the larger cars do it too, i think that they are just marking their territory. saucedoctor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saucedoctor Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 That car, with engine & chassis number ending 762, should be the 105BHP donk. Check that the throttle body is opening all the way (flap horizontal). Cable might just be slack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 Should I be worried about how much you know about it? Did you know I've rubbed some linseed oil into it's plastic bits? Fuck knows why, most of them are scuffed to buggery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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