With the recent addition of the 420 to the fleet it's high time I started a project thread devoted to all four Rovers.
 
I've done some half-hearted attempts in the past, then done a few updates on the News 24 as and when I remembered.
 
Today will be an intro to the fleet only with a little potted history about things wot I've done, and then I'll aim to be more blog-like in my approach to my skillful* fettling.
 
So without further ado, welcome to the fleet.
 
2004 Streetwise S - purchased May 2017
 

 
It was a toss up between this and a top spec K11 Micra, but this won the day. This car marked my return behind the wheel after almost 18 years and thus was a monumental step forward for me.
 
I'd given up driving mainly because public transport is so good in Nottingham but when my parents relocated to Newmarket from St Albans, the train journey to Suffolk was ridiculously long-winded and incorporated 55 minute waits at Cambridge to catch the connecting train to Newmarket, so enough was enough.
 
Purchased from a shady man in East Leake ('which car ?' when I rang up) who was dealing from his front garden, this Streetwise stole my heart from day one. Annoyingly I missed out on getting it for £250 when this guy bought it and flipped it, and span a tale of a part exchange in Manchester where his old car lot had been. I wanted to call bullshit, but the price was right, £420 exchanged hands, and this came home with me.
 
There were some issues, notably no horn nor rear fog lights (fucked Pektron BCU) but that aside, this car has wanted nothing other than consumables (tyres, exhaust, brake pads) and has never FTP (apart from user error - leaving the boot open and the dashcam on drained the battery on two occasions). The willing puppy and commutawagon, until recently this has always been my goto car, which I can always rely upon.
 
It will continue to serve as commutawagon, not least due to its petiteness which ensures parking is easy, and its miserly fuel sipping.
 
 

Well I've been meaning to sign up here in forever, but kept forgetting. Thanks to someone over on another forum I frequent poking me about it recently the subject was forced back into my very brief attention span for long enough to get me to act on the instruction.

I figure that my little varied fleet might bring you lot some amusement...

So...we've got:

1993 Lada Riva 1.5E Estate (now fuel injected, as I reckon the later cars should have been from the factory...).
1989 Saab 900i Automatic.
1987 Skoda 120LX 21st Anniversary Special Edition.
1985 Sinclair C5.
2009 Peugeot 107 Verve.

Now getting the photos together has taken me far longer than I'd expected...so you're gonna get a couple of photos of each car for now, and I'll come back with some more information tomorrow when I've got a bit more time...

Firstly...The Lada. Before anyone asks - in response to the single question I get asked about this car: No, it is not for sale. Took me 13 years and my father's inheritance to find the thing.



Yes, it's got the usual rusty wings...Hoping that will be resolved in the next couple of months.







Next, a proper old Saab. One of the very last 8 valve cars apparently, and all the better for it. I've driven two 16v autos and they were horrible - the auto box works sooooo much better with the torque curve of the 8 valve engine. Just wish it had an overdrive for motorway cruising...






Next up a *real* Skoda...back when they put the engine where it belongs, right out the back. In the best possible colour of course...eye-searingly bright orange.





Seat covers have been added since that photo was taken as it suffers from the usual rotting seat cloth problem that affects virtually all Estelles.

Then we have possibly the world's scruffiest Sinclair C5...



Realised when looking for this that I really need to get some more photos of the thing...I use it often enough after all! We have a dog who's half husky, so this is a really good way of getting him some exercise.

Finally - again, I really need to take more photos of - we have the little Pug 107.



Included for the sake of variety even if it's a bit mainstream! First (and probably to be the only) new car I've bought, and has been a cracking little motor and has asked for very little in return for putting up with nearly three years of Oxford-Milton Keynes commuter traffic, before finally escaping that fate when my housemate moved to a new job. Now it doesn't do many miles and is my default car for "when I've managed to break everything else."

I'll fill in some more details tomorrow - I warn you though that I do tend to ramble...

As you may have read in the 'Can we save this?' thread, the answer was 'Yes we can!'
Someone on this forum who wishes to remain nameless, fronted the cash to rescue this little Mazda from certain doom at the hands of a banger racer. I've taken custody of the car, but will make sure they get their money back as soon as is physically possible.
Perhaps once it's running right, I'll look at some sort of roffle to find it a new home and pay back what it owes me and them.
 
Although it had been sitting 5 years or so, it went through an MOT, so that's a good start.
 
Known faults.
- Alternator is kaput. Shouldn't be too hard to find a refurbished one. Presume battery knackered too.
- Wheel bearing grumbling. 
- Running like crap. Will replace fuel and vacuum pipes and add fuel filter. Then perhaps a carb strip down and rebuild. Aisan 980 carb as far as i know, same as the Toyota was,
- Flat tyre. 
 
It's currently sitting outside with a flat battery and no fuel, so that's not a good start!
 
 
As I have very little talent, time or money, and suggestions / help greatly appreciated.
 
These are the pictures I have so far - looks good but it's a lot more dull in real life...
 

Mrs Dustman has a dash cam she wants me to fit to her '99 frog face Corolla. It came with a hard wire kit as opposed to the usual fag lighter lead, so I might as well make a decent* job of it and hide the wiring completely. Trouble is I can't remember how I got the radio pod out when I fitted the DAB unit she now has. I've also got a few dash illumination bulbs to change so I might as well do it all in one hit while it's a sunny afternoon.
 
A bit of googling comes up with the US spec dash which appears to be different from the European model, or the 2002-on model. I seem to remember spudging out the dash vents to access some bolts/rivets.
 
Failing that, is there an easier place to get a switched live from (besides the radio) that doesn't involve destroying the car's interior?