My Rover 2000SC automatic daily driver

[Luxobarge]

price of cambelt changes...

You're not kidding, quite a few of these cars have been scrapped for that reason alone, and even more owners who are just running them until the belt snaps.

As you say though, KV6 is a really nice engine until something goes wrong.

[FrazzleTC]

I have heard quite a few horror stories about the KV6, but I made sure I was careful to check everything I could, in an attempt to minimise the risk of any serious problems. It had a cambelt change at the point of sale, at a garage of my choice. Something tells me that the dealer didn't quite realise what the bill would be. It came with a year's MOT, a year's tax, a year's warranty, 4 new tyres and a massive wad of history. For a 20 year old, the combination of all that, and a V6 was too much to resist. Forgive me, for I have sinned. The fact that the 75 cost less to insure than a Corsa/Fiesta was going to was something of a clincher. Hopefully it'll behave, and I'll continue to enjoy driving it.

[Luxobarge]

It had a cambelt change at the point of sale, at a garage of my choice.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - you're a wise man.

You sound apologetic for buying a 75 - you shouldn't be, they're nice cars, and great with the V6 as you say.

[mach1rob]

The 75 is a nice car, I know I bash them a bit, but they've bitten me twice before big time, so I'd be wary of a manual car, and while the KV6 doesn't scare me, the price of bits does!

If I was in the market for one, I'd have an auto, CDT, 1.8 then a KV6, but only if the belts had been done recently, and the inlet was quiet, VIS motors alone aren't too bad.

You may want to look into getting an oil catch tank fitted to the manifold at some point, helps stop the knuckle joints on the flaps wearing out. Odd I know as oil is a lubricant, but the ones on my V6 were so worn the actuator rod from the VIS motor just fell off the flaps and was just lying in the bottom of the manifold!

Ignore the moaners club, all they're interested in is getting your subs, the community is better!

http://www.75ztcommunity.co.uk

[FrazzleTC]

n the last couple of days, I've ended up acquiring a new Rover project, this time slightly bigger than the P6. Basically, I was just browsing around the Rover P5 forum, when I spotted a thread entitled 'FREE Rover P5'. Well, being one from North of the border, anything free had to be worth a shot. After thinking for a couple of hours, I thought I'd have nothing to lose by sending the person an email about the car. Within a day, I had a reply, saying that there had already been a couple of people seriously interested in it, but he said he'd bear me in mind, and that was that. On Thursday, I got a phonecall saying the other two people felt the car was too far away for them to look at, so it was mine if I wanted it! I told Rob, the chap who was dealing with getting rid of the car that I was definitely interested, and arranged to see it on Monday this week. I looked the car over pretty thoroughly, after doing some indepth reading, and speaking to a P5 owner who's done a lot of work on his car.
It's a Rover P5 3 litre coupe automatic mark 2 from 1965.
Anyway, seeing the car, I was pleasantly surprised. The owner of the car died in November, and as a result, his son is dealing with getting rid of it. On close inspection, the car came across as being grubby, and neglected in recent months, but, aside from the sill on the driver's side being quite rotten, it was a very solid car, which showed signs that it had been very well cared for until fairly recently.
The interior had various maps in it, from the car's numerous European trips, including a plaque saying it had attended the Le Mans Classic in 2006, and it's been to Germany several times! It had a high quality restoration about ten years ago, including new front wings, and a pair of new bumpers, which don't come cheap! It's currently admiralty blue, having originally been charcoal, with the original red leather interior, which is covered in mildew, and stinks, but the leather seems to be in remarkably good condition! Even under the bonnet looks pretty fantastic. It's been in the same family since 1974 which is remarkable, and there's certainly plenty of evidence of it being enjoyed to the full!
So, basically, I've managed to obtain my dream car, at the age of 20, for nothing. 8)
It's going to be a pretty big project, but, it's a car I've always wanted, so it's going to be well worth it, but it's not going to happen overnight. Ideally I want to get it MOT'd fairly soon, so I can get out and enjoy it, and from then on, slowly improve it where required. The car should be down here with me on the 28th of this month!
So, am I bonkers? YES. 8)
I suppose that you may want to see some photos.










Any advice on the project will be most welcome!

[JPB]

Jammy bugger! Sorry, that may have appeared more like an expression of envy than advice. You have great taste in free cars, my freebies have been - how to put this - terminal piles of sh*te.

[tractorman]

I admit it, I'm even more jealous of you now! The P6 was bad enough and now you get another of my favourties!

Unlike John, I usually have to pay for terminal piles of...!

It looks a sound car which, with a little TLC, should look fantastic. It could cost you a fortune in wood and leather polish though!!

Thinks: Scotland is only under a mile away if I go across the Solway. If the tide's out, a quick walk and nobody will think someone has come over from England to pinch it!!

[FrazzleTC]

On Sunday, I was entered for the Blythswood Run, part of the Monte Carlo Historique event, which meant that the car was on display at Clydebank college for the afternoon, and then there was a road run, with a tulip roadbook for directions, from Glasgow, along a particular route, all the way back to Dumfries. I set off from home at around ten o' clock, and met some friends who'd come up in an A40 from Lancashire, in Dumfries. After a getting petrol, and a couple of delays, we arrived at the GTG arrival point in Glasgow, on South Street, where we met up with another couple of friends who'd travelled up in a Lancia Stratos replica. At this point, we signed various forms to state that both ourselves, and the cars were fit to participate, and we were handed a packet of stickers to put on our cars, so we could be easily identified as part of this run.
We arrived at Clydebank College at two, at which point, we went off to find something to eat, and when we came back, we did our best to get plenty of photographs of the cars at the display. The atmosphere was absolutely brilliant, and it was really quite special, driving into the complex, surrounded by crowds of people!
I was last on the start list for the particular run that I was doing, and my mate Adam was navigator for this trip. The run took us rather a contorted route through the streets of Glasgow, along the M8, onto the M77, then on to the A726, back onto the A77, then the A76, into Dumfries, finally stopping at the Cairndale Hotel. It was an absolutely fantastic experience, driving off the start ramp, along absolutely packed streets of people who'd turned out to see the cars coming though. We got friendly cheers and waves through the whole city! We managed to arrive ahead of six other competitors, including my friend Richard with the Stratos, which was rather good really! We missed the M77 exit off the M8, so went into the city centre, then back onto the M8, where we soon found the junction that we should have gone off at. We pushed on a bit, but just tried to maintain steady, but brisk progress. I think a few modern cars, who were travelling fairly slowly, were quite surprised to see a Rover 2000 overtaking them, with various modern Audis and BMWs. We only caught up on one competitor, a Triumph Spitfire, on the A76, who we overtook. When we got the hotel, and the Spitfire owner arrived, he seemed convinced that my car was a V8, or at the very least, a TC.
We received a very good reception at Dumfries, and the other drivers were all very friendly! I will definitely do the event again next year, as it's an awful lot of fun, and although not a competition, there's a real atmosphere! The car performed faultlessly, with the exception of a slightly sticky front caliper just after we set off from the start ramp! Thankfully it didn't resurface! The route really played into the P6's hands, with lots of fast A-roads, and some good corners too! t
Since my friends had travelled a reasonable distance just to get to Dumfries and Galloway, they decided to stay in a travelodge in Dumfries overnight, so that we could tour around as a group today. We went to look at my P5, heard it running (more on that shortly), then went for a run to Kirkcudbright, around the coast to Gatehouse (where we met another P6 on the road, a 3500S) where we had some lunch, the over the moor road from Gatehouse to Laurieston, over to Loch Ken, then across to Castle Douglas, from where we all went back to my house. My friends went home at around six o' clock this evening.
Overall, a highly enjoyable couple of days, and I would recommend the Blythswood Run to anybody! My apologies that the photos are not in the correct order! I can put photos up of the other cars if desired?

[FrazzleTC]

On Saturday, I collected the P5 from Spott, where it's lived for many years. We set-off at ten, and arrived by one, where we were met by the late owner's two sons, who gave me a few bits and pieces of paperwork, and that was that. We were pretty unsure as to how easily the car would move when pulled by the tow car, but in actual fact, it rolled instantly, and after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, the car was off the drive, and onto the trailer, where we even discovered that the brakes worked perfectly!
Once on the trailer, a bit of a poke showed that the sills are both absolutely rotten, and it needs new arch liners front and rear at the same time, but the rest of the car's structure, including the A-pillars, is absolutely fine, after a great deal of poking around! Looks like there's a lot of welding involved, but the good thing, it seems, is that it's very much localised at present! If anyone knows of cheap welders in my locality, I'd be very interested, because, having never welded before, the prospect of welding entire inner and outer sills onto the car is very daunting, so I'd prefer to get it done by someone who can weld, ideally fairly cheaply.
When I collected the car, I was informed by the owner's sons, that the engine was completely seized.
However, when I went round to where it's stored, at a friend's house, I was greeted by my friend getting into the car, and starting it, on the first attempt! It runs very well indeed, sounding like it should, with a slight blow from the exhaust. What's even better is that putting the car in 'D' makes it move, the brakes work absolutely fine, and even the power-steering works perfectly! 8)
There's an awful lot of work involved, but it's hopefully going to be a manageable project, and my main focus is just on keeping my budget in order, as it's being done on a fairly small budget, but hopefully it should prove to be a very rewarding project!
As you may have guessed, I did indeed take photos! I'll hopefully get some photos of the holes in the car today, or tomorrow.

[JPB]

Still envious.

Calum's A40 still looks good there, a tribute to the considerable care he put into its rebuild a few years ago. I do love a good road run, but seeing photos of other folk doing it is so much easier than waking early and getting stuck in. Thanks for giving us that vicarious enjoyment of the event.