Continued: Rover 75 Diesel

[Split_Pin]

Just looked at the service history. The exhaust was new in October 2017, helpfully just out of warranty.

Once I get the braking mystery solved I may look at a new exhaust.

I'm going to start by bleeding the 2 calipers I fitted again. Wondering if air in the system has pushed round to the pistons.

[Rod/b]

2 hours ago, colino said:

It was probably the MOT that highlighted the issue:  For most it is the only time in the year that brakes are used in anger.  Don't condemn the m/c until you have checked out the vacuum pump.

Every days a school day. I’ve never had anything to do with diesel vehicles so i had no idea they ran vacuum pumps. 

[wuvvum]

3 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Went out to the car at lunch time, checked the pipe from vac pump to the servo together with all 4 flexible hoses for hernias, of course 'nothing obvious'.

And when I was under the back of the car I noticed this:

Well fuck.

 

My back box did that.  By then the join on the inlet side was also pretty flaky, so I fitted a new rear half of the exhaust - not too bad a job as exhausts go.

[OM646]

On 17/01/2021 at 16:24, Split_Pin said:

Consoled myself by fitting the symphony radio in place of the horrible project drive item.

Original

MK1 Symphony

There is some repositioning of the wires required to make the volume control on the steering wheel work, but it functions perfectly as is for now.

Also saved myself £18 on a radio code by just firing it in and seeing what happened. I was all ready to buy a code too!

 

 

Facelift 75 with pre-PD items is something amazing

[Split_Pin]

It's also got a nice PPD grey carpet in it which the previous owner fitted. It's lovely quality.

I'm afraid I won't be driving this again any time soon though until I get to the bottom of why the brakes momentarily lost pressure. As it stands my schedule is work, dark outside and rain or ice so I have little chance. I'm going to use the Audi for the time being and worry about the 75 some other day.

I've seen a nice Phaeton within the boundary walls of my prison area, sorry, local authority area and it's quite cheap.....

[Tickman]

19 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

I've seen a nice Phaeton within the boundary walls of my prison area, sorry, local authority area and it's quite cheap.....

Just the price of entry I think

[Split_Pin]

I couldn't put that into words in my head but those were indeed my thoughts!

My work have changed my pay date to month end so the very long month since mid December will mean I have a wee bit of pocket money.

The sensible thing to do would be to replace the Mini.

..and get another 172 for myself....

[Tickman]

Certainly the sensible* thing to do

[big_al_granvia]

just buy a volvo mate, the majority of the scotoshite crew cant be wrong

[Split_Pin]

I do quite fancy an S60. 

[big_al_granvia]

https://www.gumtree.com/p/volvo/automatic-volvo-s60-2004-petrol-5dr-full-year-mot-excellent-condition/1395079192

in denny https://www.gumtree.com/p/volvo/volvo-s60-diesel-d5-auto/1394819691

[Split_Pin]

Saw that advertised a few weeks ago.

I do like them but I don't want to be like everyone else either.

[Split_Pin]

Just been out in for a careful drive. Brakes seem fine, pretty sure it was that stuck caliper piston popping back out. Looks like the pad is touching the disk a wee bit more now.

BUT.

The radio I put in on Sunday is fucked. Works fine when the car is stationery but it all goes doo-lally once the car starts to move. The phone function tries to mute it and the radio is simultaneously fighting back. You can't turn it off until you pull up either.

Sensibly* I checked it was working before pushing it into place as you need a 'special Rover tool' to remove it again and I don't have one. So now I need one of those.

FUCK A DUCK MAN.

 

[Tam]

The radio is still in the blue one in my project/scrap corner if you want it. Not much chance of delivery at moment though 🙄

[OM646]

The radio might not be fucked after all.

 

Going through the 75 forums i found this

 

(Source: https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=247204 )

Edited January 20, 2021 by OM646
Formatting

[wuvvum]

It's odd, isn't it, how so many of the forum 75s have decided to start playing up at the same time...

[Split_Pin]

7 hours ago, OM646 said:

The radio might not be fucked after all.

 

Going through the 75 forums i found this

 

(Source: https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=247204 )

Ah! I was wondering about something like that! Nobody on the FB page knew what to do. Thank you very much!!

[Split_Pin]

7 hours ago, Tam said:

The radio is still in the blue one in my project/scrap corner if you want it. Not much chance of delivery at moment though 🙄

Cheers Tam, I had no idea you still had that!

[OM646]

3 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Ah! I was wondering about something like that! Nobody on the FB page knew what to do. Thank you very much!!

Cheers mate! That's why I love forums, been a long time lurker there ever since I became interested on 75s

[Split_Pin]

Fed up faffing about with this stone age cassette player. I need a pin removal tool to get the telephone mute wire out to stop it having an acky-peevy when I drive off.

Fitted the original one back in and fired the Symphony on eBay, too much time spent on something that isn't a non driving issue.

 

[Split_Pin]

Monday was nice so I busted out the DA and got the 75 looking minty again

Everyone laughed at Split_Pin's lockdown barnet.

Few jobs to do on the 75 that have cropped up.

OSR door no longer opens from the outside.

We've had a lack of hot 7mm Allen Key action on here recently, I plan to address that. The OSF caliper which was new last May is sticking slightly. Not enough to get hot but theres a noticeable film of brake dust on this wheel after a short drive where the other 3 remain clean. I'll do the usual clean and grease of the slider pins first.

[Split_Pin]

Ehhhhhh..... this will be why I had a momentary reduction is braking performance.

Amazingly the car still pulled up ok, god knows how though!

I had new pads in stock so thankfully I was able to sort this side.

Unfortunately  I couldn't do the other side and the wheel bolts had seized on AGAIN. The only way to shift them is a scaffolding pole on a breaker bar. The pads are well over 50% so whilst not in any way ideal, I can drive it until I get a bar.

[Split_Pin]

I also fixed the rear drivers side door which could no longer be opened from the outside.

The trim between the door card and door frame was absolutely rotten so I replaced it with a good second hand item I had in stock.

[Split_Pin]

Christ on a bike, Lockdown, remember that?

None of the other cars in the above picture are still mine but are happily still on the road.

I still have this car and not much has changed since March 2021 really.

I had the rear of each sill replaced in January 2022 but other than regular oil changes it hasn't needed anything much. The NSR arch is past its best but still looks OK for now, I've seen worse. 

It's MOT is due in February but I will get it done in January. I know it needs back discs (bought but not fitted) and an OSF lower suspension arm (not yet bought because they're quite pricey).

Most 75 owners will have experienced the door mechanisms freezing up in winter. The doors open OK but then they won't stay shut again and just bounce back open. Guess which door I didn't get around to drying and lubricating in the summer....

 

[montytom]

Still a looker the 75. I hope that once you have sorted this the MOT will be straight forward for you

 

[mk2_craig]

Such good looking cars these. Are you planning to hang onto it long term?

[Split_Pin]

2 hours ago, mk2_craig said:

Are you planning to hang onto it long term?

Good question! If something came along that was exactly what I was looking for then I may change it. A Jaguar XJ (The aluminium one, 2003 to 2008 I think?) In either a dark colour or silver or an Audi A8. Or another 75 but a petrol v6 Connoisseur. 

It's in decent nick already but there are a few things I'd like to get done to the bodywork make it really nice, if I was keeping it. The thing with it is that it runs like an absolute top and always has. As I have never tired of it, seems daft to let that go.

It's booked for its MOT on 17th January so will wait to see what it needs!

[Split_Pin]

Yikes where has the time gone?

MOT passed in February with no advisories. Not before 2 bottom arms were fitted which was quite expensive as it's a bastard of a job. It also shat its OSF damper fluid everywhere but spectacularly, someone nearby had a pair of complete dampers from ZT which had the softer Comfort spec suspension. The only other model this was fitted to in the range was the Contemporary SE so it was a stroke of luck to find this rare part so close by!

After that, the car just continues to run and run. I took it down to Center Parcs for a week with a full load of luggage, food, and 3 bikes on a towbar mounted carrier. Despite sitting a little low at the back it drove as if there was no load at all.

I was worried it would feel shite compared to the A8 but if anything I now like it more because it rides so smoothly despite being a lesser model than the big Audi. So it is very much staying.

The bodywork is needing some attention now, more to stop it declining that actually looking ropey right now. So it's going to Gingernutzz bit again in June for a repair to the OSF sill as it's bubbling, a repair to the OSR arch as rust has weirdly broken through in a random place and a whole new NSR arch as its rotten (although it still looks OK, its gone in the seam). The front bumper also has a shit look to it so will be getting painted too. The rear chassis rails have surface corrosion but they're thick metal like the rest of the car so should be fine for a while.

I'm currently waiting on the 04 plate V5 so I can apply my late dad's private plate to the car, fitting as that was the last car he ever rode in (although he was extremely ill at the time and probably didn't enjoy it).

Lots of owners of Contemporary SE models say their cars are 'top spec' but they aren't as options are missing, however this one absolutely is, not least because it has the rare 5-button centre console panel, most other models have 4 or less. So it's actually a very rare model indeed.

 

[2flags]

Lovely car. Mine has just managed to pass its MoT first time. To celebrate I treated it to Lanogard. Let's see if that will keep the dreaded tin worm at bay. Mine will never be a show car, but then I don't mind using it for work and leaving it in carparks. 

[wuvvum]

Mine doesn't have the 5 button centre console, but the estates never got the rear window blind.  One thing I always liked with the 75 is that they never fitted switch blanks to the centre console - producing four different versions of the trim panel must have cost more but it does look a lot better.