Dull 90's saloon: Rusty Rover

[Austin-Rover]

Last week on a Rover themed Facebook page, an ad appeared for a 420 SLi that needed a new home. The car was up for £100 and needed shifting from a haulage companies yard in Dewsbury. Before I really knew it, I was stood looking at it on Saturday morning and the money had changed hands. I've always had a massive aversion to 400/45 hatchbacks - as they look a bit naff, and if you wanted a five door hatch - you'd be really pissed it was the replacement for the previous 200 Series. However, 400/45 saloons - a different matter. They look the part in a way the hatch can't, and a 45 Diesel I ran a few years back was a superb car. I hope this 420 SLi should be quite a fun drive with the gutsy T-Series under the bonnet.

 

So what about it, then? It's been sat since last summer after the brakes went spongy. There's some scabby bits on the driver's rear arch but the bodywork is unmarked otherwise. The interior needs a good scrub and the correct stereo needs to be found on eBay. In the boot is the alloy with knackered tyre that should be where that horrid grey alloy is. The spare wheel is missing in action; whereabouts unknown. Also found in the boot are new discs and pads for all four wheels, which is my purchase price refunded I reckon!

 

A new battery saw it running quite happily, so once the brakes are sorted and it's got a presentable set of tyres it should be ready for an MoT. there's a few bits underneath to rub down and underseal and the scabby wheel arch might do until the weather perks up, but on the whole the signs are promising.

 

By the time I got it home, ran the Vax through the inside and gave it a wash it had gone dark, so there's only a couple of pictures from where it was parked on Saturday and today waiting for the recovery truck.

 

 

[LessThanEqual]

Loving the Seat Ibiza alloy.

[MarvinsMom]

the hatchback version of these look dreadful, where as the saloon, which had much more input from Rover look fab.

 

they did 20 years ago, and they still do now.

 

and the t-series engine is a cracking motor too,shame its not the turbo version. i don't think these ever got that engine....

 

so well done in buying this for next to nothing.

[Guest Hooli]

Great result with those discs & pads!

[Austin-Rover]

Loving the Seat Ibiza alloy.

 

Thanks for clearing that up!

[Twiggy]

Brilliant !

[Jim Bell]

Its all over rover, let austin rover take over.

[Partridge]

Top bombing! This place IS what it used to be.

[Lord Sterling]

I absolutely LOVE these 400s/45 saloons, you're right aswell, they do look classy compared to the 400/45 hatch. The one I borrowed a few years ago was great, Ok it was a Diesel but it was great, comfy, compact enough and economical. I had serious thoughts about buying it but even then with too many cars I decided against it. This was also around the time I had the KV6 Sterling.

 

[Lacquer Peel]

Class! I like the original number plates.

I had a 420i BASE for a bit, it was great, punchy engine and a decent steer.

[Austin-Rover]

Dull 90s saloon update;

 

Finally got it in the garage and over the pit to give it a once over. I had hoped that it'd be a pretty easy one to turn round and get on the road - especially as there's long term cars waiting for garage space. Over the weekend the 420 was squeezed in and expected not to take too long to do. Sadly, it's a bit more involved than fixing the brakes and putting some decent tyres on it. There was some crusty looking bits at the front of the sills, so off came the sill covers to revel some fixable and not too scary holes below both front wings, but also a very crusty looking n/s/f jacking point that to do a decent job would take a bit of work.

 

So, as it's a car I wasn't going to keep long term, and in light of the extra work required with this welding - it's on eBay for 50 quid in the hope that someone might want it for the T-Series engine. If someone on here wants it to fix it up and quotes 'I've seen it on Autoshite' then I shall waive the asking price and you can have it for free.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rover-420-T-Series-2-0-Petrol-Spares-or-Repairs-/172593750337?hash=item282f63a141:g:w9QAAOSwzgBY1rRD

 

 

 

 

[Hendry]

Gutted about the rust, looked a nice car!!

 

I agree about saloons, my uncle bought a 3 year old 1996 P reg 420SLI saloon in 1999, Kensington Green, sadly it was written off a few months later and be replaced it with a 1997 R reg 414S hatch in Nightfire Red, didn't look anything like as nice as the saloon and had nowhere near the same spec either.

[RoadworkUK]

I always thought the little Rover badges on the rear quarter sail-panels are the embodiment of class.