Tales of a serial Roverist.
Discussion
I've had threads for my previous Rover 75s here, but haven't started one for my current vehicle as yet. All my past examples have been bought at the bottom end of the market and have been a tad sheddy - although scrub up well and all were maintained well. This time I've actually spent time looking for the right car, in the right condition and have paid a bit more than I'm used to!
Details:
2001 Rover 75 Connoisseur SE
2.0 CDT Automatic
57,000 Miles
Full Service History With One Owner
Purchase Price: £1750
I picked it up in Feburary and put it straight in for an MOT (still had 6 months on, but thought it was a good general check). Passed with no advisories. Result. Here it is the day I got it:
And scrubbed up well after a wash:
Spent some time on the inside as well. It's a 14 year old car with a cream interior, although it didn't look particularly grubby a couple of days with some cleaning stuff made a vast difference:
Other than the MOT, I have put two new rear tyres on and while I've been on holiday I have had some preventative work done which includes: drop links, front strut top mounts, 4 wheel laser wheel alignment, engine oil change, autobox fluid change, and a good session on diagnostics to make sure everything is honkeydorey - which it is! While the T4 diagnostics were plugged in, it may have seen a slight remap too. Total maintenance cost is currently at £345.
Just awaiting a good wash now before being eased back in to daily service!
One final picture that I quite like:
Details:
2001 Rover 75 Connoisseur SE
2.0 CDT Automatic
57,000 Miles
Full Service History With One Owner
Purchase Price: £1750
I picked it up in Feburary and put it straight in for an MOT (still had 6 months on, but thought it was a good general check). Passed with no advisories. Result. Here it is the day I got it:
And scrubbed up well after a wash:
Spent some time on the inside as well. It's a 14 year old car with a cream interior, although it didn't look particularly grubby a couple of days with some cleaning stuff made a vast difference:
Other than the MOT, I have put two new rear tyres on and while I've been on holiday I have had some preventative work done which includes: drop links, front strut top mounts, 4 wheel laser wheel alignment, engine oil change, autobox fluid change, and a good session on diagnostics to make sure everything is honkeydorey - which it is! While the T4 diagnostics were plugged in, it may have seen a slight remap too. Total maintenance cost is currently at £345.
Just awaiting a good wash now before being eased back in to daily service!
One final picture that I quite like:
Nice one Seb... Bit of true class for peanuts. 
That T4 reg ... did it come with the car?
T4 you probably know is the computer based kit MG and Rover dealers used to use to make any changes to the various and numerous management components on these car.
As MG-R dealerships systematically closed since April 2005, there are still a few T4 operators across the country to look after these cars. This is useful should you need stuff doing to the car. They can be contacted via the 75/ZT web site club. I suspect you already know this. I did just that. My daily driver MG ZT came with only one Key. Hate that as it's asking for trouble. These are expensive to replace yet many folks drive cars now with just one key having carelessly lost the other. Bit like casually losing one hundred quid ...
I removed the BCU ( Body Control Unit ) ECU and immobiliser control unit sending them to a T4 operator up north who cloned/reprogrammed THREE remote keys for me using his T4 kit. That three for the price any dealer if you could find for the price of under the normal cost for one. . Belt and braces Guy me.
Everything works on ZT including the built in SatNav which is useful despite not so up to date road data now. Useful as you can use it without having to set up all the TomTom stuff as I do in my other cars. Never thought things like bum-warmer seats and powerfold mirrors would be much used. They are though .... You can teach an old dawg new tricks....
Enjoy that nice 75....
That T4 reg ... did it come with the car?
T4 you probably know is the computer based kit MG and Rover dealers used to use to make any changes to the various and numerous management components on these car.
As MG-R dealerships systematically closed since April 2005, there are still a few T4 operators across the country to look after these cars. This is useful should you need stuff doing to the car. They can be contacted via the 75/ZT web site club. I suspect you already know this. I did just that. My daily driver MG ZT came with only one Key. Hate that as it's asking for trouble. These are expensive to replace yet many folks drive cars now with just one key having carelessly lost the other. Bit like casually losing one hundred quid ...
I removed the BCU ( Body Control Unit ) ECU and immobiliser control unit sending them to a T4 operator up north who cloned/reprogrammed THREE remote keys for me using his T4 kit. That three for the price any dealer if you could find for the price of under the normal cost for one. . Belt and braces Guy me.
StuntmanMike said:
P.S I'm pretty sure one of those Dynavins for the E46 BMW would fit that as well.
There's a lot of BMW content in these cars which can be a good and bad thing. My ZT is a higher spec car with lots of useful gizmos including this which I've since found out is similar or the same as fitted to some BMWs.Everything works on ZT including the built in SatNav which is useful despite not so up to date road data now. Useful as you can use it without having to set up all the TomTom stuff as I do in my other cars. Never thought things like bum-warmer seats and powerfold mirrors would be much used. They are though .... You can teach an old dawg new tricks....
Enjoy that nice 75....
Thanks for the comments guys
And John, the plate didn't come with the car, it is my own - the T4 reference is purely coincidental!
I've just been on holiday for a few days, so booked the car in with my friendly (Rover 75 only) mechanic for him to give it a good going over and sort a few niggles out for me.
£200 saw the front suspension topmounts, droplinks, and an oil & filter change done. When I went to pick it up I had some questions for him about the performance of the car - it felt livelier than I expected 114bhp in a large car to be. A quick go on the T4 machine showed that at some point it had had a dodgy remap as it was showing no power figure for the car at all. I wonder what my insurance company would have made of that! All sorted now though with an official map uploaded to the ECU.
The bit of work on the suspension has made the car feel really tight at the front again and it just rides oh so well. Having a 'proper' ECU map on also seems to have made the autobox a bit smoother especially at lower speeds which is nice too!
And John, the plate didn't come with the car, it is my own - the T4 reference is purely coincidental!
I've just been on holiday for a few days, so booked the car in with my friendly (Rover 75 only) mechanic for him to give it a good going over and sort a few niggles out for me.
£200 saw the front suspension topmounts, droplinks, and an oil & filter change done. When I went to pick it up I had some questions for him about the performance of the car - it felt livelier than I expected 114bhp in a large car to be. A quick go on the T4 machine showed that at some point it had had a dodgy remap as it was showing no power figure for the car at all. I wonder what my insurance company would have made of that! All sorted now though with an official map uploaded to the ECU.
The bit of work on the suspension has made the car feel really tight at the front again and it just rides oh so well. Having a 'proper' ECU map on also seems to have made the autobox a bit smoother especially at lower speeds which is nice too!
SebastienClement said:
Thanks for the comments guys
And John, the plate didn't come with the car, it is my own - the T4 reference is purely coincidental!
I've just been on holiday for a few days, so booked the car in with my friendly (Rover 75 only) mechanic for him to give it a good going over and sort a few niggles out for me.
£200 saw the front suspension topmounts, droplinks, and an oil & filter change done. When I went to pick it up I had some questions for him about the performance of the car - it felt livelier than I expected 114bhp in a large car to be. A quick go on the T4 machine showed that at some point it had had a dodgy remap as it was showing no power figure for the car at all. I wonder what my insurance company would have made of that! All sorted now though with an official map uploaded to the ECU.
The bit of work on the suspension has made the car feel really tight at the front again and it just rides oh so well. Having a 'proper' ECU map on also seems to have made the autobox a bit smoother especially at lower speeds which is nice too!
T4 Personal Plate... And John, the plate didn't come with the car, it is my own - the T4 reference is purely coincidental!
I've just been on holiday for a few days, so booked the car in with my friendly (Rover 75 only) mechanic for him to give it a good going over and sort a few niggles out for me.
£200 saw the front suspension topmounts, droplinks, and an oil & filter change done. When I went to pick it up I had some questions for him about the performance of the car - it felt livelier than I expected 114bhp in a large car to be. A quick go on the T4 machine showed that at some point it had had a dodgy remap as it was showing no power figure for the car at all. I wonder what my insurance company would have made of that! All sorted now though with an official map uploaded to the ECU.
The bit of work on the suspension has made the car feel really tight at the front again and it just rides oh so well. Having a 'proper' ECU map on also seems to have made the autobox a bit smoother especially at lower speeds which is nice too!
.... that really is a remarkable coincidence ... :thumbup.If your T4 man did all that for a mere £200 that is some bargain! Maybe I've read it wrong.
itcaptainslow said:
.
That's a widescreen TV/nav unit out of a BMW John, they were never fitted to 75/ZT cars if memory serves-they got the smaller screen version. Wouldn't mind a widescreen version for my new toy...
Cap'n Tardy ... My ZT is not the only one fitted with that., There's an MG ZT V8 400 with Dreadnought Supercharger recently for sale over on 75/ZT Club .. It's a beauty ... this one. My favourite colour too :~That's a widescreen TV/nav unit out of a BMW John, they were never fitted to 75/ZT cars if memory serves-they got the smaller screen version. Wouldn't mind a widescreen version for my new toy...
One of the images shows this fitted :~
Had that car been on offer earlier before I made a decision, I would have gone for that. The reason I did not was because I've just blown a fair wodge on a new.... set of teeth.
Second thoughts .... had it been on offer earlier, I'd have gone for it and stayed toothless and gummy for a bit longer ... Man can live on soups and soft meals alone. Mind you, I could murder and apple ....
Them's the breaks as the saying goes. All part of life's rich wossname...
had a 75 touring a few years ago and it was bloody brilliant, especially for camping at Santa Pod, double blow up bed in the back, portable dvd player, bottle of wine and a pizza, sorted! Just a shame it could not pull the skin off a rice pudding but a lovely place to be in all the same
itcaptainslow said:
That's a stunning ZT, in one of my favourite colours too.
Any idea where one can get hold of these widescreen sat-nav units John?
Search ebay for folks breaking BMWs ... and MG ZTs/75s. Quite a few available if you search patiently.Any idea where one can get hold of these widescreen sat-nav units John?
Others "been there, done that" types can provide information. Post up requests/wanted on MG and Rover Specific web sites like 75/ZT club, Rovertech.net; XPower; MG-Rover.org etc.
Don't forget, you'll also need the SAT/Nav Unit/CD disc and it's long cable. Mine is located in the boot.
With the set up in my car which I believe was an optional extra, I can even play my aged Cassettes, CDs and more recent audio gizmos.
Good luck.
coopedup said:
had a 75 touring a few years ago and it was bloody brilliant, especially for camping at Santa Pod, double blow up bed in the back, portable dvd player, bottle of wine and a pizza, sorted! Just a shame it could not pull the skin off a rice pudding but a lovely place to be in all the same
Much depends on the engine in these cars. Huge variety of engine options from the NASP 1.8 which sounds like yours was, through 1.8 Petrol Turbos, 2.0 2.5 Litre V6 petrols, a 2.0l Diesel with BMW lump and the various Mustang V8s.Yes, the NASP 1.8 is no fire cracker and so the questions why. I thought that thirty years ago when the relatively large Montego Saloon was available with a 1.2 Litre A series engine... That was until a holiday on a small Med Island where roads and conditions there, showed these spacious cars with superb all round visibilty were ideal as Taxis. More powerful MG Montegos were available but would be a frustrating waste there. Few straights where speeds in excess of 40 mph would be possible let alone safe.
itcaptainslow said:
That's a stunning ZT, in one of my favourite colours too.
Hey cap'n slow...I'm a thinkin' you should get one of them ZT V8s ... Ideally one in a nice shade of green...
Then post up some of those images thinggies ..Meantime a mutual Rover and MG Mad enthusiast who shall be nameless came a visitin' this very eve... In this..
That's treason in my books ... Note the Reg ...
MGJohn said:
I'm a thinkin' you should get one of them ZT V8s ... Ideally one in a nice shade of green... Then post up some of those images thinggies ..
Way ahead of you John... Then post up some of those images thinggies .. see here - http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...Now 9 months into ownership and I honestly couldn't ask anything more of a car. It's now sporting 160hp, I've also added a 'textable' switch for the webasto parking heater so I can text it to warm the car up before I go out on cold mornings, had a couple of bits done to the front suspension (top mounts and droplinks) and generally driven it!
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