Jump to content

AS communal Rover 75 / MG ZT lickers thread


Cookiesouwest

Recommended Posts

Never driven a Jaguar so I guess I have no frame of reference.

I have 17 inch star spokes. 2 tyre choices, 215/50 or 225/45, mine has the former. Diesel is audible at lower speeds, can be annoying as the auto holds it in lower gears on a hill when cold.

Mine is an early facelift on an 04, welcome to have a drive once lock down is over!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Barry Cade said:

I believe it was the 17" serpents. Suspension was gone over. Just didn't feel anywhere near Jaguar enough. Not that quiet either. Would like to drive pre and post project drive back to back in identical spec..

The facelift Connie I had which was on 225/45x17s didn't ride anything like as well as the pre-PD Tourer on its 215/60x16s.  Not sure how much of that was due to the rubber band tyres and how much was down to any PD suspension tweaks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Barry Cade said:

Just didn't feel anywhere near Jaguar enough. Not that quiet either. 

 

11 hours ago, Barry Cade said:

 I was very disappointed it was nowhere near as wafty as I expected, ride wasn't that good either. 

 

10 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

... mine really does have a magic carpet ride. Coupled with the torquey  remap on the diesel and the auto, it now wafts lit fuck ...

If you want to be impressed by a 75, don't buy an XJ-8 first! I chose a 75 riding on 195/60X 15's for the best ride and even so, in comparison to the Jaguar, it is not wafty. It's very nice, effortless, brisk & smooth, but it's not silent & it doesn't skim over potholes, with a dull distant thump which seems to come from the next county. It's a nice old motor, but sadly it's not in the same league. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine is currently causing me many griefs.

The battery it came with gave up the ghost in January. Chap at the garage tested the alternator - 14.4 and the drain on the car which was apparently tiny & acceptable. The then fitted a replacement which he buys in bulk in exchange for a five year warranty on them. Two of these batteries failed after about a fortnight each. He confirmed that the car doesn't have a drain, the alternator is good & replaced the second battery with a Bosche version with a four year guarantee. I was driving the car last weekend & all was fine, Monday all was good. Yesterday popped out to here the solenoid clicking & an FTP. I put it on charge for about three or four hours - it was in the street with a cable across the pavement so I tidied up as it got dark. This morning, there's absolutely fuck all happening, even the central locking can't be arsed. Another faulty battery? Or do I need to hammer a smaller mechanic over the forst one? Is he missing something? The fair wife is becoming quite grumpy as the Rover currently isn't as reliable as the Vel Satis was!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, barefoot said:

Mine is currently causing me many griefs.

The battery it came with gave up the ghost in January. Chap at the garage tested the alternator - 14.4 and the drain on the car which was apparently tiny & acceptable. The then fitted a replacement which he buys in bulk in exchange for a five year warranty on them. Two of these batteries failed after about a fortnight each. He confirmed that the car doesn't have a drain, the alternator is good & replaced the second battery with a Bosche version with a four year guarantee. I was driving the car last weekend & all was fine, Monday all was good. Yesterday popped out to here the solenoid clicking & an FTP. I put it on charge for about three or four hours - it was in the street with a cable across the pavement so I tidied up as it got dark. This morning, there's absolutely fuck all happening, even the central locking can't be arsed. Another faulty battery? Or do I need to hammer a smaller mechanic over the forst one? Is he missing something? The fair wife is becoming quite grumpy as the Rover currently isn't as reliable as the Vel Satis was!

Can't believe you are that unlucky to have so many batteries go bad. Think you have an intermittent drain somewhere

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had half a dozen ZTs and absolutely loved them. This was my last to date, driven back to Fife from Manchester the night the Beast from the East hit.

They're fantastic machines, but the local mechanic has had to downsize his house since I got rid and bought the A4 instead.

Screenshot_20210325-202826_Gallery.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, CortinaDave said:

I've had half a dozen ZTs and absolutely loved them. This was my last to date, driven back to Fife from Manchester the night the Beast from the East hit.

They're fantastic machines, but the local mechanic has had to downsize his house since I got rid and bought the A4 instead.

Screenshot_20210325-202826_Gallery.jpg

At least he was interested in fixing it. No garage anywhere near me will touch them except a chap in Whitburn (who is very good) which is a bit of a trek.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well Audrey is back from the garage after 3 weeks. They even washed her.

The bill was on the large side lol The receptionist asked if I wanted to sit down before she told me the amount!

She's had her sensors and wiring sorted, to get rid of the ABS and Airbag lights, a new rad fan, new aircon compressor, new intercooler O rings, aircon regas. 

Garage advised of a few non urgent bits and bobs they had found. She will need a bit more of the tickle stick.

Front wheels still shake and the interior needs a lot of work, putting it all back together. As nothing came up on MOT, the shake must be tyres, balancing or a unround alloy. So new tyres will be purchased shortly.

Post lockdown, she is off to Rick Bhullar in Essex for a new IPK screen.

Very smooth and comfy drive for the 15 mile drive back (except for the front wheel shake !).

Do I like her - Yes

Would I take on another R75 project car - No

Will I get her back to her former glory - Aiming to do my best.

Would I buy another good one - Yes and I'm looking.

20210329_104524.thumb.jpg.3fee6a158cb9c029ba70e56ca7c1a893.jpg

20210329_104736.thumb.jpg.b88a6ce3b715c8f9b84a7b4662c8aeeb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My 75, which this week for the sake of Cooky's Vest I shall call 'Fred Eakins' - it's obviously derived from the BX in the numberplate, has been causing me and the local garage some serious head scratching. It's been flattening batteries at a prodigious rate, but this has apparently been resolved today by the removal of the sat nav CD driver unit thing which was apparently flooded.

All is well with the world, have a gratuitous photograph of Thelonious Monk with her legs spread open wide.

P1140498.thumb.JPG.56afe50e1517e8fd747adcc0c20c0d48.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, barefoot said:

Other folk have replaced their expired Rover CD powered sat navs with the newer BMW DVD equivilant. Does anyone know exactly what I should be looking for as I attempt  to trawl ebay?

Thanks in anticipation.

Can't remember off hand. A good few threads on the owners group  which should appear on Google. Plus the FB groups are good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorted the non rain sensing wipers today.

20210403_162455.thumb.jpg.daf5d532bf8bd3b91ff5e366b6b115fa.jpg

BMW clearly still very much part of Rover production by 2004.

20210403_162513.thumb.jpg.bd8ba0df0c238e28bf102f722a54b8cc.jpg

New gel pad as the old one had degraded

20210403_162521.thumb.jpg.d2790b31d836d924aa0936f5eca79363.jpg

 

Very tricky to line up, Mrs_Pin manoeuvred while I broadcast the to me to yous.

There was still a big bubble in the middle of the gel pad so I feared it wouldn't work however all was well.

I can actually just keep this sensor unplugged if I want to and that will give me normal variable intermittent wipe but I would rather have the car functioning  as it came out the factory if possible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/31/2021 at 9:19 PM, barefoot said:

Other folk have replaced their expired Rover CD powered sat navs with the newer BMW DVD equivilant. Does anyone know exactly what I should be looking for as I attempt  to trawl ebay?

Thanks in anticipation.

I did this on mine.  As Cookie says, it's the E46 screen you need.  The rest is all plug and play, although if you replace the head unit in the boot the aerial connectors can be different.  I left my original head unit in place, it works OK but the CD player doesn't work as the head unit thinks it's still a cassette player as it was in the original unit.  Doesn't bother me as I don't listen to CDs much anyway.

Some people are still asking what I consider to be daft money for the screens on eBay.  I held off buying until one came up at a sensible price - they do sometimes become available for realistic money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, wuvvum said:

I did this on mine.  As Cookie says, it's the E46 screen you need.  The rest is all plug and play, although if you replace the head unit in the boot the aerial connectors can be different...

It's the CD sat nav box in the boot that's fucked. If I can't simply bob in a BMW equivalent, I'll just leave it non-functioning. I never used the thing and just switch off the screen anyway. - Ta for info tho'

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, it was MOT time for mine today

image.thumb.png.643de24bfd6cbc02066004e300bd6894.png

To be honest, this wasn't the kind of nail biting afternoon I've had with many previous cars because in the past few weeks I've thrown a shed-load of cash at the thing. That includes new cam belt etc (obviously not an MOT issue but, on a KV6, an expression of commitment second only to slipping a diamond engagement ring onto its exhaust pipe. While it was having its indulgent spa weekend at my local MG Rover specialist, I also had the rear coil springs replaced - something that amidst all the waftiness I hadn't noticed needed doing - and the exceedingly rusty centre and rear exhaust sections changed as well.

The water ingress that I was experiencing earlier in the year seems to have been solved by clearing the drain plugs and fitting new seals on the rear lamps but unfortunately it turns out that hosting Lake Windermere under the drivers seat for several weeks buggered up a sensor, causing the SRS light to come on - so a new one of those had to be purchased at an eyewatering cost of £131.21p.

Like @Split_Pin I've got a clunking top mount but I was advised this was ok to leave for now unless the noise was bothering me.

So that left me with it just needing a new wiper blade and a couple of tyres to get through the test. Thought I'd support British manufacturing and go for Avons.

image.thumb.png.49a826f8436519280d4e6777acc62c2b.png

That's that lesson learned.

But, anyway all legal and ready to serve my long journey needs for another year.

image.thumb.png.c36e1b1fc4e060de1c253097fe22985f.png

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Wilko220 said:

So, it was MOT time for mine today

image.thumb.png.643de24bfd6cbc02066004e300bd6894.png

To be honest, this wasn't the kind of nail biting afternoon I've had with many previous cars because in the past few weeks I've thrown a shed-load of cash at the thing. That includes new cam belt etc (obviously not an MOT issue but, on a KV6, an expression of commitment second only to slipping a diamond engagement ring onto its exhaust pipe. While it was having its indulgent spa weekend at my local MG Rover specialist, I also had the rear coil springs replaced - something that amidst all the waftiness I hadn't noticed needed doing - and the exceedingly rusty centre and rear exhaust sections changed as well.

The water ingress that I was experiencing earlier in the year seems to have been solved by clearing the drain plugs and fitting new seals on the rear lamps but unfortunately it turns out that hosting Lake Windermere under the drivers seat for several weeks buggered up a sensor, causing the SRS light to come on - so a new one of those had to be purchased at an eyewatering cost of £131.21p.

Like @Split_Pin I've got a clunking top mount but I was advised this was ok to leave for now unless the noise was bothering me.

So that left me with it just needing a new wiper blade and a couple of tyres to get through the test. Thought I'd support British manufacturing and go for Avons.

image.thumb.png.49a826f8436519280d4e6777acc62c2b.png

That's that lesson learned.

But, anyway all legal and ready to serve my long journey needs for another year.

image.thumb.png.c36e1b1fc4e060de1c253097fe22985f.png

 

 

 

Looks bloody lovely that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Am I mental?

Well I think those who know of my chod addiction, the answer is YES.

So I was perusing FB last night.

Local R75 white gold, auto estate, Connie SE for sale. 700 quid. Damaged bonnet and driver side wing.

About to move to next add, when I spy it has Serpents :)

I really like them and Audrey would look good rolling around on them.

Checked MOT history. Pretty decent. Probably looked after. 164k on clock.

So I've messaged the seller. Dont tell the wife.

Anyone want a slightly beat up R75 tourer with Crown alloys lol

Changing a bonnet and wing is probably within my HBOL 3 spanner rating ability. I could even manage to improve it.

Let's see if he messages back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...