Rover 800 vitesse (well I better had)

[montytom]

I thought I'd do a thread on this as I have not done one on it before.

The reg is not covered up for any other reason that they took the plates off to clean it. The reg Number is T588STA 

It all started at the end of 2015.

I was looking on facebook when a rover vitesse came up on the owners page asking for offers of what it was worth.

I sent a message offering £700 (I think) due to no MOT and being off the road for about 4 years.

Anyway I was refused and thought nothing of it.

A few weeks later I had a message back saying people were offering over £2000 but never getting back.

They said if I could come and pay the £700 it was mine.

I agreed then worked out how to get the car home.

They sent me some more pictures and I started to get excited.

We then saw the car.

It was alot better than we thought. 

I then bought it and got my friend to transport it home.

I put it in for an MOT and it passed so I got the garage to do the cambelt,tensioners and water pump.

[montytom]

I then set about getting the speakers sorted. My dad was really impressed doing this

 

We then just drove it.

We took it to a car show and the gentleman rushed over and said are you showing your lovely Rover then guided us to the show ground.

 

 

[montytom]

The car started to get a few rust spots one of which was the rear sill which unfortunately had gone soft so my dad has just cut out the rot and welded a nice new bit of metal in. When the weather is better then he will paint it. 

The MOT will be done as soon as I can then we will be bringing it to festival of the unexeptional.

[Crackers]

That's basically a brand new car for £700, excellent purchase! 

[dave j]

That looks brilliant! 

[HMC]

Amazing car @montytom I’ve had the privilege of being driven in this and it’s stunning.

[Datsuncog]

Wow, that is a bit special. The liftback shape is nicely enhanced by the Vitesse kit, and I always reckoned the facelift models looked a bit more elegant than the more boxy original 800.

 And only 33k on the clock? Nicely bought!

[2flags]

Lovely car. Well bought sir.

[Quintus]

That's an absolute steal at that price.

[GeordieInExile]

That is beautiful. Always liked these and yours looks like a great example. 

[NorthernMonkey]

Lovely.

[montytom]

14 hours ago, Crackers said:

That's basically a brand new car for £700, excellent purchase! 

Thankyou I bought it in 2015 but even then it was cheap.

13 hours ago, dave j said:

That looks brilliant! 

Thankyou it still comes up well to this day

12 hours ago, HMC said:

Amazing car @montytom I’ve had the privilege of being driven in this and it’s stunning.

Thankyou @HMC It was a pleasure and lovely to chat with you

10 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Wow, that is a bit special. The liftback shape is nicely enhanced by the Vitesse kit, and I always reckoned the facelift models looked a bit more elegant than the more boxy original 800.

 And only 33k on the clock? Nicely bought!

Thankyou it has nearer 70000 miles now so I have used it as intended.

I've always loved the vitesse and I agree regarding the MK2 

10 hours ago, 2flags said:

Lovely car. Well bought sir.

Thankyou it's one of my better purchases that's for sure.

9 hours ago, Quintus said:

That's an absolute steal at that price.

Thankyou it was and I'm glad they accepted

8 hours ago, GeordieInExile said:

That is beautiful. Always liked these and yours looks like a great example. 

Thankyou it still comes up very well

6 hours ago, NorthernMonkey said:

Lovely.

Thankyou

[SRi05]

£700 looks like a ludicrous bargain for that. Stunning car 

[montytom]

 

Just now, SRi05 said:

£700 looks like a ludicrous bargain for that. Stunning car 

Thankyou I bought it back in 2015 but even then it was cheap but was all I could afford. I've since seen the son at Pol and he got some pictures of the car and he's happy so I'm happy

[Lacquer Peel]

Lovely car. I have a soft spot for 800s and lusted after one of these when I had an 800 diesel. 

[montytom]

The other day I was looking on eBay as you do and spotted a scrapyard with a vitesse in. So I went and bought some bits.

I bought a set of wings(I thought they would easily fit in the car) it really is surprising how long the wings on these cars are.

I also bought a wasted spark engine and gearbox with type b LSD in.

Exactly what I have in mine. 

I thought I'd best as if never find them again.

 

The engine is getting delivered this week somewhen.

 

Their is nothing wrong with the engine and box in mine just it's nice to have a spare set.

[montytom]

2 minutes ago, Lacquer Peel said:

Lovely car. I have a soft spot for 800s and lusted after one of these when I had an 800 diesel. 

Thankyou I don't know what it is about the 800 range but they certainly feel special

[stuboy]

lovely car fella..

[eddyramrod]

On 5/9/2021 at 9:38 AM, montytom said:

Thankyou I don't know what it is about the 800 range but they certainly feel special

They do, don't they?  I had an 820 after a 75, and although the 75 had a nice interior for a modern, the light airyness of the 820 was much more to my taste.  I very quickly didn't mind having two fewer cylinders, and I'm a great believer in having at least 6 at my disposal.

This one looks like a brilliant buy, well done.

[montytom]

10 hours ago, stuboy said:

lovely car fella..

Thankyou 

[montytom]

7 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

They do, don't they?  I had an 820 after a 75, and although the 75 had a nice interior for a modern, the light airyness of the 820 was much more to my taste.  I very quickly didn't mind having two fewer cylinders, and I'm a great believer in having at least 6 at my disposal.

This one looks like a brilliant buy, well done.

Thankyou I fully agree. I love the 75s and would love another someday but the 800 holds a special place for me.

[RoadworkUK]

That's just lovely, and it evidently has a good home. I must have a go in a Vitesse at some point. My only fear is liking it more than I do the KV6.

[mercedade]

Cracking that, and I reckon in 2015 you paid about right. I couldn't sell my fully MOT-ed S plate Vitesse in 2017 for £600, even with a bagful of spares.

I sold it to scratch an MG Zt190 itch which was a lovely, solid feeling car, that sounded great, felt planted....but was never fast. Didn't have the same excitement as the 800.

So now I'm back in an R plate Vitesse and can't see me selling it. Lack of spares for an unloved classic will be what kills it eventually (especially things requiring T4, like turning off SRS lights...) but yours looks a cracker.

The bodywork on mine is unbelievable for an 800 - practically zero rust underneath or on the sills, which is why I went for it. But it's a lux-pack Vitesse and I don't really like the interior - I want grey Recaros again. A lot.

[montytom]

19 hours ago, RoadworkUK said:

That's just lovely, and it evidently has a good home. I must have a go in a Vitesse at some point. My only fear is liking it more than I do the KV6.

Thankyou. I love the kv6 in the 75. Never tried it in the 800 before but the T series turbo I've found is much more torquey than the kv6 feels

[montytom]

18 hours ago, mercedade said:

Cracking that, and I reckon in 2015 you paid about right. I couldn't sell my fully MOT-ed S plate Vitesse in 2017 for £600, even with a bagful of spares.

I sold it to scratch an MG Zt190 itch which was a lovely, solid feeling car, that sounded great, felt planted....but was never fast. Didn't have the same excitement as the 800.

So now I'm back in an R plate Vitesse and can't see me selling it. Lack of spares for an unloved classic will be what kills it eventually (especially things requiring T4, like turning off SRS lights...) but yours looks a cracker.

The bodywork on mine is unbelievable for an 800 - practically zero rust underneath or on the sills, which is why I went for it. But it's a lux-pack Vitesse and I don't really like the interior - I want grey Recaros again. A lot.

Thankyou yours wasnt the green fastback was it?

The recaros seem to be fetching a pretty penny nowadays. I hope that you can find some.

[mercedade]

6 hours ago, montytom said:

Thankyou yours wasnt the green fastback was it?

The recaros seem to be fetching a pretty penny nowadays. I hope that you can find some.

Yep, BRG fastback. The bodywork was a curious mix of mint (the wings, doors etc) and the pretty poor (rear arches, rear strut mounts).

The lad I sold it to (an old family friend) drove it for a while, but it was too fast for him. Crashed it into a curb, bent a LOT of things, so he scrapped it. Got some cash for the seats, the engine and box, but not much else. 

What I wouldn't give for the two side by side and an afternoon with a socket set.

[JimH]

Shit the bed that's a nice one.

[WillCarter]

I don't think there's many cars which have aged quite as well as the Fastback 800, such a lovely design. I nearly bought an 827 Sterling Fastback a few years ago, was such an impressive thing to drive but when I got to see it one side was painted nearly the same colour as the other and the electrics started to shit the bed while we were looking around it and subsequently locked us out. I'd got them down to £300 at that point and part of me wishes I'd just taken the hit on it but my senses told me that I was in for a whole world of pain with it though. Certainly didn't dampen my want for one though, just never been right place right time.

[JimH]

I'd prefer an early one without the daft grille, fluted leather and horrid steering wheel but beggards can't be choosers. I suspect the Rover 800 was the last product which wore a Rover badge that was actually forward looking and as such it has aged very well.

[Isaac Hunt]

Clucking Bell that is one nice motor.   

I drove a few of them back in the day in Vitesse form and they were so comfy with those Recaro's.