Car Talk

[oldgregg]

I was curious what an SD1 costs and while I didn't really find out, I did find this...

http://ddclassics.com/car-listing/rover-p6-3500-rhd/

How much? 

[Paul]

29 minutes ago, oldgregg said:

I was curious what an SD1 costs

anywhere between a few hundred pounds and a hundred thousand, depending on precise model and condition. A decent rust free unmolested V8 example should cost between 6 and 8k and should be a good long term investment, but don't quite me on that.

[grendel]

well last night I had the dreaded bulb failed dipped beam message, opened up the cover at the back of the headlight and the bulb started working again. got back in moved off and the warning is back, checked again and it started working, once again it stops - drove home called into halfords and got a pair of new bulbs. swapped out the broken one no problem, came to do the other and the plastic connector just crumbles to dust in my hand- leaving me with 2 bare spade terminals, got it all working and have ordered a pair of replacement terminals, so thats another job - about time too as one terminal had obviously been running hot (by the look of the blued terminal on the bulb).

It doesnt really surprise me as these lights have been on every time the car has been used - for 17 years, these connectors disintegrating is common after this time.

[oldgregg]

27 minutes ago, Paul said:

anywhere between a few hundred pounds and a hundred thousand, depending on precise model and condition. A decent rust free unmolested V8 example should cost between 6 and 8k and should be a good long term investment, but don't quite me on that.

Yeah the future value of classics is a tricky one with electrification coming over the next however many years.

Will they be worth less because of being old tech or more because of the rareness, sound etc and how they represent a very different time.. I wish I knew the answer.

[Paul]

I've just completed a little test of Shell Fuelsave (regular) Diesel versus their V-Power (premium) diesel to see which gives me the best results. It's not scientific, it's just me repeating the same sequence using two different fuels to see if there is any difference. 

I originally thought I would do this test over 1000 miles on each fuel, however changed my mind and made it three tank fulls. 

The car: 2013 Mercedes E350 CDi AMG Sport BlueTec Convertible, 302bhp.

The test. As soon as the reserve light comes on (at 1/8th tank) fill with selected fuel, run to reserve light and repeat to a total of three times. 

On regular diesel 186.77 litres at £243.82 produced 1645 miles at 39.99mpg and  14.82 pence per mile. 

On premium diesel 190.75 liters at £278.30 produced 1708 miles at 40.65mpg and 16.29 pence per mile. 

So whilst the mpg over my test was slightly better on premium diesel it was nowhere near good enough to justify the extra cost (15ppl or thereabouts) let alone give any benefit. 

As for performance that's difficult to say as the obect of doing this test was to compare the two in as similar circumstance as possible there was no testing the performance of the premium, added to which the performance of the car is way beyond want I need on regular fuel and in economy driving mode. It will still pass 60mph in a little under 6s and go on to a limited top speed of 155. With that kind of performance paying extra for a high performance fuel is a bit redundant really. It would have to pay back in MPG, and does not appear to do so. 

[Paul]

I am contemplating repeating this test with supermarket diesel, however the difference in price in out area is not that great, both the nearby Morrisons and Tesco charge well above their local average as they have little local competition. On that basis I would not use them out of principle (our local Tesco charges 129.9 currently whilst every other Tesco in the county charges 122.9, Morrisons are the same compared to 124.9 elsewhere) Our local shell was 129.9 but just gone up to 131.9. For 2p a litre there is no point bothering with supermarkets. 

[StillCruising]

An interesting study Paul. I have often wondered about proper test of  the MPG difference between regular and premium fuels.

I have used our 'Norfolk Run' of 450miles with my 2004 Rover 75 diesel automatic (BMW lump) with both cheap and premium fuel several times and found essentially no difference that could not be explained by traffic density or lighter / heavier right foot. Over the past 7 years I have had two 75 diesels, the first was written of by a white van man reversing into it in a line of stationary traffic, but as they are considered as a 'modern classic' the insurance pay out was very good. The current one I have had 4 years and on the Norfolk run consistently returns between 48 - 51 Mpg and local runs of between 34 & 39 Mpg whatever fuel I have used.

As far as zoom goes the isn't much even in sport mode so that is not a consideration.

Regards

Bob  

[oldgregg]

22 minutes ago, StillCruising said:

An interesting study Paul. I have often wondered about proper test of  the MPG difference between regular and premium fuels.

I have used our 'Norfolk Run' of 450miles with my 2004 Rover 75 diesel automatic (BMW lump) with both cheap and premium fuel several times and found essentially no difference that could not be explained by traffic density or lighter / heavier right foot. Over the past 7 years I have had two 75 diesels, the first was written of by a white van man reversing into it in a line of stationary traffic, but as they are considered as a 'modern classic' the insurance pay out was very good. The current one I have had 4 years and on the Norfolk run consistently returns between 48 - 51 Mpg and local runs of between 34 & 39 Mpg whatever fuel I have used.

As far as zoom goes the isn't much even in sport mode so that is not a consideration.

Regards

Bob  

Oooh... the 75! My brother in law has two of those and I must admit I quite like them, despite not fitting the typical demographic for Rover ownership. The tourer particularly seems like a comfortable cruiser, and is big enough for trips away without being too huge.

[Paul]

They used to nickname the Rover 75 as the poor man's Jag. I tended to think of them as the smart man's Jag. They were a good sight more reliable, and with the Beamer lump in them just as good to drive and cruise in. 

I liked Rovers, had several including a 620ti which was insane. I think the management must have been down the local for a liquid lunch one friday then got back to factory and decided to see what was the craziest thing they could come up with. And thus the 620ti was born. I replaced it with a Mondeo ST220 which wasn't a patch on the Rover.

[lakesailor]

Some years ago i had a version of the rover 75 the MG ZT-T. basically the sports estate version. It was a great car to drive very comfortable and well specced with equipment . Only downside was it was a V6 petrol engine and thirsty

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[LondonRascal]

The only issue with the 75, if you go the petrol V6 route, is the sheer lack of Torque. Hills are therefore not your friend, neither is quick overtaking. But cruising along they are silky smooth and the suspension, seats, and general interior layout is great. Just the dials, and loads of amber lighting is not to everyone taste. My Dad has an 02 plate from new, kept it as a second car for many years. In the end it had only 43,027 miles on it when it was sold on to a chap who had a thing for Rovers.

As to my issues, well the BMW came back to me today - no issues. They went over the steering system, did some kind of reset to the electric steering geometry controller and I have to say it feels more positive. Because they had the car over 24hrs and had not called me back when they said they would they waived the fee for all this as a gesture good will and updated my GPS maps for £25.00 and washed and vacuumed the car.

The SLK is behaving itself again. Recently took a trip up to Doncaster with Charlie but having stopped to put the roof up when it began to spot with rain, we could not get drive - and then did but stuck in third gear. Having given it a rest while we ate, it was once again fine and has been ever since. Reading online it seems I am suffering from a common issues with these older models where the Transmission Conductor Plate is at fault. Usually rectified by a brief stop with the engine off, but once you get it happen it will begin o pop up more and more at random times. Regardless what it actually is, anything with a transmission is not cheap. I;ll be looking at a younger, slighted changed 2008 model for say in Beccles, same but made better - even eeking out more BHP from the same engine - bright red leather interior certainly makes for a change.

 

[expilot]

And this from another 'smart man.'  (Thank you, Paul) .  It took me many months to find my modern classic, a Rover 75 Connoisseur SE.  I had a wish list of extras and went to see some absolute shockers. 

I bought my Connie from a man in a private car park in Willesden!  I know.  That's not how you're supposed to buy second-hand cars, but at £1,750 for a car with genuine 60,000 miles on the clock, the BMW bomb-proof diesel engine and gearbox, more bells and whistles than you can shake a fist at, what was there to loose?  It had to be the twin headlight version and, ideally, 2002.  The only missing extra was cruise control.  I'd had a very clever cruise control on my Honda Prelude and would have liked the same on the Connie, but it wasn't to be.

In three years I have put another 40,000 miles on the old lady.  I absolutely adore the comfort, the multi-position leather seats, the quiet and the ease of driving her.  I have just fitted four new tyres to the old girl to quieten the already quiet road noise.  All I can hear now is the air-leaking door seal to my right shoulder! 

In 17 years' use, she had her first MOT advisory last month.  What is there not to like?  That said, I am easily pleased.  My sole transport for fifty years prior to my first car bought at the age of fifty, was always short of a couple of wheels - an all-weather biker and proud to be.  If the 75 sees me out, I'll be tickled pink.

Edited April 17, 2019 by expilot
punctuation errors

[Chris1986]

I always check a potential new car out on gov.uk MOT checker. Gives you abit of an idea what the cars like. A certain SLK at Wright’s has a clean MOT history apart from tyre wear.

[CambridgeCabby]

As far as fuel economy etc on premium V supermarket diesel goes , when I used to run LTI (London type) taxis , if the driver filled up at the local Tesco as opposed to the nearby Shell Station I would notice a drop of as high as 5% on fuel economy ; with the price being approx 5% cheaper at Tesco then there was no financial advantage in buying the cheaper fuel.

The main drawback however was that the cabs tended to “pink” when struggling up a hill fully loaded (yes Cambridge has three hills) and slowed down noticeably often causing concern (or amusement) amongst the passengers.

 

Since then I have only used either Shell , BP or Esso standard diesel in my cars , although Katie does use Roy’s (and that one is actually in Wroxham) which is I believe Jet 

[coolcat]

10 hours ago, expilot said:

And this from another 'smart man.'  (Thank you, Paul) .  It took me many months to find my modern classic, a Rover 75 Connoisseur SE.  I had a wish list of extras and went to see some absolute shockers. 

I bought my Connie from a man in a private car park in Willesden!  I know.  That's not how you're supposed to buy second-hand cars, but at £1,750 for a car with genuine 60,000 miles on the clock, the BMW bomb-proof diesel engine and gearbox, more bells and whistles than you can shake a fist at, what was there to loose?  It had to be the twin headlight version and, ideally, 2002.  The only missing extra was cruise control.  I'd had a very clever cruise control on my Honda Prelude and would have liked the same on the Connie, but it wasn't to be.

In three years I have put another 40,000 miles on the old lady.  I absolutely adore the comfort, the multi-position leather seats, the quiet and the ease of driving her.  I have just fitted four new tyres to the old girl to quieten the already quiet road noise.  All I can hear now is the air-leaking door seal to my right shoulder! 

In 17 years' use, she had her first MOT advisory last month.  What is there not to like?  That said, I am easily pleased.  My sole transport for fifty years prior to my first car bought at the age of fifty, was always short of a couple of wheels - an all-weather biker and proud to be.  If the 75 sees me out, I'll be tickled pink.

If you're not already, might be worth joining the 75andZT owners club forum "https://the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/index.php"

I'm an ex MG  ZT-T owner and still very much a member of the forum. I'm Coolcat on there as well

 

 

[expilot]

Cheers Coolcat.  I joined the members' club months before I bought my 75.  I used the brilliant 75 owners site to educate myself about what to look for and what to avoid.  Like you I use the same name, Expilot, on all forums to which I contribute.

[ChrisB]

I had a company 2.5 ltr Rover 800 Sterling. It was a superb long journey car, I drove from Cherbourg down to Andora and it was effortless.

[ranworthbreeze]

From a drivers point of view I preferred my old Xedos 9 to the Rover 75, My brother in law just scrapped his Rover 75, in due curse I will have to do the same with my Xedos.

Regards

Alan

[LondonRascal]

I watch a chap on You Tube who is so down to earth and not someone you want to see a tutorial on when it comes to DIY car fixes, but I admire his fleet of cars and love of late 90's cars. Hub Nut is the name, he has just got an 800 series Rover 'poverty spec'. I loved these, way above the Vauxhall's of their day like the Senator.  I am now on a video marathon of Rover 800 related content and even eyed up some for sale on Ebay. Alan Partridge Ah Ha!

[oldgregg]

Yeah I've seen a bit of that channel.

I reckon the two-door coupe version of the 800 might be the one to have? They do look a bit special, although I suspect you wouldn't want to have a crash in any of them, though.

Sounds like the V6's had some issues but most of it could be sorted with new gaskets etc - Much like the dreaded 1.8VVC unit. Those were prone to failures but if a bit of time was spent on them they could actually be a good engine.

[Paul]

wasn't it the Xedos that used the "5 Stroke" Miller engine?

[oldgregg]

https://www.gtplanet.net/mazdas-miller-madness-mazda-xedos-9/ 

Mazda have built some truly mad things over the years, although you have to sort of love them for it

[PCL023]

Stretching the old workhorses legs (02 reg 75 tourer) tomorrow to unpack the boat and clean it up. It’s also done a number of trips to Martham this year readying the woodie too... 

i have done things the other way around to most with regards to cars. Went from a MGZT to an XF 3.0l twin turbo Jag. Had the Jag for a year and a bit, only put 3500 miles on it in that time. Although I loved the car a lot, the running, yearly servicing costs , added to watching it sit outside the house devaluing not really getting used, also not wanting to use it on certain trips in case it got knocked in a car park, I chopped it in for the 75. Load what you want in to it, as comfortable as the Jag, cheap to run and for the price I paid for it it will never lose anything. Not bad when all that’s had to be done was a service (parts only, did it myself, no need for stamps at 17years old), two tyres and a set of wipers. That’s a years worth of motoring approx 5000 miles on a fraction on the running costs of the Jag. (The wife has one of the new MG’s ZS auto since Oct last year. I must say I’m very impressed especially for the price plus the 0% finance and all the toys). Before that she had an MG3, also a great little car very under rated as were the MG Rover group motors. Come what may of that EU thing-me-Bob it may have made sense to hold on to what was once the family silver? 

Cheers 

Paul

 

 

[ChrisB]

I guess the real jewel would be the rear wheel drive Rover 75 V8. With it's longitudinal Mustang "Lump" it must be sought after like some of the other contempary "Super Saloons" The Ford Cosworths, Mercedes 190 Cosworth and Vauxhall Lotus Carlton.

The latter I also had as a company car. I could have purchased it from the company at it's depreciated value (straight line to zero over 4 years) what an idiot I was! It just went to BCA like the rest of of our fleet disposals.

[oldgregg]

Ah.... Hindsight is a wonderful thing though. So many cars that have become unexpected classics.

 

The RWD version is very rare though and yes they are worth pretty decent money now if in good condition (and even if they're not).

 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F283455439642

 

There are some problems as you'd expect of something engineered by a company in its death throes, but when they're worth what they are it's worth sorting them.

 

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