RE: SOTW: Rover 216 Vitesse EFI
Discussion
I loved my 216 Vitesse. I had a 1986 C reg as my first car. I got if from my parents when it was four years old and had only covered 21,000 miles. By the time I gave it away, six years later, it had covered a total of 144,000 almost totally trouble free miles. In the ten years we had it went through about 3 sets of replacement tyres, 1 set of front brake discs, 1 set of shock absorbers, either 2 or 3 exhausts, 1 battery and 2 alternators - which given its service was exceptional.
As a driving tool it had really commutative Non-PAS steering, excellent grip from its Pirelli P8 tyres, a great slick shifting Honda gearbox and great sports seats (which were trimmed to look similar to those from an SD1 Vitesse).
I had so much fun driving that car it definitely goes down as one of my favorites.
As for STOW? - PH HQ - Thanks for being broad minded enough to put it in the ring
As a driving tool it had really commutative Non-PAS steering, excellent grip from its Pirelli P8 tyres, a great slick shifting Honda gearbox and great sports seats (which were trimmed to look similar to those from an SD1 Vitesse).
I had so much fun driving that car it definitely goes down as one of my favorites.
As for STOW? - PH HQ - Thanks for being broad minded enough to put it in the ring
Pushi said:
I loved my 216 Vitesse. I had a 1986 C reg as my first car. I got if from my parents when it was four years old and had only covered 21,000 miles. By the time I gave it away, six years later, it had covered a total of 144,000 almost totally trouble free miles. In the ten years we had it went through about 3 sets of replacement tyres, 1 set of front brake discs, 1 set of shock absorbers, either 2 or 3 exhausts, 1 battery and 2 alternators - which given its service was exceptional.
As a driving tool it had really commutative Non-PAS steering, excellent grip from its Pirelli P8 tyres, a great slick shifting Honda gearbox and great sports seats (which were trimmed to look similar to those from an SD1 Vitesse).
I had so much fun driving that car it definitely goes down as one of my favorites.
As for STOW? - PH HQ - Thanks for being broad minded enough to put it in the ring
I was sure it was actually a Golf GTI gearbox.As a driving tool it had really commutative Non-PAS steering, excellent grip from its Pirelli P8 tyres, a great slick shifting Honda gearbox and great sports seats (which were trimmed to look similar to those from an SD1 Vitesse).
I had so much fun driving that car it definitely goes down as one of my favorites.
As for STOW? - PH HQ - Thanks for being broad minded enough to put it in the ring
I had a B reg and my Dad had a brand new F reg when i was 17.
Mine had problems revving erratically because of the terrible Lucas EFI system and both cars suffered from snapping clutch cables.
Mine started rusting at just 4 years old, and they were leaded fuel only. changing it to unleaded was a head change and the BHP dropped to 90BHP. Pretty crap really.
I replaced it with a new Suzuki swift GTI 1.3 after just 10 months ownership.
I've driven a black 216SE. It was OK but sometimes would want to lose power. After turning it off and leaving it a few minutes it started and was OK.
I remember turning right at a junction and this mass over the front wheels wanting to straight on.
The interior was quite a nice place to be.
It's the Rover engine isn't it rather than a Honda one.
I can see at least one error on the wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_200_/_25#Rover_...
Will people be arguing over the 2011 Focus in 25 years time? Is that the ugly Mk3 with the Kia Rio back end?
I remember turning right at a junction and this mass over the front wheels wanting to straight on.
The interior was quite a nice place to be.
It's the Rover engine isn't it rather than a Honda one.
I can see at least one error on the wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_200_/_25#Rover_...
Will people be arguing over the 2011 Focus in 25 years time? Is that the ugly Mk3 with the Kia Rio back end?
Yep,remember my parents/and later my bro in laws shed,what an awful car.
Leaky Montego 1.6 engine,rust a plenly massses of understeer and a driving position suitable for a Gnome.
(sorry if there are any people of a shorter than average height out there reading this,but honestly even Richard Hammond would feel like a giant).
Come on shed you know you can do better!
Leaky Montego 1.6 engine,rust a plenly massses of understeer and a driving position suitable for a Gnome.
(sorry if there are any people of a shorter than average height out there reading this,but honestly even Richard Hammond would feel like a giant).
Come on shed you know you can do better!
I used to see a car around my local area a lot that I can only assume was the worst cut and shut ever. The front half was a Rover like this and the back half a Honda Ballade. It was badged as a Honda and presumably the woman who owned it thought that's what it was. If it wasn't a cut and shut all the front end body panels had been replaced with Rover ones.
nottyash said:
Pushi said:
I loved my 216 Vitesse. I had a 1986 C reg as my first car. I got if from my parents when it was four years old and had only covered 21,000 miles. By the time I gave it away, six years later, it had covered a total of 144,000 almost totally trouble free miles. In the ten years we had it went through about 3 sets of replacement tyres, 1 set of front brake discs, 1 set of shock absorbers, either 2 or 3 exhausts, 1 battery and 2 alternators - which given its service was exceptional.
As a driving tool it had really commutative Non-PAS steering, excellent grip from its Pirelli P8 tyres, a great slick shifting Honda gearbox and great sports seats (which were trimmed to look similar to those from an SD1 Vitesse).
I had so much fun driving that car it definitely goes down as one of my favorites.
As for STOW? - PH HQ - Thanks for being broad minded enough to put it in the ring
I was sure it was actually a Golf GTI gearbox.As a driving tool it had really commutative Non-PAS steering, excellent grip from its Pirelli P8 tyres, a great slick shifting Honda gearbox and great sports seats (which were trimmed to look similar to those from an SD1 Vitesse).
I had so much fun driving that car it definitely goes down as one of my favorites.
As for STOW? - PH HQ - Thanks for being broad minded enough to put it in the ring
I had a B reg and my Dad had a brand new F reg when i was 17.
Mine had problems revving erratically because of the terrible Lucas EFI system and both cars suffered from snapping clutch cables.
Mine started rusting at just 4 years old, and they were leaded fuel only. changing it to unleaded was a head change and the BHP dropped to 90BHP. Pretty crap really.
I replaced it with a new Suzuki swift GTI 1.3 after just 10 months ownership.
Working in car hire in the 1980's we had alot of 213SE automatics and 216S on the fleet. I remember being the passenger in a C plate 216 that we were delivering (had to collect another car on the way). It was a wet Saturday morning approaching a roundabout on the A12, we were in the outside lane at the 200 metre marker doing around 70mph and my colleague who was driving thought it would be a good time to slow down for the roundabout. It was hard on the brakes and down through the gearbox, out of the corner of my eye I saw and thought why 5th to 2nd?
The drive is engaged and the front wheels lock, as a result operating the steering wheel has no effect on our direction. We bounce up the kerb over the corner of the central reservation and up in the lane on the roundabout facing the wrong way as we come to a halt.
Remarkably the car is absolutely undamaged, wheels and tyres are good and the car drives perfectly sraight, so we carry on as planned. That was the last we saw of that car as it went one way to Heathrow.
Around a week later a lampost was erected on the central reservation at the exact spot that we we went over it.
They weren't bad cars, much the same as anything around on the fleet then, the non assisted steering was a little on the heavy side, but they did seem to handle well around the country lanes.
I wonder how many of the critics here who dismiss them out of hand have actually driven a newish one?, it's easy to base an opinion on the experience of driving an old tired one.
The drive is engaged and the front wheels lock, as a result operating the steering wheel has no effect on our direction. We bounce up the kerb over the corner of the central reservation and up in the lane on the roundabout facing the wrong way as we come to a halt.
Remarkably the car is absolutely undamaged, wheels and tyres are good and the car drives perfectly sraight, so we carry on as planned. That was the last we saw of that car as it went one way to Heathrow.
Around a week later a lampost was erected on the central reservation at the exact spot that we we went over it.
They weren't bad cars, much the same as anything around on the fleet then, the non assisted steering was a little on the heavy side, but they did seem to handle well around the country lanes.
I wonder how many of the critics here who dismiss them out of hand have actually driven a newish one?, it's easy to base an opinion on the experience of driving an old tired one.
My Mum had one of these on a D - reg. I loved it and it is part of the reason that I still love cars (It was the first car I remember seeing 100mph in with my Dad driving along the A30). It was white with a rubber spoiler on the back, and had electric rear windows which were just the best thing ever for a 7 year old. It wasn't just my bias though, I remember a lot of friends at school commenting on the car. In 1980s Hampshire, this was a good look. A lot better than my Dad's endless succession of Sierras.
I also remember this advert that a quick Google showed up:
Oh and for the record we also had an Orion 1.6i. It was s
t.
I also remember this advert that a quick Google showed up:
Oh and for the record we also had an Orion 1.6i. It was s
t.The white Vitesse in that ad is exactly like the one I owned. Loved that car. I was in a queue of traffic on the m/way when someone ran into the back of me. The boot lock ended up touching the back of the front seat. Aside from a sore neck, I wasn't hurt. Broke my heart to see the state it was in (and because I was going home on leave for a weekend of nooky..which I consequently missed)
Test drove one of these in the early 90's, actually liked it (at polite test drive speeds) I didnt buy it as I tried the (same bodied) Honda Ballade & the engine felt stronger & more refined too.... even though it was less than four years old I took it off the road for a week & welded in new corners on all the doors & the A post area of the drivers door just above the door mirror which had a four inch hole in it before I found the elusive silver metal 
Wasnt a bad car, just a 'ahem' bit? dull...
Do remember finding the suspension a bit of an enigma, rear hopped & crashed around alarmingly on bumpy roads & peering underneath expecting to find a torsion beam, noted that it had a large girder with a wheel on each end, dead beam I think they were known as (& it was) The front end was torsion bars & Honda had kindly provided a large nut under each front corner which altered the ride height from 'snorting the white lines' to 'lets off road' Didnt try making it handle as I was playing 'sensible Dad' at the time as my Son had just being born. It was a comfortable quiet & reasonably reliable old tub, but no fun at all & I have never owned a car that rusted as badly as this one so am stunned that one of these exists in this condition. Interesting alternative shed with afordable running costs, which is a novelty
Wasnt a bad car, just a 'ahem' bit? dull...
Do remember finding the suspension a bit of an enigma, rear hopped & crashed around alarmingly on bumpy roads & peering underneath expecting to find a torsion beam, noted that it had a large girder with a wheel on each end, dead beam I think they were known as (& it was) The front end was torsion bars & Honda had kindly provided a large nut under each front corner which altered the ride height from 'snorting the white lines' to 'lets off road' Didnt try making it handle as I was playing 'sensible Dad' at the time as my Son had just being born. It was a comfortable quiet & reasonably reliable old tub, but no fun at all & I have never owned a car that rusted as badly as this one so am stunned that one of these exists in this condition. Interesting alternative shed with afordable running costs, which is a novelty
Simon says said:
greed,the only one worth having had Honda power 
well a 1300 12 valve bullet proof unit and gearbox 
the body rotted quicker than a Lancia Beta 
well not quite that bad 
Not trying to defend my old Ballade, as I had no attachment at all to it well a 1300 12 valve bullet proof unit and gearbox the body rotted quicker than a Lancia Beta well not quite that bad 
But the Ballade was the same car & had the 1.5 12v injected Honda engine which was used in the early CRX (also available with a carb) So powertrain was really good! Dont get me started on the handling or rust issues though! Simon says said:
greed,the only one worth having had Honda power well a 1300 12 valve bullet proof unit and gearbox the body rotted quicker than a Lancia Beta well not quite that bad
Mine Honda powered one hasn't rusted much either. well a 1300 12 valve bullet proof unit and gearbox the body rotted quicker than a Lancia Beta well not quite that bad 
The one advertised has the second lowest recorded mileage of the SD3 Rovers. According to the DVLA there are only 173 SD3 or series 1 Rover 200s left in the UK. So it could be well worth looking after as they're retro no and undoubtedly future classics.
carinaman said:
The Rover S-series motor was better than the CVH?
Hell yes, but then, what wasn't better than a CVH?When the S' series was launched, in the Montego in April '84, LJK Setright in CAR magazine wrote a very good article titled "Iron & chips" praising the engine. In the 216 Vitesse/VDP variants the injection made it nicer still, rather than the electronic stepper motor carburettor it usually came with.
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