Giffered Low Mileage Shite Mk1 Rover 216 Issues

[warren t claim]

Top Readers Drive! Does it have PAS?A full fluid change should sort out the heater/oil pressure issues.Backflushing the matrix may help as well.

[AXrescuer]

Slam it too low, reverse the steels (mismatched nuts best), rattlecan matt black & ebay.Marvellous.

I'm with you except substitute the matt black for NATO green and you are on to a winnah!

[Ratdat]

I'd change the oil and give it a good ragging up the motorway. That would either kill it or cure it I reckon!I wonder if drain cleaner would work in a cooling system for unblocking a heater matrix? Never tried it myself but it's only caustic soda and probably pretty mild at that.

[Station]

If you ever come to selling this I'd definitely have it off you, I've been looking for a 'Brown Gold' one as it was my first proper car (that worked) 10 or so years ago!

[Torsten2001]

Unsurprisingly my intention is to cure it and send it on it's way so tomorrow it is going in to BL Transverse to get some love, then a new MOT before knocking it out so I'll let you know. It is such a sweet car though, despite it's ailments it has a lovely engine!

[ashmicro]

Agreed. The S Series is indeed a thing of beauty in this car. I was lucky enough to officially learn to drive* in a 216S, without leather/wood etc., and can agree that when it's running as intended, it's an absolute peach.

 

Gratuitous R216 pic:

 

 

 

 

 

*I learned the physics of driving when I was 10 in a Metro Turbo.

[Minimad5]

Station you know if the Rover becomes your new pimp wagon you have to let me roll with you one time. (Is that how it's said ?)But seriously, it would be fantastic parking ya tush on that leather

[Torsten2001]

I know I'm going to sound like a total prick but a bit of power steering wouldn't go amiss in them, the poor old fellas probably had a heart attack trying to park it.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I think the S series is probably Rovers worst engine. I suppose it doesnt have any particular vices, (unlike all their other engines, ha ha!!) but it is neither powerful, smooth, technically interesting, long-lasting, or in any way satisfying to operate. Its just like a toyota minicab engine but without the quality. The R series and E series that it grew out of (I think) are both nicer to use at least.

[Lankytim]

Didnt the S grow out of the O series? Im not any kind of expert mind (on anything) My mums old Maestro had an S series in it, I didnt think it was too bad but it never achieved any decent mileage before the car was scrapped. It did break down regularly thanks to carburettor and fuel pump issues, once it overheated and seized up. After a few hours to cool down it started but was never the same again. Not long after the headgasket went too. Ive used washing powder is cooling systems to good effect, great for clearing out oil and shite after replacing a failed headgasket.

[chester drawers]

but it is neither powerful, smooth, technically interesting, long-lasting, or in any way satisfying to operate.

I really enjoyed mine. 3 series were the rep weapon of choice at the time and it'd destroy 318s (not an is obviously) all day long. As for not technically intersting they don't bend anything when a cambelt snaps. Will that do?Not long lasting? Mine had done 160, 000 when what remained of the bodywork finally disintegrated. I've no doubt it would have carried on quite happily given the chance. It dropped a lot of oil, but it didn't burn any.

[chester drawers]

Didnt the S grow out of the O series?

S series was a development of the R, which in turn was a development of the E I think.

 

EDIT: Apologies to Mr B who has already pointed out what I've just posted

[myglaren]

I'd change the oil and give it a good ragging up the motorway. That would either kill it or cure it I reckon!I wonder if drain cleaner would work in a cooling system for unblocking a heater matrix? Never tried it myself but it's only caustic soda and probably pretty mild at that.

You don't want caustic soda anywhere near aluminium!Try Forte Cooling System Flush/Additive instead.

[danthecapriman]

Thats sweet, not seen one for ages let alone one that tidy.I remember one of those, exactly the same as that but in white, used to come into our garage. It had a leopard skin headlining (rank!) and had huge miles on it. Come MOT time it went well untill we got to the sills/ rear arches. We pulled huge lumps of filler, expanding foam and rust out of it. Biggest holes ive ever seen on a road legal car! Needless to say it failed. But he paid to have the work done on it!

[Pete-M]

Mates garage used to service a D plate 213S that looked identical to that every few months. It ran up 730,000 miles before finally dying from terminal rot. Woman owned it from new, she lived in Essex, her husband lived and worked in Liverpool, their kids were at Uni in Glasgow and her parents lived in France. The poor car never got a chance to cool down. It was only about 12 or 13 years old when it was scrapped.It's still the highest mileage car I've ever driven, although I know a Mk2 Mondeo taxi that is getting close, 650k and counting.

[Dajazar]

I owned a F plate 216S that was ex giffer and had 47k miles showing when I bought it for £250. That had "overheated" which was a dodgy thermostat and the breathers had so much mayonnaise in that I was convinced the head had gone. Gave it a good clean out but even then I had to keep doing it for a few weeks until I got the whole system flushed out. After that it was one of the most relaible cars I've ever owned. Did nothing spectacular but as a decent everyday hack it was perfect.Sold it for what I paid 18 months later to an Irish pikey and last I knew it was still tooling about the Durham area.

[Torsten2001]

I got a call from Les at BL Transverse saying what a lovely car it was, he still hadn't sorted the matrix though!

[Talbotman]

Seriusly underated these rover engeined 200s - a bit grough on the refinement side but a good solid workhorse and suprisingly practical - my father had one from new for three years in 85- a 216s in zircon blue didnt have a stictch of a problem out of it in 50k miles. They seemed to last well for about 7 years and the rot just seemed to appear like magic from nowhere and kill them all off. That is if you hadnt crashed it before hand from the headlining collapsing on your head!! I still think rover would still be here though if they hadnt thrown honda out of bed though.......

[Station]

Any progress on this?My gold one suffered from rot and in the end my dad offered to scrap it. It had rust in the top corner of the boot, on the outside! Didn't treat it well, but treated the following blue one much better, until the water pump went and then my dad bent all the valves replacing it! A 213 or at least a 216 is at the top of my list for shite-that-is-wanted-asap. Poverty spec cars are/were best as they seemed to be more looked after (not sure of that now though). These used to be everywhere 5 years ago, haven't seen one for ages.

[Torsten2001]

It's off tomorrow! All sorted mechanically and looking quite dapper!

[Station]

Is it being sold? Argh!

[Torsten2001]

It should be somewhere in the Peterborough area as I type!

[Station]

Do you mind me asking how much it sold for?