Rover 800 Coupe, gen me up plz

[eddyramrod]

I have had word of one of these recently.  It's accessible, likely to be cheap, and local.  However, it has been standing around in the open for some time.  Is there anything in particular I should be watching out for when/if I go to check it out?  It's supposedly a V6 auto.

[Jim Bell]

Rust?

[eddyramrod]

   A timely tip there Mr Peas, many thanks!  Yes, I kind of worked that out already.  It's going to be 17-18 years old, so I expect a bit of rust.  I was hoping for a bit more detail, like is there anything that's known to fail, that's made of top-grade unobtanium, or whatever.  Especially, what can/should I be looking for that's visible with the naked eye, that might be a deal-breaker? 

 

Lord Sterling, RoadworkUK, wherefore art thou?

[messerschmitt owner]

timing belt on a KV6!! - when was it done or can you cope with cost of fitting new one?

[EssDeeWon]

timing belt on a KV6!! - when was it done or can you cope with cost of fitting new one?

 

Your looking at £500-600 for 3x belts fitted on the KV6 because im trying to save to have mine done on the 75.

 

Depends how cheap the 800 is but if it has long test, some history and runs fine then it could be a lovely car, on the other hand it could swallow up more finance than Northern Rock.

[Dajazar]

Fuel filler stands a fair chance of being rusted through. These ARE made of unobtainium and account for a fair few 800's going to the great scrapyard in the sky.

[TRW]

Dash can have more waves than the Atlantic too.

 

Still would though.

[r.welfare]

In my experience 800s don't take well to being stood. Seized calipers, havoc in the electrics, that sort of thing.

[Bren]

Fuel filler stands a fair chance of being rusted through. These ARE made of unobtainium and account for a fair few 800's going to the great scrapyard in the sky.

Can't you weld them?

[messerschmitt owner]

Can't you weld them?

or, in the best traditions of BL, and Rover and simply make one out of whatever is to hand that your suppliers have deemed fit to send you after you haven't paid the bills for the second week running.

[dugong]

Header tanks and engines made of brie. 

Although I may have got confused with that Mitchell and Webb Cheesoid sketch. 

[RoadworkUK]

KV6 cambelts ARE do-able, it's just about as pleasant a job as removing your own skin and ironing it.

 

It'll either be a good one and last forever with no issues, or everything will go wrong immediately.

 

I've no experience on the autos, I suspect Coupe bodywork may be a little more rustprone than the others due to the quasi-hand built nature of them. I quite fancied a coupe, until I realised they do absolutely nothing any better than the fastback and have really really long doors which are an arse in multi-storeys.

 

Buy it immediately. I doubt you'll have many regrets.

[dugong]

Lord Sterling has one on LPG for £reasonable if you're keen. 

[eddyramrod]

Yes, I was trying to find the thread about it but after no success in 15 pages of topics I gave up.  I was hoping to glean some tips, or at least a comparison.

 

RW, that's all more or less what I thought.

[320touring]

I think this is Lord Sterlings

 

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C552102

 

He's done a fair bit to it, hwve a hunt for the thread:)

[dugong]

That's Mo's. Took me a minute to find it because of the weird caching on Car & Classic. By the time I'd found it, 320touring had beat me to it. 

[320touring]

That's Mo's. Took me a minute to find it because of the weird caching on Car & Classic. By the time I'd found it, 320touring had beat me to it.

Aye-didnt show up under 800,but did under lpg..

 

Most odd (much like anyone who wants a rover 800;)

[Junkman]

Doing cambelts on a KV6 is not nearly as overburdening as everyone who's never done it makes it sound.

Yes, it is a lot of work, so get up early that day, but it is neither difficult nor challenging.

[catsinthewelder]

I know its not really the AS way but backdating an 800 coop with mk1 front end bits would look pretty cool. I don't think it would be too much of a tragedy so long as you didn't kill a decent mk1 for the bits and could think of a way to do it without making a hash of the tail lights. A proper AS hero would use a double HGFed donor and drop the Honda V6 from the mk1 in too

 

Edit due to spell check interference

[eddyramrod]

A mk1 Coupe sounds really appealing!

[eddyramrod]

I think this is Lord Sterlings

 

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C552102

 

He's done a fair bit to it, hwve a hunt for the thread:)

Yes, that looks familiar, great ad!  Unfortunately it's beige, which means I'm oot.  This other one I've been tipped off about is blue.  Blue is fine.

[EssDeeWon]

Doing cambelts on a KV6 is neither difficult nor challenging. The next time I am in the Essex area I am going to fit some new belts on EssDeeWon's 75

 

ETA

[Junkman]

Well, if KV6 cambelts are such a chore, buy a Rover with two cylinders more and three cambelts less.

Easy.

 

 

Junkman, on 08 Feb 2015 - 9:54 PM, said:

 

Doing cambelts on a KV6 is neither difficult nor challenging. The next time I am in the Essex area I am going to fit some new belts on EssDeeWon's 75 if an adequate amount of beer is forthcoming.

ETA

 

EFA

[overrun]

In my experience 800s don't take well to being stood. Seized calipers, havoc in the electrics, that sort of thing.

Are you trying to scare Partridge!!!

[155V6]

Well, if KV6 cambelts are such a chore, buy a Rover with two cylinders more and three cambelts less.

Easy.

 

 

EFA

Or two cylinders less & a turbo 

[Lord Sterling]

Oh dear, an 800 Coupe

 

If it's a post-1996 car then you're looking at the Rover-developed KV6. Don't be too put off by the OMGHGF and complex cambelt stories, though these repairs are worst-case scenarios. They can be expensive and time-consuming.

 

Later 800s don't seem to rust anywhere near as bad as earlier ones but watch the sills on Coupes, they can easily turn to Wheetabix. Boots will leak, check rear lights, these are usually the culprits.

 

If it's a pre-1996 Coupe, your looking at a Honda V6 powerplant. Please don't go believing in "bulletproof engines" bullshit. They're not, I've killed 2 Honda engined 800s yet my KV6 is happily still running. Go figure.

 

Honda V6s have very complex and fragile cooling systems, they are susceptible to blockages which cause overheating and HGF which is what has happened to 2 of mine, this isn't helped by radiators which crumble for fun and header tanks which crack through sheer boredam.

 

If the header tank needs changing, don't bother with Rover ones, they're shit. A Volvo 850 tank will suffice. This has been tried and tested with good results. There are a couple of handy guides floating about on the net.

 

Make sure you flush and change coolant, get the gunky crap out of the rad to prevent blockages. I'd advise using Blue stuff, never had great results with Red. (Both my dead cars had Red coolant)

 

Check that the auto transmission fluid is a light Cherryade colour, not black, if it is, it'll need changing. If it does need changing, only use ZF-1 ATF or whatever it's called these days (used to be known as "Hondamatic") You can purchase this online or through a Honda dealer, just don't tell them it's a Rover, get a plate from an early Legend and tell them it's for that.

 

Check electrics are working, these aren't as complex as you might think, but 800 electrics can suffer from dry joints in fusebox. Fuseboxes aren't hard to do, unplug some connectors, undo 2 bolts, take fusebox out and resolder all the points on fusebox.

 

As has been alluded to before, fuel filler pipes have, somehow obtained some sort Mk2 Escort tax premium, header tanks are heading the same way. Don't buy those, you can buy a whole Rover 800 for what a pipe can sell for, it's stupid. Shop about at scrappies or European sites, don't waste your time on eBay UK nor any Rover forums, too many chancers trying to cash in on this "premium".

 

Apart from that, usual car-buying checks should suffice. I didn't have the chance to do this with mine when I agreed to buy it so ended up with a right dog.

[Junkman]

Or two cylinders less & a turbo 

 

Only on the third new moon of the year when the seven witches congregate at the crossroads and while wearing a necklace made from garlic.

Turbo technology was made by the Beelzebub. Good people rely on engine displacement for the Holy Mother Of The Blessed Acceleration.

[hauserplenty]

I just might* know where there are two 827SLi coupes and an Oxford Edition for sale.

A local Sterling specialist has 'em. Dude is the San Diego Dale Charles.

I was going to buy one but decided not to.

Lord Sterling, to the beige courtesy phone?

I'll get pics, but only if there's any interest.

[mercedade]

Also, glass. Rear screens are not available anywhere.

 

Calipers will be a horrible, mangled mess of metal all held together with black slime. They will not budge.

 

The sills alluded to above - if the outer sills have holes (rather than surface rust) it's usually a safe bet that the inner sills are made of spiders webs and hope.

 

They are beautiful. Buy it anyway

[dugong]

Eddy, I wouldn't pay more than £500 for an 827 Coupe unless it was minter than mint. Outside of enthusiast circles they're more or less worthless.