Sad remains of Rover.

[Zippy]

The great British car industry!



http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/...read.php?t=208

[codprawn]

Makes you wonder just what our wonderfull government is playing at.

In Italy you see most authorities driving around in Fiats - in Germany Merc or BMWs - in France Pugeot's or Renaults.

In Britian the Police seem to love their Mercs - BMWs - Volvos and Pugs - of course money is NO object - a £45,000 Police car - well it's only tax payers money - and why bother to support British workers - much better to send our money to other countries!!!

[Nate]

Come on Codmeister - Austin Morris BL Rover etc. couldn't make a bloody decent car if their lunch break depended on it. Longbridge has the unenviable reputation of being able to turn out some of the most poorly designed, unbpleasant and unreliable cars in all of Europe. A sodding Ital (marina in drag) nearly killed me in 1980 when all the lights decided to stop working at 70 mph at night on the A34.

Good riddance to crap motors. Thank God for Mercedes and BMW. At least our vanquished opponents remember how to make cars!

[codprawn]

What sort of cars were the other makers building in those days?

I have just been helping fix a mates Ford Escort estate yet again - pile of junk - as is his wife's fiesta.

We had a small fleet of Rover 400 turbo diesels - all 1998 S reg - some of the most reliable cars we have ever had. I still have one left that we use as a spare. It has now done 180,000 miles - only trouble in all that time is one CV joint gone - all because the rubber gaiter split. It has had a hard life and is still great to drive!!!

Yes they built some crap in the past - just as many other manufacturers did. They may not have been great cars - but they don't deserve the reputation they have.

My mates wife would not let him buy a Rover so he bought her an S reg Fiesta instead - I know which I would rather drive any day!!!

[The Jackeens]

Bit grim alright.

Us

(when I first saw the thread I thought you'd lost a beloved collie)

[Jono]

Originally Posted by codprawn

We had a small fleet of Rover 400 turbo diesels - all 1998 S reg - some of the most reliable cars we have ever had. I still have one left that we use as a spare. It has now done 180,000 miles - only trouble in all that time is one CV joint gone - all because the rubber gaiter split. It has had a hard life and is still great to drive!!!

I bought my (soon to be at the time) wife a Rover 418... when I say "bought" I mean I hauled it out of my mate “over the road’s” scrap yard...we were both completely broke following divorces.... ... however it only needed a drive shaft and a bloody good clean and she was mobile again.... She had it for a couple of years and then we passed it down to my little sister when we had enough money to "up grade" it ended its days with about 250,000 on the clock and was as reliable ..and exciting..as Terry Wogan..…..








…mind you… it did have the Peugeot engine…..

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Jono

I bought my (soon to be at the time) wife a Rover 418... when I say "bought" I mean I hauled it out of my mate “over the road’s” scrap yard...we were both completely broke following divorces.... ... however it only needed a drive shaft and a bloody good clean and she was mobile again.... She had it for a couple of years and then we passed it down to my little sister when we had enough money to "up grade" it ended its days with about 250,000 on the clock and was as reliable ..and exciting..as Terry Wogan..…..

…mind you… it did have the Peugeot engine…..

Yes the old 418 diesel was a Pug but the 2l diesel was all Rover's own design - bloody good engine as well - was used in the Freelander but then they decided to use the BMW engine for some strange reason - LR came to regret that decision because when the Freelander sales really took off BMW engines were in short supply.

Granted the Rovers aren't exactly "sporting" but then again are things like Mondeos - Escorts - Fiestas - earlier Vectras etc etc

[Rodan]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Yes the old 418 diesel was a Pug but the 2l diesel was all Rover's own design - bloody good engine as well - was used in the Freelander but then they decided to use the BMW engine for some strange reason - LR came to regret that decision because when the Freelander sales really took off BMW engines were in short supply.

Granted the Rovers aren't exactly "sporting" but then again are things like Mondeos - Escorts - Fiestas - earlier Vectras etc etc

Don't forget the lovely K series (I think) that they put in the 1.8 petrol Freelanders. I have such fond memories of the engine being written off after 18000 miles.

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Rodan

Don't forget the lovely K series (I think) that they put in the 1.8 petrol Freelanders. I have such fond memories of the engine being written off after 18000 miles.

The engine itself is great - used in Caterham 7s and Lotus Elises. Also used in many Hondas without any problems at all - apparently the problems only started when BMW started interfering at Powertrain - the factory where the engines were made!!!

[hard1]

Originally Posted by codprawn

We had a small fleet of
Rover 400 turbo diesels - all 1998 S reg - some of the most reliable cars we have ever had. I still have one left that we use as a spare. It has now done 180,000 miles - only trouble in all that time is one CV joint gone - all because the rubber gaiter split. It has had a hard life and is still great to drive!!!

That's 'cos the body/chassis is mostly Honda and the lump is a Peugot nobba.