20 replies to this topic

[Black.Ghost]

Named by the gf, its my BRG Rover 25. While its a bit old and battered, I quite like the car and its a great workhorse and you can fit a surprising amount of stuff in it with the rear seats down. It does have quite a few little issues though.

 

• Near side CV gaiter split.


• Occasionally losing coolant.


• Huge dent in drivers door. Narrow entrance to parking, and a coupe of homeless people laying on the floor who I tried to avoid, and made contact with the wall.


• Driver's electric window doesn't work. The switch has been disconnected because the mechanism is bent and causes problems.


• Driver's door speaker doesn't work.


• Hole in the boot, looks like someone has removed a grommet or something.


• I am sure the driver's window is leaking as well, the car is always steamed up and the seal doesn't look great.


• Clock doesn't work.


• Gear stick gaitor missing and the clips on centre console have snapped.


• Heater only works on number 4. Easy fix. 


• Rust on both front wings, minor but needs treating sooner rather than later.


• Carpet is dingy. Needs a good clean or replacing.


• Stereo is old and knackered. Radio doesn't work, CDs skip a lot and the USB doesn't work.


• ******* doesn't work. EDIT - Don't know what it doesn't like here. But something I can't remember doesn't work!!


• Seems like only one light in centre console switches and dials works.


• Air con doesn't work.


• Boot floor liner is rubbish and has no strength to it.


• Creaking suspension at rear.


• Central dash vents falling apart!


• Near side headlight points quite low and I think needs demising as well.


• Full service

So there is a lot of little things to get sorted. I am going to try and do most of it over the next few days. I have built up a little money in the PayPal account so that should cover most of the bits I need. A quick trip to the local scrappy usually turns up a few useful bits. I have nothing else to do until my job interviews but my only major issue is the garage has no power and is damp (I'm only renting it so trying to sort out damp issues might be fun). Its also a few miles away, so I either need to make sure the car can still be driven at all times or lock it up and cycle to and from until its done. I have a couple more things to try and sell to bolster the funds just a little bit more, a new stereo and speakers can wait until the end and aren't a huge rush though. Economically I know I will never turn a profit on it, but it only cost me £600 and despite these issues, sailed through the last MOT, with the CV gaiter being the only advisory. I've grown quite fond of the little thing. It will only end up being stripped and sold for parts if I don't fix it up. 

 

Here are a couple of pics of it:

 

 This is before the door was dented!

 

Like I say, nothing special at all but I like it and its something to do!

Edited by Black.Ghost, 06 March 2014 - 02:12 PM.

[Black.Ghost]

Well that plan to wait before buying the stereo lasted all of 2 hours!

 

http://www.ebay.co.u...984.m1497.l2649

 

But at that price, I can't really complain. How hard can it be to sort out the wiring? Just need to work where/how to hook it up in the car now! 

[Black.Ghost]

Had a good day at the scrappy today. New window motor, complete new interior, new speakers with tweeters, gear stick gaiter and other various interior trim bits, electric mirrors and door cars inserts all sorted for a reasonable price. Now I just need to sort the cv gaiters, and service items and the work can begin.

[Ben_O]

Blimey Simon when i read the list of faults, i was expecting a right dog but it don't look too bad! I would be interested in following your progress mate.

 

Good luck with it

 

Ben

[Black.Ghost]

Yeah Ben, hes not bad at all, which is why I decided to spend the time and money fixing it back up instead of just shipping it on. That and the gf loves him! Finding a door with the right colour code (HFF, 3 door) will be tricky though.

 

So today, I got the door card off and got the got the electric window mechanism changed out, and that now works fine, including the one touch down on the driver's side. You can do it for the passenger side, but to be honest, I can't be bothered. Well, not yet anyway. I might do it later on. While the door card was off, I swapped out the speaker but it didn't solve anything. I pulled the stereo out, wriggled the connection, re-secured them and got the speaker working. When I was at the scrappy, I got the speakers out of a ZR so grabbed the tweeters as well. However, there is no wiring in the R25s for them to just plug in. I checked the manual, and it looks like the tweeters wires just split off the main speaker wires, which is fine as it makes it quite easy to do - I just don't have any wiring.

 

While the door card was off, I swapped the wing mirror off as well and got the electric one on (I had already put the switch in ages ago but never bought the mirrors). However, the ones I got from the scrappy had a chrome cover which frankly looks silly! Before leaving the scrappy, I tried to make sure the covers were the same for manual and electric and they are, so I planned to just put the green ones on from my mirrors. However, that didn't work as they appeared to be glued down and snapped when I tried to get it off.

 

Because of wanting to put the tweeter cable in, I haven't put the door card back on yet as I can't be bothered taking it off again just for the wiring. I also have new door pockets that need a clean up, and they are shaped to hold a drink so they will be going back on as well.

 

I didn't do the passenger wing mirror, because you need to take the door card off, and like the driver side, I want to do the tweeter cable. I couldn't be bothered having two door cards off so decided I'll wait, probably until tomorrow. 

 

I took the centre console out, and re-fitted the gear stick gaiter and the central vent. I still need to sort a clock and Halfords didn't have the aerial connector I need either. 

 

I got everything out the boot and had a good look around and found two holes that are letting water in, one right near the arch. It was perfectly circular, so I had a look at the other side and there should be a grommet in there, so I'll pick one up at the scrappy tomorrow. The other whole is a circular one in the boot floor under the wheel. I'll try and find a grommet for that as well. If not, I'll try and get it welded up or something. But that should be it for leaks in the boot. It was smelling a little funky but with the warm weather today, it was a good chance to air it all out.

 

I also fixed the rear driver's speaker which I hadn't realised wasn't connected up. Not a bad day really. I got distracted reading the Haynes manual about other things though...

 

So tomorrow back to the scrappy again. I paid for a full ZR interior but forgot the two rear quarter inserts so hopefully I can blag those tomorrow as well as grabbing the grommets I need. It looked like there were a couple of new R25s coming in yesterday as well so I'll have a look and see if I can find them and grab any useful bits.

 

Tomorrow should be changing the passenger wing mirror, doing the wiring for the tweeters, getting the door cards on with new pockets. And then, its time to rip out the seats and fit the new ones. I managed to buy a 1/2" socket set of Torx keys - a nice  Halfords Professional set that had one missing, so they were reduced from 22 to 16 quid. Bonus, especially as the size missing I already have!  If I can source some smoke or something, I might have a go at finding the leaks tomorrow before swapping over the seats.

[MrBounce]

Love it. A "normal" car being fixed the proper old-fashioned way - bits from the scrappy!

[Black.Ghost]

I love going to the scrappy! Rummaging round seeing what bits you can find. Some decent bargains to be had still as well. The full interior out the ZR, with door cards and inserts, half leather with bolstered Monaco seats with height adjustment and lumbar support, £55 quid. That would be about 120 on eBay!

I would love a an MGF as well, in BRG but I can't justify 3 cars even though you can pick up a project one for a couple of hundred. Then I'll have a mini, a R25 and an MGF all in BRG.

It's a nice sunny day again here so I'll be off yo do some more soon.

[Black.Ghost]

Well today wasn't as productive as I would have liked - the scrappy was shut! I couldn't get the last few little bits I wanted from there.

 

So today I sorted the tweeter speaker, and reaffixed the drivers door car. The on there is from a Mk2 ZR and fits easier than that from a Mk1!. The door card doesn't match the dash though. I didn't think it would bother me, but I think it might after all. The problem is, these doors have the door pockets with cup holders, which I want! 

 

I changed the passenger wing mirror today, and managed to get the green cover off and swap it with the chrome one, so I have one green and one chrome wing mirror at the moment. The drivers one seems to have been glued down whereas the passenger one hadn't. 

 

However, I had a bit of a balls up at the scrappy. I got two new front speakers, but from different cars!! One is fat and one is thin. The fatter one fits fine, but it also has a couple of extra terminals for the tweeters. So I'll see if I can swap it tomorrow, if not I'll look at the options. So I haven't refitted the passenger door card yet.

 

Like I say, not hugely productive but not the end of the world.

 

And now I must clean the kitchen. I was supposed to have done it yesterday!

[MrBounce]

Can you take the trim from the old door panel or are they different?

[Black.Ghost]

Both door cards will fit fine, that's not a problem. The problem is that the new door cards I have (which came as part of the new interior so I wasn't going to leave them behind) have the cup holder door pockets whereas my older ones (which have the material and pattern matching the dash) do not. The shape and fit is the same. I can change out the material insert that matches the seat pattern so that also isn't an issue.
 
The door pockets are plastic riveted or something into place, so you can't pull them off and swap them over without breaking them. The only way I can think to do it, is pull the pockets off as carefully as possible, and then use small screws through the door card into the pocket to hold it in place. I have a couple of spare door pockets so I'll give it a go on one of the old door cards and see what happens. 
 
God bless Rover.
 
But nothing is getting done today at all. I got hardly any sleep last night (my own fault - watching roller coaster crash videos until 0130!) and then up early this morning so staying at home doing job stuff today. I'll carry on tomorrow I think.

Edit - this has been on hold for a few days. I had to find a job and do a couple of other things. That's all sorted now so I can carry on again tomorrow.

Edited by Black.Ghost, 25 March 2014 - 06:07 PM.

[Black.Ghost]

Ok finally got round to doing a bit more to this. Put the ZR seats in it and they are comfy. SRS light came on as the plugs under seat didn't match. I was going to find an adaptor but then someone on a different forum suggested just changing the pre-tensioners over as it's just a couple of bolts! A pure stupid moment! I'm currently researching the plausibility and difficulty on fitting heated seats into the front. I know the 45s had it and Scandinavian 25s so we will see. Great in the winter!

The cv gaitors have finally turned up so they will be done tomorrow. The new resistor for the heater speeds arrived as well so once I can find two screws the right size that will get done as well.

I have an air con switch but no working Air Con so need to get that sorted.

Gave it a full service today. Oil + filter, fuel filter, plugs and air filter. Halfords no longer see the point in selling HT leads the useless sods.

More progress soon.

[Ben_O]

Getting there then mate!

 

I'm not 100% sure about Rover but now you have an srs light on, it won't ever go back out unless you have it reset. I'm sure you know this but thought i would mention it incase you didn't. My local garage charge £45

 

Ben

[Black.Ghost]

Well Roberto is currently sat on the grass outside, full of a second interior and Mini spares. The MOT has now expired. However, after driving my Focus, I have decided I want to keep the Rover. So that means getting back on with the fixing.

 

The two options are go balls out for a resto and put a 160 engine in it (doubling the insurance), among with new springs and brakes. I would then try and fix the little bits of paint work and the door, and keep it as a bit of a sleeper. The other option is just fix what needs fixing, make it nice and keep it as a nice and simple 1.4 run around. I have no idea why, but I seem to have grown stupidly attached to this car and really don't want to split it for parts or scrap it. So fixing it is the only real option. Plus, the Focus is boring. And I want to keep the mini in good condition, so although it will be out and about over the winter, it will be in the garage for large parts of it - especially when it snows and the grifters come out. 

 

The only down side is funds - I don't earn enough at the moment for the balls out resto option, the girlfriend and I are off skiing hopefully in January, and then we are looking at a long haul holiday in September. Along with normal household bills and crap, it doesn't leave a whole lot of cash of playing with cars unfortunately. I have loads of things to sell off though, so this will be up and running again soon. I think I will get it SORN though, and re-tax it later on. The good thing about having the Focus and some space is I never really need to worry about what state its in (although the girlfriend might think differently!) 

 

Expect more updates on this over the coming days and weeks. 

[Ben_O]

I just found one of these in nice condition with 6 months MOT and some tax here in the isle of wight for £200!

 

Silly money!

[Black.Ghost]

Yeah you can't give them away it's ridiculous. I had someone banging on the door this morning wanting to know if I was going to sell it!

 

Edit: So this weekend, I hope to get off my backside and get a few things done. First, the mini just needs putting back together. Then I need to clear the stuff out of the car, and begin the slow process of fixing Roberto back up to full health. I have decided to give the modifications a miss for now, and focus on a nice ICE install instead. I'm not shooting for the best on the market, but a little sound deadening and quality components should make it a nice place to be. The power can come later if I so wish. 

Edited by Black.Ghost, 03 October 2014 - 06:08 PM.