Rover 114GSi The Path To Longbridge - Who had a cylinder head For Sale?

[Six-cylinder]

Rover 114GSi The Path To Longbridge

 

For more than a year now I have wanted a Metro and I have been looking to buy one, aiming for a 1275cc A series. I was really looking for an up and running car with MOT that I could improve. One of my favorite was a project 1.3S in Lime green but I was outbid. As time went on I realized that they had gone beyond my budget and while I did bid on a couple of 998cc cars I knew that I wanted a bit more performance so widened my search to include Metro 1.4 K series cars. I was excluding Automatics from my search and not very keen on 5 doors. My desire had cooled a little as I had been searching for so long.

 

Reading a thread about Pride of Longbidge (POL) 2016 and who is going, started me thinking about Metros again. Last year I tried to borrow my friends Metro Turbo but ended up with his MGTF instead so planned to ask again. Then there was a post about bringing a Metro to POL with HGF to sell and as they say the rest is history.

 

So it’s not an A series, not a 3 door, not even called a Metro but a Rover 114 GSi. I wanted to save it and love the unloveable.

 

My garage is full with my Citroen GS, which is being painted so the plan was to do the Rover 100 head gasket outside but last week winter arrived and the idea of doing the head gasket immediately was fast fading away. Luckily my friend Derek offered the use of his garage. The good news for me is Derek is a long time BL fan and currently has a Metro Turbo, 1972 Mini, 1988 Mini Designer, Rover 216 Cabriolet and has had various MG ZR, ZS and F/TFs in the past. Derek is a practical man and has personal experience doing K series head gaskets! So Derek’s garage is a good place for me to do the work!

 

The car is now mine and installed in my friends garage 4 miles away. The aim is to take it to POL in April……..

[Pillock]

I've got a proper soft spot for these, but that's down to doing my driving lessons with the AA in the late 90s and using a Rover 114 Kensington - first one in blue, then when that instructor had some sort of breakdown (which I maintain was nothing to do with me) the second guy had a purple one. As such they represent freedom, entering adulthood, and being smacked with a clipboard.

 

Seemed an odd choice of driving school car, with a very cramped interior and alloys that were presumably being clonked across kerbs daily. I guess Rover either had some very persuasive marketing, or lopped a massive amount off the purchase price. 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Hey! is that DodgyTom's controversial Metro?

[HMC]

Good to see it getting the TLC it needs. Mind you I have a thing for posh metros, as the onetime owner of a 1984 VP '500'

[Angry Sheep]

I was looking for a 114GSi when I bought my 1275cc A-Series. I drove a borrowed Rover 111 and loved it.

[D Spares & Tyres]

Scrap it m8 ☺

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Great work Shiters!

[dollywobbler]

Nice one. Can't say they're my cup of tea at all - prefer them A-Series myself. Always good to save dreadful motors though!

[They_all_do_that_sir]

The k series rover metros / 100s are cracking cars. I had a metro 1.1 and found it fantastic fun to drive. Really regret selling that one but it was pretty rotten

[Guest Lord Sward]

The Best Small Car in the WORLD!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Way back when, I had a CRACKING H-reg 1.4 CVT auto one of these (GTa model) with about 25,000 on the clock. Sold it to some lad off the blue forum who brush painted it like a twat.

[Guest Lord Sward]

Those final CVT Metros/100s were shit off a stick.  I remember collecting a then-new 75 2.5 auto and a '98R Rover 114GSi from a closed Rover Group sale at Peterborough auctions.  I took the 75, my missus (who's a better driver than me) took the 100.  Could I out run her back to Newcastle?  Not really, not unless I was trying really hard.  Alloy inlet manifold, MPI fuelling, 30mph+ per 1,000 rpm and a fearless driver.  

[D Spares & Tyres]

  On 18/01/2016 at 19:53, Mr_Bo11ox said:

Way back when, I had a CRACKING H-reg 1.4 CVT auto one of these (GTa model) with about 25,000 on the clock. Sold it to some lad off the blue forum who brush painted it like a twat.

I couldn't drive a Metro painted like a fanny....

[They_all_do_that_sir]

A friend back in the day had a string of GTIs when they were cheap as chips.

 

Putting the 1400 16v k in these was a masterstroke - one of the quickest point to point hatches I've ever driven. 100bhp and less weight than an empty crisp packet

[HH-R]

Even the 8v 70 odd bhp GTa is fuggin quick.

[sloth]

get a vvc in there quick.

[chaseracer]

  On 18/01/2016 at 20:09, They_all_do_that_sir said:

Putting the 1400 16v k in these was a masterstroke - one of the quickest point to point hatches I've ever driven. 100bhp and less weight than an empty crisp packet

 

And they got even lighter as they aged!  Inspired.

 

[f1fan111]

does it have leather seats?? as my old GSI didn't but my dad got one which had leather so think it was a option

[andrew e]

  On 18/01/2016 at 15:10, Pillock said:

I've got a proper soft spot for these, but that's down to doing my driving lessons with the AA in the late 90s and using a Rover 114 Kensington - first one in blue, then when that instructor had some sort of breakdown (which I maintain was nothing to do with me) the second guy had a purple one. As such they represent freedom, entering adulthood, and being smacked with a clipboard.

 

Seemed an odd choice of driving school car, with a very cramped interior and alloys that were presumably being clonked across kerbs daily. I guess Rover either had some very persuasive marketing, or lopped a massive amount off the purchase price.

 

If you find a 5 door GSI with "Great trade Centre White city" you have an ex-AA one - full of them at £5k in 1998/9, almost purchased but had the Marea ex-Avis Daily rental instead!

[Guest Lord Sward]

111GSi was a bespoke AA spec 100-series.

[UltraWomble]

I'd love another A series Metro, but really don't have any love for the K series.

I can't rationalise it I'm afraid, I had two K series a 1.1 and a 1.4 and hated both even though they handled like a go-kart.

[Six-cylinder]

I found a couple of hours today to make a start on the head gasket, all manifolds, pipes, electrics off. Bottom pulley bolt undone eventually with the help of my friend Derek. just n/s engine mounting and cambelt to go and I can lift the head.

[strangeangel]

  On 18/01/2016 at 15:10, Pillock said:

I've got a proper soft spot for these, but that's down to doing my driving lessons with the AA in the late 90s and using a Rover 114 Kensington

 

 

I did my driving lessons in a BSM one in the '80s. I didn't like it much as it was very different from the Renault 5L (with the umbrella gearchange) I'd been practising in. During my test (which I failed) the clutch started playing up, which made me like it even less, and I've hated them ever since. Not even getting laid in a Knightsbridge during my undergraduate years countered my loathing of the breed. I would cheerfully bridge every last surviving one of them if it was within my power.

 

Funny how similar experiences can evoke such different emotions!

[UltraWomble]

  On 19/01/2016 at 16:31, strangeangel said:

I did my driving lessons in a BSM one in the '80s. 

Funny how similar experiences can evoke such different emotions!

1985 - the instructors got new ones every 6 months.

[Six-cylinder]

Another couple of hours today and the head is off.

 

My only concern is there is no obvious area on the head gasket either side to see how the water is getting into the oil.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Lets have a squizz at the gasket then

[Six-cylinder]

I had already wiped it when these pictures were taken, so could have knocked off the bead around the oil holes.

[Six-cylinder]

Again I had already started to clean the head when this picture was taken.

[Guest Lord Sward]

I would have that skimmed.

[Six-cylinder]

  On 20/01/2016 at 19:39, Lord Sward said:

I would have that skimmed.

It has cleaned up very well now and shows no sign of being bent with a straight edge along it.