£600 Rover 75 Connoisseur SE, 2.5 v6
Discussion
If you follow the smoker barges thread, there has been a bit of a saga over the last few weeks as PrinceRupert attempts to buy a new car. I had sold my old Alfa 156 (also a 2.5 v6), as it was a bit tatty cosmetically and I was scared of the impending MOT - even though it had never given me any mechanical problems whatsoever in the 10 months or so I had owned it - and was looking for something new. Paid £2.8k, put £200 of tyres on it, sold for £2.15k - which I work out as £85 a month, which ain't too shabby I would say (excl fuel tax and insurance ofc). As a quick run through of previous cars (and their names, am I the only one that names my cars?): (i) 2001 1.0 Volkswagen Polo (Patsy), (ii) 2014 1.8 Honda Civic (Cecil), (iii) 2009 Honda Civic Type R FN2 (Ralph), (iv) 2019 Fiat Spider (Nico) and (v) 2000 Alfa Romeo 156 (Romeo). This is car 6 since I first got Patsy in 2016, so fairly getting through them....
Gratuitous Alfa photo:
The new motor had to be less sporty and softer riding than the Alfa, due to living in the London suburbs - it's all speed bumps and speed limits around here, not the correct environment for something low and stiff. I had also decided I wanted a v8 - might as well, as I don't do very many miles. I was fairly set on a 4.2 Jag XJ, but after a couple of eventful attempts to purchase one, it wasn't to be. Then this Rover 75 popped up on a no reserve eBay auction, not far away. Only 55k miles! Top spec Connoisseur SE! Pictures from the advert:
The advert:
Low mileage (55,000) Rover 75 2.5 v6.
I bought this last summer to add to my collection. As a pre-facelift v6 (before 'Rover Group' cost cutting set in!), [EDITORS NOTE: NOT SURE IT IS IN FACT A PRE-FACELIFT, AS IT HAS SILVER NOT BLACK SILLS AND THE VIN SHOWS IT IS A LONGBRIDGE NOT COWLEY CAR - ANY ROVER BEARDS ABLE TO CONFIRM?] it is a great example of the last car developed by Rover and a hugely underrated machine.
Overall in good condition, I had the front shock absorbers replaced and a service last November at a cost of £460 to restore the magic carpet ride. [EDITORS NOTE - NO RECEIPT WAS PROVIDED]
The bodywork is generally in good shape, although one of the rear doors has had a little bump in the past so has some filler in it. [EDITORS NOTE - I CAN'T REALLY SPOT THIS, AT LEAST IN ITS PRESENT STATE OF NEEDING A GOOD WASH]
Inside is very nice although the 'computer' display is pixelated - I think this sis a common issue on these.
The car is a pleasure to drive but sadly, with the current situation, I can't justify keeping a fifth car so it needs to go - preferably to a good home that will get it finished off to the standard that I intended.
The MOT expired shortly, but I will get sorting a new one this week as soon as I can get it to a garage and before the end of the auction. Couple of important updates:
The Model is a 75 V6 Connoisseur SE
MOT will be in place on Monday. I found a garage the could sort it and put it in yesterday. The only issues were needing new windscreen wipers and the parking brake adjustment. Both will be fully sorted and there will be a full 12 months MOT in place when sold.
You can see the details at https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history
Its worth checking out as the history is pretty good on this car and confirms the very low mileage.
Always had a soft spot for these cars, and thought it would be a good stop gap, if I could get it cheap enough. Was willing to bid up to around a bag. Chucked an initial bid on of £600 and diarised to watch the end of the auction. However, I thought I had agreed to buy an XJR, and when the auction ended I was sitting in the XJR! The XJR was ultimately not bought as a price could not be agreed, and back to ebay I went and the 75 had sold for £601.50!
I dropped the seller a quick message to tell him to let me know if the buyer didn't turn up and we could maybe agree a price. A few hours later - the buyer can't pick up for three weeks so it is mine if I want it! Yes please. I even managed to agree I'd chuck him a little bit of extra cash if he could deliver it to me. A few hours later, he had roped his wife in to drive behind him and drop it off. By 6pm, it was mine. He arrived, I had a quick look, looked okay, didn't even bother to take it for a test drive. Told him I'd give him £650 - £50 for delivering - and a deal was done. And here it is!
Bodywork seems in generally good nick - few small marks, scuff to front bumper, needs a good wash - but not bad at all. There is also a little bit of crusting to one wheel arch, and a tiny bit at the end of one door sill.
You can see some more pictures here: https://imgur.com/a/XLRCFUl
Mismatched budget tyres, but all have plenty tread.
No service history, other than some paperwork for the most recent MOT. Oh and a manual - for a Rover 800...
Interior is also in good condition, though a few bits don't work.
The rear passenger light is hanging down:
The heated seats don't seem to work on either side.
As mentioned in the advert, the electronic display doesn't work.
Didn't manage to get cruise to activate, but not sure I was doing it right - hard to tell without the screen.
Electric mirrors won't adjust.
In terms of the drive, I took it out for a spin after I bought it and it drives lovely. Magic carpet ride indeed - its made for the speed bumps that plague the roads near me. The only issues I have spotted are spongy brakes - perhaps needs bled and new fluid?, and a slight squeak to the steering rack whilst maneouvring. It is far from a quick car, but it has a reasonable turn of pace when you floor it and it seems plenty of midrange power. It is my first auto, and the four speed box seems a little clunky, but I think that might just be the nature of old four speed autos. If you floor it, it takes a second to realise what you want to do then spins freely up to 6500 and starts to shift and makes a reasonably pleasant noise.
I have a few things to check thanks to some smoker barge thread suggestions - had the engine cover off and no sign of coolant stains or leaks, with the coolant being full. I did spot what looked like a tiny oil leak (red circle):
I found a Haynes manual in the car, and I am not mechanically minded, but going to order some axle stands and a trolley jack and try to do some basic work myself. Not sure I am brave enough to start on bleeding the brakes however, so likely to get someone to do that for me ...
Will update with some new pics once it has had a good wash. At £600, it seems a bargain. I don't really intend to treat it like a shed - will probably not spend much till I know its solid but once I do, happy to get it tidied up a bit. Tips and tricks welcome.
I am still tempted to add the cheap XJR to the fleet as well however ...
Gratuitous Alfa photo:
The new motor had to be less sporty and softer riding than the Alfa, due to living in the London suburbs - it's all speed bumps and speed limits around here, not the correct environment for something low and stiff. I had also decided I wanted a v8 - might as well, as I don't do very many miles. I was fairly set on a 4.2 Jag XJ, but after a couple of eventful attempts to purchase one, it wasn't to be. Then this Rover 75 popped up on a no reserve eBay auction, not far away. Only 55k miles! Top spec Connoisseur SE! Pictures from the advert:
The advert:
Low mileage (55,000) Rover 75 2.5 v6.
I bought this last summer to add to my collection. As a pre-facelift v6 (before 'Rover Group' cost cutting set in!), [EDITORS NOTE: NOT SURE IT IS IN FACT A PRE-FACELIFT, AS IT HAS SILVER NOT BLACK SILLS AND THE VIN SHOWS IT IS A LONGBRIDGE NOT COWLEY CAR - ANY ROVER BEARDS ABLE TO CONFIRM?] it is a great example of the last car developed by Rover and a hugely underrated machine.
Overall in good condition, I had the front shock absorbers replaced and a service last November at a cost of £460 to restore the magic carpet ride. [EDITORS NOTE - NO RECEIPT WAS PROVIDED]
The bodywork is generally in good shape, although one of the rear doors has had a little bump in the past so has some filler in it. [EDITORS NOTE - I CAN'T REALLY SPOT THIS, AT LEAST IN ITS PRESENT STATE OF NEEDING A GOOD WASH]
Inside is very nice although the 'computer' display is pixelated - I think this sis a common issue on these.
The car is a pleasure to drive but sadly, with the current situation, I can't justify keeping a fifth car so it needs to go - preferably to a good home that will get it finished off to the standard that I intended.
The MOT expired shortly, but I will get sorting a new one this week as soon as I can get it to a garage and before the end of the auction. Couple of important updates:
The Model is a 75 V6 Connoisseur SE
MOT will be in place on Monday. I found a garage the could sort it and put it in yesterday. The only issues were needing new windscreen wipers and the parking brake adjustment. Both will be fully sorted and there will be a full 12 months MOT in place when sold.
You can see the details at https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history
Its worth checking out as the history is pretty good on this car and confirms the very low mileage.
Always had a soft spot for these cars, and thought it would be a good stop gap, if I could get it cheap enough. Was willing to bid up to around a bag. Chucked an initial bid on of £600 and diarised to watch the end of the auction. However, I thought I had agreed to buy an XJR, and when the auction ended I was sitting in the XJR! The XJR was ultimately not bought as a price could not be agreed, and back to ebay I went and the 75 had sold for £601.50!
I dropped the seller a quick message to tell him to let me know if the buyer didn't turn up and we could maybe agree a price. A few hours later - the buyer can't pick up for three weeks so it is mine if I want it! Yes please. I even managed to agree I'd chuck him a little bit of extra cash if he could deliver it to me. A few hours later, he had roped his wife in to drive behind him and drop it off. By 6pm, it was mine. He arrived, I had a quick look, looked okay, didn't even bother to take it for a test drive. Told him I'd give him £650 - £50 for delivering - and a deal was done. And here it is!
Bodywork seems in generally good nick - few small marks, scuff to front bumper, needs a good wash - but not bad at all. There is also a little bit of crusting to one wheel arch, and a tiny bit at the end of one door sill.
You can see some more pictures here: https://imgur.com/a/XLRCFUl
Mismatched budget tyres, but all have plenty tread.
No service history, other than some paperwork for the most recent MOT. Oh and a manual - for a Rover 800...
Interior is also in good condition, though a few bits don't work.
The rear passenger light is hanging down:
The heated seats don't seem to work on either side.
As mentioned in the advert, the electronic display doesn't work.
Didn't manage to get cruise to activate, but not sure I was doing it right - hard to tell without the screen.
Electric mirrors won't adjust.
In terms of the drive, I took it out for a spin after I bought it and it drives lovely. Magic carpet ride indeed - its made for the speed bumps that plague the roads near me. The only issues I have spotted are spongy brakes - perhaps needs bled and new fluid?, and a slight squeak to the steering rack whilst maneouvring. It is far from a quick car, but it has a reasonable turn of pace when you floor it and it seems plenty of midrange power. It is my first auto, and the four speed box seems a little clunky, but I think that might just be the nature of old four speed autos. If you floor it, it takes a second to realise what you want to do then spins freely up to 6500 and starts to shift and makes a reasonably pleasant noise.
I have a few things to check thanks to some smoker barge thread suggestions - had the engine cover off and no sign of coolant stains or leaks, with the coolant being full. I did spot what looked like a tiny oil leak (red circle):
I found a Haynes manual in the car, and I am not mechanically minded, but going to order some axle stands and a trolley jack and try to do some basic work myself. Not sure I am brave enough to start on bleeding the brakes however, so likely to get someone to do that for me ...
Will update with some new pics once it has had a good wash. At £600, it seems a bargain. I don't really intend to treat it like a shed - will probably not spend much till I know its solid but once I do, happy to get it tidied up a bit. Tips and tricks welcome.
I am still tempted to add the cheap XJR to the fleet as well however ...
Edited by PrinceRupert on Thursday 25th June 13:54
Edited by PrinceRupert on Thursday 25th June 13:55
After the ups & downs of Jag hunting, I hope the Rover treats you well.
If it's of interest, I bought a cheapo fluid pump a few months back (£15ish on ebay) and recently used it to remove the oil on my MB W124. While it took a while to pull the old oil out, it was undoubtedly much easier than draining from the sump, and with no (additional) risk of a leak from the sump plug. My car has the oil filter up top, so the oil change doesn't need the car in the air at all. I don't know where the filter would be on your car, but it's worth a thought at least.
If it's of interest, I bought a cheapo fluid pump a few months back (£15ish on ebay) and recently used it to remove the oil on my MB W124. While it took a while to pull the old oil out, it was undoubtedly much easier than draining from the sump, and with no (additional) risk of a leak from the sump plug. My car has the oil filter up top, so the oil change doesn't need the car in the air at all. I don't know where the filter would be on your car, but it's worth a thought at least.
So, first job - brakes.
Anyone who is familiar with 75s, did the brakes take quite a lot of force to stop effectively? If I press the brakes hard it seems they travel say two-thirds of the way, and then slowly travel the final third. Flaw or feature? If flaw, I will probably stick it into a local garage for a brake fluid change and for them to diagnose any other brake related issues. Once my jack arrives, can also get the wheels off and check the pads myself. Changing pads is something I would be happy to try, bleeding brakes probably best left to a professional.
Anyone who is familiar with 75s, did the brakes take quite a lot of force to stop effectively? If I press the brakes hard it seems they travel say two-thirds of the way, and then slowly travel the final third. Flaw or feature? If flaw, I will probably stick it into a local garage for a brake fluid change and for them to diagnose any other brake related issues. Once my jack arrives, can also get the wheels off and check the pads myself. Changing pads is something I would be happy to try, bleeding brakes probably best left to a professional.
There are a couple of videos on YouTube and seems there's a spyhole mod:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCTc1Uhf1Tg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCTc1Uhf1Tg
No water, lots of crud. Gonna see if my handheld hoover will reach.
EDIT: My plenum rubber drain pipe is unseated, and there is a bit of crud in there that I can't see a way of getting out without dismantling. I tried to push it through, but it wouldn't go anywhere, just compacted it down. Hmm.
Edited by PrinceRupert on Thursday 25th June 17:51
PrinceRupert said:
Doesn't seem to want to go through. Also, looks like I need to reseat the tube. Not sure how to get there though.
Remove the pollen filter; get your hands in there with some needle nose pliers, grip the rubber drain tube and pull it out. Snip the bottom half inch off, the part that closes and causes the blockage and flooding, cover the top portion with some fairy liquid, insert back into the hold and press down firmly with your fingers, it should re-seat fine 
If I can do it with my shovel like hands and forearms the size of most peoples legs; anyone can
A mod I did as soon as I bought and owned numerous MG ZT/ ZT-T's
d_a_n1979 said:
Remove the pollen filter; get your hands in there with some needle nose pliers, grip the rubber drain tube and pull it out. Snip the bottom half inch off, the part that closes and causes the blockage and flooding, cover the top portion with some fairy liquid, insert back into the hold and press down firmly with your fingers, it should re-seat fine
If I can do it with my shovel like hands and forearms the size of most peoples legs; anyone can
A mod I did as soon as I bought and owned numerous MG ZT/ ZT-T's
Excellent, thank you! If I can do it with my shovel like hands and forearms the size of most peoples legs; anyone can
A mod I did as soon as I bought and owned numerous MG ZT/ ZT-T's
I will get my trusty Haynes manual to teach me how to remove the pollen filter :-)
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