Hehe that's funny :) Reminds me of how whenever we'd talk about cars in the presence of my grandfather, he'd always pipe up with the story of how he once bought a van for £15. He also didn't drive, despite the photograph that still adorns my grandmother's passage wall of him sat proudly in a military Jeep/Land Rover type thing in uniform during his days working for the RAF. My father reckons he used to get a neighbour to drive him to work in the infamous £15 van...
As for the Jag it'd be a lovely prospect but there's few about and with the combined need to a) get rid of Mondeo before it packs in (it's seriously close, I warned the car sales place that I might turn up attached to an AA van) and b) desparate need for the retail therapy of a new car, I dearly want to come home with it tomorrow :) ...which explains why I'm still posting about the thing at 01.17 am :D
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Check out the new road tax if your buying a petrol then the 1.8 is the one to have even though you will undoubtedly have the head gasget to do, a 2l petrol hardly worth 1k in the trade if you could find anybody who would want one.
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I'd have preferred the 1.8T in all honesty but when you're in a rush sometimes you have to compromise. I'm not overly concerned about the prospect of £430 tax in a couple of years time, if I was to keep the car that long. When I'm probably already going to be putting at least £200 a month in the tank an extra couple of hundred over the period of a year doesn't seem that big a deal. Out of interest does anyone know if the 1.8T is the same engine as the normal 1.8 with the head gasket troubles? I feel I'm compromising on power by going for the 2.0 if indeed I do go for it, so a normally aspirated 1.8 would be out of the question, though they seem to be the most common.
Anyway this is all talk until I make the phone calls this morning. There's no way I'm paying a grand over the odds however much I like it, so I'll shutup for now :)
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If the head gasget has already been done then it will be ok they all seem to suffer from it even the 2.0 for some reason make sure all the electrics work and the petrol gauge functions correctly second most common fault with all 75,s is the sender unit /pump under the back seat. Ecus (especially the one for the brakes) are a nightmare to get hold of and are megga bucks all the rest of renewables can be had very cheaply exept rear body panels for estates.
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My brother had one of these - auto and cruise. Very nice way to get about, no question.
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I have several friends who own a Rover 75 - every one of them is delighted with the superb ride, classy interior and the body styling (when they originally came out many people thought it was the new Jaguar at the time); certainly I've always enjoyed a lift in one and my best mate even seriously contemplated switching to one from his beloved Mondeos as he was so impressed.
I'm told that parts are still relatively easy to come by (see, for instance: tinyurl.com/6jrcj7)
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I too have only heard good things about the 75. A work colleague has a high miler that's still sharp as a pin and never given a day's trouble, and my neighbour has had three in succession, and wouldn't hesitate to buy a fourth.
Designed under BMW stewardship, and very well engineered. Reports of cost cutting on later models, though, and given MG Rover's dire financial state in the year up to its demise, demotivated workforce facing uncertain future, strained relationship with parts suppliers etc etc, you'd have to question the quality of anything that came out of Longbridge in the last year or so of production. The cost cutting programme is documented, with many parts changed or deleted to save money on the later cars, but what firm effect this has on the resulting products as an ownership prospect is not documented anywhere that I can find.
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Hello Demon,
I do not think this is a good choice of engine for this car. I think 1.8T or 2.5V6 is the way to go. 2.0V6 wasn't offered for very long and seems to be best at nothing IMHO.
If you're going down the 75 road then MGZTT 190 is surely the way forward. (There's a chap on here called Pete 190 (sp?) with one.
There are loads of Rover 75s/MG ZTTs about so no rush surely? Attention to service history and particularly head gaskets important on these.
Not Rover bashing here either before anyone starts. I like 75s and particularly the MG version, but OP needs to be aware of the achilles heel head gasket issue I think thats fair.
Demon - did you drive a 3.0 Elite Omega btw? Should be able to find a decent facelift one in your budget? [edit: Sorry - just seen you couldn't find any Omegas!]
Good luck with your ongoing hunt. More road tests please...
Edited by Jase{P} on 01/09/2008 at 12:04
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Unfortunately despite trawling round all day I didn't find a single Omega of any description! Even on Auto Trader there aren't any I'm interested in within my vicinity - it's Sod's law because it's a car I've been thinking about for months and there always seemed to be nice ones on offer - until now!
Unfortunately there is a rush because the Monde is seriously about to pack in and I'll be lucky if I can get the clutch done for £350... plus the misfire has worsened and needs sorting immediately... could be looking at spending more than £500 over the next couple of weeks on the thing with tax imminent too :(
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Whatever you do with a Rover, dont buy the later ones, post 2001/2, as they have noticably poorer build quality. The first cars in '99 were made under BMW and I know from all the techs in the worskshop that they were prepared to far more exacting standards than later ones.
I clean several post 2002 Rover/MGs and they are all rusting badly in odd places and trim just falls off, however I clean an earlier one, with much higher mileage which is still very solid.
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Oh dear the criteria for which ones I should go for keeps gettnig narrower and narrower! I don't want anything pre-2000 due to the handling improvements after that, and I've heard about the build quality issues in the couple of eyars before Rover's demise. I'm about to go out to try out a 1.8T Tourer which is actually a 53 plate, but it's done 100k. However if it's in good nick, feels good, and has been looked after (it will have had the cambelt job done hopefully) then could it be a goer...?!
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The times are wrong the first ones were built in Oxford and can be spotted because they have the black sill they then moved with BMW to Birmingham and these are the best built cars the cost cutting arrived with the later facelift cars the latter ones built with a mish mash of what ever trim parts were lying around.
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Edit to above: the cambelt change is probably not such a major issue with the 1.8T is it?
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The cam belt is as big an issue as with any car it should be changed as required by the servicing schedule.I don't think there are any real rust problems with any of them if the car been looked after then they tend to be ok.
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Demon
Hi, Jase referred to me earlier in this thread. I bought a 2004 ZT190+ back in January and absolutely love it. Seems well-built and fantastic power and handling for the size of car. Spent hours last week claying, polishing, sealing, waxing so it must be love!! There's a very good 75 and ZT owners' club forum where you can get lots of info.
Yes, cambelts are a major expense (there are 3), plus people tend to recommend doing other things like water pump and tensioner at the same time.
In all honesty, my car has had a couple of major and expensive problems which I have had to get sorted, but I'm hoping they were teething issues, and (touch wood) it seems to be running OK now.
I'm not sure I'd go for a 2.0V6 though, as I understand they are less powerful than the 2.5V6 I have, but not much better fuel economy wise. I'd also avoid the 1.8 and 1.8T because of the HG issues.
In my experience to date, parts supply has not been a problem so far.
If you have any more specific queries, then let me know. But I would definitely recommend a visit to the owners' club, as they know far more than I do!
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Demon
Just read some of the later posts. As I say above, I would avoid the 1.8T. This has the same HG issues as the 1.8, but the turbo probably makes the risk higher. But, if you like it and decide to go for it, then you should check whether the HG has been replaced already. Apparently, there are strengthened gaskets available which should mean the problem is less likely to recur.
I have the very last of the pre-facelift cars. Could have gone for a facelift, but prefer the looks of the earlier one. I also have heard that the facelift may be poorer built, probably as that was in the run-up to the end of MG-Rover. But quite honestly my car seems well-built, certainly as good as any of my previous cars.
If you can cope with the fuel costs (mine does about 29 mpg), then I would go for a 2.5V6. No-one else wants them at the moment, so they are very cheap!!
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I think the cambelts would be cheaper on the 1.8T than on the 2.0 V6 - but again you can check on the owners' forum.
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Special tools are required for the cambelt. if your local has not done it before, do not pay him to learn!
Check the coolant very carefully. I believe any corrosion blocks waterways. Which means either longlife antifreeze or changed every two years.
ANY signs of discolouration or oil, run away.
Personally I think they look fuddy duddy and Rover engines mean expensive maintenance.
When buying a £2k car a service costing £500 plus is NOT what you want for obvious reasons..
As for £1,000 cambelt changes...
The words "moneypit" spring to mind.
Of course if you have money to burn.. but you are buying a £2k car.
Check insurance and VED
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The KV6 doesnt suffer the K4 headgasket issues. Failure is very very rare and probably less likely to fail than other engines.
The 1.8T, again doesnt seem to suffer any more than the normal 1.8. It is a relatively cheap job to do - £500 max which should include the landrover gasket and oil rail/waterpump and cambelt change. Payen do a gasket which is supposed to be better than the landrover one but I suppose only time will tell.
The 100K miler 1.8, at a guess would have already had the work done.
The 2.0 KV6 was dropped due to company car tax issues as it was an expensive option and most people went for the 2.5. To attract fleets, the 1.8T was introduced. You shouldnt notice that much difference in performance although fuel and tax is going to be cheaper on the 1.8.
From experience, the 75 is a very capable car - mine ran to over 200,000 miles and was still in immaculate condition when I traded it in - they do wear very well and are capable of big miles without too many faults.
Check the clutch operation as it can cause problems, as can the aircon cooling fan if its seized. Try the aircon when stationary.
The KV6 cambelts are 90K, but apparently MGR tested them to 150,000 without failures. I suspect these are in perfect conditions and over a fairly short period of time so maybe not recommended to stretch it!
Lates600.com is a good place to visit for cost of cambelt change on this engine - its less than half the 1K banded about!
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A friend owns a Rover 75 diesel and is very pleased with it. He is only 63, I thought you should be 75 to own one, but it seems I was wrong for once.
Demon, if you bought a Rover 75, you could be the only gay in the village with one.
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And guess what guys... I AM the only gay in the village with a Rover 75 :D I went for it. I'm not saying what I gave for it in the end but I'm pretty sure it's still over the odds. However, I don't care. I can't find for sure if the belt's been done, Nationwide have quoted me £650, I suspect I could find cheaper elsewhere so it's not a big concern. Nor is the tax. As I've said before, I know it's not to everyone's taste and it has it's knockers (ooh er...) but the thing is beautiful inside and out. And it's always a bonus when you buy used and get a colour you really like - silver but with a good blue tint to it. More gadgetry than I'VE ever had before, makes the Mondeo seem like a tractor when we all know it's not.
Regarding the reg. number issue - I got it wrong, so bit red faced there... it came with HPI check. Parking it, well let's just say that it will be quite a learning curve in this street of mine, where you can just about manage an 8 point turn if you've got a Matiz...
The 1.8T Tourer was rubbish, showed it's age inside and out, no CD multichanger either, just an out of place aftermarket job. I also tried a 2001 Saab 9-5 2.3T. Absolute rocket of a car, but all the Saab's I tried smelled funny inside, and although it's streets ahead of the 9-3 and far outperforms the Rover pace-wise, it just didn't do it for me.
Haha, I know to some this purchase makes no sense whatsoever, but sometimes you just KNOW don't you?! I'm more than ready for the possibility of some expensive motoring ahead, but I was never looking for economy anyway! Interestingly I've gotten insurance quotes cheaper than what I'm paying for the Mondeo. I think it's because it's an old man's car... can't wait to drive to work tomorrow anyway, but I might just stay in the car all day and stare at that dash! Thanks all :)
Oh and one more thing... my Nan loves it :D
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Oh and there's no way I'm coming on here and owning up if it all goes 'breasts up' a month from now... unless I need some advice that is ;)
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Enjoy it. They are lovely cars and you wont tire of putting your foot down to listen to that V6 bite back!
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>And guess what guys...
Has it had the recall done?
The Rover 'brand' was sold by Ford to Tata along with Jaguar and Land Rover.
I've just received a recall to have my badges swapped for "Tataguar" ones so you'll probably be getting "Tatover" ones.
Kevin...
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Enjoy good motors, can't say a petrol would have been my first choice but still a sound car
My 03 cdti tourer has been brilliant car over the last 4 years
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Good luck Demon. So what model did you get in the end? Guessing it's a 2.0V6, but what spec?
Perhaps you can provide a mini-road test for us?
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Will happily do so tonight, in work at mo! Yep it's the 2.0 V6, Club SE spec, so not at the very top but pretty well equipped, especially after Mondeo LX Verona :)
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I'm a skinny 27
>year old alternative dressing makeup wearing electric guitar playing militant atheist gay boy :D
........ and now a Rover 75 owner. I thought that the 75 was the age you had to be before you bought one. You are certainly not your average normal Rover owner
My next door neighbour has one and he's 77 . He only uses for his trips to the Lodge , the Golf Club or to pick up his bulk order of Werthers.....
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>>and now a Rover 75 owner. I thought that the 75 was the age you had to be before you bought one. You are certainly not your average normal Rover owner
I was 23 when I bought mine - can you imagine the stick I got!!! Still the best car I have had though
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lol - two blokes I know have recently bought 75's. One is 33 and the other 41. I am lucky enough have two, the second a 75 V8 - a great 'q' car, esp. with those who hold such restricted views of the typical 75 owner ;)
btw surely in today's world it is the BMW 1 and 5 series that are the transport of choice for users of Werthers originals? Just have a look next time you are on the road :)
It's OK, honest, I can get my own coat....................................
Edited by R40 on 02/09/2008 at 22:34
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One of those V8 jobbies made mincemeat of me exiting a roundabout onto a dual carriageway today. I had made the mistake of glancing at it and thinking "it's only a Rover 75 I'll outgun that no bother". Knowing that the road would shortly become single carriageway my defence for such boyishness is that it was for "track position" so to speak.
My window being slightly down I was treated to the full sound effect of a norse god's knees up as he disappeared from view.................
:-(
Only hope he had to buy lots of expensive petrol to pay for my humiliation ! Pah !
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Only hope he had to buy lots of expensive petrol to pay for my humiliation
Believe me he did. Though at the weekend I took mine on a round trip from Milton Keynes up to Liverpool, Manchester and then back home. I was pleasantly surprised to get circa 27mpg. But around town it's an (enjoyable) gulper of fuel at alarming rates. Hey ho, its a joy to drive.
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My window being slightly down I was treated to the full sound effect of a norse god's knees up as he disappeared from view.................
btw thank you for such a wonderfully evocative description of the V8 rumble. I will find an opportunity to use it again and again (no copyright issues I trust? ;)| )
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That's what I love about this Rover. Regardless of what people think of the styling, there's no doubt that when you look down my street tonight along which there's about 20-25 cars parked, it sticks out from the crowd even nearly ten years after they first came out. Haha, I got the 'dad car' comment in work today too, but I love the way that everyone's got an opnion on it. I've never bought a car before and had it be such a topic of conversation, it's great :)
So here's my opinion based on having already done 100 miles in it. First of all, and probably the thing that gave it the edge over the other cars I tried, is that from the inside it's just a lovely place to be. If it was legal to sleep at the wheel, then I would (and don't bother with the "That's coz it's boring!" jibes, just too easy!). It kind of encourages me to drive slower (that's a good thing) and keeps me relaxed in spite of all the madness going on on the roads around me. The Saab 9-5 seemed to insist "You are going to drive fast today" whereas the Rover says "Sit back and enjoy the ride". But when you want to make it go, it feels good too. I feel as confident in it's handling when cornering at speed as I do in a MkIII Mondeo, it's definitely a step up from my MkII which I part ex'd it for, something I did not feel with all the other cars I tried. After the Mondeo I am of course loving the toys I'm now wondering how I ever lived without: 6 CD multichanger, steering wheel volume controls etc, dual zone climate control, outside temperature, could go on and on. All the little things too like passenger AND driver illuminated mirrors (don't wanna mess up that lippy on the way to the party...!) cup holders, blowers for the rear passengers. I'm sure I'll get bored in a month or two. OH, let's not forget... it's got a cassette tape deck :D How many times has "Best Loved Classics" been pushed into the tape deck on a Rover 75 I wonder...
Visually, I personally love it. The outside is timeless, the colour helps - I find the navy ones for instance to look rather bland in comparison, whereas mine looks great in silver (with the slightest hint of blue!). And all that chrome... there's nowhere you can stand and look directly at the car, without seeing some hall of mirrors-like distorted reflection of yourself! Inside, I love the over the top retro look, the cream dials and masses of walnut. Looks much better than that of the Saab and also those hideous thin strips they always put in certain other Rover's such as the 200/400... Mine has the steering wheel where the circular outer that you handle is mostly walnut, looks more like something you'd steer a galleon with!
My only complaints are the lack of cruise control, saloon impracticality (need to buy a bike rack now... can you get them for these?!), I'm kind of missing my Quickclear windscreen in this appalling weather, and finally I don't like the fact that the chocolatey smell it came with has now been overpowered by burger, after I picked up a Maccy D's for my brother in it tonight. I'll stop now as I can go on all night. Not so long ago I was dreaming of a 3.0 Omega Elite, but if I had bought that I doubt very much I'd be writing such an enthusiastic essay about it!
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Good to hear someone so happy with their new car. Glad you are happy.
Omega more boring and less emotive car I concede, but I never tired of the 210BHP 3.0l engine, the BOSE stereo and the comfort when I used to travel in one.
Interested to hear how the 2.0KV6 engine performs and the MPG you get from it as ownership continues. Keep us posted
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Yeah I'm pretty sure I'd have loved the drive of the Omega... it's a shame I didn't even get to test one. Did see a 2.2 automatic advertised at a palce nearby, but knew it'd be pointless as I'd never have gone for that.
MPG-wise so far, have already put £40 in and not seen the needle spend much time above the 1/4 tank mark, with 90% relaxed smooth and legal driving, and am GLAD it doesn't give a MPG reading. I'm just going to put some insulation tape over the fuel gauge, just leaving the little warning light showing so I know when to fill up. Ignorance is bliss.
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