Clayts' Rover rammel and a Honda coupe - A week in the life of... 13Sep19

[clayts450]

2 Bourbons ?!?!? Decadence, I tells ya...

[clayts450]

420 went for MoT on Friday 10 May - test abandoned, emissions machine broked. To be seen to this week sometime. Gave me a chance to bleed the brakes on Saturday 11 May - no issues at all, every bleed screw behaved, job done in about half an hour. Have got some replacement wheel nuts off the Bay so I can bin off the crappy alloy cap designs and the locking nuts that are on it at present. Love this car more every time I drive it. Once I get the test done, I'm probably gonna take off the NI plate and stick that on retention - hopefully DVLA will give the car back its original reg, L534EOV (thanks Ghosty !) Also to do - find the rattle, sort the iffy electrics, also ordered a temp sender sensor as the gauge is hit and miss (hoping not the stat, but likely not, and even if it is , tis only a 10 minute job on a T-series apparently).

620 got the 'Rover emblem on the boot treatment a la 420' today, £6 real badge off eBay. Looks neat, photo to follow.

214 - finally got the fuel filter off today to pop a new one in : welded in, been struggling with it since I bought the car last Oct ! Also swapped out the throttle pot sensor for a newer one, may solve some of my running woes. Dunno as battery is flat, couldn't be arsed jumping it. Have left a note in front of the dials to remind self to ensure petrol not pissing out of the fuel filter when I fire it up next ! Still need to get a new exhaust on it, may try to do that next weekend.

[clayts450]

Was tripped up by a couple of shafted ARB drop links at last week's test for the 420, so £20 spent and just under an hour with the car on Sunday got me this :

 

Cheapest outlay evah to get a ticket (ignoring the Streetwise's two straight passes), well chuffed with that.

Will need to give consideration to the rear bushes in the next few months, but I may go Powerflex for the whole lot as it does feel a bit 'tired'

Despite the ticket, I will need to take the car off the road soon as I want to reunite it with its old identity - as I noted, not a fan of personalised registrations, I like my cars to tell the world how old they are.

Still got a few electronic issues to iron out, but I did also replace the temp gauge sender on Sunday, and the dial works as it should now, so one niggle off the list for now.

As noted elsewhere, I'm lusting after a little Alfa coupe so quite how that will impact upon the existing fleet remains to be seen. The logical one to offload is the Streetwise but it means a lot to me that car, so not going to happen - every fleet needs a reliable modern* and it's never let me down.

214 will deffo go at some stage, once I get some proper time to give it some care and attention, hopefully over the next few weekends.

[pauldoubleyou]

Not sure if you want or need my opinion but I have had my share of rovers over the years, most of them R8s in almost all the engine flavours except a diesel.

Throw some 16” BRM cosmos on it (IMO the second best wheel rover have ever designed after the five spoke GTI r8 wheels) lower it 40mm and chuck some washers between the rear upper arms and the body to sort the camber out.

Perfect.

If you ever want to sell it I might be in the market. Drop us a first refusal?

For info I recently made a list of all cars I’ve ever owned. Here is the Rover portion:

Rover metro
Rover 200vi
Rover 220gti white
Rover 220 conversion
Rover 220 gsi blue
Rover 214sli
Rover brm
Rover 414 hgf
Rover 214 convertible black
Rover 216sli gold
Rover 220gsi brg
Rover coupe silver
Rover 45 blue fixed HGF
Rover 45 zs conversion

Two HGFs in all, never scrapped one. I think I could maintain one blindfolded by now. Jealous.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[clayts450]

The electrical woes on the 420 were actually related to a blown dim/dip fuse - Eric The Car Guy wins again on the advice stakes.

Circuit tester on all fuses wheedled the troublesome critter out and now we have:

• working intermittent wipe (MFU related)
• courtesy light works (and on a delay due to replacement MFU I'd fitted)
• lights on warning buzzer (MFU related)
• clock remembers the time when I turn the lights on
• radio/cassette remembers the code is deactivated
• heated rear window works (MFU related)

So, the only two minor annoyances on the 420 now are:

• the rattling at 1750 rpm
• the non-age related registration

The latter has been all but sorted, £80 paid to DVLA, authority document received - off to Halfords tomorrow to reclaim the 420's identity, L534 EOV. PM to flat4alfa to see if he wants the old Oirish plate back

[clayts450]

On 5/24/2019 at 5:43 PM, pauldoubleyou said:

Not sure if you want or need my opinion but I have had my share of rovers over the years, most of them R8s in almost all the engine flavours except a diesel.

Throw some 16” BRM cosmos on it (IMO the second best wheel rover have ever designed after the five spoke GTI r8 wheels) lower it 40mm and chuck some washers between the rear upper arms and the body to sort the camber out.

Perfect.

If you ever want to sell it I might be in the market. Drop us a first refusal?

For info I recently made a list of all cars I’ve ever owned. Here is the Rover portion:

Rover metro
Rover 200vi
Rover 220gti white
Rover 220 conversion
Rover 220 gsi blue
Rover 214sli
Rover brm
Rover 414 hgf
Rover 214 convertible black
Rover 216sli gold
Rover 220gsi brg
Rover coupe silver
Rover 45 blue fixed HGF
Rover 45 zs conversion

Two HGFs in all, never scrapped one. I think I could maintain one blindfolded by now. Jealous.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I can't see the 420 going anywhere anytime soon I'm afraid, as I'm totally besotted with it, but the 214 would deffo be up for grabs assuming I can get it roadworthy again. The woeful vibration is still there, hoping nothing more sinister than a knackered flexi pipe, there's a parasitic drain on the battery I've yet to nail, 5th gear is hard to select, and last time I drove it in earnest it was hiccupping and spluttering all over the place (that could have been a stuffed fuel filter, which appeared to be original factory fit when I managed to unweld it a couple of weeks back). 

It's fate will be determined about a month from now - I have a fortnight off work, and want to try and get it another test, due 29 June 2019. If I can get it through that without too much wallet rapeage, it'll definitely be on sale/roffle here.

Unless someone wants to take it off my hands now for a silly price - will need trailering.

[clayts450]

And back to its original registration:

[Amishtat]

If I'd been lucky enough to win that, it's the first thing I'd have done. Nice to see you're enjoying it

[clayts450]

A relatively successful two days spent in the 214's company.

I mentioned elsewhere I'd popped over to Rimmer Bros in Lincoln, and I'd picked up an  air intake sensor and some nuts and bolts for  when I decide to man the fuck up and fit the exhaust myself.

I popped the sensor in yesterday, 10 min job, air box off, just screws into the  bottom.

I'd also recently swapped in a new fuel filter.

Who'd have thunk those two things would have made such a difference. Apart from a fast idle at 1250rpm (either sticky throttle or air leak - my money's on the latter as there is a 'tapping' noise which may be a fucked gasket) and the exhaust grumblings the car drove like a total champ  - took it for a couple of little drives, then a longer one, then one involving a short burst of ragging it. No misfiring, no stuttering, no tricky gear changes - everything just flowed nicely.

If I get the exhaust on (everything soaked in Plusgas, will give it a bash next week) and find the source of the high idle, I might just be able to get this in for a new test and off the Clayts' forecourt soon. It'll be for sale on here first.

Also did some cleaning up underneath where I had the oil explosion about six months back (holed the filter and a Vesuvius of oil splattered everywhere). It's pretty darned solid under there.

It was super to be behind the wheel of it again though, and driving it in well, not so much anger, more Cheshire cat grin.

[clayts450]

Some Streetwise love at the end of Practical Classics' K-series article, nice to see

[Skut]

I'd heard that the 25 SW was popular in France, but I didn't know it was the fastest selling Rover of all time there. It would be interesting to see how many they actually sold.  

The halfway house of a dash facelift they did on the SW was a bit odd. A slightly redesigned dash not shared with the 25 or ZR with some unique switchgear that was ditched anyway with the Mk2 dash. 

[clayts450]

The old girl (the 214) is driving me nuts.

I've checked everywhere for air leaks including spraying carb cleaner everywhere and cannot find any, yet the car steadfastedly does a wobbly idle, and once fully warmed up sits at 1500 rpm. 

I've identified the stepper motor , which previously I believed to be fucked, is actually working as it should, and I'm now suspecting the throttle pot sensor I fitted is actually fucked, so I'm going to stick the old one back in again tomorrow.

I'm wondering whether the leak from the flexi is fucking up the lambda sensor readings, thus causing the ECU to over compensate, so I've posed the question on the R8 Facefart group to see if they can help.

Last resort I do have a back up ECU so it may end up with me swapping the old one out if all else fails.

I'm off work from next Monday, so will be able to spend some more time scratching my head pretending I know what I'm doing.

The good thing is it drives lovely when not stopped and revving its tits off.

[DoctorRetro]

It's fighting you every step of the way, isn't it? 

Often had cars like that, and sadly it's occasionally meant giving up on them. Luckily you don't seem like the sort of person to quit easily, so I'm sure you'll have it sorted soon. ?

[clayts450]

You're not kidding mate.

Anyway, I may have had a breakthrough thanks to this helping hand on the R8 Facefart group - I know exactly what bit this is, as I was tweaking it the other day, and the stepper motor buzzed back into life almost immediately. I will lube her up (missus). I also switched out the TPS for the old one last night. On the minus side I dropped one of the air filter screws into the engine bay somewhere and haven't found it yet. It started okay and seems to sit happily at 975 rpm, but this was without being driven in anger

[clayts450]

Success - we now have a nearly perfect idle on the 214 - it's sat bang on 875 ish with a little wobble now and again. Just been for a long drive, mix of road types, and whilst it's still really bogged down between 0-2000 rpm due to the fucked exhaust, get it past that and it flies. 

Gear changes a lot better, now I seem to have mastered the  R65, so more likely user error than anything mechanical.

Gonna pop a new air filter on tomorrow (never did find my missing screw) and squirted loads more Plusgas on the exhaust in the feeble hope the front section will slide off neatly and allow me to put the replacement section on before tea. Yeah, right. I can see me losing enthusiasm quite quickly and getting a pro on the job.

[clayts450]

As posted in the grin thread, F1 Autocentres did me a solid by replacing the front section of the 214's exhaust up to the cat today and  (in my opinion, seemingly under-)charged me 40 quid for the privilege of cracking what looked like 26 year old nuts off the manifold and cat. I provided the pipe, gaskets and replacement nuts/bolts, etc and they kindly shoved in a lambda sensor blanking plug for me (SPi engines are v. confusing). Fast fit chains R not shit shocker.

I was kinda hoping that would mean an end of the good* vibrations in the cabin. Well, it is a little quieter, and the car definitely pulls much much better and holds a steady idle at long last, but the resonance is still there and very noticeable. I might try that trick Will and Gus did with the Kitten on Flipping Bangers and try some of that sound deadening stuff from Woolies.

I'm wondering whether the cat itself is goosed as well - luckily I have a replacement, and now the nuts have been loosened  I may get lucky and be able to bodge the new one in myself (the  back section of the exhaust was replaced four months prior to my ownership).

Elsewhere, the whole fleet got treated to a rudimentary wash today, so sparkly sparkly out there now.

[clayts450]

Someone on the R8 group on Facebook showed the way with some treatment to the bumpers and side rubbing strips on his car, so ordered some of the same stuff (Autoglym bumper and trim gel) off Amazon last night and earlier today I did this:

Work in progress

4

Front finished

Arse-end before

Arse-end after

Takes years off the car.

I'll do the same to the Streetwise and the 420 at some point too.

Smells of pear drops, the gel.

Next time I drive this it'll be going in for it's test , not sure when yet, one day next week - just waiting on a new blanking plug for the exhaust (the one F1 fitted pinged off on the M1 yesterday, cue MaxPower exhaust sounds); also today I sorted out the loose nut/bolt on the positive battery lead (probable fail) and yesterday the drop links (in anticipation of my tester who does have a penchant for failing these).

[BL Bloke]

That gel looks like good stuff, I'll have to get some for the 205.

[DoctorRetro]

That looks loads better. 

I had thought previously that only white ones with body coloured bumpers looked good, but this has changed my mind. 

[clayts450]

So on Sunday night my eyes fell out of my head when I spotted a car on Autotrader I'd missed out on a while back when one popped up on Facebook last year - that car had been barried a little and had questionable provenance, thus I bided my time (see also 'completely forgot about it').

A phone call to a dealer in Peterborough confirmed the car was there, and he kindly agreed if I liked it I could leave a deposit and pick up within seven days.

I did went to Peterborough and I did liked the car.

Deposit left yesterday, collected and paid for today.

Good dealer, has to be said (Enterprise Cars Ltd), nice bloke running the pitch located on an industrial estate.  Left me alone to get acquainted with the honey, no pressure at all. This was PX natch, and  Ihad lots of banter with the salesman about how I wanted 12 months warranty and if it broke down on the way home I'd see him in court - I no my rites.

I agreed it was a trade sale, no comeback, and if it blew up homewards I wouldn't be banging his portakabin down - it was my gamble. He said he'd been driving it for a while and loved it - he agreed it wore its mileage well, and he knew it was rare (numbers not exactly certain per How Many Left, but not many, as DVLA lob them in with the normal Accords, the numbnuts).

The bonnet latch was jammed so that saw me get a few quid off, and I didn't really see the need to haggle further, as for what I got the price was a bargain.

For those that don't know, these were designed and built in the US, and share absolutely no parts (apart from the door handles I think) with anything else on the Accord range.

So I now have a very very very leggy Honda Accord Coupe, sadly not in V6 flavour, but a 2 litre Vtec is fine with me, with a few horses short of 150.

Over to you Chris...

 

[clayts450]

So after rocking up and chiding the salesman for not valeting the car this morning, monies and keys were exchanged and the car was mine. First thing was to sort out the bonnet latch. Return spring stuck, so waggled a screwdriver in there, and click, job's a good un. 40 quid discount for 10 seconds work, not bad.

So here it is before I sat my arse in it and set off for home

And 10 minutes later after a 25 quid splash and dash (not even halfway on the tank)

 

[clayts450]

The drive home was without incident - initial impressions was the auto gearbox was a bit lurchy when cold, but as the journey progressed and the injun warmed it smoothed out lovely, and responded very well to a bit of kickdown action on the A47 and A1, the Vtec really coming to life around 4K.

I know these have a tendency to lunch their gearboxes after a while, and the colour of the ATF didn't fill me with confidence, so it'll be a three flush job with the right stuff. Coolant also a little low, but the temp gauge was rock solid.

Honda brakes, as per, sticky calipers so a bit of noise on the way home  but no trail of flames or smoke.

Lots of service history but rather worringly the last cambelt change was in 2005 with 82K on the clock, so well overdue on time, about right on mileage. I'll probably farm this out to a local Honda specialist, if I'm honest.

The ride ? Sumptuous. No other word to describe it - it is like a magic carpet (well, I imagine it to be). The leather seats are comfortable, and the suspension has no knocks or bangs,

This really is a fantastic car and will ultimately replace the 620 as 'wafty barge' once the Rover has done FOTU. It'll be offered up here first of course.

Some more photos:

Yes, that really is 182,000 miles - seriously, the car feels and looks like it has done about 82,000

Sexy alloys (I believe these were the sport option - need to do a closer comparison of the period literature)

Spoiler alert 

Spoiler

yes that is bird shit

Another optional extra - mudguards

Climate control (A/C needs a regas, M8)

Headlight washers:

[clayts450]

How's the bodywork ? Not too shabby - here's the bad bits

Aside from a few bumper grazes, bird shit, and usual dings actually pretty darned good.

[clayts450]

This is a very looooooooooooooong car,  longer than the 620 which itself it loooooooooooong

A face everyone can love

Swoopy

And inside....... rouche rumble

Oh yeah, and cruise control - which works perfectly

Cup holders under a wooden* lid

Bum and back warmers

[clayts450]

So, TL:DR Clayts bought a cheap Jap/US coupe and fucking loves it

[DoctorRetro]

They also came with this wheel - a friend of mine had one of these and I ended up with his old wheels. 

[BL Bloke]

That does look nice, well bought. 

[clayts450]

Turns out the wheels are aftermarket Team Dynamics - probably worth more than the car, if truth be told. I'm off down McDonalds to see if a boy racer wants to buy them off me.

[Honey Badger]

Well brought Mr 450, she looks to wear her miles well.

 

Plenty of info on what gearbox fluid to use on the owners forum, the guy who runs it specialises in working on coupes so it might be worth booking in with him for a gearbox flush, he did a grand job on my gearbox when I had it.

https://honda6.ipbhost.com/

 

I like the way mine rode as well, and it can be hustled along if you feel like it. Have you looked at the underside of the spoiler yet?

 

 

[clayts450]

Ah, is that a well-known rust-trap then ? I'll have a proper gander tomorrow. Yes, I'd already been researching that website - have now signed up and introduced myself. Does seem to be some good advice there.

I've hit ECP and ordered in new filters (air/oil/fuel) and spark plugs for collection on Thursday.

Tonight I focussed on pre-MoT checks and general tidying of the 214. It gets tested on Thursday and I'm not overly confident if I'm honest.

I absolutely didn't* take it for a drive around the estate and the nearby industrial estate to see how it was running, given it has no ticket. Nope, not me. Neither did I see a badger snuffling around on the roadside.

Also ordered some tyres from Black Circles for the Streetwise fronts (to make a matching set of Sailun Atrezzo Elites, which have been superb on the rears for the last two years), to be fitted by F1 on Friday.