220SLi: Roverdue Maintenance

[Brent_Crude]

Sounds like a terrific buy and I'm glad to hear the positive reception you have given it, as I am speaking to a mate this weekend about taking his very neglected Rover off his hands as he's just acquired some modern Bavarian thing. I'll update on that in due course if I end up rescuing it.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I stuck a new back box on it when i had it, its probably only lasted about 40k! ALL ROVERS R SHIT! No developments on the radio front as I have still not gone to visit Fatha_Ba11bag yet

[phil_lihp]

Just had a phone call from the garage, results of its pre-MOT are in and it could have been worse.  Rear suspension mounts are knackered - one's gone, the other is on its way, the windscreen needs replacing along with a bodywork repair to the roof, exhaust back box needs replacing, possibly a dab of weld on one sill end.  Front brake pads are borderline but I can change those before the test myself.  That's a fairly acceptable result, he praised it with the statement 'it's not a complete shed'.

 

There's only one possible issue with some slight play in the steering rack which is a borderline fail - I have no idea what is involved here but he has warned it would be expensive so that would be a problem but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.  Going to throw it in for an MOT shortly and assuming nothing else comes to light, get the repairs done and a retest within the 10 days.

 

Anyone got any experience of rear suspension mounts?  He quoted £60-70 a side to sort, is this something a muppet with little mechanical knowledge, basic tools and a trolley jack/axle stands could fix on his driveway?

[Station]

 but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.  

 

 

 

Pun intended?

[phil_lihp]

Oops, no, Freudian slip.  It hopefully will escape that fate for now, I don't think I could live with the guilt!

[KruJoe]

Fingers crossed for you - moreso for the 220, I hope you can make it live on.

 

Did you get the door card off in the end? From memory, as well as the big screw at the front of the grab handle, there's a smaller one (vertical) in the bottom of the pockety bit, so may be obscured by belly button fluff if the car hasn't had the Vulgalour treatment.

[phil_lihp]

Cheers KJ, I have since found the big screw (funny angled hole at the top of the grab handle, not sure how I missed it apart from trying to do it in the fading evening light) so will have a crack at that when I get time.  I'm away this weekend so the car will have to wait until I get back, I'm hoping to get the MOT test and subsequent repairs done in the next couple of weeks so minor jobs can wait until that's done.

 

Actually there's not much fluff and muck inside really, I hoovered it out when I got it but I've seen much worse.  It's in need of a bit of a scrub inside here and there but nothing major and I don't really worry too much about some marks here and there, it means I don't have to worry about carting crap around in it.  Same goes for the outside, I do like a clean car but as long as it's fairly presentable I'm not too worried about marks and dings.  Sorry, no Vulgalour writeups coming from me any time soon!

 

Having done some research it seems likely that the knackered suspension bushes in question are the rear trailing arms and from the description of the job and work entailed I will be farming that out, no questions asked.  Seems to be fairly common on these but can be a pig of a job to get the old ones out.  

[phil_lihp]

I've just discovered Rimmer Bros.
 
Easy to get carried away, I could have built a new R8 out of what I found, mostly from original MG Rover parts too.  I controlled myself and kept to a new back box (£22) and full set of original grey floor mats (£11, wasn't intending to but sometimes you just have to treat yourself!) - both on offer at the moment.  Could have had beige mats as they're in stock but might have clashed slightly!  Declined a new original MG Rover windscreen for £350 though, I know I can get one for around £100 from a fitting company.

[KruJoe]

Result on the new bits!

 

I hate dealing with these new-fangled glued in screens, especially when they're surrounded by fragile plastics like the R8.

How are you gonna go about it? If you call the pros in, how could you persuade them to pause for a week in the middle of the job to give you chance to sort out the metalwork?

[phil_lihp]

Apparently there's a local bodywork guy who can sort that in conjunction with a windscreen company, not sure yet but will be calling him tomorrow if I remember.  Quite possible I guess that he'll pull the old screen out himself and repair the rot, then the new one can be fitted afterwards.  I'm sure even I can remove the old screen but then there's the slight issue of driving it to the workshop afterwards!

[phil_lihp]

Well, spectacular progress has been made in the attempts to get the old Rover another MOT.

 

 

TWIN PIPES YO!

 

This was a decently priced OEM Rimmer Bros item, even got the Rover stamp on it, so I was pleased with that.  I dropped the car off at my local fitters this morning (not a national chain, they're a decent local outfit I've been using for years) and came back later...to a bill of £36!  I nearly fell over and thought they might have ordered their own one in.  Nope, it apparently took two of them over an hour to get the old one off.  Perhaps next time I should man up and try to do it myself.

 

I know they're a competent bunch normally so no idea what impeded their progress but anyway, it sounds much better now although still a little bit fruity.  Does it sometimes take time for these to bed in and quieten down?  If not, I think it might have another blow somewhere else.

 

This weekend will see me trying to fit new brake pads and adjust the handbrake which has now ceased working more or less completely.  It was interesting work getting the car out of an on-street parking space on a steep hill with cars closely parked behind and in front with no handbrake.  

 

Monday it goes in for its scheduled MOT failure and, assuming nothing really major is discovered, off then to a local bodyshop who'll repair the rot and get a new windscreen (proper tinted one with the green sunstripe at the top) for £210.  A set of new rear suspension bushes to cap it off and a crisp new certificate is just a couple of weeks away.  I can already see that this car is going to cost me far more than it's worth but I've gone and fallen for its charms, dammit.  

 

I'll then have a list of jobs to attend to in the next few weeks or months including fitting the new old-stock water pump I bought a couple of weeks ago, replacing the back bumper, tidying the paintwork and rust blebs and repairing or replacing the passenger wing mirror which has been jammed in place with black mastik and is pointing at the ground.  Oh, and I suspect a worn driveshaft is causing the considerable drivetrain shunt at low speeds so better see to that as well.  

[Sigmund Fraud]

I dropped the car off at my local fitters this morning (not a national chain, they're a decent local outfit I've been using for years) and came back later...to a bill of £36!  I nearly fell over and thought they might have ordered their own one in.  Nope, it apparently took two of them over an hour to get the old one off.  Perhaps next time I should man up and try to do it myself.

 

I was also recently charged £30 labour for the fitting of a back box. I thought it was a bargain ! Replacing bits of rusty exhaust without use of a lift is one of the worst jobs I've ever had the displeasure of doing - I've always had exhaust work done by garages since !

 

[michael t]

Lovely motor you've got there, I remember when I was smaller (around 2003-04) there were two of these that lived down the road from me in Liverpool, sadly gone now

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Brilliant work Lihp_phil. This car is so competent in all areas that its difficult not to just keep on fixing it and doing a few more miles. If you have fettled the windscreen theres no reason why it shouldnt carry on for a good while yet.

 

I got in it one friday night after a typically harassed day in the office and drove straight to Bruges for a weekend break, it was loving it, so was I.

[phil_lihp]

Was that a spur-of-the-moment decision on your way home?  If so, I'm impressed!  I'm pretty spontaneous but that's another level.

 

Yes, I am starting to love this old thing, it's so bloody comfortable.  Getting out of my Kia or the new company Clio and jumping straight into this is like getting off a kitchen stool and sitting in an armchair.  Plus it's shabby enough that I don't care too much what goes in it or where I park it.  I think there's an element of pride in having something like this that's so undesirable to most people but actually is a very good car underneath too.

[phil_lihp]

Oh dear.  Not looking good, just had the full MOT failure list and estimate and I'm very sad to say I don't think I can justify the cost of this.  Bearing in mind that the quote is from a guy who I know does excellent work and doesn't charge much, plus he will try to save money where realistic.

 

Mechanical repairs (including replacement ball joint, both rear suspension bushes, one seized rear caliper) £330 (worst-case estimate)
Bodywork Repairs (windscreen surround): £100

Windscreen: £110

MOT:  Ã‚£50

 

Total: £590.  Ouch. 

 

That does not include the £60 I've already spent on the exhaust.

 

I know the car will never ever be worth that much, it means it's still a cheap car relatively speaking and I do really, really like it and I'll never find another one, especially that's had so much work done to the engine but it's a lot of money that I don't really have to throw around on a car which won't see much use until 2015 when the Kia goes back.  I'm loath to spend money storing it for the future MOT-less, it will only deteriorate.  It's a toss-up between fixing it now or selling/scrapping it.  Ho hum, decisions, decisions.

[KruJoe]

Ooh. Ouch indeed.

Was it the MOT test centre who quoted for that, out of interest?

I don't know if my 216 breaker has disks or drums on the back (not had wheels off). If it has calipers, could I persuade you to plod on with this by sending you a free one?

[eddyramrod]

Top man Joe!  That is real Shiting spirit.  Come on Phil, now you have to!

[KruJoe]

Steady on Eddy, I don't even know if I have the part!

But I feel I have a special attachment to this car for some reason, and I've never actually seen it! I keep imagining it will come into my ownership in a year or two.

[phil_lihp]

Well that's a very kind offer Joe, I really appreciate it.  My feeling is that most of the cost will be the labour in replacing the bushes and ball joint - one rear bush should come out easily enough though, it's so knackered I can see daylight through it!

 

I need to speak to him tomorrow to get the full low-down as the estimate was via text late in the day.  It might be that the caliper just needs a bit of TLC to make it good again, I'll find out more tomorrow.  He doesn't do MOTs himself, he takes it to another garage down the road and I do trust him as I know him outside of the garage as well.

 

I have since had an idea which could save the day, the old CG125 isn't getting much use and I don't really like to see it stored outside a few hundred metres from the sea, it's not doing it any good so I think it's time to sell.  I've had my fun and it works perfectly well now so that would pay for the Rover's repairs.  Anyone know a good place to sell bikes?  

 

I've got way too darned attached to this car now.  

[Lord Sterling]

Good on ya Phil, I really hope this car gets good breath of life back into it. It deserves it.

[rml2345]

Can offer nothing more than encouragement Phil... Is Gumtree any good for selling bikes?
Go on, the Rover is a deserving cause after all 

[alf892]

Happy to supply labour/swearing FOC if you can bring it to sunny Northants........Neither job is bad to do

[Wilko220]

Given the title of this thread, I can't believe we haven't yet had: "It is now!"

 

Seriously though, I hope you manage to find a realistic way of keeping it alive.

[phil_lihp]

Thanks guys, the support is nice to have!  Alf892, that's a very generous offer, alas the MOT ran out on Monday so it can't really travel now, thank you very much though.

 

It's now worse than we thought as he forgot to mention the welding it also needs.  I've just had the full MOT failure sheet read out over the phone (2 pages, a personal first!):

 

Windscreen: £210 parts + labour (including rust repair to roof)

O/S & N/S rear inner and outer sill corrosion: £90 labour

N/S front ball joint badly worn: £40 parts + £30 labour (you have to replace the whole arm, the ball joint isn't available separately, confirmed this on Rimmer Bro's website)

O/S rear caliper not working: £78 parts + £50 labour (worst-case)

2x CV joint boots: £80 parts & fitting

 

The rear bushes actually are OK, he meant they often go on R8s but as it turns out not on this one, I obviously misinterpreted what I saw.  

 

His personal opinion is it's not really worth doing at the price quoted which I've never heard him say before.  It's very very borderline.  Obviously if the rear caliper can be saved, that'll help and I can certainly get a used one cheaper (e.g. from Joe, although I don't think the 214 ran discs on the back) but £578 in repairs is a lot of wonga.  I am away this weekend so have no time to spend on it and there's precious little I'd be able to do to save labour costs anyway.  I've said I'll come back to him at the end of the day with a decision.

[trigger]

You can't save them all, you gave it your best and you've had a few more months of enjoyment out of it, you can't ask any more than that.

 

That said if you think spending £600 on fixing it will see at least another year out of it them maybe it's worth it, you'd lose more than that in the first months of ownership of a new car.

 

[phil_lihp]

I think I know which way I'll end up going with it!  I have an idea on how it can be justified and this song just came on the radio too, I think it's a message:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6joaGaasMo

[Sigmund Fraud]

£600 can buy you a very, very nice R8 nowadays.

 

Having said that, repairing yours will make you a confirmed Autoshite hero, which is certainly priceless !

[phil_lihp]

Ah, but it won't get me a really nice 220.  Which this one kind of will be, not cosmetically but mechanically.

[KruJoe]

Phil, my new red breaker is a 216 SLi auto, which may/may not be disk equipped. My 216SLi Manuel surprised me by having back disks. The old blue 214 did not.