Practically Classics Forum

Had a very quick look under the exhaust rocker cover this evening (I was literally just taking some stuff to the garage, wasn't even specifically looking to do anything car related).

Not as clean as things on the inlet side as you'd expect, but still very clean for the age of engine I think ...

Finally got a chance to (very briefly before it started tipping it down) look at the Rover today. I can confirm that the head bolts are indeed tight (well as tight as spec anyway - all of 50 lb/ft for the big bolts and 30 for the little ones). Guess it's coming off then!

Looks clean enough though ...

I had a sneaking suspicion that I was facing issues with the head gasket on the Rover. Primarily based on the amount of gurgling and nonsense from the radiator and the tendency for it to immediately violently dump about half the coolant the moment the thermostat opens.

Did a really quick and dirty ...

About that wiring diagram...

This is what we started with.

https://i.ibb.co/rK7dSXm0/PXL-20250707-133035511.jpg

Not exactly user friendly.

After I'd been left alone with it for a few hours.

https://i.ibb.co/tpnfJX6F/Wiring-Diagram-jpg-8bdadacddc369ff1e34d7e420b8ca993.jpg

Still needs a bit ...

That looks complicated, at least it's designed so you can get at it to service things.. just re fitted starter motor on my Clio..


It's not really any more complicated than the setup on a modern car, just laid out differently. The handbrake is maybe a little more elaborate as it's using a solid ...

Isn't this a funky looking brake pedal arrangement compared to a modern car?

https://i.ibb.co/hF3n7GJc/PXL-20250703-154639703.jpg

That rod heading out of frame to the left runs to the master cylinder, which is quite a chunky one. Hand for scale.

https://i.ibb.co/PzVdKwYm/PXL-20250703-154634982 ...

In theory yes, though a new loom is £500 and a bit of change. Not a fun job to fit either. Been there, done that, on a far simpler car with far less of it buried behind trim etc. It took what felt like forever and of course after much head scratching ended up having to modify the new loom in a ...

First job today was to try to reattach the fuel pump to the Renault. Who knew the hose I was trying to replace is a different size at one end to the other. Decided to walk away from that before I wound up setting fire to it.

Back to the Rover.

We needed to do something about the indicators ...

Despite me having expected it to end up as a parts car given the condition and (relatively) low values of P4s making restoring it make zero sense financially, it is now apparently undergoing a full restoration. I was sure it was either going to wind up as a parts donor or ending it's days on a ...

One of the first items on the to do list to investigate on the car was the lack of any action from the brake light on the dash. Lifting the float out of the fluid reservoir however brought the light on correctly.

https://i.ibb.co/HpX1t0cn/PXL-20250623-132149522.jpg

As this car has single ...