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

[dugong]

I had an R8 416SLi manual a while ago, seemed very thirsty for what it was.

Maybe you should stop driving around with your foot to the floor in second, then.

[KruJoe]

Speaking of which, I've just processed a few, my '94 216SLi does anywhere between 29 and 40 mpg, depending on how much Mrs_KJ has been learning to drive in the wrong gear, how many calipers are sticking, and if it has done any longer runs to the big smoke (Skipton).

[Cavcraft]

Actually, I've been offered a cheap R8 very recently and forgot to get back to him about it.

[Lankytim]

Id LOL if you removed the flag and found a swastika under it or something.

 

Top shiting anyway!

[Lacquer Peel]

Maybe you should stop driving around with your foot to the floor in second, then.

?

[Vince70]

Id LOL if you removed the flag and found a swastika under it or something.

Top shiting anyway!

That's only on the later BMW era rovers.

Has anyone noticed the Germans discreetly renamed our lovely Rover metro after a Heinkel bomber and called it a 111 the cheek of it

[dollywobbler]

That's a barmy thing to say! That flag belongs to everyone in this country - unless of course you take the view that UKIP and the BNP are somehow more British than the rest of us. Personally I think that the open minded and moderate are at least as entitled to display that flag as right wing nutcases are.

 

You may think so, but I'd had two UKIP/BNP comments before I even got the thing home! The Asian lady at the petrol station gave me a funny look too. It isn't my fault that the flag has been misappropriated. I'm not one for flag-flying at all though, so I'm glad it's gone.

 

Anyway, returning to the car itself. It now looks rather different. Here's the Collection Caper.

http://classichub.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/how-will-i-get-home-part-2-the-steed/

 

[Pillock]

An elderly relative had a 414 with the grille on. I think he'd ordered it before the facelift because the old grille had been hacksawed by the dealer and the new grille stuck on. I think if they removed the old one entirely it left a gap under the lights?

[Micrashed]

Bit of a crappy picture but it was taken 20 years ago. This was mine in GSi spec.

[messerschmitt owner]

You had a choice. We were invaded...

!

What do you mean? We only invaded as far as derby last time.

[dollywobbler]

Ugh. Just resorted to petrol on the bonnet gunge. It really doesn't want to come off. Even with petrol, it's reluctant.

 

Anyone got any experience of doing a timing belt on one of these? I've no idea when it was done. 84k on the clock, due at 60k but also a 5-year interval.

 

Yes, that does make it bloody low miles for a car owned by me. Less than 100,000! 

[320touring]

Ugh. Just resorted to petrol on the bonnet gunge. It really doesn't want to come off. Even with petrol

Take petrol, apply to car(via conventional route to tank!)

 

Turn ignition key

 

Proceed to scrapyard

 

Procure new bonnet

 

Proceed to hellfrauds

 

Acquire beige paint

 

Apply to bonnet

 

Win

[messerschmitt owner]

Take petrol

Apply to bonnet

Oops, was that a match

Apply to insurance company for payment

 

Win

Efa and hth

[Timewaster]

Wd40 for the sticker residue.

[dollywobbler]

WD40 nae good. White spirit nae good. Carb Cleaner very good, but you need LOADS of it. It loses its goodness after mere seconds. Petrol better but I still find I'm scraping gooey gunk off with a credit card. Horrible job! It was a lot easier dealing with the felt tip pen on the Sirion - banger rally participants take note!

[TRW]

We need a test drive report on this, just like the one you did for the Maestro.

 

Many thanks.

[dollywobbler]

Yes, that does need to happen. I've got a meeting in the morning, and might ask the handily-placed garage to check the wheel balance - and possibly bodge up the cat shield thing which is broken and very noisy. Then I will get the cameras out.

[chaseracer]

As for the cambelt...

 

 

[HMC]

How did I miss the R8 purchase!? After having a PAS equipped one as my first car, your comments over the lightness of the steering brought back memories.

 

The wrong grill is very much of its time- a dealer in manchester used to swap them to add forecourt appeal to slow selling pre facelifts in the mid 90s

[dollywobbler]

Either the New Car Mania is wearing off or I'm just absolutely knackered from spending an entire day stripping stickers off the Rover. Bleeargh. 

[320touring]

Efa and hth

I was trying to be polite;)

[hairnet]

wouldnt m blx sacre bleu be yer man fer cambelt

[saucedoctor]

Tesco do a product called "Sticky Stuff Remover" (really) in a wee blue aerosol. It can take off the glue from those metal "PentiumIII" badges you used to get on laptops, so it must be bloody good.

[Honey Badger]

WD40 nae good. White spirit nae good. Carb Cleaner very good, but you need LOADS of it. It loses its goodness after mere seconds. Petrol better but I still find I'm scraping gooey gunk off with a credit card. Horrible job! It was a lot easier dealing with the felt tip pen on the Sirion - banger rally participants take note!

Xylene is what you need, it's the only thing that gets tacky tape residue from my metal and glass plates at work when I'm infusing carbon fibre panels, it's slightly thicker and seems to be more oil like than petrol and other solventsso it doesn't evaporate so quickly.

 

Hammerite thinners used to be Xylene based, and I still think you can get it from places like tool station or DIY stores.

 

Wear nitrile gloves though!

[forddeliveryboy]

I once succeeded with Acetone (less than a tenner for 5 litres, cf with aerosol price of carb cleaner - 200mls for £3) mixed with a little veg oil with a similar task, combined with a plastic ice scraper.

 

I wonder if the Scots vote to govern themselves and the flag is changed, will such anachronisms suddenly lose all this NF/BNP/Nazi image some seem to think they have?

[KruJoe]

Since Welshfest, I farmed out the job of water pump and cam belt on mine. It seems the grumbling pump was masking the now rattling cat, so I have that to fix* now too. Grr.

 

It's not often I pay for jobs to be done, but I couldn't afford to get it wrong, or the skin from my knuckles.

[inconsistant]

Hi Mr Wobbler, nice Rover. I really fancy a cabriolet one of these, preferably a purple 1.6 with leather seats, and I would have done if the Mrs hadn't reacted so badly to the idea.

 

I pulled the big 'LOOK A PORSCHE!' stickers off the sides of mine quite easily but loads of sticky gunk was left on it. I spent hours doing one side, I tried Fairy Liquid, Petrol, Mer wax, Tcut, white spirit and then doing it badly with a toffee wheel.

Someone suggested cellulose thinners for the other side, which I tried and it took about 30mins and left it really clean, so that's my recommendation, Cellulose thinners and a clean rag. 

[twosmoke300]

Your local factors will do stuff called tar and glue remover. Brilliant for sticker residues. It was about 15 quid for 5 litres

[cort16]

have you tried lighting the petrol?

[dugong]

Also seen it. Reminds me of a certain BX estate.

Jesus. Check the pedal box.

 

See those scrapyard scales over there? Drive the car to them and get out.

 

Then, a nice tattooed man will give you money. This money can be used towards the purchase of an actual car rather than a post-tragic shitheap.