Rover 213 S - educate me, please

[vulgalour]

This has "about a month's" MoT, Tax until end of June, is about 15 miles away from me and only £225.  WCPGW?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191136510087?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

I'm going to have a look at this on Monday, insurance is so cheap and the car itself is so cheap and the distance so near I'd be silly not to.  Reassuringly*, the vendor couldn't remember what car it was when I called until I reminded him what colour it was.  It has an MoT of 'about a month' which I took to mean 'five minutes'.

 

I do know these rot in the boot, the lower rear corners, the back half of the sills, the jacking points, underneath the rear seat, the windscreen surround, the bottom of the doors, the bit between the windscreen and the bonnet and the front turret tops specifically.  I know they also rot anywhere else made of metal and will make a good attempt at rotting through non-ferrous surfaces too.  Anything I might have missed to look for? 

 

I also understand they're mechanically pretty tough and a new* starter motor is about £40 delivered.

 

It doesn't make much sense to buy another car, I know, but all three of my cars currently need time rather than money spending on them.  I've been looking at the alternatives and any hatchback comes with ridiculous insurance regardless of engine size or manufacturer, I'm finding micro-saloons and estate cars are cheapest for me to insure and the 213 seems a sensible option as it also has cheap running costs.

 

With that in mind, I'd be happy to get 2 months out of this car, if it'll go through an MoT then that's a bonus but I am expecting it to have the consistency of Shreddies (other non-trademark cereals available) and not be worth trying out even at £225.

[catsinthewelder]

Is that an Autoshite dealer sticker in the back window?

[vulgalour]

I reckon it's an old D.C. COOK one.  o/~look for the D.C. COOK sign!o/~

[saucedoctor]

It does look very muddy, that one. Driver's side doors seem to be a different colour, and that rear arch looks wild grotty. Likely to be a horror story on closer inspection. Front wing looks bad too (ironically the R3s go here too)

 

Much as I love those cars, when they rust, they REALLY rust.

[vulgalour]

It's still better than the red one I nearly bought before veering wildly off course and purchasing a Ledbury in doom blue.

[Bobthebeard]

Is that an Autoshite dealer sticker in the back window?

"STARTER MOTOR JUST SPINS' LOADS OF PAPER WORK FULL LOGBOOK ONLY 2 OWNERS"

 

This 'sentence' alone would suggest not....

[Squire_Dawson]

Nice colour. Buy one before they all disappear.

[Angrydicky]

Obviously I'm only going to encourage you. It looks awesome.

[Angrydicky]

In fact it looks so grim, I reckon if you don't buy it, the only other person in the running would be Gary Cox.

[Spiny Norman]

It looks better than the last one of these I saw...

[EssDeeWon]

If you buy that for £200 and it passes its imminently due MOT test this whole forum will dock their hats at you Vulg, BUT as is 99.975648% of the time there is a reason why this has not been tested for another year before sale, its just a matter of what that reason is !!?

[Sigmund Fraud]

Do it !

 

The only tool a 213 owner is likely to ever need is a welder, and you have one.

[eddyramrod]

"STARTER MOTOR JUST SPINS' LOADS OF PAPER WORK FULL LOGBOOK ONLY 2 OWNERS"

This 'sentence' alone would suggest not....

Starter should be a relatively cheap and easy fix, surely... so why is he leaving it to the new owner to do? No, despite my ongoing liking for these, especially in Henley Blue, my advice is: run away.

[vulgalour]

When I view it I will take some photographs to show why I bought it/ran away.

[purplebargeken]

I had a D reg one in red, same model as that blue one. Loved it to bits and it was pretty bloody nippy too. It was light on the steering at parking speeds and had a good gear change. Lovely little cars.

 

They rust. Everywhere. Even the tyres*.

 

Some tosser African student hit it up the arse whilst we were stationary at a zebra crossing in Tottenham. We made him buy it off us at full dealer price (at the time). I still hate him as it really was a beaut of a car. 

 

Just buy the bloody thing after having checked it over with a magnet wrapped in some thin cloth.

 

I saw one at the Enfield BCA about 12 years ago. It looked like the bottom half of the car had sat in salt solution since new. I got told off for prodding it thus leaving little piles of rust on the floor. 

[Bobthebeard]

Starter should be a relatively cheap and easy fix, surely... so why is he leaving it to the new owner to do? No, despite my ongoing liking for these, especially in Henley Blue, my advice is: run away.

Agreed...... Also the superfluous apostrophe and 'full logbook' statement may well be circumstantial evidence, but the case for 'running away' is increasing.

[purplebargeken]

Gotta check it out at least. 15 miles away is nothing (well 30 actually). Just go and have a look and be prepared to haggle like a hero.

[hairnet]

[eddyramrod]

Is the car in Grimsby? It smells like it should be...

[vulgalour]

GRIMsby it is not, Rotherham it is.

[Bobthebeard]

Still possibly 'Fishy' non the less.....

[Lord Sterling]

Ah no, not again. I really want one of these. I dream of driving one of these with a flat cap on my way to a Manor house out in the Midlands countryside.

 

I sat in one last year, I was about to drive it when it wouldn't start. Thats all I know about them.

[EssDeeWon]

^^ Watch out for the cows in the field Richard

[eddyramrod]

I had a Henley Blue 216S as a weekend rental 25 years ago (hmm, didn't I type something similar in another thread recently?) and loved it. Now I could afford one, I definitely would. But not this one, it feels wrong.

[vulgalour]

^^ Watch out for the cows in the field Richard

 

It's okay, those are only small cows.

[purplebargeken]

Well...... did ya?

[Skizzer]

I sat in one last year, I was about to drive it when it wouldn't start. Thats all I know about them.

Sounds like that's all you need to know, at least about this one.

[Station]

Mine is for sale! It's pretty solid as well.

[vulgalour]

So... er... I'm not going to look at this after all because I now have the big white onion bus instead.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Very wise vulg. I reckon this will be a right rotten old life-sapping shitbox