SKcats fleet. Rover sterling.

[Skcat]

1 hour ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Interweb suggest mine started life in Luton. Bit of a sleeper car tbh, I really liked it and, intended as a stopgap, heavy tow car, it lasted four years. The GX220 had some different bits from the 2.4 pezz & the diesels and they became hard to source (caliper locking clips for example, also I needed an inner tie rod and sourced one for a Hyundai or a Kia that we shortened then cut new threads 20mm further up the shank - that worked). LPG and petrol consumption was impressive but so was the straight line acceleration.

Looking at the images from @Skcat this one needs TLC in the same places mine did (arse end) - I just couldn't face doing mine as the LPG and fuel tanks would have needed liberating first and that was a step too far at the time. Sleeving the chassis rails would be the weapon of choice - iirc I think I worked out that you could access it by cutting out the boot floor to get to the top of the rails (rather than trying to get the body away from the mountings). This one's diesel so less chance of self-immolation as regards the fuel tank. Tack a new floor back in afterwards - sorted.
Go on - you know you want to ........

I have had scrap offers at £300 at the moment, thankfully I've not fitted the engine parts or shocks yet so can be put aside for another go someday! If someone wanted it for that I would sell it minus the new parts. 

I was feeling happy to do welding to the frame and some parts under it, but as soon as I found the rear wheel archies were rotten through it put me right off. That paired with the missing drive shaft. I fear it's been removed as the transfer case or something large is shagged.  If I spend a few weekends welding it up it will probably be a tatty naff car that's still only rwd! I was hoping for a tatty naff car that I could go off road in a little. A shame as the frame for the most part is rock solid. 

[JMotor]

On 25/10/2025 at 10:29, Skcat said:

Looking for a 7.5" LSD that would fit in a mk1 IS200. But they are costly. 

That they are! 

Some are near the price of a named brand LSD. Wonder if Beforward or some other outfit would do one cheaper? I'd also look at Altezzas too as some were Torsen as well.

Edit - Dunno if it's any help, but the OE number is  41301-53010 for the Torsen.

Silly question. What axle code is stamped on the VIN tag on your Toyota? 

As I'm after a shorter rear crown and pinion for my car. 

[Skcat]

1 hour ago, JMotor said:

That they are! 

Some are near the price of a named brand LSD. Wonder if Beforward or some other outfit would do one cheaper? I'd also look at Altezzas too as some were Torsen as well.

Edit - Dunno if it's any help, but the OE number is  41301-53010 for the Torsen.

Silly question. What axle code is stamped on the VIN tag on your Toyota? 

As I'm after a shorter rear crown and pinion for my car. 

The axle code on mine is a B03A. 

That means it is a 7.5" 4.1:1 open diff. 

On some cars a B means 8" but on this chassis it'd 7.5"

What crown do you have? 

[JMotor]

Same ratio as my car.

But mines an Altezza instead of a Crown. 

Mines a A01B. It's a 7.5 with a 4.1 final and Torsen. Want to go to a 4.556 final. 

Sorry for the highjack! 😆 

[Skcat]

On 22/11/2025 at 17:01, JMotor said:

Same ratio as my car.

But mines an Altezza instead of a Crown. 

Mines a A01B. It's a 7.5 with a 4.1 final and Torsen. Want to go to a 4.556 final. 

Sorry for the highjack! 😆 

Pretty much the rear end I want for mine. 

 

It seems the musso will be going, thankfully I did not fit many new parts so will keep them. All in storage if I find another at some point! 

I picked something up thats Extremely autoshite last night. 

Its a complete nail but it was dirt cheap. Only a 220 NA. I would have won the jackpot if I got a turbo. 

It needs a lot of work but it's driving and has 6 months ticket so I can really get into it while fixing it up. It's also. Bad enough I don't mind driving it through the winter months! 

[Ghosty]

I saw that on Marketplace and was tempted to try and restore it. 
 

VERY well bought. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

34 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

I saw that on Marketplace and was tempted to try and restore it. 
 

VERY well bought. 

I had a feeling I'd seen that 220 before. Was the one you sent me the other day.

[Skcat]

Just been messing about with it today. 

Found the internal light fuse pulled. Then these little units are so broken they meant it was always on, more bits to find! Passneger side one is missing it's arm. 

 

Ordered a passenger side window switch, hopefully with that fitted the window will work. 

New exhuasts manifold gasket and studs. 

It really needs speakers like every car I buy. 

Drivers door lock/unlock solenoid. 

Will probably find more the abs light comes on if you put the car in reverse. Then you need to cycle the power to put it out again! Never seen that one before! 

[Lacquer Peel]

On 03/11/2025 at 17:47, Bear said:

Back in the '90s my friend Joel had a Musso GX220 - the quick one.

It was always going back to the garage for fixes to the vacuum system and that wasn't even at many years old...

Love that GTA III Toyota.

It was the garages not fixing it more than the vacuum system I think. 

Sad to hear the Musso is very rotten. The engine would go well in the 250D I got from @Skcat

[Lacquer Peel]

16 hours ago, Skcat said:

Pretty much the rear end I want for mine. 

 

It seems the musso will be going, thankfully I did not fit many new parts so will keep them. All in storage if I find another at some point! 

I picked something up thats Extremely autoshite last night. 

Its a complete nail but it was dirt cheap. Only a 220 NA. I would have won the jackpot if I got a turbo. 

It needs a lot of work but it's driving and has 6 months ticket so I can really get into it while fixing it up. It's also. Bad enough I don't mind driving it through the winter months! 

The Rover T series is so grunty especially in a light car. 

[Bear]

3 hours ago, Lacquer Peel said:

It was the garages not fixing it more than the vacuum system I think. 

I seem to remember them having a lot of excuses about not being able to get the right part when something broke, but honestly my experience of garages in the Borders was basically "never take a car there" until I used the Toyota one in Melrose. The same garage (Longframlington, IIRC) did Subaru and I tried using them for bits for my Legacy 4Cam Turbo.

But that sounds so specific it's like you know Joel, or all GX220s had the same blight - I haven't seen Joel for years (not easy when moving to the Midlands) but the last cars I remember were an awesome-sounding idea for an R5 Turbo-powered Volvo 340, and a Honda CRX track toy - and a daily driver of a supercharged Honda Civic ESi (which I think, donated the Jackson 'charger to the CRX).

(Joel may also be one of the few witnesses to the existence of the horrific, borderline lethal 3.0 straight six Manta I got to play with from cardealerIan).

[Lacquer Peel]

Vacuum pipes and fittings are very generic, they just didn't understand it. 

Very reliable if you understand how it works, says I with the W124 with a winter vacuum leak - central locking has become lazy after functioning well all summer.

[Bear]

20 hours ago, Skcat said:

Pretty much the rear end I want for mine. 

 

It seems the musso will be going, thankfully I did not fit many new parts so will keep them. All in storage if I find another at some point! 

I picked something up thats Extremely autoshite last night. 

Its a complete nail but it was dirt cheap. Only a 220 NA. I would have won the jackpot if I got a turbo. 

It needs a lot of work but it's driving and has 6 months ticket so I can really get into it while fixing it up. It's also. Bad enough I don't mind driving it through the winter months! 

Is it the colour-shifting paint but with a black bonnet? They are good-looking cars, and T-Top too, was always tempted but never got one. The R8 Cabrio I got from @Six-cylinder before life started going wrong didn't put me off the idea of a less-flexible but still quite open R8.

Always wanted a 420 Touring. These cars were probably the best things Rover had in the showrooms for a long time.

[Lacquer Peel]

The HH-R 420 is an underrated car, it has discreetly bigger wheels and slightly stiffer suspension than the K series cars. Discreetly very good to drive on a much better chassis than the R8. 

[Skcat]

11 hours ago, Lacquer Peel said:

It was the garages not fixing it more than the vacuum system I think. 

Sad to hear the Musso is very rotten. The engine would go well in the 250D I got from @Skcat

Hopefully that car is still doing well! 

7 hours ago, Bear said:

Is it the colour-shifting paint but with a black bonnet?

Funny enough the bonnet has a big crease in it, that's why the wing has been replaced. I've got an eye on a pre-facelift bonnet in yet another colour. Will see if I can make it too collect it! 

[Lacquer Peel]

Just now, Skcat said:

Hopefully that car is still doing well! 

It is, I've covered around 10k miles in it since May!

[Ghosty]

On 25/11/2025 at 09:37, Bear said:

Is it the colour-shifting paint but with a black bonnet?

Tahiti Blue with a green bonnet and an Amaranth bumper.

[Ghosty]

On 24/11/2025 at 21:04, Skcat said:

Just been messing about with it today. 

Found the internal light fuse pulled. Then these little units are so broken they meant it was always on, more bits to find! Passneger side one is missing it's arm. 

 

This is a part that's common to Hondas. 

[Skcat]

A few simple jobs today. First thing was cleaning it. 

And after, probably won't last in this weather. 

Next issue was new wiper blades, they were pretty bad. Rear washer jet was clogged. Took about 15 minutes as every time I cleaned the blockage out it would then go back out too the jet when I activated the rear wash wipe. I broke it apart with a needle. The antenna was next, I found a spare from a old project and it looks about right. 

Next job was the fact the car would never quite warm up right. I suspected it was the thermostat so ordered one when I first bought the car. 

The one on the right is the old one, all those issues caused by that tiny little gap! Sorted now though. 

I found a job lot of bushings for a rover 200 locally for £15 and the guy thew in a arm rest, funny enough the one in my car was falling apart! 

I've vaccumed up the interior since then don't worry. 

I've also fitted a new exhuast manifold gasket, studs and bolts, not sure if it's made a diffrence as the car is missing it's back box. 

 

Still need lots of work thought! 

[Schaefft]

Well done so far, some really satisfying low cost improvements there!

[Skcat]

Like every car I ever buy the speakers were shot. Found these in the loft that dont seem to fit anything else and thankfully they fit the coupe. 

I found a nice head unit for the car on marketplace as the rover ones are always shot! Sounds much much better. 

Demister on the rear screen has one of its tabs snapped off so I will have a go soldering one back on when I get some more time. I need to have a good removeing the roof panels and silconeing the handles as they currently leak. 

[catsinthewelder]

I've got pretty much a full set of new exhaust bits for a 220 hatch here if you need anything?

Bought for the Bollox Rover that I really need to get round to scrapping.

Ideal solution is take the whole car for spares!

[Skcat]

46 minutes ago, catsinthewelder said:

I've got pretty much a full set of new exhaust bits for a 220 hatch here if you need anything?

Bought for the Bollox Rover that I really need to get round to scrapping.

Ideal solution is take the whole car for spares!

I don't have the space sadly! But if you have some good spares I need a exhuast badly! I also need a radiator and other little bits! 

[catsinthewelder]

It's been sat for 8 years but the new exhaust I bought hasn't been fitted so is inside the car.  Radiator seemed fine when it was in use.  Whereabouts are you?  I'm near Ludlow.

[Brigsy]

Tornado speakers are a blast from the past. Can remember them in motorworld for sale in the late 90's. Proper period upgrade!

[Skcat]

1 hour ago, catsinthewelder said:

It's been sat for 8 years but the new exhaust I bought hasn't been fitted so is inside the car.  Radiator seemed fine when it was in use.  Whereabouts are you?  I'm near Ludlow.

I'm in northamptonshire but I often go to Staffordshire for work. I should probably just buy a new radiator but I'm getting to that stage where all the little bits to tune it up and sort out the cambelt all start adding up! And I've not even started cutting the rot out of it yet. 

14 minutes ago, Brigsy said:

Tornado speakers are a blast from the past. Can remember them in notorworld for sale in the late 90's. Proper period upgrade!

They are encased in a strange metal housing so don't actually fit in many cars without hacking them apart (I've tried). I was not expecting them to be good but they actually sound pretty good with a JVC  kd-db52 I picked up locally. 

Biggest issue is the amount of wind noise in the interior, I think the drivers door is not fitted correctly. 

At some point the rear screen has smashed and someone has replaced it, they broke off the tab for the rear heated screen so I've just soldered the loom directly to it now. 

The trim that goes around the rear screen is unquie to the coupe and luckily I've picked one up on ebay for £35, just need to collect it. 

[Skcat]

With parts from @catsinthewelder I could fit a uncracked tail light.  I took a before photo but it seems to have disappeared. 

Two new door switchies fitted and now the light turn on with the doors opening. New spark plugs fitted as well but sadly the HT leads were incorrect so I need to send them back. 

[Skcat]

Been busy with a new bootlid. 

And a new bonnet that's not crushed, but somehow looks worse after rust removal and painting with what was around. 

Looks like a painted on bonnet bra! 

[Skcat]

Today I refitted the boot lid properly and aligned it as good as I could. I then wired it Into the car and could fit the trim around the windscreen 

I will get a photo of it all done! The boot was off a cabriolet so I have lost the spoiler! My old one was not really usable anyway. 

The next job was to fit a new back box, T series back boxes are pretty not no longer available, I could not find one anywhere. Although a ebay seller was selling a M series backbox. I had to look up a M series 220 reg they required the reg beforeposting it. I knew if I gave him a T series one he would say its incompatible. I found this on mathewsons and have them that reg, worked like a charm and I got it next day! The new and old backboxes:

But the new one would not marry up to my mid section pipe. I removed it and found it had been messed with quite a lot:

The end that fits too the back box Had a similar weld and was obvious a fault. Thankfully @catsinthewelder had helped me out with a new mid section:

New gaskets fitted and it all aligned up easier then a exhuast normally ever does, if in doubt. Buy every part of the system! 

Only issue is maybe the T series has one large exhuasts pipe rather then the two small on the M series. 

Oh well did the job well for me. Next I changed the engine oil and filter, the car came with no history so no idea how old it was. 

Now on to fitting some trim on the front end to return it too a pre facelift. 

[Skcat]

Fitted the new front end, it's a real miss match but it's all there now!