Skcat

I Don't think the car had emmision tastes on the last couple tests as I'm under the impression if the exhuast is leaking they won't test for emmisions. The car needed quite a bit of odds and ends; a exhuast mid section, three ball joints (and I still have a advisory about the last one), cv boot had fallen off, spent this weekend welding up bits around the boot floor, fitted a couple new headlights and lots of quality of life improvements like a fresh interior. The rear arm bushes seemed fine and my tester has not brought them up at all. From my reaseach you can drive a un-moted car to a place of repair or mot, but a sorn car can only be brought too a mot. I got some of that halfords emmisions fixer in a bottle stuff and gave it a good hard drive around the estate for a while. I've noticed it seems to be letting a lot of blue smoke out the back. It Does not seem to calm down after running it around. After driving it a while I noticed I was in the hot on the temp gauge and it boiled over, the expansion tank seems to be full of debris which it was not before. It's still bellowing out blue smoke under load but I'm going to see if the retest makes any difference. Probably going to get it home and try doing a compression test as its clearly burning a lot of oil!

Will stick some magic mot fix stuff in it and bomb around in 3rd gear, see if that solves it. Will ask the mot centre to try and get it hot for it's retest.

Might be worth it then give it a good drive about! Not sure how long it takes to clean/ take affect.

Sadly failed the mot, but only on emmisions. Not really sure what to do about it at this stage though. Maybe it needs a proper drive about but it's sorn.

Started with the other side again, before; And after; The fitted the better struts and drop link, this side was actually worn out a bit. The a repeat for both rear wheels Went through this as the mot history keeps mentioning rear end rust and rear brake pipes, All seems OK though.

Today's job was refitting the cv boot that strangely came off on the drivers side. Annoyingly the cup would not pull out the gearbox. Looked up what to do on YouTube and was advised to clamp molegrips around the cup and use the cv shaft as a slide hammer. Worked perfectly, I wish I knew that for the 400. I then noticed the strut assembly was practically removed and I have a much cleaner pair in the boot so took the time to swap over the drivers side. Probably a good idea as the upper mount looks pretty perished. Not really sure if I should keep the old set, or just stop hoarding and throw them away. Then I changed the oil, useing a old door card Is handy for preventing mess! Next I fitted a new drop link. Glad I did it all looking much tidier. Then took the time to scrub the wheel arch out: A good idea as it highlights rust spots that will Need to be treated. Hopefully tomorrow I will have the time to replace the droplink and strut assembly on the passenger side. Slowly changing the door cards for later ones with the leather inserts to match the seats.

Moved the car from the garage too my front garden (neighbours must love me). Then spent the day pulling the interior again so I could replace the carpet. Involved lots of vacuuming and got a chance to clean lots of little bits up while it was all out. Then stuck it all back together. Now I'm going to start cutting out the boot floor rot ready for welding!

My old 800 is for sale Here is a great car and seller will not mess you about. Its not a perfect example but it is cleaner then most out there!

Fitted the grill, 75 grill is gone!

Need to get some more photos of the trip uploaded, we did 2750 miles in total, we did monoco, stelvio Pass, nurburgring and loads more and the rover really gave us no trouble, shortly after getting home we sold it too a rover fan. A little bit of a shame but I've got other things to get on with. As fun as doing a rally was maybe next time I will just plan a trip without the rally part. Just fancied doing things at our own pace. In the mean time I got around to fitting a new ball joint to the 800, replaceing the broken boot light, fitting wiring and a push button too the centre Console to open the boot (orginal floor mounted switch was damaged), obtaining another nos headlight so they both match, getting a good condition leather steeringwheel and replaceing the sun bleached plastic one that was fitted. Fitting a new pair of sun visors, getting a new grill I will need to fit soon, getting a nos not broken washer fluid cap. Also got loads of other spare bits like windscreen trim, a thicker anti-roll bar off a vitesse, some new old stock interior trim bits, vitesse black seat belt buckles to match the vitesse rear bench and lots more I've probably fargtten. I also puller a interior carpet out a vitesse and cleaned it with a steam cleaner so it looks nice and tidy when I fit it. This one does not have the cut out for the boot realise but I've relocated It too the centre Console anyway! Makes me wonder if I'm putting too much effort into the 800 but I'm enjoying the process. Just got a gas mig welder so in time will hopefully learn to patch up some holes in it!

@eddyramrodToday I'm in Dunkirk, going to Namur in Belgium today.

Had the driveshaft snaped two days before our planned trip! Had to drive to Birmingham to get a new shaft, was scary as If we could not get jt sorted we could not take the rover. Took the time to change the cam cover gasket too. Thankfully it all went back together in time and we made it! Time to chill out and not push it too hard, Most the French don't seem to approve of it though.

The rover 416 has a fresh mot now and we are getting ready for the rally! Will get some photos this weekend!

Did the clutch on the gpz500 yesterday, nice easy job! Used a oem clutch and ebc springs. Nice easy job and made it really shift far more!

I went to look at this a few months ago, it was listed for £1200 at the time and the owner told me he had some serious intrest so not to bother discussing the price. The clutch is not just slipping, I doubt you could get on a trailer under it's own power, engine sounds sweet though!

This weekend the volvo got a rear bumper in the correct colour, only have this photo to hand. For the first time in five years all the panels are the correct colout and are almost all straight and true! Picket this bike up cheap with a aim to flip it, too many projects on the go at the moment though! But the rover 416 is done at least! We are going to drive it down too southern Italy to raise money for Bowel Cancer! Will get some photos uploaded of the rover, but it's not pretty. If anyone can spare a couple quid it would be appreciated. Donation page! Maybe I can keep a thread up to date on here!

The volvo got a new bumper today I found a body coloured one in the right green so it looks far smarter. The rover 800 got a new mid section so it is not as loud Fitted the rest of the vitesse interior: It seems a hatch interior does fit in a saloon. The 800 got some new ball joints which was a pain. Radio and blower motor risistor were fiddled with and now work as they should!

I will get some but it's just parked in a dark garage for now, fitted half the vitesse inteiror yesterday though.

Got the rover 800, it's sat in a garage while all the parts arive to fix it. Ordered a exhuast mid section, bushes, ball joints, a mirror, wipers and a few small bits. a 800 vitesse interior came up for sale for not too much. Picked it up as I've always wanted one. Looks pretty rough but was just £75 so I came home and cleaned it on Sunday. Its not perfect, probably never will be but it's clean and will look cool at least. The armrest would be cool to finish it off if I can find one cheap. I changed a weird little vacuum elbow and spark plugs on the dodge and it seems to be running better. Did the oil on the 416 and 940 this weekend too, managed to use all the random half used bottles around my garage. The 400 has also been painted ready for the rally and is looking great, will get some good photos at some point. Other then that I've ridden the gpz a little more but the clutch is slipping more now. Does not seem like a hard job but a shame as I just did the oil in that. A lot of work between all these cars, keeping me busy!

My more recent vehicles! Aligned the 940 bonnet and got it through a MOT, sorted the bulbs on the cluster and the remote locking module promptly failed. Bikes running lovely now though. And of course I have a rover 820Si incoming, my third 800 now. Still excited for it!

Changed the oil on the Seat. It was the hardest oil filter I've ever had to remove. Needed a chain style oil filter grabber and a 1M breaker bar to loosen it off, the sump plug was the same story. It does not help the ABF engine really does not feel like it was made for the polo chassis. Turned out the heater valve on the 416 was so nasty and rusty the bowden cable was not moving as it should. Cleaned it up and now I have perfect heat, no issue with the matrix as I thought. Put two new decent tyres on the GPZ and noticed the rear wheel bearings and carrier bearing were well past it. Changed house around and found a lot of vertical slack on the swingarm. Turns out the shock mount had a bad bush. Figured out the choke was not applying as it should, it was due to the loom getting in the way of the linkage. Not really sure if I'm missing a bracket or clip, I just cable tied it and get all the full choke range now. Fitted a new clutch cable and clutch lever (old one was bent). Stuck a new thermostat on it as the temperatures were always a bit funny. I don't really feel much of a difference from all the changes. Lots of little fixes, so it's far nicer now. Brakes are so much nicer now!

Need to get some rover photos put up, cleaned the interior and made it far nicer. Blower motor was only working on speeds 3 and 4 so got a new risistor pack and got it blowing on all four speeds, only £8. Sadly the heater matrix is clogged, I might have a go filling it with vinegar to clean it out. Anyone tried that before? Got a couple new tyres fitted to the gpz, weirdly the front tyre had a inner tube in it, so we left it in there. Messed around with the clutch, does not slip now but I'm out of adjustment on the cable so ordered a replacement.

I've been so busy so have not been keeping this thread very well updated. Went collected a rover 416 the other weekend. Its got the honda d16b2 and a auto box and a little rot! Bought it between me and a buddy and the plan is to drive it accross Europe this summer.

Got a caliper off a er6, rear master cylinder rebuild kit, some new stainless lines and new pads and had a go replaceing all the old stuff. Never messed around with brake hydraulics but it seemed to be simple especially on a motorbike. And after: I did not get a front master cylinder rebuild kit but after I got the brake fluid out I relied it might not be a bad idea, front; And rear; No wonder the rear felt so spongy, probably should have done this all ASAP... Or bought a better bike, Who knows? Still got the clutch to adjust and tyres to change for now.

Just agreed to get it, Collecting it on Sunday! Thanks