Rover 213 love

[Station]

Has anyone owned one of these?

 

 

There don't seem to be too many about - purely because I think people just scrapped them because of boredom. I've had two in the past, and they're the best car I've owned. A totally solid, boring, safe car that seems to never break ever.

If anyone sees one around for sale and all that.

[retrogeezer]

Not averse too them myself, like the Honda Ballade version too. Floorpans rot out badly though I believe so thats porbably why there are very few around.

[AXrescuer]

My ex had a red 86 Vitesse. Not that bad a car as I recall, not my cup of tea though tbh.

[Spottedlaurel]

I saw one only recently, well a 216 actually but nowadays to see either is notable. It'll be on my spots page shortly. I see a couple of the Honda-badged versions locally too.Father-in-law had to scrap his otherwise clean one back in 2001 or so due to the rot RG mentions, they seem terrors for it.I saw one at the banger racing a fortnight ago, despite bending fairly dramatically in the middle, ending up distinctly shorter and crablike, the thing still shifted fairly.

[rover420]

I see a red d reg 213 fairly regularly. Looks in fairly good condition

[shite_meister]

I've had the 213SE and the 216 Vitesse pre-and post face-lift, both cars much better than alot of other cars in the same class. There was a Vanden Plas EFi which as per SD1 was the top of the tree same as Vitesse but without the 'sportiness' but the addition of leather chairs.

 

213 nice-obviously being Honda it shouldn't give any cause for concern wheras the 216 had a few cooling/head gasket issues. All have an obvious Jap feel inside and the fit and finish of mine were better than their reputaions might suggest.

 

There is a 213 over here that I would like, I've always fancied a 213 Vanden Plas and am sure I'll own another one day and a 216 Vitesse in British Racing Green would be another off my 'Cars to own' list.

 

Browsing Practical Classics this month there is an advert for a 216 Vitesse with 12k miles from new at £1795, I thought it was Country-Classics but I can't see it in their website.

 

Pre-facelift Vitesse:

 

Ex-Gaydon delivery-mileage post-facelift Vitesse that was auctioned off:

 

Any Father Ted fans will remember what happened to this one:

 

 

One was also featured heavily in Keeping Up Appearances. The only differences between the pre/post facelifts is that the boot aperture is much larger i.e lower on the later ones-handier for carting big shit about and the interior was slightly nicer but basically an added centre console and different inner door trims although the earlier ones may have a certain charm now and then it was just slightly different bumper trims and rear lights but nothing major really.

[retrogeezer]

Didn't Victor Meldrew have one as well?? I seem to remember them sat in one on a motorway for ages?

[r.welfare]

Meldrew's was a Ballade. It's got to be the 1.3 every time, GR8 motor that.

[155V6]

I seem to remember a Sprint model which was a less expensive version of the Vitesse,or maybe I imagined it?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

there was a sprint model, but it had a carb - not injection like the VP/Vitesse, so not very sporty.I can think of a couple of these that i've had, both had unbelieveble rot for their age, I would say these are one of the most rust-prone cars since the days of alfasuds, Betas etc.

[Mr Lobster]

Not a big fan myself but an early Vitesse does look like a nice thing.

[Station]

I can remember one of mine being rot-free. The other one had a rusty boot corner on the top corner. I mean, how does that happen.

I'd only really have a 213, I've really never heard an engine as quiet and smooth as that, and interior was totally solid. Didn't know they rusted badly though, that's put me off a bit.

 

I would've had this one:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROVER-213-se-AUTO ... 1|294%3A50

[MrRegieRitmo]

I never liked them when they were around, had an aunt & uncle with an early red one (always seemed to be red, and the post facelift always seemed to be blue!?), I found them far too square & boring. Mum hated them too which might have been an influence. They seemed to be a cross between a Montego & a Maestro & I didn't particularly like them either back in the day. However, like what has happened with Volvo 340s, time has mellowed my feelings for them & I now quite like the earliest ones, rarity has a bearing on that too. Must be a nostalgia thing! Can't see me ever owning one though. A few years back I regularly saw & eventually photographed what to me was a real oddity, it was like a cross between a Ballade & a Rover but was definitely an early Ballade, C reg it was. Recessed front headlamps & a slightly more aerodynamic front end but everything else about it was the exact same as the Rover & from the rear looked exactly like the Rover, same rear lights & everything!

 

There's a few of these old square Rover 200s knocking about in Malta, this one from the recent update of my Malta thread...

 

 

[Pillock]

I seem to remember a Sprint model which was a less expensive version of the Vitesse,or maybe I imagined it?

It was in the same category as Golf Drivers, Escort Eclipse and all that - had the bodykit and looks but no power to back it up.I remember someone who worked with my mum having one, not sure if it was a Sprint but it was metallic red with those Vitesse multi-spoke wheels painted white. Tasty it was, for the late 80s.I think they did a similarly tarted-up Maestro and Metro too.

[Station]

Recessed front headlamps & a slightly more aerodynamic front end but everything else about it was the exact same as the Rover & from the rear looked exactly like the Rover, same rear lights & everything!

 

A 'pop up' Ballade? It looks like a mk1 CRX front end, might be the same.

 

[Guest]

A few years back I regularly saw & eventually photographed what to me was a real oddity, it was like a cross between a Ballade & a Rover but was definitely an early Ballade, C reg it was. Recessed front headlamps & a slightly more aerodynamic front end but everything else about it was the exact same as the Rover & from the rear looked exactly like the Rover, same rear lights & everything!

 

Go show us the photos then? UK spec Ballades I think were D-reg and onwards so C-reg sounds just too early, but could be a Jap or US import perhaps?

[Pillock]

Could it be some freaky mashup in the style of the oh-so-autoshite Monstro?

Do the Ballade front end bits bolt straight onto the 200?

[garycox]

I like these, my cousin had a lovely Vanden Plas from new on an E reg until it failed the MOT on rust a few years ago. It was then given to me but I had about 20 cars at the time and I needed to cut down quickly so I scrapped it. It probably wasn't worth saving at that stage anyway but it was nice while it lasted...

[VWPowered]

I can remember one of mine being rot-free. The other one had a rusty boot corner on the top corner. I mean, how does that happen.I'd only really have a 213, I've really never heard an engine as quiet and smooth as that, and interior was totally solid. Didn't know they rusted badly though, that's put me off a bit.I would've had this one:http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROVER-213-se-AUTO ... 1|294%3A50

wow tidy that :Dhave to admit like the later Vitesse, but Vanden Plas was a good thing too..

[trigger]

A few years back I regularly saw & eventually photographed what to me was a real oddity, it was like a cross between a Ballade & a Rover but was definitely an early Ballade, C reg it was. Recessed front headlamps & a slightly more aerodynamic front end but everything else about it was the exact same as the Rover & from the rear looked exactly like the Rover, same rear lights & everything!

 

Go show us the photos then? UK spec Ballades I think were D-reg and onwards so C-reg sounds just too early, but could be a Jap or US import perhaps?

Was it something like this?

 

 

Not sure if this is a early Ballade or 4 door Civic though, The sites i am looking on are american and calling the Civic Sedan but I'm sure they are early Ballades though.

[shite_meister]

A few years back I regularly saw & eventually photographed what to me was a real oddity, it was like a cross between a Ballade & a Rover but was definitely an early Ballade, C reg it was. Recessed front headlamps & a slightly more aerodynamic front end but everything else about it was the exact same as the Rover & from the rear looked exactly like the Rover, same rear lights & everything!

 

Go show us the photos then? UK spec Ballades I think were D-reg and onwards so C-reg sounds just too early, but could be a Jap or US import perhaps?

Probably a bit newer but was it an Aussie spec Integra-based Rover 416i?

 

 

Or was it a Quintet? (obviously this doesn't have a sleek front end though)

[Station]

Hoi, look at the end of page 1!

 

[MrRegieRitmo]

Recessed front headlamps & a slightly more aerodynamic front end but everything else about it was the exact same as the Rover & from the rear looked exactly like the Rover, same rear lights & everything!

 

A 'pop up' Ballade? It looks like a mk1 CRX front end, might be the same.

 

Yes it was just like that gold one! The Ballades normally look like this;

 

 

 

So it was neither one thing nor the other - a very early form of Ballade? Was def C reg so the MkI Rover 200 ness of it fits in with the age. Unfortunately the pictures I took were with a film camera, this would have been at least 6 years ago, probably longer as I didn't go digital until 2004. I have about 80 undeveloped camera films spanning the period 2000-2004 that I've never got around to doing anything with & probably won't be able to now! They would contain a lot of shite seen during that time. Fortunately I was on the ball with all the shite I saw in Cyprus in 2001, came back with 9 used camera films of shite & developed the lot!

[Guest]

I have about 80 undeveloped camera films spanning the period 2000-2004 that I've never got around to doing anything with & probably won't be able to now!

Why not? There's still people out there who develop camera film...

[Station]

Get yourself a cheap darkroom and develop them yourself.

[mnde]

In 1996 my girlfriend at the time drove one of these. A light metallic blue 213 on a B or C plate. I remember particularly the spindly steering wheel and the pop out cassette tape holders in the dash Mark.

[MrRegieRitmo]

I have about 80 undeveloped camera films spanning the period 2000-2004 that I've never got around to doing anything with & probably won't be able to now!

Why not? There's still people out there who develop camera film...

They must all be past their expiry dates by now

[trigger]

I'd send them in, I've sent films that I've found it the cupboard that have been there for years in before now and they always come back fine.

[MrRegieRitmo]

Can you only send them off to places like Trueprint these days or can you still take them to all the usual suspects on the High Street; Boots, camera shops etc?

[Station]

In 1996 my girlfriend at the time drove one of these. A light metallic blue 213 on a B or C plate. I remember particularly the spindly steering wheel and the pop out cassette tape holders in the dash Mark.

I always remember the steering wheel being quite chunky?Does anyone know what engines these things take. Are there any chances of 16v/K-series upgrades?