First post, inexcusable that I left it so long.

[RoadworkUK]

Good evening everybody.

 

I postrate myself at your feet and beseech you to accept me among you.

 

As a lifelong (victim) lover of dubious conveyances, I feel qualified to be a member. I'm 29, my first car (in '99) was a Triumph Acclaim, of which I believe no photographs exsist. It was a terrific car, tedious to look at but a hoot to drive with that 1335cc twincarb Honda lump, and hilarious across country in third gear. So enamoured with that was I that I came back for more Austin Rover fun and games in the shape of my Rover 800.

 

This was my first love, and the first car I had my name on the registration doc. I was 18 when my grandparents donated it to me. As appalling as it was, I loved it. I wrote a retrospective eulogy for it here; http://roadworkuk.blogspot.com/2010/12/misty-eyes-celebrating-rover.html. Since the Rover, a spell of company Mercs and BMWs, and then a glut of genuinely good cars ('93 Saab 9000 and my current '98 A4 1.8t and '05 156 JTD) kept me out of the automotive mire for some time.

 

However. as my blog alludes, I am about to return to the folds of mediocrity. My Grandfather will be hanging up his driving gloves for the last time in the coming year, and my goal is to sell my boring, efficient cars and take the Rover Over.

 

So I submit my case, and wish you all a happy new year. And congratulate you on a site that has provided me with many a mirth-filled lunchbreak in the office.

[Alexg]

Welcome

 

Never has a car been so unappealing and yet so appealing as the Rover 800. I'd love to own one, yet I'd no doubt hate to as well.

[binhoker668]

Greetings Mr Work, and very welcome you are too!

Rover sounds awesome - defo on my (long term) list of wants....

Regards

bin

[Lankytim]

Welcome, very enjoyable blog, too!

[RoadworkUK]

defo on my (long term) list of wants....

bin

 

I must say a Sapporo and 800 would make interesting bedfellows...

[RoadworkUK]

Thank you, chaps.

 

Oh, and my name's Chris. Probably should have mentioned that.

[Albert Ross]

Aww, shucks. I promise to type drivel to make you laugh on a regular basis. Oh no. Wait. I'm not funny. It must be true, the Wife tells me often. I'll leave it to someone else then.

[barrett]

Welcome!

That blog entry was great, feel free to dump more of that stuff around these parts. I must say I'm surprised by the lack of photographic evidence of the Acclaim, if I owned one I'd be outside taking hundreds of photos of it all day

[Cavcraft]

Welcome along Chris, think you'll find a few Rover 800 fans in our midst.

[RoadworkUK]

Welcome!

....I'm surprised by the lack of photographic evidence of the Acclaim, if I owned one I'd be outside taking hundreds of photos of it all day

 

Yes, it's most regrettable. I'm hoping there's an undeveloped roll of Kodachrome knocking about somewhere, I'm sure I got at least some photos. I can tell you, though, it was ELR90Y (We always meant to put that reg on retention...), an HL in Champagne, with the later flourescent digital clock, and I had fitted a Dixons "Wharfedale" pacific-rim CD player. LIVE THE DREAM. Also, rather than the single nearside mono speaker I rigged up a pair of cut down domestic Sony speakers from a midi system and put them on the rear shelf. I was 17 and had no rear visibility, but it was just the job for cruisin' to Dark Side of The Moon...

[Alexg]

The Acclaim only disappeared 5 years ago

 

The enquiry is complete

 

The vehicle details for ELR 90Y are:

 

Date of Liability 01 06 2005

Date of First Registration 16 06 1983

Year of Manufacture 1983

Cylinder Capacity (cc) 1335CC

CO2 Emissions Not Available

Fuel Type Petrol

Export Marker Not Applicable

Vehicle Status Unlicensed

Vehicle Colour BEIGE

[RoadworkUK]

The Acclaim only disappeared 5 years ago

 

 

I imagine rust killed it. When the Rover came my way the Acclaim had only covered 76k, and that engine was indestructable. Saying that, it's not officially marked as scrapped.... if it does ever surface before me I WILL buy it....

[Minimad5]

Welcome Chris,

 

Don't forget to put up pictures when you get that Rover

 

Hope you enjoy your time, in the world of "SHITE"

[Pete-M]

Rover 800? Er, well, er, um.

 

Welcome to Autoshite!

[garycox]

In pre-Autoshite days I had an A-reg Acclaim HLS in gold with one grey primer front wing. It was great, I'd definitely have another.

 

Unfortunately I scrapped that one because I am an idiot.

[CIH]

Rover 800? Er, well, er, um.

 

Welcome to Autoshite!

 

If it's good enogh for the Prime Minister.......

 

Actually I'd rock a pre-facelift fastback anyday of the week.

[Angrydicky]

Welcome from another AR fan! We had an Acclaim until 2006, it was actually in quite good condition when we sold it, so I reckon the old giffer who bought it either crashed it or died and it ended up in the scrapyard.

 

The enquiry is complete

 

The vehicle details for VRY 972X are:

 

Date of Liability 01 09 2007

Date of First Registration 19 03 1982

Year of Manufacture 1982

Cylinder Capacity (cc) 1335CC

CO2 Emissions Not Available

Fuel Type Petrol

Export Marker Not Applicable

Vehicle Status Unlicensed

Vehicle Colour BLACK

 

Acclaim CD Triomatic

[Lord Sterling]

Welcome to the site Chris. I actually came across your Rover 800 article yesterday, I enjoyed reading it and sent you an email (I couldnt leave a comment on the site for some reason) I was telling you about my Rover 800s, not checked for reply yet.

 

Anyway these are currently mine:

 

Earlyish 825. Looks cleaner than it is, was my daily until it detonated its own engine a few months ago. Currently stored at a mates.

 

Stored in a garage I'm renting after running out of money.

 

Stored for about 3 years now, looking to get this on the road in the next couple of months.

 

Enjoy your stay.

[RoadworkUK]

Welcome to the site Chris.

 

Aha! Mr Sterling! I replied to your last email, thanks for the kind words. For some reason my Rover800 account was terminated, possibly in punishment for my defection from British Leyland... Anyway, that's quite the fleet. I'll try and unearth some photos of mine when it was still shiny.

[Dead_E23]

I'm hoping there's an undeveloped roll of Kodachrome knocking about somewhere

If there is, I fear you are in for something of a disappointment; the last lab in the world capable of processing it stopped at the end of 2010. The chemicals are no longer manufactured, and the machinery has been scrapped.

I have an undeveloped roll too - I had been counting on them extending the deadline by a month or two.

[Tartan58]

Welcome! I too have to confess to a soft spot for the original 800s, (Lord Sterling - your white one is about as perfect as it's possible to get). I remember them being the first car I had a real attraction to when they were first launched so much so that (believe it or not) I actually wrote to Jim'll Fix It asking him to fix it for me to drive one (I was 6 years old at the time!) - strangely I never heard anything from him although it would be Autoshite TV gold now if it had happened!

[Shep Shepherd]

Welcome to the forum. Great blog, by the way

[RoadworkUK]

Final reply on this thread just to say ta very much for welcoming me with such warmth and enthusiasm.

 

Shame I can't say thanks without bumping the thread to the top again, making me look like some kind of Sunny D imbibing attention seeker.