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1994 Rover 414SLi - Fin.


vulgalour

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On the hottest day in recorded history (probably), I couldn't work indoors because I was sticking to everything.  Instead I worked outside and nearly died instead.  Wanted to replace the front wing and remove the bumper to paint it.  Just as well I did, there was crud hiding.

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Old wing off.  This is still repairable so I'm not binning it.

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Bet the neighbours loved this.  Nobody complained to my face at least.

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June

I finally got the trim inserts re-wrapped in gold Duck Tape to go with the new colour scheme.  Brave move, I reckon it was worth it.

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Got everything buttoned up and happy just in time for the club stand at Preston Park show.

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Where I jump-started a Trabant Kombi on the show field.  This wasn't a publicity stunt, though I'd recommend it if you do want to draw a crowd.  Try to stand upwind of the two-stroke smoke!  I didn't.

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And finally... to bring us up to date.  A couple of days ago Mike and I had time to attempt to do the exhaust.  That's when I found out the catalytic converter I've got is the wrong fittings on one end but otherwise the same so I couldn't install it.  It's completely gone now too, the old one, so I'm basically de-catted.  I will sort this, I'm just loathe to pay Rimmer's prices for a replacement and nobody else seems to stock the correct one new.  I need the type with a stretched triangle shaped flange on the downpipe end.

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We could do the backbox and all the exhaust hanger rubbers were in really good shape.  Off with the old, on with the new.  No more mind-numbing drone from the backbox.  Bliss at speeds in excess of 50mph.

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I'd ordered a lower gearbox stay to replace the worn one fitted and eliminate the vibration I'm getting.  Rimmer's sent me an upper engine stay for a 2ltr T series.  It's been that long since I bought it that I can't send it back.  Super.  It does fit but the exhaust knocks on the crossmember something fierce because it's slightly too long so I refitted the tired original.  I'll either modify the new stay or swap the bushes into the old stay.  It is a job you can do on the drive fairly easily if you've got an axle stand.

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Added antiroll bar bushes to my list of niggles as these are past their best now.

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aaand that's you up to date.  Rover hasn't really been too bad the things that are bugging me are basically in the realm of new car niggles rather than crusty old banger problems.  It's pretty much sorted now, as well it ought to be, I'm just having a little bit of difficulty with some parts sourcing like the exhaust part.

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Cracking update, nice to see it!! I kinda like what youve done with it, its different but not too out there, only negative for me is I dislike 3 spoke alloys, but that aside, cracking job, I do love reading your thread updates!!

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I really do like what you've done with the white and gold.

For it to look good all the time though, I expect it needs to always be kept clean, but knowing you, that's not going to be a problem!

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It's not too bad to keep clean, surprisingly.  The only thing I've really noticed is not having the mudflaps means you here the dirt and such pinging off the doors so I'll see if I can repair them and refit them.  They just need some washers bonding in where the fixing holes have torn through.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 weeks later...

My Photobucket is dead so you'll have to bear with me while I get all the pictures rehosted, that's going to take time.  From this point on I'm using Flikr who I hope don't pull the same stunt in the future.

 

Krujoe (Joe) Mike_knight (Mike) helped out with my motoring misadventures yet again when it was arranged we go over and raid as much useful stuff as we could from what was once my brother's 216 and the half-a-200 Joe had sitting in a sheep field for years.  Both cars had already helped out lots of others, including my own and now after at least five years the time to move them on had finally come.  This was pretty much a carcass strip.  Mike's Rover 75 would be providing stuff moving services and since it had a towbar, Joe had kindly offered loan of his box trailer should we need the extra space.  Things were a little hindered by the camera shy sheep in the field and the poop you had to step around but it was a pleasant enough way to spent an afternoon.

36338521900_4fb999818d_b.jpg20170820-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Joe made pretty light work of pretty much everything and Mike got on with things in the background between TERRIBLE puns.  I'm sure he breached the Geneva Convention with some of them.  Before too long we had taken everything we could that was of any value at all.  Unfortunately much of the mechanical stuff was just impossible to get off, a combination of sheep poop, old fixings and working outside in a field.  The engine bay had already been picked of quite a few bits and while it still does have a very good Honda engine and gearbox, there was no way for us to remove it and I haven't really got any use for it.

36338521380_80b9fd529f_b.jpg20170820-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Another hitch was that we couldn't get the 75 into the field with the surprisingly heavy trailer attached so had to ferry things down to it instead, which showed up how unfit I am.  Had the grass not been so long and wet and the 75 hadn't been a front wheel drive car with slightly rubbish tyres I reckon we could have done it.

36338521590_791bc17e32_b.jpg20170820-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

We did need the trailer.  There was just too much stuff to go in and on the 75 and a lot of it was awkward shapes.  We stopped off for something to eat on the way home and were looking forward to a Little Chef something-and-chips, which is always good, but their tills were broken so they were shut.  We had to have Burger King, which was pretty disappointing.  On the plus side, there were loads of bunnies hopping about and while my pictures of them didn't come out, this picture did.

36338521130_00da700de0_b.jpg20170820-04 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

The drive home then took forever.  Roadworks and two road closures were already slowing things down and then we saw blue lights in the distance and the road we were on got closed.  There'd been an accident bad enough that at least 2 ambulances, a fire engine and a police car were attending.  There was a guy in a Jag going down the row of cars telling people what had happened and to turn around but for some reason he completely ignored us, bit strange.  Mike heroically managed to turn the whole rig around in one go without getting stuck in the verges.  It took a very long time to get home so it wasn't until the following day that we could get things unloaded.  Brilliantly, during the unloading I managed to twist my bad knee so it wasn't until today I could properly go through what had been got and take stock.

 

It was a lot of stuff.  Of note are that I now have four decent doors in better condition than mine and the same colour, this will deal with my one badly scratched window and my other rear door that's badly car park dented.  It should also sort out my slightly damaged rubbing strip.  There was a manky looking rear 200 seat and the brackets so I'm going to see just how different a 200 and 400 rear seat really is and what exactly might stop me from fitting a fold-down rear seat in my car.  If I had a fold-down rear seat it would solve the one practicality issue it has, so I'm hoping the shells aren't drastically different.  I also got a far better carpet from the 216 than is in my car, in the same colour and just in need of a deep clean to get rid of a few rust marks and mustiness from being sat in a field for so long.  The last thing of note is that Joe liberated the cable release mechanism and cables for the boot/tailgate and petrol flap, I'm planning to put these in the Princess, the only thing I have to figure out there is the lock mechanism since it's the other way around (lock in the boot rather than the car) to the Rover.

36687713676_2ce99f4cb7_b.jpg20170822-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

36338508990_2fe361ac46_b.jpg20170822-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

36338508710_17fd57d133_b.jpg20170822-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Some of the stuff grabbed was for the R8 club members that shouted up for stuff and a lot of the trim items particularly aren't really of use to me.  Hopefully they'll go on to help other people keep their R8s on the road.

 

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It's a good haul.

I didn't think there was still so much of use left on it!

 

Tam hasn't come back to me about the engine yet, but I won't weigh that in with the shell... it should be easy enough to drop out from where it is when the time comes, and could be squirrelled away somewhere.

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There's actually something else I need which both cars still have, I'm just not sure how to go about removing them.  If I'd known I needed them on the last visit I'd've grabbed them.  Essentially, it's the seat side plastic trims and possibly part of the bodywork that the latches bolt to if those bits unbolt like they do on the saloon... here's an update to explain why.

 

Back seat out.  Simple enough, it's just four bolts and both halves lift out of their sockets.

36566658952_171670c375_b.jpg20170822-09 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

The only treasure I found was more glass cubes, a knife and a 2p coin.

36566656262_f376290194_b.jpg20170822-10 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Tried the spare 200 seat to see what the fit was like.  Unsurprisingly it's not too bad.  I am missing the bolt holes that hold both halves in place, also unsurprisingly, and the shape of the seat is different on the edges.

36597156621_9f66f9da6b_b.jpg20170822-12 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

From the boot side it's pretty good too.

36566658232_c9a69c659c_b.jpg20170822-13 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

On the 200/hatchback, there's a plastic trim that covers this area where on the 400/saloon it's a smaller plastic trim because this is covered by the slightly wider seat.

36597156411_2313022c82_b.jpg20170822-14 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

With the seat folded down there's plenty of room for it to work as it should.  You can see the red diagonal braces, these aren't welded to the body as expected but instead bolt on.  The seat latch location does line up with them so I could just fit the latches to them but if the panel unbolts in the hatchback it would be easier to just swap it over.  I didn't check so I don't know.

36566657682_47003844e4_b.jpg20170822-15 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

THIS is why I want a folding rear seat.  It would make the car so much more practical for me.  It's a good load chute size and most of the longer bits of cars and furniture and whatnot I've not been able to get in the boot, I would with this extra space.  It's a split folding seat back too (one-piece base though) so I could even take long stuff and a rear passenger if I needed to.

36597156061_02c48f8706_b.jpg20170822-16 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

The bolt holes for the rear seat back brackets are not present on the saloon.  Not a problem, captive nuts can be welded in without too much trouble.

36566657092_462b315a0b_b.jpg20170822-17 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

My thumb is about where the seat back latches need to be fixed.  Again, I can just weld captive nuts to the braces if need be here unless the brace panel equivalent on the hatchback is removable, of course.

36597155721_fbba8b8b16_b.jpg20170822-18 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

I'm also missing the locating pegs for the rear seat bases, I'm hoping they unbolt from the hatchback, if not I'll chop the relevant bit out and weld it to the saloon.

36597155421_c1e6d22b37_b.jpg20170822-19 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

In theory, a folding rear seat can be done but you do need to do some minor modifications to the saloon bodyshell.  I'm hoping I can swap the fabric and foam from my saloon seat to the hatchback frames and retain the centre arm rest thus keeping it all looking just as Rover intended.  We shall see.

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Tam hasn't come back to me about the engine yet, but I won't weigh that in with the shell... it should be easy enough to drop out from where it is when the time comes, and could be squirrelled away somewhere.

 

The injectors are missing, as is part of the inlet, and the IAT (hard to get hold of but I still have one that I have no use for). Old Man might have buggered up some of the wiring too, you saw what he did to the IAT screws.

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That's minor stuff, Ghosty, but worth mentioning if someone needs it as a running unit. Dizzy has gone, too. As it is, it's still a good, complete, low mileage engine. It has been kept dry, but hasn't run in a while.

 

Angyl, I'll pop out now and see if I can photograph what you need. It's a shame Mike came back and returned the trailer already!

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Here are some images which may be of interest:

 

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There's a bracket with locating pins missing from here:
 
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I had a good rummage around, including in my various boxed of reclaimed brackets and random tat. Nada. Sorry.

 

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I have a pair of these panels unbolted from the blue breaker. They may be useful.

 

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This a is a seat locating peg, you could replicate it by welding a bolt to your wheel-arch.

 

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Or have these ones... up to you. :-)

 

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I think another visit to Castle Cleland is in order when I can find the time.

 

Looking at those photos, everything I need is there and shouldn't be too difficult to swap.  If the same panels as unbolted from the blue one can unbolt from the red one that would be ideal.  I think the parcel shelf sits higher in the saloon than the hatchback so they will likely need a little modification but may well bolt in on the same locations.  That central missing bracket isn't actually missing, what you've got there is the captive bolts I need to put on the saloon body, the pressing they're in looks the same so I could chop that out and graft it into the saloon so the folding seat its properly.  If the side locating pegs can be chopped out that would be nicer to weld into the saloon, if not I'll go with the welded-on-bolts suggestion instead.

 

The only other bit I realised the saloon doesn't have is the captive bolts for the seat base hinges.

 

It looks very doable.  If I come over at some point with tools in the saloon it can all be compared a bit easier.  I doubt I'll get the saloon into the field though, I've not got a lot of ground clearance compared to last time.

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Yeah most moderns with a folding rear seat the base doesnt tip, just the backrest, my old mans mk4 Mondeo does, my Jetta doesnt, nor did the Vectra Cs. If the base is flat enough it often makes very little difference, the only bastard ones are ones where the base doesnt fold down and is angled so when the backrest is folded down ontop of it, it sits angled towards the roof making it a lot less practical. 

 

Im actually a bit shocked that even the backrest was fixed in place and not folding at all on the Rover, most saloon cars ive seen have a folding backrest, even the 1991 Orion my old man had years ago did, so wouldve thought the R8 saloons wouldve. 

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Not even a ski-hatch on the saloon :(

 

That is poor, when the hatch version of the car so clearly does, it wouldve made far more sense to have 1 set design for both saloon and hatch, if nothing else to reduce on costs of designing 2 different sets of metalwork for the seats, 2 different lots of seats, seat frames and so on. 

 

It must be one of next to no cars made within the last 30years to have no way of folding the backrest at all. It does slightly remind me of my old Corsa C in that any upto about 2004 even on lower spec but particularly SXI spec like mine, all had 60/40 split backrests and bases, my 55 plate they had both been made one piece folding with Vauxhall charging extra for the privilege of them being 60/40 split. 

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Tilting seat bases are handy though, they didn't tip up on my volcane zx because volcane, so the seat back sort of folded half forward, was quite annoying.

 

The only time I carried something massive in the xantia (3 seater sofa) I unbolted the seat base to give a good few inches of extra room so the tailgate would rope down a bit lower! In the gooner the base is held on with 2 clips so just pull out, I had them out for shitefest so the seat backs would go fully flat for my airbed, will do the same for the field of dreams in September too!

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I also used to remove the seat squab in order to achieve a fully flat load area. This was in my Hyundai, the seat squab just un-clipped and came out easy until the clips broke and it came out even easier! Then the release button broke so only the 60% side folded down, then it broke and I was forced to un-bolt the passenger seat for any large items.

 

I once had to transport some lengths of PVC pipe so I removed the glovebox, passenger seat and seat squab so the boot lid would close.

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