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1994 Rover 414SLi - Fin.


vulgalour

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Images fixed up to page 9

I bought a new car.  I was after a two door without a sunroof and a petrol engine that was on the small side.  This new car is only some of those things.
37408851845_41e5073988_z.jpg20150720-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

It was an extremely short notice thing.  Chompy and I were browsing Gumtree and ringing buyers of cars who had sold their cheapy vehicles or had scrapped them and were just about to give up.  Then we spotted this one for £275 with MoT until April next year (and a clean sheet with no advisories!).  It was a 2 and a half hour drive away but we took the chance on it.
 
The drive home was entirely uneventful.  It might only be a 1.4 kettle but by crikey it's surprising.  Did about 130 miles on under £20 of unleaded.
37266410451_e634bd281b_z.jpg20150720-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr
 
The bad bits are restricted to a weeping radiator, a bust electric mirror, finicky remote central locking, loads of lacquer peel and wheels that are jiggly at 65mph.  It may also need tracking.  There's evidence of K Seal in the expansion bottle but no evidence of OMGHGF and it's done 104,000 miles.  The clutch drags a bit when you're doing less than 10mph so that will either need adjusting or replacing.  To drive it's excellent, it feels like a forever car because it's such a great fit for me.  I do like R8 Rovers and the saloon is the one shape I didn't think I'd get.
 
I am VERY happy with it.
 
Toys include:
- electric tilt and slide sunroof
- electric front windows
- remote central locking (one door doesn't really work)
- factory alarm immobiliser that does work, as I found out in the service station
- Remote boot and fuel filler flap release
- Adjustable steering column
- Xplod CD player but the original Rover radio and code too, happily
 
I'm looking forward to giving it the proper clean and showing you the car properly tomorrow.  It's been a while since I got quite this excited about a purchase.

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CHA CHING

37408851605_6470c1c604_z.jpg20150721-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

It has some rust, nothing serious and all sortable.

36597032783_d16fdcc513_z.jpg20150721-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

This is the worst bit, it needs a couple of about 3" patches let in.  Someone has bodged it when it was a tiny bleb by the looks of things and while it looks ugly it's arrested further rust development.

37408835555_1e19b6811a_z.jpg20150721-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

The roof looks like post-sunburn peeling skin.  I'm considering painting the roof gloss black.

36597032573_922ecfdb4a_z.jpg20150721-04 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Lacquer peel on the bumper and fade on the plastics.  Considering smoked rear lights  here too just to smooth things out a bit.

36597032283_41f5963e9a_z.jpg20150721-05 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Coating on one of the rear window trims is lifting.  Not sure how to resolve this just yet, don't really want to take it back to shiny metal, I'd rather it be all black.

36597031923_6870503cc4_z.jpg20150721-06 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Really minor bubbles on the rear drivers door.  This is also the door that the central locking doesn't properly work on.

36597031723_cca6a25734_z.jpg20150721-07 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

More lacquer peel, the photograph is really flattering to it.

36597031553_7ffe348408_z.jpg20150721-08 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

The bonnet is buggered complete with lacquer peel and a dented corner.  I'll probably replace it with another red bonnet.  I hate the grille, I want to kill it with hammers, just not quite yet.

36597031293_f83ef83048_z.jpg20150721-09 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

36597031073_83c5c5e5ab_z.jpg20150721-10 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

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It has the best interior, really comfortable and in reasonably good order. Grimy in the usual places and in need of a Vulgalour.  It feels a lot like a modernised Montego inside.

37408850285_fff6e1a700_z.jpg20150721-11 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

37408850105_b75c3015d6_z.jpg20150721-12 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

37408835395_c0799dd7a2_z.jpg20150721-13 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

37408849895_3c01cda32e_z.jpg20150721-14 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Top corner of the front driver's door card corner has collapsed, not sure I can repair it so I might need a new door card.

37408849745_9911f92b94_z.jpg20150721-15 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Spectacular repair to the passenger electric mirror which doesn't work and shows me an excellent view of the road just to the right of the car and nothing else.

37408849645_dccbb4e1a7_z.jpg20150721-16 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Looks a bit tired, but then so would you after 107,000 miles and 21 years.

37408849465_18072a55de_z.jpg20150721-17 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Those wheel trims!  More hammer time, I think.  Could do with losing just a bit of arch gap too, and maybe some nice period alloys.

37408849305_ce6402ef72_z.jpg20150721-18 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Just after taking this last shot I was asked by the new neighbours if I was selling it.  I have never been asked if one of my cars is for sale before.  Clearly, it's a highly desirable vehicle.  Or the new neighbour is a chancer of the highest order.

37408849135_085088b177_z.jpg20150721-19 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

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It was originally serviced in Hinckley before moving to Loughborough and then to Beeston, where I bought it.

 

I'm thinking that the clutch isn't at fault after a drive with fresh everything today but more likely a dragging brake so we'll inspect those.  The brakes themselves are superb, I was expecting them to be absolutely appalling.

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Relax, it's a Rover. Once that's been Vulgarised it will look like a new one!

 

To put it in perspective, my monthly travel card from home to work (actual distance 20 miles) costs £325 and I know I would rather be in that Rover than on the district line every day

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Well done, should be a pretty reliable little runaround.  Looks good too - well, it will once those wheeltrims have gone.  Personally, I reckon these are the best for those cars but not sure if the R8 400 ever came with them:

 

$_57.JPG

 

I know what you mean about the grill, too.  It looks like an afterthought on these cars, the earlier ones are so much cleaner and prettier.  I'm almost tempted to un-facelift the 220.

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I've unbolted the grille and removed the wheel trims.  I've found the 'dragging item' is on the front driver's wheel, possibly a slightly warped disc going by how it goes "skoosh" at one reliable point in rotation.  Now the Vulgalouring BEGINS.

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