Lord Sterling's fleet of failure - Goodbye Micra 😢

[trigger]

I enjoyed reading that, thank you for posting. I've driven a couple off them in the past and found them to be a nice smooth cruiser, I know a guy who swears by them and uses one as a tow car for this business.

[RobT]

 

Will you be taking it to PoL this Saturday?

 

I'll be there, I've agreed to buy some part off a bloke who is coming to POL and seeing as some shiters will be coming down it'll be great to meet them. I wont be displaying the car though but keep a look out for my car.

 

I'll probably be there too so keep an eye out for a duo-tone beige/grey Montego with rotten rear arches!

[Captain Slow]

 

Will you be taking it to PoL this Saturday?

 

I'll be there, I've agreed to buy some part off a bloke who is coming to POL and seeing as some shiters will be coming down it'll be great to meet them. I wont be displaying the car though but keep a look out for my car.

 

I'll probably be there too so keep an eye out for a duo-tone beige/grey Montego with rotten rear arches!

 

 

...and gorgeous alloy wheels which are hard to source... I'll be looking too, been wanting to see your car for a while.

 

 

 

 

 

Mo, drop me a text or (better) ring me Saturday - you wanted a crawl round my Montego if memory serves.

[Lord Sterling]

Thanks again guys, glad everyone enjoying my thread. Small update, I recieved a replacement headlight washer jet and a front spoiler. These items were supposed to be on my car from new, but obviously someone had been messing about with it so its had these items missing for quite some time.

 

My knee is still swollen and hurts just a little if I try and bend it (due to swelling) but I can just manage to get about now without the aid of crutches, so I decided to tackle a minor job today and get the replacement washer jet on.

 

Before:

 

 

After:

 

The water jets are bloody powerful aswell

 

Tried the front bumper spoiler for size, it comes in 3 parts. I think its either a ramp or bumper off job, it'll be easier. I shant tackle this job just yet until my knee gets better.

 

 

I'm slowly getting there.

[Lord Sterling]

Well, I havent really done much to this car apart from drive it, so not much of an update, but it keeps things in the frame.

 

The night before POL, I decided to at least try and clean the original* floor mats and reinstate them in the car as its basically more fitting:

 

 

They just suit the car down to the ground and certainly give it that luxury edge.

 

I cleaned them up with some sort of Polish-made G40 all purpous cleaner gel, it pretty much cleans up anything, even removing old muck from fabric seats which I tried in the Micra and leather seats, although on the leather seats it seemed to removing the colour too so I just cleaned up what I could and immidiately fed the leather.

 

* I say 'original' mats, this car didn't have its original floor mats when I got it, I don't know what happend to the old ones but I suspect they were taken out and used as some sort of floor cover whilst the old owner was probably trying to work under the car or something who then just chucked them away 'coz dey wer too durty loike' These mats were from an identical car that a mate broke up a while back, and they were quite dirty.

 

Now after all that jiggery-pokery I did remove the seat switch pack as the one of the button lights had gone out, taking it apart and deciding I couldn't get to the bulb, then putting it back together and trying to put it back again its decided to work again:

 

 

[Split_Pin]

Still loving the updates on your Sterling, thanks for sharing. Those floor mats are lovely, id love to sit in the car with bare feet lol!

Id totally recommend Gliptone 2 stage cleaner and conditioner for your seats. It comes in 2 bottles amd really does make your seats feel and smell like new!

[Lord Sterling]

Thanks Ian! Your most certainly welcome to sit in my car bare foot Not sat in it myself bare foot yet. I'm certainly looking to get some Gliptone, heard only good things about it.

[Lord Sterling]

I thought about putting this in the News 24 thread but seeing as this has got it's own thread I though why not.......

 

When starting the Sterling, often it would click only, then after a few attempts it would burst into life as normal, I sought advice off the Very Good Brad who informed that the failure to start with a single click could be down to some dirty connections around the battery area or ignition lead. I set about cleaning the metal contacts with a bit of WD40, after the car hadn't been started since Saturday it fired up straight away without hesitation.

 

Whilst visiting Oxford and picking up some parts I was told by the lad who looked at my car that it has retained its pre-delivery engine/body wax (That sort of dirty stuff that covers new cars whilst being delivered) Also, although my car had been in a minor bump I was told and shown that it wasn't major due to the original parts (slam panel with pre-delivery wax still on it) still being in place and intact, the wing that looks slightly lighter on the drivers side was in fact the original wing and looked as if it had been sprayed whilst on the car as it also has pre-delivery wax by the bolt on areas. WINNA

 

Again with some WD40 and a rag I got rid of the old Evans Autos logo that someone had attempted to remove previously. Personally I would have left it but it had been removed so I had to finish the job, looks all the more tidier now I guess: (Not sure why the pics are blurry here)

 

Before, just before the Sterling badge

 

After:

 

Whilst doing that I decided to take the plate off, its very grubby indeed and the wrong type with the nue 'EU' flag which I don't mind to be honest, but the plate is grubby, strangely though, the front numberplate is still the original dealer one:

 

 

I also reinstated the tow-eye surround frame to the rear bumper, didn't take any pics as for some reason left my phone inside the house.

 

Still to do:

 

Fit a radio - And if I can get myself a cable, I'll wire up the boot mounted 6-CD changer found in later cars, I managed to bag myself an Original R800 head-unit + CD changer but couldn't for the life of me work out how to get the cable out. To be honest I'd be happy just getting a cassette player in at this stage.

[Lord Sterling]

Well, after almost a full year of owning this motor I decided to get up off my backside and get some sounds installed. I kept saying I would do it, and whilst I am very capable of splicing wires together (I had to do it after shearing the wire on my hedge trimmer) I knew I was too idle. By chance I met a local mobile mechanic at the local chippy, he was happy to install the stereo for me, and today after splicing the wires, my new-old radio was installed:

 

 

These radios certainly bring out the best in the speakers, in my old '87 Sterling after trying out an older stereo againt this one, I noticed the difference in sound quality, the newer stereo made the best of the amp and speakers making the sounds more crisp and clear. Same in this car.

 

Whilst its not the latest in set-ups, I at least have the luxury of a radio in the car and maybe a few old cassette tapes to listen to (Rover 800 drivers information cassette amongst the pile ) I might go a visit a few scrappies and see if I can bag myself a later Rover CD-player thing.

 

All I need do now is fit the front bib-spoiler as with the 'big bumper' Mk1 800 models, then this car should be pretty much complete and as it would have left the showroom.

[Polystratus]

 

 

Like the display on the right hand side does that light up if theres any problems?

[Lord Sterling]

Yes, its the vehicle map. If there is anything wrong, say a blown bulb or a door not shut properly, it will light up on the vehicle map and give an audible 'beep' twice, when I took the pic it was doing its autotest which it does when you switch the iginition on. The vehicle map normally looks like this:

 

[Craig the Princess]

Yes, its the vehicle map, if there is anything wrong, say a blown bulb or a door not shut properly, it will light up on the vehicle map and give an audible beep twice, when I took the pic it was doing its autotest which it does when you switch the iginition on. The vehicle map normally looks like this:

 

 

Rover 800, Classic FM. Living the dream my friend.

[Lord Sterling]

Rover 800, Classic FM. Living the dream my friend.

 

 

When VeryTallBrad bought Brookjm's old Sterling, I was recruited to drive the Sterling from Devon to Worcester, all the way I had Smooth Classics with Magherita Taylor on Classic FM soothing into the cabin, it was wonderful, certainly a damn sight better than bloody Heart FM which seem to continuously play bloody Adele or whatever her name is which I have to endure at work .

 

I also find that classic music changes my driving style, I used to listen to alot of late 80s/early 90s hip-hop/dance/trance etc... in which I drove a like a twunt, (say like todays VAG TDi drivers) but now I just bash on Classic FM and let the world pass by.

 

Now I just need to find myself a tartan rug, some boiled sweets for the glovebox and a flat cap.

[Captain Slow]

I approve of the R960. As you know, I have one...with the changer... in my Montego.

 

Radio 2 listener here, though I should tune Classic in too.

[Lord Sterling]

Sam! Its actually an R750 I picked out of a scrapped L-reg 827SLi a few years back. I do have an R950 with CD changer that I picked from the same yard, only problem is, I didnt get the connector cable as I ran out of time. If you do know of a spare cable going I'd be much appreciated as then I can fit the R950 and changer.

[Morgan84]

What a splendid car

[Lord Sterling]

Thanks Morgan!

 

I do enjoy owning this car, it looks great and goes great, it comfortably transported myself, Ma and Sis_Sterling to and from Telford today (Ma helpfully having 'Tears For Fears' playing away) despite the weather.

 

Its got a problem with some rain leaking in on the passenger side now so I'll have to get around to that job, I really dont want the passenger footwells flooded like in my old Sterling.

[Lord Sterling]

I AM BORED. So I've decided to take out some pics and show you some of the past and current fleet....

('Kin 'ell - I've just realised, this is one long-arse story, its taken me a a good few hours to write it all this out, I should be in bed now)

My first forray into Rover 800 owning was this:

Which is basically an 827Si, which was the lowest spec of V6 range, something I didn't know at the time as I wanted a Sterling. I only bought it then because of the LPG kit it came with (Which I've still got)

It belonged to some old fella from Spilsby in Lincolnshire who contacted me after seeing my I WANTz A ROwVA 800 loike plea on ebay. Obviously being an old fella with a taste in sporty looks (or not in this case) when I first got it, it looked like this:

It looked PIG FUGLY with its mk2 bonnet, undersized alloys and oversized tyre, something had to be done..... So with the help of some new fellow-Rover 800 loving friends, I managed to get it almost looking back to how it should have looked, as I'd seen it in the brochures. The kit stayed on but the alloys and bonnet were history, the tow bar was toned down as it was a little too much in the way. The only other thing I did to it was fit actual proper Rover fitted floor mats I managed to get off ebay and chuck away the old door/bathroom mats it came with.

After that all I did was drive and enjoy it, that was until this happend:

On my way to a job interview I managed to hit a Toyota Aygo or something that was pulling out of a driveway.

I repaired the car, just, but it looked like a shed and drove a little too wollowy for my liking. I finally sold the car to a lad who broke it because it had a MNAUAlz gearbox. Apparently they were quite popular.

ANYHOW. Unless my mind is having a laugh, the next Rover I found myself in was this:

ABSOLUTELY FUGGIN BRILLIANT car. To date my most favourite form of transport. I went from nothing to having this absolute perfection on wheels. It looked great, felt great, sounded great (Apart from those bastard tappets) and it went brilliantly. It was my first Auto aswell, which I absolutely fell in love with, I like lazy driving. It was super soft and quiet, the kind of car you wanted to play Classical music in, not EAZY E AND DA NWA POSSE (Though I did a few times, I was young) Lots of people were making good noises about it too which made me happy. Intially, the car was borrowed to me, but after hearing all the postive comments and the fact that it was just too damned good to give back, so I made the owner, Brad, an offer which was happily accepted and I ended up buying 2 cars being - The mk2 Sterling and the main subject of this thread, my current Mk1 Sterling off him for around £400.

It had a few small problems. When I first got it, it had been standing for some time, it had never been washed or serviced. Brad had intially lent it to another mate of his who basically let it get into a state as he wasnt much of a 'car' man. The rear brakes needed changing as it whined when reversing, the 'whining' turned out to be a warning noise warning that the brakes needed changing.

The brakes were changed, the car cleaned and serviced, after that, I mainly enjoyed it.

ANYROAD. I managed to find myself being spontaniously invited to Kuwait at the courtesy of FATHA_Sterling, I was due to be there for a few months to find some sort of employment as well as seeing family, however, literally a few days before I was due to go, some arse in a Bus hit my car and mangled the bumper/indicator:

To his credit, the Bus driver admitted liability despite his accident card stating 'NEVER EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ADMIT LIABILITY'. Some arrangements were made with the Bus company who were going to repair it, and the car was left at my mates house whilst I ventured off to Kuwait.

I stayed in Kuwait a little longer than intended, but upon coming back I found my car had been repaired, but the numpties made a right hash of it:

The top of the bumper was supposed to be Black, they didn't bother doing the mirror cover, the wheel arch liner hadn't been fitted properly, the battery had been let down, the petrol tank was almost empty and the car was covered in a thick layer of dust. After some advice was sought, I contacted their claims handler and the car was taken back, I was also given a courtesy car:

I thought it was a smart little thing But it sounded like a lawn mower and lacked in power though....

After being sent back and forth five or six times, the mk2 Sterling was finally sorted. However I only had a few weeks left of enjoying it though as the insurance/tax were about to run out and I had no money left after my jolly to Kuwait.

Hastily, a garage was sorted out, but as the insurance had run out, there was no way of getting it there, thankfully, another Rover fanatic offered to help me tow it there where its been ever since:

I really miss this car and hopefully I shall accumulate the finances needed to bring this lovely car back out onto the road.....

Now. For some reason that I can't remember why, I seem to have managed to landed myself a nice crisp £1k in the bank, I couldn't find insurance for less than £2k on the Mk2 Sterling, and somehow, I managed to find myself being egged on to buy this:

This was a 1987 Rover 825 Sterling, which appeared on eBay, now after all that moaning about wanting a mk1 Sterling, I was pretty much egged on to buy this, and buy it I did. I won the car on ebay for £360. A few days later, myself and VeryTallBrad made our way up to Nottingham in the Micra to retrieve the car. Strangely though, at the advertised address, there were no cars, no signs of life, I tried to call the seller to no avail. Some people working nearby who saw trying to find out what was going on said that the bloke who was renting the place had done a runner, this didn't look good.........

I made my way back home a an angry and defeated. However, upon looking on my eBay messages I found the bloke had sent me a message saying the premises had changed, excitedly I called up the the VeryTallLad and arranged to go back up to Nottingham, but this time to the right place. I explained what had happend and the seller, to his credit knocked off the £60 and I got the car for £300.

I was annoyingly excited. The car itself was in a truly awful condition. It was rusty and corroded, the paintwork was rough like a blackboard, there was a hole in the boot floor and it had been clearly bodged in places, in fact, I found some yet-to-have-dried wob in one of the sills. Some arse stuck a stupid spoiler on the boot making a right hatchet of a job, one of the rear seat electric recliners didn't want to work one way but did another, the heater worked it wanted to, and the exhaust farted away like the morning after an arse kicking curry.

The only good thing that was on the car were the tyres, all brand new, big name tyres.

Despite all that. I loved it. It was the nearest I was gonna get to having the same as ole' FATHA_Sterling's old Rover Sterling as his was on a 1987 D-plate, mine was only a few months younger. I learn't a lot about the mk1s at this time and how different the early cars were to the later Mk1s. The early cars always had a load more options, toys and touches than the later cars (This happens with a alot of manufacturers)

This made for one very excited Lord Sterling, I was proud to own and drive a car that probably scared other people but it was going to take a lot of work to get it to an acceptable level where even a homeless crackhead wouldn't be embarassed to be seen near it.

Off it was to the VeryTallMans house where a T-cut/polish got under way whilst the Tall lad himself set about changing the oil/spark plugs/filters etc....

It looked like it had never seen a service for years, the air filter was Black and mucky, the plugs were Black, the oil filter was ruined. The t-cut revealed a lovely and shiny car under all that rough paintwork, the cracked and ruined drivers seat was changed for a better one, the spoiler said goobye to the bootlid, any missing/broken trim was replaced and finally, I managed to install a radio that was worth listening to.

During this time, I also managed to get the rear seat recliner working again, fitted a 'Rover' branded radio, go the heater pack resoldered (and promptly ruined it by messing with the buttons) had a new exhaust system fitted, I also changed the wheels after the tyres got tired:

It was now at its peak after being brought back from the brink, the nearest it was gonna get to looking acceptable. I continued using and enjoying it. However one evening after work the car started blowing out huge plumes of white smoke.

Consulting the R800 forum of knowlege, many had seem to confirm that the headgasket was giving up, my heart sunk lower that it had ever sunk before, my dreams were skinking fast, I continued to use it every now and again but I really didn't know what to do, the 825 Sterling I had always wanted was slowly dying in front of me.

I didn't have the knowledge, tools or even confidence to get it sorted, it was gonna cost nigh on £700 to get the repairs sorted, I found out later the coolant pipes had been bodged on, some pipes had been cut shorter after springing leaks/cuts, just like the whole car itself, the bodging had even reached the engine area

Slowly the old 825 was dying, the tyres were giving up and the rough paint returned:

Finally, Sir Tall man helped me out, again, he said that I could store the car at his place until I could decide on its fate, at least it would be off the public road and away from vandles/theives. A tow truck was sorted and away it went toward the Worcester area.

L8R on LyK, Brad made me an offer I really couldn't refuse, he had an identical 825 Sterling that was sitting around doing nothing, it was exactly the same car in exactly the same colour, a little less corroded than my one so after some arrangements, we took an afternoons to break up my old car and get the new ready for me:

It was personally very sad for me breaking up my old car (It didn't help that Brad had some sort of 80s sad-type music playing in the background)

This is the current one:

At the moment, this is parked in a garage next to the garage where the Grey mk2 Sterling is. Both garages at the moment are VERY full and it quite hard to get any kind of access to them, I also nicked the expansion tank off this new White one for my current Mk1 as I ran out tanks after the last one split.

HOWEVER:

Now this next car wasn't actually mine, I did arrange to buy it using someone elses money

This car, a Mk1 Rover 820e was bashed up on the CarandClassic site, it had been there for a while until Brad decided he wanted to buy it, Brad is a busy bloke so I was recruited to travel into deepest Romford to buy and retrieve this car, as I didn't have any sort of wheels due to my last car imploding its own engine, I was offered to borrow this car until my current Mk1 Sterling was fixed.

820EEEEEEE!!!!!!

Now, up until that point, I had never, ever driven a mk1 2.0 800, let alone a single-point one, so this was going to be interesting.....

I jumped on the train one morning from New Street to Central London, where I was try and work out the bloody underground system to get to Tower Hill, catch a few tubes to another train station somewhere in North East London and make my way to ROMz4RD innit.

It was an interesting journey, at Tower Hill I took some rather awful photos of a rainy Tower Hill and castle, but then I decided it was time to move on. I sat in some train carriage (making sure I was on the right bleeding train) having to endure the last leg of the journey listening to some Essex bird yabbering on her phone about her work colleages and not understanding why some bloke was asking about her. Fuck sakes.

Finally I reached my destination, the quint town of Romford. I was picked up by a middle-aged Jordie lady in a Ford KA, she took me to her bungalow located on some main road in Romford, she certainly liked her cats. I was shown me the car and had a little look around it. Starting the car up it sounded unmistakably like a Montego, I understand that they shared the same unit. The lady was definiately not a car person, she was the sort of lady who took a car to a garage and trusted the men there to do whatever they had to do to keep it running. Which sort of meant, charging her huge amounts of money for little work, the car didn't run right and had to be kept revved above 2000rpm to keep it running otherwise it would cut out.

Apparently the 820e had belonged to some newspaper company before being sold to her in 1995, she PX'd a Sierra for the Monteg..sorry.... 820e.

Money and papers were exchanged, a cup of tea drank and keys handed over, now it was my task to drive this thing up from the edge of Essex up to Birmingham. Driving it was an experience, trying to keep the revs up whilst it was cold and trying to keep the water off the screen with disintegrated wipers, I filled up the car and made my way through the North Circular, my intention was to visit the Derek J Ketteringham old car showroom in Neasdon, however upon arriving, I found that I couldnt get to the otherside of the North Circular, there was nowhere for me to park due to it all being residents parking and I didn't fancy getting a ticket/fine, I was under pressure to get back home due to Sis_Sterling coming home also, so I gave up and made a vow to return there soon.

Later on I managed to find myself on the M1 heading away from party town, the 820e, despite being a single-point injection engine performed superbly on the motorway, it was fast and agile at higher speeds yet gripped the road firmly, over 60mph reaching higher speeds was a doddle. It was almost as if it was imitating its bigger V6 brothers. Before I knew what was happening I hit the winding Aston Expressway, here I learnt that the steering was overly light compared to how tge rest of the car felt, I could really feel body roll as I twisted and turned through the windy bit of the Bristol Road Tunnels.

Back home, as soon as I could I took the thing for a wash, but that did nothing to improve it, the paintwork, just like the my old White Sterling had gone all rough and chalkboardy-like, I bashed out the t-cut and polish, before I knew what was going on the paintowrk was all gleamy and great again:

I gave the thing a good hoovering over as it was clear it had never been hoovered properly, then I bashed in some spare mats I had laying around, next the radio problem was tackled, nothing more than a spare fuse was needed. A correct wheel trim was put on and I discovered what was under that horible grille:

This car was some serious poverty-spec model, no wood on the doors, front window controls on the centre console, but I really liked it! The car was given a service which clearly showed it hadn't seen a service for a fair few years, it ran a little better and better after some air return pipe was put back on too.

In true autoshite style it sprang a power steering leak in the middle of the road one afternoon, the steering just whined horribly, I took it to the garage to have it rectified but everytime a solution was found, the pipe would just laugh and spring off again, in the end, a whole new pipe was made up at Pirtek pipe specialists in West Bromwich, once that was fitted, no more leaks!

I later returned the car to Brad who sold it after he decided it wasn't for him, shame really as I really did like that car

Thanks for reading if you managed to actually get this far and havent already drifted off/got bored/wondered off.

WHURTHERS ORIGINALZ AN A FLAT CAP PLEAYZ.

L8Rs MAYTE.

[Split_Pin]

Great write up, I always enjoy your Rover 800 threads. I definitely prefer the early ones, but I do like the pauvre spec one too! The seat upholstery is very 1990!

 

I recently thought 'you never see Rover 800s any more's but since then I've spotted at least 3, although they are all late 90s models.

 

Keep up the good work!

[RoadworkUK]

Epic writeup, Mo, (note that I use the word Epic in its appropriate context? Hate those bloody "He feels EPIC" adverts or when somthing is described as being Epic rather than Good, but yours geuninely is epic due to its length and content. Cool.) your devotion to the cause is most commendable.

 

It was an 820e that introduced me to 800s, not through any great personal lust for them but from the fact that I was given it for free. I was 18, my mates all had Nova Swings and Fester 950s (with pepperpots), making me appear like landed gentry when I swung through the college gates in the 800. Fastback, too, no less. E193GHJ, a MK1a in Silver leaf. Bone stock except for a set of 16" Vitesse 7 spokes that hellped the turn-in immensely over the baloon-profile 14" steels it was afflicted by from new.

 

I also installed rear reading lights (from an SE) and, best of all, the little rubber mat that fits the tray in front of the passenger that only came in SEs and above.

 

I can totally relate to your experience, the 820e is no slouch. When What Car tested it they got to 60mph in second gear, around the 9 seconds mark (brochure quotes 10.2). I saw 126 leptons GPS verified on a private test track that links the midlands with London. Great car.

[trigger]

Good thread, Sterling work!, My dad's boss sold his Rover 3500 SD1 for a new K plate 827 SLi 5 door in 1992, He was a old farmer who couldn't drive that well so within a few years every panel on the car was damaged and the car was always covered in bird shit and straw and even now i can still remember how loud the tappets got it in, you could hear it pulling out of the farm yard over a mile away from sound of these tappets, you couldn't even hear the engine, I've never known a car like it!

[dollywobbler]

Sterling work!

 

Arf arf! True though. Definite love for the unloved. I really like the 827Si fastback at the start. Shame that it got walloped and then broken but you're a major 800 saver!

[Morgan84]

I look after a beautifull 1997 800 2.0 auto saloon;not sure what trim level is it,but its electrics all round,aircon,sunroof,walnut trim,and beige velor piped with navy trim which on a first glance when following the car looks like its leather.Only driven it once,but it's like a living room on wheels;they really are a wonderfull car

[RoadworkUK]

I look after a beautifull 1997 800 2.0 auto saloon;not sure what trim level is it,but its electrics all round,aircon,sunroof,walnut trim,and beige velor piped with navy trim which on a first glance when following the car looks like its leather.Only driven it once,but it's like a living room on wheels;they really are a wonderfull car

 

Sounds like an Si, like mine.

 

I'm reliably informed that mine is something like the only 825Si Manual Fastback EVER MADE (or something) and is worth a million pounds (or something).

[Morgan84]

The VOSA VSI info calls it a Rover 800 ABS - sounds odd to me

 

Whatever it is,its a real gem

[Bren]

The early 800's were much more special than the later ones.

 

I remember doing work experience at a Rover dealer in the late 80's, and a customer brought his new sterling back to be looked at. It was gold with beige leather - I had never seen a car with electric seats before.

 

The workshop manager, who was enjoying himself as the seat reclined up and down, said to me

" I bet your dads car doesn't do this."

[Lord Sterling]

Yo! Cheers for the replies guys!

 

Morgan - That Rover sounds great, you should get some pics up if you can. As Chris/Earl/rwuk said it does sound like an Si spec.

 

Chris/Earl/rwuk - Your car may well be a very rare manual version of the KV6. There werent many as I understand it, certainly a lot less in 825Si spec, which I think your car is?

 

Bren - Even today, when I show people the 22-year old Sterling and show them electric front and back, they are utterly surprised, they seem to think that in the 80s/90s people were driving 70s-like simple cars

 

Also, many peoples mental image of a Rover is a rusty old wreck blowing white smoke from the engine. They dont expect to see a car like mine in the condition its in.

[RoadworkUK]

Chris/Earl/rwuk - Your car may well be a very rare manual version of the KV6. There werent many as I understand it, certainly a lot less in 825Si spec, which I think your car is?

 

Aye, 825Si Manual Fastback. The guys at Lancaster Rover must have been beside themselves when my Grandfather first clapped eyes on it... no doubt they had a few dozen pints after work that day.

[Lord Sterling]

RIGHT...

 

Thought it was about time I updated this thread following the work it needed to get it back into rude health.

 

Some months back, the Rover decided it wanted to be mre difficult to start. I (stupidly) ignored this problem as it came and went. However, the starting problem only got worse to a point where people would look on bemused whilst I was trying to start the bloody thing probably wondering why the hell I was persisting on (trying to) run an old car.

 

Whilst this was happening, during a visit to my mates house, we set about getting the drivers side electric window looked at, I've never had a mk1 V6 with a working drivers side electric window, they always seemed to stick at some point. Thankfully, my mate Brad took a spare window motor out of a scrapped 827 he was breaking and he knew it was working, we fitted it up into my car and before I knew it, I had (for once) a working drivers side electric window that actually does what its supposed to do!

 

Off with the cards and window:

 

To reveal this:

 

Then, the MOT was up, so I booked the it in for that and a change of the starter motor, this of course meant I had to search through the piles of crap and car parts I threw in my garage to find a starter motor, I finally found one but I couldnt remember if I had taken one off one of the cars I helped to break or whether the one I had was from my old Sterling which suffered the same problem. Whilst at my lock-up I decided to try and rule out a few things. I tried changing the ignitor and coil pack, but neither of these changed a thing, so the starter motor it was. Once back at home, I tried to change the starter motor, I'd done one before but this time it was harder as my tools didnt fit properly and access was very tight, that coupled with the changing weather made me pack up and retreat indoors.

 

A week or so before the MOT, the exhaust decided to try and make a bid for freedom not knowing of course that it was held on by rather tough but rusted through bolts, so not only did the car not start properly but it also sounded horrible, this was starting to get on my nerves.

 

MOT time came around, before that though, my second-hand starter motor was thrown into the engine resulting in a car that actually started when you turned the key. Next up, MOT, it passed with 3 advisories, those being; CV boot, leaking exhaust and a slightly loose hand brake (which just passed) those things will be done over time.

 

MOT time:

 

Sadly the garage ran out of time being as busy as they were (I used to work there so they know I'm easy going) Car was book in for the next Saturday. Whilst I had a a new MOT and a car that actually started, it was still annoying to have a car sounding like the exhaust was falling off, people looking at you in the street as you pass them probably wondering why the hell you were driving a car like that (Like I gave a shit)

 

Saturday rolled around again and it was time to get the car down to the garage again, this time on the list was a service (oil/filter/spark plugs change) and a proper repair of the exhaust, before I know what was goin on the car was on the ramps having the exhaust seen to. Of course I had my own 'work' to do in the garage moving cars here and there and helping out with the MOTs.

 

Whilst work was being done, a new plate was printed out for me, though the border was a bit shite being misaligned:

 

 

I thought fugg it and stuck the bloody thing on, at least it looked better than the old plate.

 

The lad working on my car was finding it hard to remove the bolts to take the exhaust off from the manifold but persisted, unsurprisingly the bolts were rusted on solid and proving a right arse to remove, even blow torching the things was in slow progress:

 

 

Whilst the car was up in the air, I took the opportunity to 'sample' some underseal spray I found on one of the shelves:

 

I didnt half bloody smell (GR8 4 GLU SN1FFAz) but it seemed like great stuff to have, must try and get me a can.

 

Again the half day opening time beat us to it, the lad still pursued trying to remove the bolts but the they would not be removed easily. Being a Saturday and as they dont open a Sunday this of course would leave me without a car on Monday morning to get to work, leaving me a pedestrian again. I didnt want to use the Micra as its basically Ma_Sterlings car and she needs it (though she did offer, bless her) so a taxi would be ordered to take me to work, and then to garage is the car was to be ready by then.

 

So the car was left in the air for a few days:

 

Just as I was starting work, I got a call to say the car was ready, great! But as my shift would finish around 8pm the garage closes at 6pm that meant I would either have to leave early or leave the car at the garage until next morning, my supervisor okayed me to go early and yet another taxi was called to take me to the garage.

 

Once I arrived I started her up, a silent whoosh from the exhaust saw it doing exactly what it should be doing. Driving the car was a bit of a revelation, it was smooth and responsive, it felt alive again. Just goes to show what a service can do for these cars. I IZ CHUFFEDz

 

RECAP:

 

So the Rover got:

 

- Drivers side window guide+motor change.

- Starter motor change.

- Midi service (Oil + Filters change, spark plugs change, full check over + whatever needs topping up)

- Exhaust gasket and 'O' ring renewed at blowing end and new bolts on manifold.

- New rear numberplate

- Half arsed attempt at undersealing - I bascially sprayed the exposed bits and under the sill as most of the underseal is still there.

 

Now once again, the Rover is back in rude health!

 

NEXT ON DA LIST;

 

- Change soundproofing that got wet a few months ago.

- Pump oil/WD40/anti-rust stuff into the sills.

- Tartan rug, boiled sweets, walking stick, pension book, bungalow with a nice garden etc...

 

Ta ta for now.

[Split_Pin]

Another good wee read. Glad you are keeping the faith with your old Rover. Don't worry, people in my street wonder the same thing about bothering with an old car! What do the folks at your garage think?

 

My Corsa is going for its mot on Friday and one of the other kind I'm having done is the wire brushing of a few rusty spots in the middle of the floorpan and the application of underseal to the whole floor. Already smelled super last month when the car got warm as a new crossmember was fitted and undersealed so I shall be buzzing after driving it on Saturday!

 

Keep up the good work.