RE: SOTW: Rover 825i Sterling

[mig25_foxbat2003]

BlueRover said:

king arthur said:

BlueRover said:

My current car



Quite rare now, only a handful (approx 25) left.

Turbo?

Yes it is. Commonly called the Tickford due to their somewhat vague contribution to the turbo installation and fuelling map.
The ECU has a socketed eeprom which will allow mapping unlike the MEMS in the Mk2 series. Even on stock intercooling and mapping 250 bhp is attainable (reliably too due to the less than frugal use of fuel by the Lucas system). Any more than that would probably require an upgrade to the turbo itself and a larger intercooler. I intend to keep it standard though as I think these are worth saving now they're pretty much extinct due to piston snafflers etc.

That's a very smart "Tickford". A mate of mine bought one of these as a bit of a gamble a few years back, and I ran it for a week or so - lovely car with a fair bit of poke and some wonderfully comfy seats. Unfortunately, almost all of the remaining ones (including my mate's old one) are owned by a chap called Brad, who has more 800s than I've had hot dinners (70+ at last count) very few of which are on the road.

[Fun Bus]

Greedy bd. I think I'll Google him as I'm curious about this Brad chap.

Erm, this appears to be his current fleet:

3x Mk 1 827 Sterling
2x Mk 1 827 SLi
Mk1 Vitesse
2x 827 Coupe
Sterling 827S (LHD) 1988
Sterling Mk 2 1991
KV6 Sterling Saloon
KV6 Sterling Coupe
07 C4 Grand Picasso VTR
Lexus LS400
Metro City
Citroen XM
Frontera 3.2 (A)
Frontera 3.2 (M)

Edited by Fun Bus on Wednesday 7th December 03:10

[mig25_foxbat2003]

He must have trimmed it down significantly then, he had loads last I heard.

http://forums.mg-rover.org/member.php?u=35858

[Fun Bus]

I was trying to say you're wrong - just what he's got now. He seems the sort to have hoarded anything made by BL or AR!

ETA: He sold 29 cars at the end of 2007 as he was up to over 70, 800's which he thought "was a bit silly".

Edited by Fun Bus on Wednesday 7th December 03:43

[carinaman]

Shame about the screw on the OS side of the rear bumper.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-800-STERLING-2-5-V...

[Marquis Rex]

BOR said:

I did the initial design of the KV6 cylinderhead, back in the early '90's. I say "designed" but all I did was chop out a cylinder from the existing K-Series head, and import the inlet and exhaust ports that someone else had designed for the forthcoming K1800.

I was particularly proud of holding the first casting of the cam carrier in my hand. I remember showing it to the rest of the design team, in fact I remember showing it to each and every person in the design office. One day, I entered a suspiciously quiet office, and on my desk, was my cam carrier which someone had taken to the workshop, and melted with a welding torch. How we laughed. s.

Maybe I had gone on about it a bit toooo much. Anyway, I'm slightly cross that it's reached Shed status, rather than classic.

I think you should buy a pristine Rover 825i with KV6 and drive it to work every day in commemoration to show your pride

I drive an XJR to work (when it runs )

[Adam B]

Just to back up BG also, back in the 80s most of these were company cars and I used to have endless debates with the old man on what car do get next.
He had an early E reg 825i which replaced an SD1 2600s. It was always rover v ford v vauxhall, there was always a BMW on the list but it was a 520i or that 525e thing with cloth, manual windows, no stereo, steel wheels and the trip computer and all-important rear headrests were extras. Fleet managers got huge discounts on the non Germans.
Always failed to convince my dad to go BMW, remember the Scorpio being cavernous in the back but the Rover got my vote for having reclining rear seats (leccy in the sterling) and not being butt ugly like the ford. Vauxhall never got a look in for some reason although the senator was quite handsome and was usually higher spec and engine model on the company car list. Interiors were ste though.

Happy days

[slarnge]

Thanks!!! i was right

radlet6 said:

'fraid there was more BMW than you think. Engine straight from Stutgart, the seat bases, air conditioning, radio - all BMW. They had the same z-link suspension set up found on the 5 series, and before manufacture commenced the BM engineers insisted that the body shell was strengthened to their standards.

I had a 1.8 turbo which was a very refined and well balanced car (until the head gasket blew - right car, wrong engine )

More than just a the sharing of a few components. The only reason why you find them owned by father chav is because they are grossly undervalued.

[Chicharito]

slarnge said:

Thanks!!! i was right

radlet6 said:

'fraid there was more BMW than you think. Engine straight from Stutgart, the seat bases, air conditioning, radio - all BMW. They had the same z-link suspension set up found on the 5 series, and before manufacture commenced the BM engineers insisted that the body shell was strengthened to their standards.

I had a 1.8 turbo which was a very refined and well balanced car (until the head gasket blew - right car, wrong engine )

More than just a the sharing of a few components. The only reason why you find them owned by father chav is because they are grossly undervalued.

That's just what all Rover 75 fans roll out when they're pulled up on it.

Component sharing, and some design similarities don't make it 'a BMW under the skin' - it's even driven from the wrong end, with the engines the wrong way around!

VW/Seat/Skoda/Audi produce cars which are 'basically the same under the skin'

[MH82]

After I read this, on my lunch break I was walking across a car park and there was an 800 coupe. I Had a crafty look as I walked past and I have to agree, the inside is a step up from the Fords and Vauxhalls of the era. I would also say it's a step up from the last of the Rovers too!

Very nice indeed

[slarnge]

Have you driven or been in one?

Chicharito said:

That's just what all Rover 75 fans roll out when they're pulled up on it.

Component sharing, and some design similarities don't make it 'a BMW under the skin' - it's even driven from the wrong end, with the engines the wrong way around!

VW/Seat/Skoda/Audi produce cars which are 'basically the same under the skin'

[slarnge]

[url] p
Pure luxuary |http://thumbsnap.com/OOTlZubJ[/url]

[Chicharito]

slarnge said:

Have you driven or been in one?

Yes.

Promised much, delivered cheap and nasty with shocking panel fit. (It was a facelift car)

Ride quality was half decent, but the detuned BMW diesel lump was as uninspiring as the handling.

I chose a B5.5 Passat instead - better reputation for reliability, and much better finished.

[slarnge]

Ok!! Passat good car,but i only use the 75 for knocking about in.My daily is a Seat ibiza dti .

[Fun Bus]

Chicharito said:

Promised much, delivered cheap and nasty with shocking panel fit. (It was a facelift car)

That's interesting. I sold the 75 from launch and will say that the fit and finish was very good. Standards must have slipped on the facelift cars.

[radlet6]

Fun Bus said:

Chicharito said:

Promised much, delivered cheap and nasty with shocking panel fit. (It was a facelift car)

That's interesting. I sold the 75 from launch and will say that the fit and finish was very good. Standards must have slipped on the facelift cars.

As I say I used to own a 75 and found it a very refined car. Despite being a fan of the car I do think that the face lift model looked like an old car fitted with a cheap body kit. The interiors went down hill a bit too.

I would love a V8 version but the wife; she keep saying no.

[Morningside]

"
68. 1987 Sterling 825: Rebadged Rover 800-Series was based on the V6-powered Acura Legend, but was unreliable and rust-prone anyhow. Paint hardly even stuck to it and the electrics lasted a few weeks if you were lucky."
"
From here:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...