SKcats fleet. Rover sterling.

[Fumbler]

Kwalitey

[hairnet]

go back and swap it for the 505

[Scrubworks]

SKCat was so enthusiastic to pick up this Rover. All the way to Wales in the passenger seat of my 190D he had the biggest smile on his face and was shouting at me constantly about the T-Series engine. I think I understand what it's like to take a family road trip with excitable kids now.

[montytom]

18 hours ago, Skcat said:

And collected! Guy has a lot of other great cars too! 

Lovely looking thing, Love my 800s 

[mercedade]

YES

Having more 800 botherers can only be a good thing.

[Skcat]

On 1/20/2022 at 9:54 AM, montytom said:

Lovely looking thing, Love my 800s 

I need to do a update with photos and all the electrical bugs on this one! I'm not sure why I love the 800 so much but they just seem cool to me! Will need to look out if you have a thread on yours! 

[mercedade]

"

12 hours ago, Skcat said:

I need to do a update with photos and all the electrical bugs on this one! I'm not sure why I love the 800 so much but they just seem cool to me! Will need to look out if you have a thread on yours! 

" electrical bugs"

Like windows that only work sometimes? Random stereo switch off? 

 

Resolder that fuse box, my man. 

[Skcat]

1 hour ago, mercedade said:

" electrical bugs"

Like windows that only work sometimes? Random stereo switch off? 

Resolder that fuse box, my man. 

The radio actually goes into limp mode, the amp is overheating, will just fit a more modern radio but the original will be kept! Paper speakers are naff, will replace them today! 

The electric windows are a bit iffy but this time I believe it too be the drivers switch pack. Which just needs soldering just like the fuse box! 

The dome light in the front does not turn on with the rest. I think I might need to put some blobs of solder on the worn out pcb contacts (someone must have been trying to fix it before). 

 

I was told rover were experimenting with different types of lead free solder and it seems like they did not get it quite right! 

[mercedade]

The radio will probably fix itself when you replace the speakers. They don't handle broken speakers well, and it ends up driving the stereo off a cliff. 

If you've got one dodgy window, that might be the switch pack - I'd be interested to know if you have success resoldering as I've got a couple of switch packs in the shed and keep meaning to try and refresh them. I've had success with contact cleaner, but my resoldering has always been underwhelming! 

[Skcat]

12 hours ago, mercedade said:

The radio will probably fix itself when you replace the speakers. They don't handle broken speakers well, and it ends up driving the stereo off a cliff. 

If you've got one dodgy window, that might be the switch pack - I'd be interested to know if you have success resoldering as I've got a couple of switch packs in the shed and keep meaning to try and refresh them. I've had success with contact cleaner, but my resoldering has always been underwhelming! 

So my rear electric windows went down on the drivers switch pack but not up! The front did not work at all. Even the lights were broke. 

I stripped it apart and reflowed all the joints and added a bit of solder. I don't really know what I'm doing. I refitted it and now everything works apart from the front passenger won't go up from the drivers switch pack. Will have another go but I'm fairly happy with the results so far. 

I fitted a couple JBL speakers in the front and fitted a more modern head unit and all sound issues are solved. 

Fitted a few new bulbs around the interior. 

Got the wheels aligned and noticed something was in the rear right brake light while the garage moved it into the workshop. When I got home I Pulled a stray bulb out of it, odd. 

I have also noticed the rear doors don't work on the central locking. Ought to get some more photos up soon! 

[AnthonyG]

Drivers switch packs on 800s were dodgy more or less from new. When I bought an 820 in 1997 from a used car supermarket it was naturally faulty, they just went and swapped it out with another of the 800s they had! 

Sometimes even the ‘new’ ones, straight out a box from the dealer parts dept would be U/S.

Anyway, it’s a lovely looking old thing. Rover did some great colours in the 1990s.

[Lacquer Peel]

What a great car! I like the 190E but this is a lot better from a comfort and space perspective, and I have a major soft spot for products of the Rover Group. More photos please. 

My Rover 825D's driver electric window sunk and wouldn't come back up, I remember getting good instructions on the AR online forum to hotwire the electric window wiring to make it go back up. 

[Skcat]

I went a bit more in depth on the switches with a meter following the traces, turns out the membrane is damaged and I don't think it can be repaired. So I need a new pack. A big shame as 90% of it works now! 

[Skcat]

Just drove past a rover breakers in Birmingham today and picked up a apparently 100% working switch pack! So maybe I will get it too work. Funny how such small things let these cars down 

[Skcat]

Overdue photos! Not even good ones! 

Replacement switch pack broke just like the old one, I have sent one away to a guy who claims he can fix them! It's the actual membrane that seems to be bad. 

I've bought a replacement dome light on the interior as the buttons were internally corroded, now they work just fine now. 

Bought some new boot struts now it won't try to chop my head off. Other then that it happily drives around, lots of room for passengers. 

[Scrubworks]

Never has that car looked so in the right place.

[2flags]

Those 800's just look so stylish. I do love Rover products. I have had quite a few over the years. Always seemed a better quality of car than the competition. Well bought.

 

[Skcat]

Other cars are starting to tickle my fancy now! Will list the 800 in a few places, if anyone fancies a swap give me a message. Or too just buy it of course! 

[Skcat]

Finally sorted another rover 800 switch pack. The last "perfect" one was great but the buttons on the front passengers window switch become odd. (Weirdly the same as the orginal one) electrically they are fine but the pads seem to fail when then are exposed to any kind of dampness (great being on the window).

Annoyingly when I collected the original replacement the guy had left it outside and it was drizzlely I guess it took a couple days for the moisture to damaged the pads on the Pcb. 

Fitted the new unit for it too work for a short while. But along with the radio and sunroof it stopped working. Twisting the fuse box causes it too all start working again so its due for a resolder.

Gotta love rover 800 electrics, it's always the same things, window switch packs, dodgy fuse boxes and if you are unlucky the remote fobs when you don't know the EKA code.

Ordered up a cambelt kit for it too keep it ready for years to come. 

[mercedade]

I'd be interested in seeing if any of those packs magically work again once you've resolved the fusebox.

I've had good success with just contact cleaner to fix fobs in the past. The switchpacks are less responsive, but do come up OK after a resolder (not always though).

[Skcat]

6 hours ago, mercedade said:

I'd be interested in seeing if any of those packs magically work again once you've resolved the fusebox.

I've had good success with just contact cleaner to fix fobs in the past. The switchpacks are less responsive, but do come up OK after a resolder (not always though).

The issue with my switch packs is moisture has gotten inside the membrane pads that make up the switches, they are a pain to fix! 

I think there is a good joke going on about everyone's rover 800 series cars having electrical issues now! 

Have a photo of mine in place a jag ought to be parked! 

[Skcat]

Resoldered it and refitted it! It all works now. And the radio stays on. 

 

I wonder how long that will last! 

[Skcat]

So managed a swap for the 800, after seeing a XUD zx estate I really wanted too try a XUD motor. I've tried XU, TU and Hdi so I guess I still need to try a TUD! 

This is what I got in exchange for the 800 and a healthy amount or cash my way! And I'm chuffed to be honest. 

Will need to put more photos up soon! But it's a turbo diesel saloon. With a big spoiler! 

I think it needs work... 

[Scrubworks]

Absolute, utter shite. Let me know when you're working on this, I want to come round and annoy you.

[AnnoyingPentium]

Absolutely amazing. I've got a lot of love for an auld Puggit.

[loserone]

Dibs please!

[Supernaut]

2nd dibs!

[Skcat]

2 hours ago, loserone said:

Dibs please!

 

1 hour ago, Supernaut said:

2nd dibs!

Am I already getting a reputation for having a car for a month and selling it? 

Got under it today too take a look at the rust situation, rear sills have been welded up at some point. Not an amazing job but it holds up. A little welding has been done to one front strut tower. Just like my last 405 the middle looks perfectly clean and the boot area looks like it's been under a ocean. They just must got like that. 

The body is rough, rust patches below the filler, rust on the roof and in the front door shuts. But it does not look too bad yet. 

Both windows work, sunroof works, it kind of feels like the aircon works but I can never tell. 

It has a bosch pump so It should run on veg oil, it probably has in its life.

Just ordered some bits for it but I will try to not go mad on this one with new parts! 

[Scruffy Bodger]

Good to see another 405 on here. My estate is on 100% veg at the mo but was chugging a bit this morning so it's a bit cold for it yet, if you do use it thin it with a bit of derv. Sainsburys is still £1 a litre at the mo.

[Skcat]

So the antenna had snapped off In the little holder long ago. I ordered a new antenna but somehow got the part number wrong and ordered a fiat M6 mast when the peugeot ones need M8 ones...

I might as well extract the old M8 stud from the base. I drilled it out and used my extraction tool but the plastic base started cracking as I cracked on the tool. The wet had gotten in there for so long it's just fully seized in so a new base would be needed. 

Seeing as the base was junk and the antenna was wrong anyway I just drilled the base out a bit more and tapped a M6 thread into the remains of the old base and M8 stud. 

If I actually knew it was going to work I would have probably drilled it straighter! But the fiat mast works perfect, picks up DAB stations no issue now. 

Now you guys can see what the paintwork looks like too, any ideas what to do with the scabby rust on the roof? What's on these photos is the worst of it on the bodywork.