Rover Tomcat Opinions

[Motown]

So i am considering buying another Rover to accompany the 827 and 45 i still have a few bits to finish off on the 827 ""Sunroof and Front Springs"" but with January just around the corner what better way to start the new year with a new car right? ?

The wife has longed for a Gold Rover 25 for sometime but i have been thinking more along the lines of a Tomcat lucky enough for me she likes both but prefers the 25 because she says it will be more economical which is wife speak for i will be watching the bank balance.

I have recently seen a Tomcat for sale it has 70k on the clock and is being sold from a dealership about 100 miles away i think its on Gumtree to if anyone wants to look at it. Buying from a dealership is usually a BIG no no for me however there is something i really like about the car i just cant put my finger on it yet. It looks immaculate inside and out for a car of that age and i had imagined it would need little doing to it which will be a nice change but on inspection an looking at the MOT history its shows blue smoke emits from the exhaust on acceleration.

Should i take a massive gamble buy the car and hope i can fix what i can only guess is leaky valve seals without breaking the bank or do i give in to the wife and buy a Gold 25?

What are your opinions of the Coupe Overall?      Will it require alot of cash throwing at it source the cause of the blue smoke?

 

 

 

 

[bigfella2]

How would the mot station know it knocks out blue smoke when it accelerates, it's a stationary emissions test.

[Motown]

16 minutes ago, bigfella2 said:

How would the mot station know it knocks out blue smoke when it accelerates, it's a stationary emissions test.

Just going on the advisories from the MOT cert and what ive seen of the car ?

[Dick Cheeseburger]

1 hour ago, bigfella2 said:

How would the mot station know it knocks out blue smoke when it accelerates, it's a stationary emissions test.

Because they rev it as part of the test? ?

@Motown Get the Tomcat bought.  I've always quite fancied them.

[Matty]

Lovely thing an R8 coupe. Not a huge financial gamble either. You only live once...

[Motown]

1 minute ago, Matty said:

Lovely thing an R8 coupe. Not a huge financial gamble either. You only live once...

Whats blue smoke an indication of though? Leaky valve seals? 

[Matty]

It's an indication it's bollockesed ? thing is they weren't exactly common when they were selling them new. If you want one and it's solid and for the right money then use it till it properly breaks (assuming it's in test) then deal with it later. You'll always spend more money chasing rot so if it's not rusty ide buy it at the right price if I were you. Good luck!

[FakeConcern]

Tomcat FTW!

Also to add to the above post, I can't remember the last time I saw one...

[sierraman]

Dense blue smoke on acceleration? Sounds like the rings are fucked so either way it’s a strip down job. Could be blocked crankcase breathers but the cynic in me would doubt that. Nice car though, a guy I worked for had one, drove nice, very underrated car, again the badge would have put people off sadly, but they made some nice kit in the 90’s Rover, 820 Vitesse, 827 Vitesse, 218VI, 220 Turbo. 

[3VOM]

7 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

Tomcat FTW!

Also to add to the above post, I can't remember the last time I saw one...

"Furious Driving" the youtuber has one IIRC.

 

[Craig the Princess]

As the owner of a very sad Tomcat, they are really, really good.

[Motown]

3 hours ago, Matty said:

It's an indication it's bollockesed ? thing is they weren't exactly common when they were selling them new. If you want one and it's solid and for the right money then use it till it properly breaks (assuming it's in test) then deal with it later. You'll always spend more money chasing rot so if it's not rusty ide buy it at the right price if I were you. Good luck!

Dealership wants just over 2k for it ?

[Motown]

3 hours ago, Craig the Princess said:

As the owner of a very sad Tomcat, they are really, really good.

Whats wrong with it? 

[paulscavalier]

Don’t know how many are left, but I actually really like them . It’s always a gamble but if you intend to keep it you can gradually improve it

[Motown]

Its now priced up at just over 2k its a 1994 216

Polynesian Turquoise

Not a fan of the alloy centre caps tho

Nice arse

Automatic

Interior looks fairly good

 

 

[rmt87]

Here is mine that i got mid last year. It now runs and drives but needs major attention with the sparkly stick. 

[Motown]

9 minutes ago, rmt87 said:

Here is mine that i got mid last year. It now runs and drives but needs major attention with the sparkly stick. 

Any interior pictures? How much welding is needed for MOT? Would you consider selling it?

[Braddon81]

I've always loved the 'Tomcat' since I saw a satin black prototype being driven through Marlborough back in 1991.  Really tidy ones are pretty thin on the ground these days - and the car your interested in looks ripe for some extra tlc from an enthusiastic new keeper. I'm sure the dealer would be up for a bit of a barter at that sticker price. ??

[Kiltox]

OOOF. that looks ace. Two grand is rich tho. 

[cort1977]

If it's not too rusty then well worth bargaining down the price to cover a set decent wheels and some mild de-barrying. Great 90s colour.

[Motown]

1 minute ago, Kiltox said:

OOOF. that looks ace. Two grand is rich tho. 

I know but hoping i can get them down abit that or send the wife in. She got me £200 off an old Astra once just by bending over alot to look at the wheels ?

[sierraman]

Two grand they’re having a laugh. Its scraped last test on hydrocarbons and the dense blue smoke. The engine sounds fucked. 

I reckon if you could chip them about £1,700 you’d be right on the money there.

[Motown]

4 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Two grand they’re having a laugh. Its scraped last test on hydrocarbons and the dense blue smoke. The engine sounds fucked. 

Knowing its emitting blue smoke and taking into the account the advice of some people on here its unlikely i will buy the car unless i can get them down on price.  That said i dont know of another auto TOMCAT for sale so i am tempted to take a BIG gamble.

[Kiltox]

Key thing with Rovers of this age is the body - it can have a totally wrecked engine but they’re ten a penny. Rust is a killer. 

[155V6]

The Coupe looks nice,but I'd be looking for a manual one with a bigger engine.Or a Gold 25 GTi ?

[rmt87]

28 minutes ago, Motown said:

Any interior pictures? How much welding is needed for MOT? Would you consider selling it?

Inteirior is currently in the shed. Needs new sills a few patches on floors and probs needs a new fuel tank. Has been off the road 12 years or so. Keeping this one for the time being. 

[face]

A mate’s old man got a new 216 Coupe back in the day. It was a proper looker in silver and would turn heads everywhere. I had a drive and it was smooooth.

Rover were rocking back then.

[PiperCub]

Always had a sneaking regard for the Tomcat, never common certainly round here. 

Used to love watching the race series they did for the 2.0l ones back in the 90's & 00's.

The one in the pics looks nice but those wheels need to be binned ASAP, don't know what make they are (& don't care) but they look like some of that Rip(off)speed shit Halfrauds used to sell. Would question the 2K price too, that's pretty stiff for a not-particularly-popular car. (No offence but the R8 isn't really is it - I used to have a 214!).

[loserone]

I thought only the 220s were "tomcats".  

 

My brother was tasked with putting development miles on them (and 623s) on track during his gap year at university.

[Broadsword]

I'm not a Rover man, but the Tomcat is a cool car in my book. If you found one without major rot you would surely be on to a winner?