Meet the DoomRover

[scaryoldcortina]

18 months ago, one of my dad's friends gave me his T reg Rover 400 1.6. Tidy, clean, 4 good tyres and 11 months and 3 weeks MoT. This astonishing generosity was prompted by him asking the MoT guy if he knew why the car kept needing the water topping up......

 

Anyway, he was convinced that the whole car was going to explode any second. I was asked to go and look at cars with him so he didn't accidently buy a landmine with a steering wheel, I let him buy a honda civic. On the way back, he asked me how much he owed, I asked what he was doing with the rover and within seconds I owned a doomed rover. He left it at my parents house the next day. I popped down, and drove it back thinking at worst it's £100 on the bridge and some decent tyres that would fit the sierra.

 

On the drive home, another thought occured. It was nice to drive, comfy, and basically free. Why not do the HG and run it? I ordered a full kit on ebay the same evening.

 

Because I'm lazy though, I didn't fit it. I kept an eye on the water instead... it uses about half a pint a month. I go through more screenwash than that! I've been topping it up ever since. No other signs of OMGHGF, oil is fine, no sludge, doesn't overheat and the water is clean. It just drinks a little of it sometimes.

 

24,000 miles and one MoT later, it still uses about half a pint a month. I've replaced two tyres and the front brake pads, been driven into by a mercedes (bumper now cable tied, moneyz pocketed) and it isn't anywhere near as clean. In fact due to being used for tip runs it's been infested with spiders and maggots (not at the same time) and now has a few dents and visible rust patches. It is still going though, and the K series is economical enough compared to the 2.9 cosworth auto scorpio I used previously.

 

I wonder how long it will last? Next test is november, and I can already see areas that need welding.

[KruJoe]

That's the way to Autoshite. (It's a verb now.)

 

Good to see you back, Scary.

[MrBiscuits]

We had a 200 with slow water loss like You've described there. Turned out to be the gasket on the plastic inlet. It was leaking externally, but seemingly only when cold and never enough to leave a drop under the car. I only found it when I happened to run my hand under the back of the manifold and it was damp - quick taste test, bingo found where the coolant had been going! They can leak internally too where a bit seeps into the cylinder and gets burnt off straightaway.

[scaryoldcortina]

KruJoe - thought I'd give it another go. I left because of the mong-fest a while back. Looks more like itself again now though

 

MrBiscuits - I already checked the manifold, hoses, heater matrix and rad. It isn't leaking externally so much like my poor old dog's heart it isn't worth the surgery and best left to carry on until the problem becomes fatal

[UltraWomble]

[Jim Bell]

Who among us can stand up and say truly that we only drink half a pint a month?!!1

I think that's going great guns and that you should treat it for its service by inserting a higher quality of spider and maggot. But don't spoil it.

[catsinthewelder]

It's great to see you back on here SOC, and the others who've drifted back recently. The Rover sounds like it's in fine hands, it might be cleaner with someone else but it would probably be borked by now.

[Cavcraft]

Welcome back indeed.

 

If you only get until November out of the car, it won't owe you a penny, but hopefully you can coax another MOT out of it and run it even longer.

[dollywobbler]

Aye. Top shiting and welcome back to you and others who have gently returned.

[Taff]

some motors just like a little drink, one of my capri's would cheerfully slug a pint or so a month. Whats the very worst that's going to happen? A nun may be mildly shocked

[scaryoldcortina]

 

Here's a picture I've just taken of the thing. I'm surprised how shiny it still looks...

[They_all_do_that_sir]

 

Here's a picture I've just taken of the thing. I'm surprised how shiny it still looks...

That's exactly like the one I used to own brilliant car, double wishbone front suspension IIRC. R8 feels better made though

[Noel Tidybeard]

arent the rad caps on these another suspect for leakage?

[lisbon_road]

some motors just like a little drink, one of my capri's would cheerfully slug a pint or so a month. Whats the very worst that's going to happen? A nun may be mildly shocked

Can be porosity, probably in the cylinder head.  Generally doesn't get worse.  My pinto Sierra was like that - man I bought it from had it from new and it had always done it.  Probably a good case for a sealant.  

[Taff]

Can be porosity, probably in the cylinder head.  Generally doesn't get worse.  My pinto Sierra was like that - man I bought it from had it from new and it had always done it.  Probably a good case for a sealant.  

 

the Capri was a Pinto too. As long as your aware of it, it's not an issue.

[Lacquer Peel]

They're a bit frumpy looking but HH-Rs drive really nicely, great ride quality.

Looks great for a free car.

[the judge]

arent the rad caps on these another suspect for leakage?

Sure are!! Scrappy cap and try that. Shite at its best

[scaryoldcortina]

Yeah, add pressure cap to the list of things you can assume I changed a year and a half ago.

 

Today the odometer rolled over to 124,510 miles which means the car has been around the world (at the equator) five times now. I'm also about 10k into the second half of a journey to the moon.

[scaryoldcortina]

What passing bells for those who boil like kettles?

Only the monstrous hissing of the cap......

 

 

Oh dear, it boiled today. Temp went sky high, I pulled over and it threw up all over the engine bay. I waited and refilled, but blobby bits of oil are now in the header tank. 125,876 miles on the clock.

 

Still drives fine, but extra doomed. I'm actually a bit sad. It's been a nice thing to tool around in listening to prog rock. Trouble is it also needs jacking points and sill ends welding for next test, and I'm getting bored of it.

 

Still, not bad for nothing.

[drum]

Sounds like it's going to be euthanized very soon.

[scaryoldcortina]

Maybe, maybe not. I have a gasket set and a welder and I don't easily throw anything away. It will get assesed on its merits soon as I get this damn MGF off my ramp.

[drum]

Always good to hear of a lost cause being saved.

 

I was listening to some crap on the radio yesterday about the 'drivers' for people wanting to buy new cars. One was the green credentials of new motors which got me thinking about the good cars that must get scrapped to make way for the new stuff everyone seems to lease these days.

[scaryoldcortina]

Most of our cars seem to end up saved from scrap - my daughter's first polo was saved at the scrapyard gate and the Fabia SDI she's using now was given to me for scrap in exchange for a MoT test on a pug 206. There is a good chance that I'll revive the scorpio estate for the winter and fix the rover just because I can.

 

I've even got a capri that got charity rallied to volgagrad and back, then saved from scrap at the last minute and rebuilt... My son has claimed it though.

[vulgalour]

See now that style of grille on that type of 400 actually looks perfectly fine and I have no inclination to take hammers to it.  That red always looks smart on these.  We all know you're going to save it so I look forward to the updates on the attempt.

[scaryoldcortina]

 

Last month I had to go rescue Val the crazy Rover lady because Rory Rover (silver) wasn't holding his water like he should. It was a burst pipe, so I borrowed one from Rexy Rover (blue) and she was horrified that I called "him" an organ donor...

[320touring]

may I commend to you the healing* powers of Kseal..

[scaryoldcortina]

No, that would be a waste of a tenner.

[drum]

 

Last month I had to go rescue Val the crazy Rover lady because Rory Rover (silver) wasn't holding his water like he should. It was a burst pipe, so I borrowed one from Rexy Rover (blue) and she was horrified that I called "him" an organ donor...

You should have fixed Val's lawn mower while you were there.

[320touring]

No, that would be a waste of a tenner.

worked ok for me on an old bmw m20 6cyl:)

 

where is your sense of adventure?

[Lacquer Peel]

Most of our cars seem to end up saved from scrap - my daughter's first polo was saved at the scrapyard gate and the Fabia SDI she's using now was given to me for scrap in exchange for a MoT test on a pug 206. There is a good chance that I'll revive the scorpio estate for the winter and fix the rover just because I can.

 

I've even got a capri that got charity rallied to volgagrad and back, then saved from scrap at the last minute and rebuilt... My son has claimed it though.

 

I had a Fabia SDI as a stopgap for a while, good wee car and great on veg if daughter_SOC has the notion.