Dollywobbler's GR-8 Rover - getting better all the time

[chaseracer]

I got some Rover steels from Keith Adams a couple of years back, passing them on to a friend just prior to her 200 snapping its cambelt.  I can check whether she's still got them, if you'd like?

[dollywobbler]

Thanks but I'll stick with the bling for now. Other priorities - wheels are on the unimportant really list, along with grille issues and wrong rear lights.

[saucedoctor]

Interference engine, Wobblah.

 

 

[catsinthewelder]

I'm not sure that I agree but I like it SD

[phil_lihp]

Ask RobT if he'll swap wheels with you

[garbaldy]

I bought one of these with the dizzler engine for a couple of hundred quid for the auld man to use as a tide him over car while his tr7 was being restored, 6 years later he decided to hand me it back as he didn't want to tax both cars anymore he loved it and spent not a penny on it apart from servicing, it drove well and was good on dizzle also pug engined

 

 They are good cars and as a side note this whole car is the same price as a new rear led tail light for a 3 series   one small 10 pence led goes down and the whole lights scrap,

[dollywobbler]

People who aren't into shite are certainly staggered that I bought a road legal car for £300. Neighbour said 'weren't you worried that it wouldn't get you home?' His jaw dropped when I said 'well, previous owner drove it to Benidorm and back, so I thought it'd probably be ok.'

The key here is that I did actually reject two cars. You still have to be fussy even sub-£500. It's amazing that beggars CAN be choosers.

[cort16]

It's actually amazing the choice of sub 500 t&td stuff on autotrader.

[dollywobbler]

Yup. The new tax rules are going to be a problem for us at the bottom end of the market though. A £300 car with some tax on it is ridiculous value. A £300 where you immediately need to buy a chunk of cash is less appealing. Guess the new direct debit method may take some of the sting out of it. We'll have to wait and see.

[cort16]

Very true I recon some of the bigger engined stuff is with going to become very cheap it go straight to the bridge. Are you really going to want to pay 500 quid a year or 40 quid a month for a v6 vectra?

[bub2006]

Does this mean the prices are going to change for engine size tax cist vehicles cort? My car is a 53 plate so is emissions rates anyway. Wonder what they will alter prices to now

[cort16]

There was 2 step changes the first was post 2001 reg date when they started to base the tax on the c02 emissions but the then post 2006, which made it much more expensive for higher c02 cars. They also brought in a first year road fund license for new cars so high c02 cars can pay up to 1000 quid for there first years RFL .

Basically big engine low value cars v6 vectras , 5 pot pez mondeos, v6 passats etc will be worth buttons cos no one wants to spend 500 a year on car tax.

 

Your car won't get re categorised it'll just be affected by any changes brought in by the budget.

[bub2006]

I knew all the crap about tax mate just must have mis understood what you said about new tax group

[Richard]

I think DW was talking about when the tax disc is phased out and it will no longer be possible to buy a car that's already taxed. That means you have to pour money into the car before you've even got it home.

[dollywobbler]

Correct. No more buying a car with tax and test. Just test! More bloomin' hassle. 

 

I'm going to try and get a little video done tomorrow. I make no promises but hopefully I can do it. I currently have various deadlines hovering around like mildly angry bees (or maybe it's just bees) but fingers crossed.

[Vince70]

I wonder if someone can tell me when the new tax rules come into force.

I guess it means I can tax my old Audi monthly in the new year..

[dollywobbler]

November IIRC.

[hairnet]

People who aren't into shite are certainly staggered that I bought a road legal car for £300. Neighbour said 'weren't you worried that it wouldn't get you home?' His jaw dropped when I said 'well, previous owner drove it to Benidorm and back, so I thought it'd probably be ok.'

The key here is that I did actually reject two cars. You still have to be fussy even sub-£500. It's amazing that beggars CAN be choosers.

happened wit the bike i just give billy - bought from bristol and itd not been used for 6 months got it started waited to see if it overheated then put pez in and rode 200 miles on it home

 

same price

[dollywobbler]

On with further tinkering. I did this while I was waiting for a video to render. It was crap so I had to re-edit it. You'll have to wait.

 

First challenge was to banish a really annoying rattle. You'll be able to hear it on the video. I think this is the culprit.

 

For some reason, these metal rods are used to hold the bootlid open. Bit of a crap design to be honest and the lower one was rattling in the clip on the left. I wrapped the rod in insulation tape to make it fit more snugly, then dosed it in lube. Not conducted a test drive yet. Fingers crossed!

 

Next I pulled the stereo out to try and find out why the rear speakers aren't working. Easy diagnosis!

 

Someone has cut the rear speaker wires right at the plug that connects to the car's own wiring blocks. The household connectors were presumably used to connect to some other speakers perhaps? That's pretty much written that head unit off so I pulled it out and found my trusty JVC unit that has seen service in probably 20 different cars over the years, including the Sirion, many BXs and the Citroen H van we drove to Sweden. The car's wiring plugged straight into it. That's never happened before! Dead chuffed.

 

You may note from the above that I have a knob problem. The left-hand knob is correct, the other two are presumably from a later 400 or some other MG Rover product. They point in entirely the wrong direction. Handy! I must go knob seeking.

 

Here's a full on interior shot. I need some decent mats and ideally, the wood trim could do with an overhaul. Can't see that happening though!

[KruJoe]

I think your lights are on, mate.

[KruJoe]

Oh, PM me your address and I'll knob you up. I'm off to the post office on Wednesday, so it's no bother.

Any other bits you want?

[dollywobbler]

This is true. I was hoping to demonstrate how utterly useless the heater lighting is, but it wasn't really dark enough. I'm surprised there isn't a lights-on warning buzzer. It's deliciously free of annoying bongs and chimes in fact. Though the most amusing noise is from one of the door locks. When you lock it, it growls like a tiny dog.

 

EDIT- thanks Joe! I'll drop you a PM.

[RobT]

I like the brownness of the interior.

[Richard]

I think these knobs might be from a Ford Transit.

[hairnet]

 

 

interior made me think of that

[Noel Tidybeard]

they look like montego nobs

[twosmoke300]

Torsion bar boot springs are good. Never leak or fail like gas struts. Stiffer ones are available for Honda's that have rear spoilers

[dollywobbler]

Nice one Hairnet. "Rover 200. Great for indecisive harlots and dishonourable men!"

[dollywobbler]

Torsion bar boot springs are good. Never leak or fail like gas struts. Stiffer ones are available for Honda's that have rear spoilers

 

Yeah, I need stiffer ones thanks to that 200GTi spoiler glued and nailed to this one! 

[dollywobbler]

Er, it gets rather more odd for the 400 launch video. I'm apparently James Bond;s shit brother. OMG, I CAN OVERTAKE A LORRY!