Estate(s) of the nation - British tourer purchased 05-12-24 - See page 34

[Imhotep]

Just read back on this thread and realised I always look at your driveway in awe of what appears on it next whenever I drive past. You live maybe 2 minutes from me, if that. Always wondered what happened to the Cedric. Sad to see what happened.  

[Heidel_Kakao]

Back home now and no major issues to report. It was mainly motorway so I didn't really get chance to explore the handling or performance but it's a nice cruiser, at one point I was sitting at 90 with the revs a smidge over 4000 and I couldn't hear the engine and minimal wind noise. The Swedish option that sold was a 2001 V70 Cross Country and I will probably have one of them at some point but right now I am not regretting the British option. 75's and ZT's have been on my radar for a long time and I would absolutely love a 260 V8 one day but for now the second best engine will be adequate.

It looks like it was owned by an enthusiast at some point and the V5 showed 3 previous keepers which seems quite low. I paid £900 from a dealer who had taken it in part exchange so it wasn't prepped and is pretty dirty inside. It ticked over 161'000 miles on the way home and according to the service history it had a clutch at 150K and cambelt about 4 years and 30K ago so it has not been neglected all it's life.

However I may have spoken too soon about the CD changer as it just skipped (tapes to the rescue) so unless it's an easy fix like a dirty laser or something it's going in the bin and I will just swap the head unit for one that can play MP3's via USB. 

It's only meant to be a cheap winter beater and has MOT till September so I won't be expending too much money or effort on it but there are a few problems that I may or may not bother looking at;

CD player issues as above resolved by buying new old stock changer from eBay.

Airbag light is on

Rear tyres apparently lose pressure and have minimal but legal tread so might see if I can find a cheap set of wheels with decent tyres as the current wheels are all flaking.

It deserves an oil change at least so will order that and a filter.  Done 14/12/2024 @ 161168 Miles 

It has two keys but the buttons on the remote fobs have disintegrated. Replacement fob acquired.

Driver's seat is quite badly worn, I saw a pair of heated and electric seats on Facebook Marketplace so might get them if I feel arsed.

I will try and get some better pictures at some point but for now I just have the ones from the Auto Trader listing.

[chaseracer]

Nice.  Top bombing!

[BorniteIdentity]

The kv6 makes a lovely sound when encouraged. I think I once compared it to the sound of Radio 4; no hype or melodrama, just sonic excellence. 

They can use coolant in all sorts of places that isn’t HGF, but do keep an eye on it religiously. 

Most of all, safe plodding. 

[Heidel_Kakao]

11 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

The kv6 makes a lovely sound when encouraged. I think I once compared it to the sound of Radio 4; no hype or melodrama, just sonic excellence.

It sounded nice when I took it to 5K RPM, I will try redline after I have changed the oil as I don't want to go ragging on it before even though it probably makes zero difference.

I will keep an  eye on the coolant thanks for the heads up, what is it with Rover and kettles....

[wuvvum]

4 hours ago, Heidel_Kakao said:

I was sitting at 90 with the revs a smidge over 4000

Needs moar gears m9.

That looks like an excellent purchase, top bombing.  I had a 75 saloon with the 2.5 KV6 and it is a cracking engine, properly picks up its skirts when asked even with the auto 'box so I'd imagine a manual will be better still.

[ruffgeezer]

I had the 2.0 V6 auto and it wouldn't pull the dick off of a chocolate mouse.

That however looks ace.

[wuvvum]

The 2.0 V6 didn't really start to do anything until north of 4,000rpm.  The 2.5 is a great deal torquier.

[BorniteIdentity]

7 hours ago, ruffgeezer said:

I had the 2.0 V6 auto and it wouldn't pull the dick off of a chocolate mouse.

That however looks ace.

Arguably the sweetest of the engines though, strangely. At this age, I’d pick the better car and take the 2.0 without second thought. 

[mercedade]

VIS motors

VIS motors

My Zt190 was lovely, but gutless - until I worked out why

[wuvvum]

@bramz7 How TF did you manage to get two reactions on one post?

[bramz7]

2 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

@bramz7 How TF did you manage to get two reactions on one post?

I didn't know I'd done one! I'm not old enough to blame tech...

 

Nice ZT btw.

[Heidel_Kakao]

I started doing some cheap/easy jobs while still in the initial enthusiasm honeymoon period.

I think it may have been used as a plasterer or builders work wagon which would explain all the dirt, the plastics started to clean up ok. I noticed the sagging headlining today but I doubt I will bother to fix it.

Both the remote fobs actually work after testing it's just the buttons that have disintegrated so I have ordered a replacement housing for £6. ZT register key ring came with it and I added baby Yoda.

I cleaned the CD changer laser with a Q tip and it actually seems to have fixed it but will find out for sure on a road test tomorrow.

It has a neat feature where you can open the tailgate glass separately from the tailgate which I guess would be useful if blocked in at a car park or if you want to give your dog a treat without the risk of them escaping.

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Heidel_Kakao said:

It has a neat feature where you can open the tailgate glass separately from the tailgate which I guess would be useful if blocked in at a car park or if you want to give your dog a treat without the risk of them escaping.

I've found mine useful on many occasions, and it makes freeing up a seized rear wiper spindle much easier.

[barefoot]

On 05/12/2024 at 18:34, Heidel_Kakao said:

I was sitting at 90 with the revs a smidge over 4000

My 75 auto has another, higher gear and at 90, spins at about 3k.

[wuvvum]

8 hours ago, Heidel_Kakao said:

sagging headlining

TADT, S.

[Heidel_Kakao]

Oil changed today along with a new filter and sump plug.

I had to Google where the sump plug was as it wasn't super obvious while I was underneath the car.

I then took it to maximum engine revolutions on the drive home, it barely sounded louder than at 5K RPM. I haven't driven a 75 or any other KV6 vehicle to compare it too but I would have expected a slightly sportier exhaust for the MG version. It has enough low down torque so there is no need to wring it out and it also doesn't appear to encourage that kind of behaviour in the way the Corrado or other cars I have driven seem to.

Overall I really like it 😀 even the dash lighting is my favourite colour blue. Considering it was built in the dying days of MG Rover and has all the project Drive cost cutting measures it still feels well built and is wearing it's 160,000 plus miles pretty nicely.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

For a twenty year old British car built on a reduced budget, it's aged extremely well and still looks good. 

What's happening with the Corrado? I remember having a brief chat with you on here years back about it and mentioned I've owned a couple of valves over the years, but still love the idea of the VR in the Corrado shell. I've spotted a nice one on Muppetplace but it's totally the wrong time in my life to be entertaining the idea , really.  Still keeping looking, though. 

Edit: Just found the 'Rado thread - 3.2! Nice. 😎

[Heidel_Kakao]

12 minutes ago, Dick Cheeseburger said:

For a twenty year old British car built on a reduced budget, it's aged extremely well and still looks good. 

Yeah totally agree and as a certified Brummie it's kind of cool that it was built 15 miles away from where I am currently sitting.

12 minutes ago, Dick Cheeseburger said:

What's happening with the Corrado?

Corrado is currently midway through getting a 3.2 VR6. I had hoped to get it done this side of Christmas but a combination of waiting for parts and a slight dip in mojo means it will be early next year now.

There are still bargains to be found as you have probably seen, for all the talk about them becoming future classics values don't seem to have risen particularly high. I think it's partly down to parts availability and them being quite needy which is part of why I am doing the 3.2 swap as for the cost of rebuilding a 2.9 I get a bunch more power and reliability.

[Mally]

Airbag light, waggle the yellow wires under both front seats.

They will come back on at some stage.

[Six-cylinder]

59 minutes ago, Heidel_Kakao said:

Oil changed today along with a new filter and sump plug.

I had to Google where the sump plug was as it wasn't super obvious while I was underneath the car.

I then took it to maximum engine revolutions on the drive home, it barely sounded louder than at 5K RPM. I haven't driven a 75 or any other KV6 vehicle to compare it too but I would have expected a slightly sportier exhaust for the MG version. It has enough low down torque so there is no need to wring it out and it also doesn't appear to encourage that kind of behaviour in the way the Corrado or other cars I have driven seem to.

Overall I really like it 😀 even the dash lighting is my favourite colour blue. Considering it was built in the dying days of MG Rover and has all the project Drive cost cutting measures it still feels well built and is wearing it's 160,000 plus miles pretty nicely.

I am very much like 75/75 Touring/ZT/ZT-T's and have had a ZT-T and a 75 Touring Automatic in the past.

[Heidel_Kakao]

8 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

I am very much like 75/75 Touring/ZT/ZT-T's and have had a ZT-T and a 75 Touring Automatic in the past.

No V8 yet? If I had an abundance of spare cash I would get a 260 V8 manual touring and extract approx 400bhp from it via a supercharger which is easily doable and then you have Britain's answer to a BMW M5 Touring.

[Six-cylinder]

5 minutes ago, Heidel_Kakao said:

No V8 yet? If I had an abundance of spare cash I would get a 260 V8 manual touring and extract approx 400bhp from it via a supercharger which is easily doable and then you have Britain's answer to a BMW M5 Touring.

No, paying 8 times what a 190 V6 costs never felt like good value. My ZT-T revved so beautifully, went well and the car looked so great.