Well I've tackled another little job his morning. The accelerator pedal had a horrible dead zone at the top of it, so I've adjusted the cable and it's like new now! Made sure it idles nicely too

I know it's not a lot, but it will make driving it nicer!

Yep... This was seriously probably the easiest thing I've done on a car!

I have made a deal with the car, that I'll do a minimum of 1 thing per day on it.

Heh that's good. I am a huge believer in preventative maintenance like 6 monthly oil changes.

Although my car blew up this morning

Oh no, what happened?

Oh dear hope you get it fixed ok.

I've just been out to see about replacing the headlamp and full beam bulbs to nightbreakers, but the Internet lied about the fitment. So I need some h7 ones.

Right, I'll try again!

It's good to see a thread which is positive about the Rover brand. I sold Rover from 1996-2001 (bar about a year when I was at Audi). The biggest highlight for me was the phasing out of the 600 and 800 in readiness for the 75; this happened at the last dealer I worked at - Priory in Nottingham. Yes, they were being offered at massive discount but people flocked to buy them. In fact, we ended up with a load of Japanese spec 600's which were brought back from Japan, made UK spec and then sent to the dealers. You can spot these by the rear number plate surround which sits much prouder at the bottom than the top. I sold the last 825 Sterling registered by Priory. It was black with grey leather and sold to a local businessman.

Then the 75 came along. This was a big deal to all - intensive training courses were attended to ensure we had the correct product knowledge. Rover showered the salesmen with branded gifts - a tie, a pen in a presentation case and so on. I've kept them in fact. I remember the first time I drove one - a dark grey (the name escapes me) 2.0 V6 manual Connoisseur 'T751 MAU' (all our launch spec demos had plates starting 'T75'). I felt like a celebrity - everyone looked, I felt like the whole petrol station forecourt stopped and stared at me, people wanted to look closer, ask questions - the whole launch period had a great feel good factor about it. And they sold, I mean really sold. The fleets loved them, the private customer loved them and I was selling them without a problem at list with lead times of about 12 weeks - one colleague sold one with a 12 month wait on it (an obscure spec). One of the salesman left soon after launch and sold me several of his 75 orders, yes sold me them. The commission on them meant I'd more than double my outlay whilst salesman leaving still saw something. All sorts was taken in part exchange too - I once took a Jaguar XJ6 in against one, I also took a BMW 535i. They were selling to the real prestige customers.

Then the 25 and 45 came along - another big deal made of this by Rover. I remember driving to Longbridge in a 75 for a day of introductory conference, lunch and Q&A session / close look at the cars with factory staff. These were more than a a hurriedly re-hashed 200 and 400. Then we had the launch night at the dealer - the showroom was transformed into a casino with 25's and 45's all around. A dozen or so 75's flanked the entrance in perfect formation and we had one of those search lights too which reached into the sky. All the salesmen wore dinner suits and the whole night stayed busy - people wanted to see this car. It went on to sell too. I remember our launch car - a BRG, 1.6 Club with grey cloth. Had the wrong wheels on it though. I'm pretty sure it was 'V78 ETV'.

Exciting times and ones I have fond memories of. I came out of car sales about 11 years ago and miss it whilst also not missing it! It annoys me when people say they're 'bad' cars - they not and weren't. Yes, the head gasket is a weakness but then many cars have weaknesses - many forgotten about.

ETA: I also had the most high value PX deal whilst with Rover - a Calypso red, BMW 850i traded in for an ex-Rover fleet 200 VVC coupe - the customer needed to free up cash for his business and it seemed odd giving him a large cheque and a newish car! Needless to say as soon as he'd driven off the forecourt I "went round the block" in the 850 before my sales manager at the time grabbed the keys so he could take it home.

Yes indeed! I've already made a similar 'refreshing change' comment earlier on this thread.

Good to read of your involvement with Rovers Fun Bus.

Again yes indeed! "Forgotten about"... what is it about so many Brits in recent decades that makes them so forgetful? They hear about a Rover with issues and it's up on the rooftops shouting the odds. When their superior alien product goes tits up big time and uber-costly, not a peep! All part of the self-inflicted.

Maybe the so called British Broadcasting Corporation during their anti-British decades of always reporting anything UK Industry related with a strong negative slant are very responsible. Praise be that appears a thing of the past but, only recently and all too late. I clearly remember they really went into negativity overkill on their WATCHDOG programme about the so called gasket failures on K-Series engines. Thus really not only put the boot into a struggling company, they thereby assembled the coffin and supplied the nails! Yes, self-inflicted. Thanks a bunch.

Then there's the other side of the BBC story ... strictly for balance you understand... Other far more serious problems of other manufacturers including those involving fatalities merely given no or only scant coverage and never anywhere near the level of K-Series overkill. They really made a big deal of it. But then, why should those BBC cushioned against reality fat cats give a dam ( that cushion being Guaranteed Licence Fee Funding ~ which I'm mainly in favour of ) ... Thus they're mainly all " I'm Alright Jacks" as a glance at their car parks during that long period of anti-British UK Industry reporting negativity will clearly demonstrate... full of BMWs, Mercedes and other alien stuff. There were exceptions I was pleased to observe but, they were very few and far between. One or two BBC presenters were never guily and drove Rover 75s or MG ZTs I noticed. True folks of class!

I bought this car with the plan to repair it and sell on after using it for a while. Like the car so much still have it and using it daily. It's a delight to use come rain, snow or shine. That is the short story of the car ...

The thread I put up over on MG-Rover.org that Kate has mentioned is here if you want to have a read .... of the long story....

http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.php?t=415574...

I learnt more fettling that car than any of the many, many others during over half a century now of car ownership. That, even at my age, is a bonus.

FB, it's fascinating to hear your experiences, especially as you were working around the launch of the 75, along with the 45 and 25.

I still think the 75 (in both 75 and ZT guise) is one of the best looking saloons ever. I remember eyeing up the 600s when I was younger too. I remember when I was learning to drive (in 2006) my instructor told me to "watch the Jaguar that's stopped on double yellows". It wasn't a Jaguar at all, I'm sure you can guess what it was, and that little comment still makes me smile.

As for the reputation, especially of the K series engine, I'm pretty certain that DMF faliures would be the new equivalent, if it weren't for some of the badges on the cars. Certainly Vauxhall have built up a bit of a reputation for it, as well as certain German marques. Not forgetting Ford injector problems on some diesels.

I can name plenty of cars that had a reputation for HGF too, but people seem to have short memories there. Certainly Vauxhall's 1.4 and 1.6 8v engines had a tendency to eat them every so often.

ANYWAY.

I've just been out on a bit of a hook with a mate of mine. We have a particularly good driving road here, you can't go terribly fast, but if you get the turn in to the corners right you get a real sense of satisfaction. I lost him about halfway down - that probably says more about his driving than my car, but it does handle well, there's no denying that!

John, quick question, I'm convinced the engine sound funny. It's noisy when cold, with a rattling... Im sure it's not tappets. Sounds almost bearingesque.

What do you think to this?

http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q545/kardiokat...

It has just had an oil and filter.

On a properly cold starts it sounds exactly the same as this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHia_AW-Bbc&fea...