mrbenn Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 There is absolutely nothing to dislike here. Nice work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 Popped into the local motorfactor on the off chance and priced up:Pair of front discs - £26Set of front pads - £18Clutch kit - £54 I had enough for the brakes so I got those which will sort out that warped front disc. The clutch I'll get when my next payment clears hopefully sometime this week. According to the motorfactor's computer/supplier the discs for the non-ABS model are now obsolete so it was fortunate he just happened to have a (very dusty boxed) set on the shelf in the back room. I'd like to get brakes and clutch and radiator all done before my trip to Wiltshire this weekend. It's not vital that I do but it would certainly take away some long-distance anxiety to have it all sorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcars Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 This is looking great. Your getting stuff done quickly its making me wish i had more time to get the 75 finished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 Lunch time tinkering was had. First up was to sort out the spoiler that had fallen off. It was awkward to split it back into its two halves because the Sikkaflex had glued them together really well. It was necessary to split the spoiler down again because I had to put the three good bolts I had back in the best holes so that it would clamp to the boot lid properly. Mike drilled some holes - because I have very little confidence in that sort of thing - and then had to actually tighten the nuts up because I couldn't get my massive spade hands into the tiny space they now needed to live in. A bit more Sikkaflex to rebond the outer shell of the spoiler to the inner shell that was now firmly attached to the car and careful application of gaffer tape to keep tension on with newspaper to protect the fresh black satin paint. Miraculously, I didn't peel any red paint or lacquer off when this was removed. The spoiler has also not yet fallen off, so fingers crossed we got it right this time. 20150727-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr While that was setting the radio was investigated and it turned out the fuse in it had blown which was a really easy fix. Interestingly, the new fuse also seems to have repaired the apparently blown rear speakers which are now perfectly fine so perhaps it was just a dodgy fuse all along. Classic FM I think for you this time, very Rover 414 that. 20150727-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr Another job while waiting for the spoiler to set was the rear window trim. We think the rear screen might be a replacement, there were little cubes of glass in the boot under the carpet and there's signs that the trims have been fiddled with here and there. Removing the old trim was fairly easy, it just slides off the fixings. There were 5 fixing clips underneath and quite a lot of black sealant which didn't look right with the way it was just blobbed all over everything so I cleaned it all up and reduced the clips to three. The clips themselves snap into three pegs fixed to the D pillar so I'm not sure why there was a need to fit 5, I've kept the two I removed just in case they are needed later. 20150727-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr The trim then had the damaged plastic coating cleaned off, a few kinks taken out carefully and generally tidied up before being given a fresh coat of satin black and slid back into place. My brother pointed out the ends should sit under the top and bottom trim rather than on top so I did that too and the end result is really tidy, a very satisfying little job that. 20150727-04 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr Only problem is that it's made the other side look appalling by comparison, so I'll have to do that one next. 20150727-05 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr Skizzer, Jim Bergerac, saucedoctor and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pillock Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 You're like a whirlwind of Rover tinkerage. vulgalour 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 The mid-sized Rover has really wedged itself in your life. This is a very positive thing. Rover is looking rather lovely vulgalour 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 It's brilliant! It's like Rover made it just for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felly Magic Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I think it needs a twin tailpipe back box with chrome finishers on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 YES. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_lihp Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I have the twin-pipe back box on mine, an original MG Rover part from Rimmer Bros no less, I was quite tempted by chrome tailpipe covers but it seemed odd to have shiny bits sticking out from underneath the sawn-off rear bumper and underseal-painted towbar. Yours might pull it off though. Nice to see another one of these getting some TLC, it provides some inspiration to get mine sorted out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
They_all_do_that_sir Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I LOVE this car vulgalour 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeJay Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 If it were mine I'd give the spoiler a coat of satin black. It looks more like newspaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendry Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Nice work mate, I like everything you've done to the car other than the rear lights, I think that's maybe because you've done the full light rather than just the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 Ssshhhh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Reverend Bluejeans Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 It's brilliant! It's like Rover made it just for me. You need some Hush Puppies, slacks and chunky knitwear now, as seen in the fist eating awfulness of the R8 adverts: You are, after all, up where you belong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qVm1fyGDYU KruJoe, CGSB and cms206 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Bo11ox Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 That advert is enough to bring a tear to anyone's glass eye oldcars and Parky 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 Annggggg... that was terrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
They_all_do_that_sir Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Ahhhhh FFS I'd managed to forget all about that advert, thanks Wilko220 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 As advert ends Rover engine goes into massive OMGHGF, they have their first argument, then have make up sex on the bonnet this denting it to death. Car then gets punted through a number of auctions and owners before arriving in 2015 and being roffled on Autoshite. It then ends up in Scotland next to some Volvos. The couple in question have 3 kids, later divorce and the bloke she ran off with now lives with a Ladyboy in Thailand where they have a ladyboy bar. The woman in question then met a bloke called Dave and is a recovering alcoholic and lives in Essex. cms206, beko1987 and Felly Magic 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taff Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 That advert is enough to bring a tear to anyone's japs eye no charge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted July 28, 2015 Author Share Posted July 28, 2015 Collected the new clutch kit today and my new radiator arrived. Typically it was the wrong one, and unusually it was my fault not ECP's. A correct radiator has been sourced elsewhere which I shall collect tomorrow and I'm sorting out a refund from ECP. The currently fitted clutch is feeling very, very dead so I'm hoping to find some time outside of artwork and the C-Max I'm sorting the paint out on to get it done this week. While out getting stuff today spotted and got some red Duck Tape to do the same to the Rover as I did to the Xantia and got all the chrome inserts wrapped. The door inserts were replacements made from sticky-back chrome that was slightly too long on two of the doors. I trimmed down the slightly too long inserts, wrapped them and then refixed the door trims with more Sikkaflex so they don't go anywhere. The bumper trims have moulded clips that push into slots and while I had to get our neighbour Simon to push the last four clips in because my hands said no, it was otherwise trouble free going. The end result is very satisfying. 20150728-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr 20150728-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr 20150728-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr I *really* need to get that front grille and bonnet sorted out now because they're letting the side down badly. Largactil, Ghosty, oldcars and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 I do love how you take production cars and slowly but surely make them look like supercool concept cars! vulgalour 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Tidybeard Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 how about a red tape line around rear lights and across boot trim? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Rear spoiler looks cool but IMHO would look coolerer in red Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcars Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 The bumper trims are smart. Dad had a d plate mk2 Sierra and it had what ford called "cobra red inserts" in the bumpers too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted July 29, 2015 Author Share Posted July 29, 2015 how about a red tape line around rear lights and across boot trim? Funny you should mention that, I had the same thought last night and even found I had some suitable tape so I'm giving that a go later today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted July 29, 2015 Author Share Posted July 29, 2015 Today I got the proper radiator and my refund on the incorrect one. I've been at the unit sorting out a full length key-strike on Mike's brother's Ford C-Max. Really, really nasty thing to repair and has taken me a lot of the day to get close to sorted. In between paint drying sessions I determined to sort out the Rover. I've done radiators before, normally they're not too much hassle. For some reason, on the 400 you have to remove the air filter box and battery to stand a chance of getting to the lower pipe and it's a bit of a faff to get it out. What few wires the engine bay has get in the way as you do this and one even runs over the top of the battery clamp bolt. Pretty annoying but eventually the old rad came out mostly in one piece. 20150729-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr The water that came out was mostly okay. It's been run on blue, which I'm not too thrilled about, and while some K-Seal has been put in it doesn't appear to be the usual twelve bottles worth. No amount of K-Seal was going to help the radiator that came out though. 20150729-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr 20150729-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr That old radiator was comprehensively ruined. The bottom rail came off with the fan. I'm glad I decided to do this first as that radiator was definitely going to cause me problems pretty quickly. Double checked all the various bits on the new one were in the right place, swapped the rubber feet and top brackets over from the old one and installed the new fan sensor. Because the fan sensor is on an interference fit rather than screw in or similar, I also put a tie wrap around it to make sure it doesn't fall out. That's probably just paranoia but I'd rather be safe than sorry, I had expected there to be some sort of clip to hold it in place but there isn't. 20150729-04 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr Before refitting the system was flushed as much as it would let us until it ran clear. For the short term I'm running on plain water and doing a weekly flush until as much old blue antifreeze and K-Seal remnants are out of the system before putting fresh OAT in. I'm aware it's going to take a lot of flushes and patience to get it swapped over properly to OAT. Everything buttoned up fairly easily apart from a bit of faff with the air box clips. One thing I did find out is that the previous owner probably has changed the oil and filter not long before selling the car, both look really good and the oil filter looks fairly new in the engine bay so those are at least some things I don't feel I need to do. 20150729-05 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr Last job after that was to bleed the system. Spent some time burping it in the conventional manner until I was directed to this little bolt (the little wet brown blob, this was just after undoing it) just to the right of the engine as you look at it from the front of the car. 20150729-06 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr Unfastened that and lots of air came whistling out followed by a little fountain of water. Topped up the water afresh and did it again to find only water coming out so I was satisfied it was as well bled as it could be. I was also advised to ensure the heater was set to hot while this was done so that the heater matrix would be bled properly too. With that done we got the car running. As it reached 1/4 gauge we found that the small top hose on the radiator was leaking. This was fortunately just a bad clip and a new one resolved that. Then it was the waiting game because the temperature rose to 1/3 and just stuck there stubbornly. Took an absolute age to get to half gauge, the fan coming on all on it's own proving that the new switch was working properly. Absolutely no issues presented themselves so we called the job done. Bit of a chore but a worthwhile one as it takes a big worry away. This weekend I hope to tackle the clutch, the brakes are okay for a bit as they still work perfectly fine so I'll do them when I properly have time to devote. I'm stretched a bit thin at the moment with work commitments so I need to find a couple of days of downtime somewhere soon. Grundig, oldcars, greengartside and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twosmoke300 Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 You should try changing one on a turbo diesel model ! Still got the scars on my knuckles years later vulgalour 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted July 29, 2015 Author Share Posted July 29, 2015 Amazingly, I didn't lose any skin doing this job. That probably means I did it wrong. Twiggy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarvinsMom Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 changing the rad on at rover 200/25 bubble is a nightmare too, the rad is just that tiny, tiny bit too big to fit easily under the front panel. i think that they must have put the rad in before lifting the engine/gearbox/engine bed up into the car. BL/ARG/ROVER/MGR were daft enough to do something like that! good work sir, the R8 saloon was i think alway the ;looker of all the R8's, but more importantly what news of that beige temptress, the princess? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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