RE: SOTW: Rover 200 BRM
Discussion
i had a one of these rovers in 1.6 16v guise as a company car back in 1998.. it was total bag of s
t. Only good point was the engine, however despite the horror I had, i have always liked the BRM version and can see the appeal. Plus the interior is ace! A very left field choice for a hot hatch but definitely a hidden gem with very nippy engine.. like it!
t. Only good point was the engine, however despite the horror I had, i have always liked the BRM version and can see the appeal. Plus the interior is ace! A very left field choice for a hot hatch but definitely a hidden gem with very nippy engine.. like it!JohnnyRims said:
Not to introduce the anti-Rover element into this thread, but what Rover/MG enthusiasts term as abuse/lack of maintenance would often not result in any problems with other marques.
As a SOTW though I love this! Everyone knows you can get a tatty XJ for under a grand, but this is decided left-field. Great choice!
We've run a number of cars, from Toyota's to BMW's and most inbetween. And when trading we sold mainly Rocer products. Overall they seemed more reliable and easier to maintain than all of the others bar old Volvo's which seemed very stout and never gave any probs at all with any that we had. As a SOTW though I love this! Everyone knows you can get a tatty XJ for under a grand, but this is decided left-field. Great choice!
I admit that latter and last of the line 25's and ZR's maybe didn't seem as good, although I've only been in a few. But the BRM era the cars where in my experience very good and well put together.
Indeed, including my Mum, Dad and brother we've had all these Rover/MG products, maybe more. I don't recall any of them being particulary bad or problematic:
Morris Marina
Austin Maestro 1.3
213 (SD3)
216 (SD3)
216GSI (R8)
214 (R8)
Land Rover SIIa 88
Land Rover SIII diesel 88
Land Rover 110 V8 CSW
620i
825 Sterling
MGB GT
MGF 1.8i
MGF VVC
MGF VVC
MG ZS180
Rover 200 BRM
Rover 200 BRM
MG Maestro 2.0 EFI
416 auto
214 (R8)
214 (R8)
Range Rover Vogue 2.5 TD
Range Rover Vogue SE 3.9 Auto
Range Rover Vogue SE 3.9 Auto
Range Rover Vogue SE 3.9 Auto
Range Rover 3.5 carb manual 4 speed
Range Rover 3.5 EFI V8 Vogue
Discovery 200Tdi 3 door
Discovery 200Tdi 3 door
Discovery 3.9 V8 auto
Defender 90 300TDI SW
Land Rover SIII 88 diesel
Land Rover Air Portable 'Lightweight' SII
Land Rover SIII 88
Land Rover 90 V8
Land Rover Freelander Kalahari 1.8i 5dr
820i
Range Rover 4.6 HSE p38a
Range Rover 4.6 HSE p38a
Bigel said:
My mate's got two of them and runs one as a track car. We used to give him loads of stick but to be fair its not a bad little car and surprisingly quick. The track car is a bit of a beast as well. Here's a link for anyone's whose interested...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G25QYzoF-Lk
I'll second that, you can see in the video how quick it is and how flat through the corners on track. It is, ahem, lacking in some comforts in this case though ;0)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G25QYzoF-Lk
Bigel eats too much pork.
vinny19791 said:
Ive owned two BRM's
Awesome cars, around 350 left on the road these days.
One of mine is still in storage, the other recently got shipped to holland.
Can be had for as little as £500 up to £2000 for a minter.
Buy one now and lock it away, the interiors really do need to be seen and the vvc engine is a marvel.
People who spout on that " its a rover and oh watch the headgasket " are ignorant who follow the trend.
They sold 700 of them in the UK. They were a special edition, so you would assume they would have been looked after. So why are there only 350 left?Awesome cars, around 350 left on the road these days.
One of mine is still in storage, the other recently got shipped to holland.
Can be had for as little as £500 up to £2000 for a minter.
Buy one now and lock it away, the interiors really do need to be seen and the vvc engine is a marvel.
People who spout on that " its a rover and oh watch the headgasket " are ignorant who follow the trend.
Serious question, not taking the p*ss.
jake15919 said:
They sold 700 of them in the UK. They were a special edition, so you would assume they would have been looked after. So why are there only 350 left?
Serious question, not taking the p*ss.
Be fair, what percentage of any car sold 13 years ago is still on the road?Serious question, not taking the p*ss.
I hate and love these cars in equal measure but I won't see nonsense like that spouted.
Personally, I hate the looks - both of the underlying car & the orange splodge on the front. I've no idea how it is to drive, but being a front driver, it's never going to be as much fun (IMHO) as a proper rear-drive motor.
So, yes, great Shed, nice choice, but it floats my boat in much the same way as a housebrick floats.
So, yes, great Shed, nice choice, but it floats my boat in much the same way as a housebrick floats.
Papa Hotel said:
Yikes! According to Quentin it cost 18 grand... in 1998!?
I think it was £1700 more than a 200VI. For that you got a Limited Editon car with bigger alloys, sports suspension, sports exhaust, close ratio gearbox, TorSen front diff, modified braking system, custom interior and some exterior changes. How much was a Civic Jordon?
Papa Hotel said:
Be fair, what percentage of any car sold 13 years ago is still on the road?
I hate and love these cars in equal measure but I won't see nonsense like that spouted.
So you don't know then. 50% survival in 12 years for an enthusiast type car seems poor. I'm not looking for a row over the merits of the car, what's the point, just asking a question.I hate and love these cars in equal measure but I won't see nonsense like that spouted.
cathalm said:
Bigel said:
My mate's got two of them and runs one as a track car. We used to give him loads of stick but to be fair its not a bad little car and surprisingly quick. The track car is a bit of a beast as well. Here's a link for anyone's whose interested...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G25QYzoF-Lk
I'll second that, you can see in the video how quick it is and how flat through the corners on track. It is, ahem, lacking in some comforts in this case though ;0)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G25QYzoF-Lk
Bigel eats too much pork.
jake15919 said:
So you don't know then. 50% survival in 12 years for an enthusiast type car seems poor. I'm not looking for a row over the merits of the car, what's the point, just asling a question.
At its launch it was probably not bought by many 'enthusiasts' the price tag was fairly high, the general image of the car wasn't great and you could find better cars for the same money. Assuming a %age have been written off in one way or another, some will have been taken a track projects and left SORN, others will have been left at the end of a drive to rot, and odds are that a few will have have broken beyond repair.
When you take into account it was a car built to be driven hard a 50% survival rate after 13 years isn't a bad effort.
Papa Hotel said:
Be fair, what percentage of any car sold 13 years ago is still on the road?
I hate and love these cars in equal measure but I won't see nonsense like that spouted.
yes they were hardly Ferraris that would sit in a garage, they got used and then, like all cars, wear out. Just had a look on Autotrader and some very high mile 25s for sale. I hate and love these cars in equal measure but I won't see nonsense like that spouted.
jake15919 said:
They sold 700 of them in the UK. They were a special edition, so you would assume they would have been looked after. So why are there only 350 left?
Serious question, not taking the p*ss.
It's like all things. Some get crashed, some stolen, some parked up, some abroad. Serious question, not taking the p*ss.
Historically Rovers haven't in the UK retained huge value. And this is a mass production type car. So at least initially there will be or is less enthusiasm to preserve them. I also suspect that percentage wise for a car of this type it's not that unnormal.
branding.
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