Rover 75 CDTi Tourer
Discussion
mine used to go into limp mode in the rain when there was a lot spray.
the spray would go into the aircleaner, ( filter was wet) and wreck the maf, three mafs later, the lease company and rover declined to replace any more.
In the end I disconnected the maf and it went fine after that.
Other that that a front shock failed early and an alternator. Had it from new to 90k .
Needed more poke ( I would have chipped it if not lease car) it was the 129 mg model.
Marvellous interior, felt really well made, I felt the bees knees in 2003, good days.
Really nice cars and worth keeping going.
the spray would go into the aircleaner, ( filter was wet) and wreck the maf, three mafs later, the lease company and rover declined to replace any more.
In the end I disconnected the maf and it went fine after that.
Other that that a front shock failed early and an alternator. Had it from new to 90k .
Needed more poke ( I would have chipped it if not lease car) it was the 129 mg model.
Marvellous interior, felt really well made, I felt the bees knees in 2003, good days.
Really nice cars and worth keeping going.
I ran an old mk2 Connie Snotter from 89k to 150k, never failed to get me where I was going in total comfort, only unusual
issues broke a front spring and the alternator turned up its toes, to anyone getting a 75 I recommend two things
Went to see Jules and he turned it into a totally rekliable car...
1, Join the owners forum, they're really passionate about this car and are all very friendly
2, When you buy go and see Jules in Colwyn Bay, let him work his magic with his mods and you'll have a totally reliable car for peanuts, contact details via the owners forum, even if you live hundreds of miles away just stay at one of CB's many guesthouses whilst he does his work.
issues broke a front spring and the alternator turned up its toes, to anyone getting a 75 I recommend two things
Went to see Jules and he turned it into a totally rekliable car...
1, Join the owners forum, they're really passionate about this car and are all very friendly
2, When you buy go and see Jules in Colwyn Bay, let him work his magic with his mods and you'll have a totally reliable car for peanuts, contact details via the owners forum, even if you live hundreds of miles away just stay at one of CB's many guesthouses whilst he does his work.
Thanks for all the kind words, and I'm glad the old 75 is of interest to some on PH. It's our least PH-car but it just deals with whatever we chuck at (or in) it, and I have definitely spent far more time and money over the years than ever intended.
Many items on these are not scary (take a look at this one from page 1), but a clutch system given to a non-R75 specialist will cause you no end of woes, for example, so read up on the big bill items for sub 80k cars. Oh, and either install or find one with cruise control!
This example is spartan spec - plastic everywhere and fabric suits, so will put a few people off. MOT history looks ok, but I would prefer a higher spec and lots of R75-specific love at the price. Good luck, they're well worth it!
Or as tdm34 says, find one not in bits, put 2k in the glovebox and drive to Colwyn Bay to give it to Jules.
Or as Jules tells me every year "Haven't you opened your own garage for these down south yet?"
Straff99 said:
Watch out for those Robins. One acts as a decoy while three others nick your wheels! 
There's an early morning squadron that guard our garden from screeching green parakeets. We keep the robin-sized birdfeeders well stocked, and we don't ask questions.helix402 said:
Well done BMW! That’s one of their a-pillar plugs.
Everyone who has worked on a car should experience this plug. It's amazing. /carboregman88667733 said:
Would such a low mileage at this age be a concern? I'm after a reliable commuter car and this looks fantastic. Most I've seen are at 80k miles or more. What is their high mileage longevity like?
Great car, but depends entirely on the history for diesels. I would rather have a well maintained, and regularly oil-serviced M47 with a high mileage than a low mileage unknown. At that price I would look out for a Rover 75 club member's car that's had all the mods in this thread done, or be prepared to buy cheaper and deal with the backlog! The diesel seems to be indestructible if cared for. Chain drive doesn't need tri-annual gold offerings and ours is touching on 160k with nary a worry. Suspension and undercarraige rust are starting to eat away the older cars, no matter the mileage...Many items on these are not scary (take a look at this one from page 1), but a clutch system given to a non-R75 specialist will cause you no end of woes, for example, so read up on the big bill items for sub 80k cars. Oh, and either install or find one with cruise control!
This example is spartan spec - plastic everywhere and fabric suits, so will put a few people off. MOT history looks ok, but I would prefer a higher spec and lots of R75-specific love at the price. Good luck, they're well worth it!
Or as tdm34 says, find one not in bits, put 2k in the glovebox and drive to Colwyn Bay to give it to Jules.
Or as Jules tells me every year "Haven't you opened your own garage for these down south yet?"
Changed the rear door card for my original item - straightforward job.
Donor car's grotty sandstone items:
These were truly filthy, before I got my hands on them I hasten to add.
One screw in the door handle, then tease out the electric switch and unplug, rotate the door handle to ensure it can fit through the hole:
The it's just a case of pulling and wedging to pull the plastic clips out.
Some had broken, some broke and yet it all come out. On my original door I was bit more careful, and between the two there amounted enough good clips for the refit.
There is a central clip that goes over a metal mounting - these seem to break no matter the care taken 50% of the time, but fortunately mine stayed together.
Unfortunately the driver's door was a bit more complicated - the key barrel needed to be swapped over, and that means the glass needs to come out... I have paused it there for the moment as I think this is a good opportunity to source an unscratched driver's window. More to follow - good glass leads gratefully received!
Donor car's grotty sandstone items:
These were truly filthy, before I got my hands on them I hasten to add.
One screw in the door handle, then tease out the electric switch and unplug, rotate the door handle to ensure it can fit through the hole:
The it's just a case of pulling and wedging to pull the plastic clips out.
Some had broken, some broke and yet it all come out. On my original door I was bit more careful, and between the two there amounted enough good clips for the refit.
There is a central clip that goes over a metal mounting - these seem to break no matter the care taken 50% of the time, but fortunately mine stayed together.
Unfortunately the driver's door was a bit more complicated - the key barrel needed to be swapped over, and that means the glass needs to come out... I have paused it there for the moment as I think this is a good opportunity to source an unscratched driver's window. More to follow - good glass leads gratefully received!
I’ve come across a lot of those plugs through my cocking about with Opels/Vauxhalls. Excellent stuff. Their clips for the doors are even better - a plug that twists to click beautifully into place. A little like a (much better) version of the modern trailer plug
This is something that you have to really like cars to even notice, let alone appreciate!
This is something that you have to really like cars to even notice, let alone appreciate!
Jimmy Recard said:
I’ve come across a lot of those plugs through my cocking about with Opels/Vauxhalls. Excellent stuff. Their clips for the doors are even better - a plug that twists to click beautifully into place. A little like a (much better) version of the modern trailer plug
This is something that you have to really like cars to even notice, let alone appreciate!
I may have to use the plugs in my house renovation. Can't get enough of them.This is something that you have to really like cars to even notice, let alone appreciate!
Some final Roverbeard items - the front bolts for the slam panel and headlights on our car had all degraded, so I took the opportunity to swipe as many good ones as I could find in the donor car, and clean up/derust the front.
Before:
After, with some derusting and protection in between:
Very dull, but it is a very soothing job.
Next up - in four years I haven't ever clayed and properly waxed the car. I think with the new panels it's a sign to properly tidy up the exterior, and also fill in the scratches on the rear quarter panel.
Then it's solely a derust and waxoil underneath (which I will likely take to Rustbuster to perform), a new driver's seat as the leather is worn and torn and doesn't have a working heating element, and a genuine undertray. Then... that's it! Goodness. The end of my original list last year is in sight!
Impressed with your dedication and hard work! Mighty fine looking 75 there.
My own 75, also HFF (arguably the best colour) is still going strong. Replaced quite a lot of suspension bits last year, as well as a lot of servicing - I choose to drop the oil and filter every 5k miles, everything else every 10k. I read your tail light saga with amusement - I had a similar experience recently while swapping the indicator bulbs for ones that were sufficiently orange to satisfy the MOT man.
My own 75, also HFF (arguably the best colour) is still going strong. Replaced quite a lot of suspension bits last year, as well as a lot of servicing - I choose to drop the oil and filter every 5k miles, everything else every 10k. I read your tail light saga with amusement - I had a similar experience recently while swapping the indicator bulbs for ones that were sufficiently orange to satisfy the MOT man.
Muddle238 said:
Impressed with your dedication and hard work! Mighty fine looking 75 there.
My own 75, also HFF (arguably the best colour) is still going strong. Replaced quite a lot of suspension bits last year, as well as a lot of servicing - I choose to drop the oil and filter every 5k miles, everything else every 10k. I read your tail light saga with amusement - I had a similar experience recently while swapping the indicator bulbs for ones that were sufficiently orange to satisfy the MOT man.
That is a very regal looking tourer. The 75 just looks so much better in darker colours such as BRG ,Arden Green ,Odyssey Blue , Atlantic Blue , Midnight Blue , Royal Blue , Dorchester Red etcMy own 75, also HFF (arguably the best colour) is still going strong. Replaced quite a lot of suspension bits last year, as well as a lot of servicing - I choose to drop the oil and filter every 5k miles, everything else every 10k. I read your tail light saga with amusement - I had a similar experience recently while swapping the indicator bulbs for ones that were sufficiently orange to satisfy the MOT man.
I have a Mk1 but I just can't warm to the MK2 styling.
BlueHave said:
That is a very regal looking tourer. The 75 just looks so much better in darker colours such as BRG ,Arden Green ,Odyssey Blue , Atlantic Blue , Midnight Blue , Royal Blue , Dorchester Red etc
I have a Mk1 but I just can't warm to the MK2 styling.
BRG3 is my favourite, followed by Royal Blue. I agree though, the darker colours do suit it well in my eyes. I have a Mk1 but I just can't warm to the MK2 styling.
Agreed about the Mk1/2 styling, the Mk1 just has a slightly more "classic" look with the extra chrome and round headlamps. Strangely though I see a lot more Mk2's around, despite being fewer made.
Great read takes me back to when I first got my R40 Tourer, manual 2011, sorting out all the jobs inline stat, manifold clean, & EGR clean /MAP sensor, spyhole mod, gold resistor, etc much the same as the OP except for door & wing change (shame about that) move forward to now and I now have my second Tourer (Auto) this time & the work as started all over again but really enjoy doing it.
I have just finished doing the rear light mod, therefore no more worrying when I need to change a light bulb that the brackets or ball & knuckle sockets might break.
I also changed all the slam/bumper bolts for stainless steel ones.
I have just finished doing the rear light mod, therefore no more worrying when I need to change a light bulb that the brackets or ball & knuckle sockets might break.
I also changed all the slam/bumper bolts for stainless steel ones.
Edited by THENUK on Friday 8th February 15:23
TR4man said:
It is never finished. There will always be something else to do.
True. I see a derusting and underseal turning into a rebushing and suspension refresh, with a 2nd hand stainless exhaust thrown in...Muddle238 said:
Impressed with your dedication and hard work! Mighty fine looking 75 there.
My own 75, also HFF (arguably the best colour) is still going strong. Replaced quite a lot of suspension bits last year, as well as a lot of servicing - I choose to drop the oil and filter every 5k miles, everything else every 10k. I read your tail light saga with amusement - I had a similar experience recently while swapping the indicator bulbs for ones that were sufficiently orange to satisfy the MOT man.
That looks lovely - our car is crying out for a proper clean and a scrub, then I might have to finally post up some 'full body shots' or suchlike. Plenty of paint left by dismal London parkers to be T-cutted off, and likely a kilnworth of clay bar to be deployed.My own 75, also HFF (arguably the best colour) is still going strong. Replaced quite a lot of suspension bits last year, as well as a lot of servicing - I choose to drop the oil and filter every 5k miles, everything else every 10k. I read your tail light saga with amusement - I had a similar experience recently while swapping the indicator bulbs for ones that were sufficiently orange to satisfy the MOT man.
BlueHave said:
I have a Mk1 but I just can't warm to the MK2 styling.
What's not to like? The flimsy Airfix badges? The panel gaps around the restyled headlights? Entirely fake wood trim? Cumulative Project Drive penny pinching? Oh. You're right. Still, for us DIYers and improvers the Mk2 is a bit easier to work with as all sorts of plugs and bits of the loom are already present for upgrades.THENUK said:
I have just finished doing the rear light mod, therefore no more worrying when I need to change a light bulb that the brackets or ball & knuckle sockets might break.
I also changed all the slam/bumper bolts for stainless steel ones.
Good stuff - these cars do seem to inspire fanatacism, in a positive way! I have to admit one of the rusty bolts that was left I had to replace required taking one from the donor rover, cutting it with a Dremel and filing it for about 10 minutes. If my parents were nearby one would likely say to the other "We need to talk about Spinakerr."I also changed all the slam/bumper bolts for stainless steel ones.
After four years of faithful service, last weekend it was time to give the 75 a proper clean, check the colour match of the new panels, touch in a paint chips and bring it up the respectability scale.
Before:
Nasty mould in the new panels and doors,
Various dings and scratches:
New driver's door had borne the brunt of previous owner's carelessness:
A day of scrubbing, a clay bar, some G3 scratch remover, wax and paint later:
New doors and wing came up nicely though still 'weathered'. Colour match is spot on and the rear quarter turned out to be primarily paint from the offending van that can off with a clay and elbow grease.
Even the alloys, which are starting to bubble, came up well and have been heavily sealed.
Ready for another 160k, surely? I think this needs a heavier wax for protection, and perhaps a set of interim alloys while these get refurbished. I do love the tuning forks.
This summer we'll tackle some underseal and derusting, but for now we're set!
Before:
Nasty mould in the new panels and doors,
Various dings and scratches:
New driver's door had borne the brunt of previous owner's carelessness:
A day of scrubbing, a clay bar, some G3 scratch remover, wax and paint later:
New doors and wing came up nicely though still 'weathered'. Colour match is spot on and the rear quarter turned out to be primarily paint from the offending van that can off with a clay and elbow grease.
Even the alloys, which are starting to bubble, came up well and have been heavily sealed.
Ready for another 160k, surely? I think this needs a heavier wax for protection, and perhaps a set of interim alloys while these get refurbished. I do love the tuning forks.
This summer we'll tackle some underseal and derusting, but for now we're set!
A slight gurgling from behind the dash brought me to a state of panic that the heater matrix had given up, or the 75 was a little too keen on John Carpenter's The Thing. Fortunately it was just low coolant, and the suspect was soon identified. Spray near the turbo hoses, and a residue on top of the expansion tank means only one thing...
...the cap had lots pressure. O rings often fail, mine looked a bit flat but were in one piece. Replacements much smaller and tighter:
After the thorough clean, the flimsy rippled number plate had to go:
Demon Plates came up with a more substantial example, and I drilled some holes to keep it in place. Much neater.
The car then completed a 400 mile weekend - to Bristol, then Cambridge and back home. Of course that means it now needs a clean after being forced off the road by bloated SUVs driven by unaware fools, but never mind.
...the cap had lots pressure. O rings often fail, mine looked a bit flat but were in one piece. Replacements much smaller and tighter:
After the thorough clean, the flimsy rippled number plate had to go:
Demon Plates came up with a more substantial example, and I drilled some holes to keep it in place. Much neater.
The car then completed a 400 mile weekend - to Bristol, then Cambridge and back home. Of course that means it now needs a clean after being forced off the road by bloated SUVs driven by unaware fools, but never mind.
Cambs_Stuart said:
Another great thread. Your white saab, Alfa 164 and this are among my favourite reads in the readers cars section.
Hope the rover keeps eating up the miles.
This made my day - thanks! I'm pretty much wedded to Reader's Cars, and to hear other people enjoying the story is great to hear. I'm a frustrated Practical Classic columnist at heart. Oh the 164...that reminds me...erm...Hope the rover keeps eating up the miles.
I get an email a month from this thread asking for advice, which is strange as I thought everyone would head to the 75/ZT forums, but it's fun to be able to offer an opinion or advice based on my limited skills and only-this-one experience.
BlueHave said:
No idea how much more those big plates are £45 each my local spares place wanted. Normal pair of plates are £9.
Surprised they are still making them with the EU flags since we're less than a month to freedom day.
£25 from Demon Plates delivered, and a quality item thank goodness. I am not at all surprised they have stock with the EU flag on.Surprised they are still making them with the EU flags since we're less than a month to freedom day.
This was a fantastic read and well done on the effort put into the car to keep it running. It looks great and I do like the 75/ZT-T I am quite tempted to look for one myself. I currently run a 2002 Seat Toledo for piling on miles and its a solid car on MK4 Golf platform. I've put a little bit of work into that too as I bought it cheap and it looked like it had battered its way around Enfield for the last 5 years. Now it's a fairly tidy little motor. Nice read up, hope the R75 keeps going, lots of good information picked up from reading this.
What a brilliant read, and a lovely example of these fine cars.
I've just got my own ZT-T back after some fairly major suspension work - the rear upper arms are prone to corrosion, but they're not too bad to get hold of - usually I have a couple of pallets of them to hand, but a delay with incoming stock meant I had to wait for my own car...
Obviously I can't broadcast what I do under PH touting rules (from memory) but I guess some members will spot the plate...
Here she is, back and having pride of place on the drive. Must remember to tax her before a long trip tomorrow!
Really need to finish leveling off the garden too... thankfully the ZT-T excels at shifting sand to the local tip.
I've just got my own ZT-T back after some fairly major suspension work - the rear upper arms are prone to corrosion, but they're not too bad to get hold of - usually I have a couple of pallets of them to hand, but a delay with incoming stock meant I had to wait for my own car...
Obviously I can't broadcast what I do under PH touting rules (from memory) but I guess some members will spot the plate...
Here she is, back and having pride of place on the drive. Must remember to tax her before a long trip tomorrow!
Really need to finish leveling off the garden too... thankfully the ZT-T excels at shifting sand to the local tip.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff