The Castle Gresley Rover 820

[Ian_Fearn]

1 minute ago, Motown said:

Ive already done a post about the 820 fastback i will no doubt do a post on the SD1 and Sterling Saloon when i start work on it. 

Pending MOT am i still ok to bring Gresley to you for rear arch welding when restrictions are lifted?

 

Errrr yes..... probably! I’ve just had an offer accepted on a house so I’m not sure on my exact availability. I’m thinking that from the 29th March it’ll be completely legit for you to bring it down and I won’t have moved by then. Something to mull over anyway.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

4 hours ago, Motown said:

Hello there fellow shiters! 

Firstly my apologies i realise its been awhile since i posted... In my defence ive been distracted by three new purchases a Sterling Saloon an SD1 Vanden Plas and the 820 fastback i posted about in another thread.  Only now have i had chance to sit down and update the thread but its definitely been worth the wait in my opinion.

I managed to sort the braking issues which were caused by blocked rear flexis as the brakes failed i thought it was best not to piss around and fitted new rear flexis and had new brakes pipes put in. The throttle was also sticking and upon inspection i noticed that although the cables were good the mechanism on the body was completely rusted and ceased so i replaced it with a spare i had laying around.

 

 

They said it was just an old Rover not worth saving..... They said it would never see the road again... They said i was an idiot.... They were wrong... The Castle Gresley 820 is finished and just needs a new exhaust and an MOT certificate i proudly annouce in my AR jacket

 

The front middle and rear sections of the exhaust need replacing but i fully intend to do this once i have the cash. The exhaust sections are about £50 each so it might have to wait until payday ive also decided if it proves itself to be a reliable car once in daily use (I have no doubts it will) then i will give the car a fresh coat of paint too.

 

It drives incredibly good to say it hasn't shifted in 20 odd years. The engine is very quiet and smooth once the cars in motion and as you can see from the video it can shift if it needs to. I am fairly certain despite initial doubts the engine simply needs a damn good run.

 

Interior doesn't look to bad all things considered and is comfortable and dry. There's still a few bits and pieces to finish off but nothing worth worrying about.

 

Long live Rover and all who sail in them! 

 

 

How smooth and quiet is the old girl there? Brilliant work and so good to see this car moving effortlessly under it's own steam. What an amazing save.

[Cord Fourteener]

5 hours ago, Motown said:

Hello there fellow shiters! 

Firstly my apologies i realise its been awhile since i posted... In my defence ive been distracted by three new purchases a Sterling Saloon an SD1 Vanden Plas and the 820 fastback i posted about in another thread.  Only now have i had chance to sit down and update the thread but its definitely been worth the wait in my opinion.

I managed to sort the braking issues which were caused by blocked rear flexis as the brakes failed i thought it was best not to piss around and fitted new rear flexis and had new brakes pipes put in. The throttle was also sticking and upon inspection i noticed that although the cables were good the mechanism on the body was completely rusted and ceased so i replaced it with a spare i had laying around.

 

 

They said it was just an old Rover not worth saving..... They said it would never see the road again... They said i was an idiot.... They were wrong... The Castle Gresley 820 is finished and just needs a new exhaust and an MOT certificate i proudly annouce in my AR jacket

 

The front middle and rear sections of the exhaust need replacing but i fully intend to do this once i have the cash. The exhaust sections are about £50 each so it might have to wait until payday ive also decided if it proves itself to be a reliable car once in daily use (I have no doubts it will) then i will give the car a fresh coat of paint too.

 

It drives incredibly good to say it hasn't shifted in 20 odd years. The engine is very quiet and smooth once the cars in motion and as you can see from the video it can shift if it needs to. I am fairly certain despite initial doubts the engine simply needs a damn good run.

 

Interior doesn't look to bad all things considered and is comfortable and dry. There's still a few bits and pieces to finish off but nothing worth worrying about.

 

Long live Rover and all who sail in them! 

 

 

Looks good out and in, sounds zingy, it's just a classic and a credit to you. You can see who is the classic late 80's/ early90's Rover fan in this video😂

[RoadworkUK]

Well, I  have to say this has all made me a bit emotional. Seeing this machine in such fine fettle, after two decades of abandonment, decay and vandalism, is quite a powerful sight.

A massive, heartfelt pat on the back to all concerned. Literally incredible. Speechless.

[sutty2006]

Epic work. I hope when it’s on the road you park it up outside the old dealers for final pictures. 

[Split_Pin]

Great news, almost there. Can't  beat a good 'against  all odds' result.

[Twiggy]

Absolutely superb ! A great thread and a fascinating read - thank you.

[greengartside]

@Motownany progress on the old girl? It must be time for an MOT now?

[Motown]

2 hours ago, greengartside said:

@Motownany progress on the old girl? It must be time for an MOT now?

Its finished and will be going for MOT once i can afford to insure it which will be after ive finished restoring the red 820 fastback. Ive then got my SD1 to do before i drive off into the sunset never to be seen or heard from again 👍

[Billy - Medhurst]

Woo!!  this has been a while!  Whats the score here? Sold /  Storage?. Any updates.......

[Dick Cheeseburger]

6 minutes ago, Billy - Medhurst said:

Woo!!  this has been a while!  Whats the score here? Sold /  Storage?. Any updates.......

Scrapped shortly after, I believe 😕

[Billy - Medhurst]

@Motown

[Motown]

So for those not in the know....

I pretty much finished it off and all it needed was an exhaust back box and new cert. If you are doubtful of this please see the short video below it was recorded shortly before it was due for MOT. Some said i should have got it resprayed but in my opinion although they were a few dents and rust patches from the vandalism i didn't want to respray it as the slight cosmetic damage added to the history and story of the car. In all honesty once cleaned up it didn't look all that bad and was perfectly usable as a daily.

 

 

I booked it in for MOT twice but both times it was cancelled due to covid... Shortly after the second cancellation a restoration garage who i will not name got in touch and said they had a customer who was looking for an 820 saloon they had seen the car on YouTube and wonder if it was for sale. I initially told them i wasn't interested in selling the car but they badgered me and called back twice after that... They offered me a good price so i submitted but on the understanding it was going to a good home. They said it would be given what it needed for MOT as that is what the new owner wanted so of course it would be going to a good home....

Once it was gone i didn't hear anything else about it until i was informed a few  weeks later that it had been broken up for parts.... The garage partially stripped it down for paint and according to them the sunroof surround and chassis rails were rotten beyond financial repair..... This seemed strange to me as although the sunroof surround was abit crusty the car seemed solid when checked over and i certainly did think the underneath was rotten when i did the brakes... I cannot tell you how angry i was but i can only blame myself for selling it.... I have lost alot of sleep thinking about it ever since as i genuinely didn't know if it was rotten or if the garage were just bullshitting me at the time.

Fast forward a few years later and the restoration garage has become somewhat notorious for bodge jobs charging ridiculous amounts for storage or for work which was never carried out. They were also taking parts from customers cars and selling them on or fitting them to other cars.  I know of at least eight individuals who had terrible experiences and also lost cars to the place. I believe the garage has now closed up or gone bust.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Just seen this video shared on FB. The Cav and Maestro look fit for scrap.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1EJw18A6ga/

Interestingly, the Rover is still showing on DVLA's database despite @Motown having been told it had been scrapped. Odd.

 

[Split_Pin]

It wasnt Rovasystems Motorsport was it? They cropped up on, of all places, a Vauxhall Opel forum I used to be a member of back in 2008. Their reputation was quickly found out for doing exactly what was reported above and they were blocked from the site.

[Motown]

2 hours ago, Dick Cheeseburger said:

Just seen this video shared on FB. The Cav and Maestro look fit for scrap.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1EJw18A6ga/

Interestingly, the Rover is still showing on DVLA's database despite @Motown having been told it had been scrapped. Odd.

 

My guess is the DVLA were never informed it was scrapped..... When it became public knowledge of what was happening at that business a number of owners tried to retrieve their cars. They walked in to find most of the floor space was occupied by parts it looked more like a breakers yard or chop shop than a restoration garage. Some parts were sorted boxed and tagged others just in big messy piles the ten or so cars that were in the garage at the time were all huddled in a corner almost hidden including and i shit you not a red 3500 twin plenum.

When i last visited the Castle Gresley dealership in 2021 I had a good look at the cavalier it was beyond help in my opinion and looked as if it had been that way for some time the Maestro however was still saveable. From memory it was a 1.3 Auto (which is why i liked it) i tried to secure it on numerous occasions but failed each time getting further and further away from a deal.

 

[Motown]

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

It wasnt Rovasystems Motorsport was it? They cropped up on, of all places, a Vauxhall Opel forum I used to be a member of back in 2008. Their reputation was quickly found out for doing exactly what was reported above and they were blocked from the site.

No it was wasn't although it wouldn't surprise me if its the same individuals involved. Over the last few years they have been a few restorations garages in and around Manchester using the Rover name in some form or another that have all gone bust due to dodgy goings on....

[vaughant]

On 14/08/2025 at 00:39, Motown said:

I have lost alot of sleep thinking about it ever since

I know the feeling but don't because you did the right thing for you at the right time. 

You worked hard on it and got it going again which is far more than most would have bothered to do. 

I've had it before, not with such a rare car, but a guy who begged and begged a bike off me, kept telling me how he was going to go on ride outs with his daughter, wanted to take it to Le Mans all that bollox. 

He made me an offer which in truth seemed way off what I thought it was worth. A mate* I worked with kept saying to sell it, it was a fair price etc etc, why do you want so many vehicles? You could go on a holiday, not really of huge interest to me, but after a quick look in the free ads seemed to be not a million miles away so I eventually agreed. 

He phoned me maybe 2 or 3 days later from picking it up asking why the finance hadn't been paid off, it was that new, because he had "a guy here who's run a hpi check on it and won't buy it until it is".

A bit perplexed, I asked him why someone was hpi checking it as I'd only sent the cheque off the day before? 

He then tells me " ah I couldn't get comfy on it"..... What in the 5 miles you rode it home from my house in so you decided basically that afternoon to put it straight up for sale in the free ads for a couple of hundred more than you bought it off me for? 

I only wish I hadn't sent the cheque off as I would have said fuck it give me the bike back and I'll give you your money back on it.

He also found time to swap out the exhaust and sell it separately along with the big lock and chain I gave him as he'd moaned as " I'd hate to have it nicked when we stop off in Calais from the ferry".

Lying cunt. 

I have no issue with anyone making a drink on a deal but when they come and give you a sob story, tell you all the amazing things they're going to do with it, tell you how they've planned the route and all that already knowing they're going to make a drink on it, it pissed me right off.

Worst thing was he clearly had no intention of selling as he'd already asked a lad on another shift if he wanted the end can and twin headlights for his Bandit before I'd actually agreed to sell it 🙄🙄🙄.

Turned out he already had a buyer who wanted one in black but couldn't find any secondhand/nearly new. 

He'd also primed up the "mate" I worked with by asking him if I was looking to sell and told the mate not to mention he was interested as he was "trying to get the money together" ..... Another load of bollox 🙄🙄.

I did, overtime, have a few deals with him myself so he was forgiven as I made a few Bob on each of them.

The only other one I was truly gutted about selling and got bollocked from the Mrs about was my pajero j-top. I found out eventually who owned it and begged for them to sell it back to me which they agreed to do when the time came......

 

Then drove it at high speed into the side of their ex Mrs house destroying the house and sadly the pajero 😭😭😭.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

9 minutes ago, vaughant said:

I know the feeling but don't because you did the right thing for you at the right time. 

You worked hard on it and got it going again which is far more than most would have bothered to do. 

I've had it before, not with such a rare car, but a guy who begged and begged a bike off me, kept telling me how he was going to go on ride outs with his daughter, wanted to take it to Le Mans all that bollox. 

He made me an offer which in truth seemed way off what I thought it was worth. A mate* I worked with kept saying to sell it, it was a fair price etc etc, why do you want so many vehicles? You could go on a holiday, not really of huge interest to me, but after a quick look in the free ads seemed to be not a million miles away so I eventually agreed. 

He phoned me maybe 2 or 3 days later from picking it up asking why the finance hadn't been paid off, it was that new, because he had "a guy here who's run a hpi check on it and won't buy it until it is".

A bit perplexed, I asked him why someone was hpi checking it as I'd only sent the cheque off the day before? 

He then tells me " ah I couldn't get comfy on it"..... What in the 5 miles you rode it home from my house in so you decided basically that afternoon to put it straight up for sale in the free ads for a couple of hundred more than you bought it off me for? 

I only wish I hadn't sent the cheque off as I would have said fuck it give me the bike back and I'll give you your money back on it.

He also found time to swap out the exhaust and sell it separately along with the big lock and chain I gave him as he'd moaned as " I'd hate to have it nicked when we stop off in Calais from the ferry".

Lying cunt. 

I have no issue with anyone making a drink on a deal but when they come and give you a sob story, tell you all the amazing things they're going to do with it, tell you how they've planned the route and all that already knowing they're going to make a drink on it, it pissed me right off.

Worst thing was he clearly had no intention of selling as he'd already asked a lad on another shift if he wanted the end can and twin headlights for his Bandit before I'd actually agreed to sell it 🙄🙄🙄.

Turned out he already had a buyer who wanted one in black but couldn't find any secondhand/nearly new. 

He'd also primed up the "mate" I worked with by asking him if I was looking to sell and told the mate not to mention he was interested as he was "trying to get the money together" ..... Another load of bollox 🙄🙄.

I did, overtime, have a few deals with him myself so he was forgiven as I made a few Bob on each of them.

The only other one I was truly gutted about selling and got bollocked from the Mrs about was my pajero j-top. I found out eventually who owned it and begged for them to sell it back to me which they agreed to do when the time came......

 

Then drove it at high speed into the side of their ex Mrs house destroying the house and sadly the pajero 😭😭😭.

You owned a J-top? Any photos? My brother is still gutted he didn't look after his old white one. Unicorn poo, now. 

[sierraman]

Didn’t something similar happen with the Rover SD1 Practical Classics had restored in the early 2000’s? Got 75% of way through then… nothing

[Snipes]

10 hours ago, Motown said:

When i last visited the Castle Gresley dealership in 2021 I had a good look at the cavalier it was beyond help in my opinion and looked as if it had been that way for some time.

There was something about that cavalier I found immensely appealing but, yeah, by all accounts it was utterly goonered and had been for quite some time. 

[vaughant]

3 hours ago, Dick Cheeseburger said:

You owned a J-top? Any photos? My brother is still gutted he didn't look after his old white one. Unicorn poo, now. 

Maybe, but it would take a bit of digging 😬😬😬.

Yes mine was red and pimped from Japan, pump tuned up to buggery,jacked suspension, straight through exhaust and was actually pretty quick. Cyclists hated it of course as by fuck could it spew out some clag 🤭🤭. This was pre 2012 Olympics though so hardly anyone cycled then, I'd be in jail now for killing penguins🙄.

I loved it and so did the Mrs but it leaked like mad in the back and a German company sold a detachable hard top for it but trying to open a line of communication with them was nigh on impossible. 

Mine came from a place who totally bullshitted me regarding how it was "ready to register" when in fact it needed an sva etc 🙄🙄.

Luckily, in the time I fucked around with it it turned 10 so I didn't need to bother. 

Took it up for an MOT it never had as I fixed the compressor that kept tripping the building out because a council spark thought yellow phase was earth (and fuck knows what else he thought about colours) and by the time that was done it had a 12 month ticket. It pissed through the next one but started getting that weird charging fault they had that nobody seemed to be able to fix back then and I left it stand for a year until I sold it.

K9xxDWN from memory, phase 2 2.5td.

[Dobloseven]

4 hours ago, sierraman said:

Didn’t something similar happen with the Rover SD1 Practical Classics had restored in the early 2000’s? Got 75% of way through then… nothing

Didn't they send it to Eastern Europe to be restored,with a load of the parts Rimmers had brought back from India?

[sierraman]

3 minutes ago, Dobloseven said:

Didn't they send it to Eastern Europe to be restored,with a load of the parts Rimmers had brought back from India?

No I’m on about the yellow one, preproduction one. From about 1999ish maybe 

[Bear]

4 hours ago, Dobloseven said:

Didn't they send it to Eastern Europe to be restored,with a load of the parts Rimmers had brought back from India?

I think you're thinking of OEG. I had it for a few months at the end of 2011 before I smashed my ankle and an SD1 manual box was Not A Good Idea. The body restoration looked good, I wonder how well it has held up.

Still have one of the old plates after I got nice ones made up:

[Dobloseven]

36 minutes ago, Bear said:

I think you're thinking of OEG. I had it for a few months at the end of 2011 before I smashed my ankle and an SD1 manual box was Not A Good Idea. The body restoration looked good, I wonder how well it has held up.

Still have one of the old plates after I got nice ones made up:

Looks like it's taxed and Motd,so hopefully all's well.Strangely,I can't remember the yellow one at all,despite hardly missing an issue since day one.Really used to enjoy the project cars,though.