Rover 75: PH Carpool
Two PistonHeads boxes ticked with this Carpool and Shed Of The Week combined!
Car: Rover 75 2.5 litre
Owned since: February 2017
Previously owned: Lots!
Polish pilots in British machinery a proven combo
"I have always wanted a Bristol. I will have one before I die, but I wanted something British. I run a company in the UK and thought it would be wrong not to go local. This one I found in a dismal used car lot in the Midlands, and bought it from two Afghans whom I impressed by recognising they were talking Pashtu to each other. I felt like I was rescuing an unloved dog from an animal shelter."
What I wish I’d known:
"I immediately bought a Haynes manual. At the price that I bought my Rover - £700 - research other than finding that the bodywork was basically sound was unnecessary."
Things I love:
"What I really love is that cultured purr of the V6 as the revs smoothly rise to meet the redline, the sophistication of the damping, and the fact that I can really push on bumpy B-roads. The bodywork is scruffy with scratches, dings and dents which are a legacy of the previous elderly owners and their parking issues."
Things I hate:
"I hate nothing… it is one of these cars that has a calming effect on me. Not like a sedative, but more like the smell of comfort food when you are angry. It makes me more tolerant of other people, even those in German cars."
Rover provides a relaxing wind-down from day job
"A cambelt job was almost as expensive as the car, with a water pump thrown in. I have since got new Toyo tires, a set of road Powerflex bushes, a new oil cooler, a good Sony radio and new wheel bearings plus some other assorted items. Fuel consumption is also looking reasonable, all the more so because the engine is fantastically flexible, pulling easily in fourth almost from standstill."
Where I’ve been:
"Now that is the funniest part. I, a Polish guy, run Arrinera Racing Ltd here in the UK, which builds and tests our Arrinera Hussarya GT3 race cars. I drive my Rover 75 to circuits like Silverstone, Blyton Park or Snetterton and then get behind the wheel of a purebred racer. On the way home the Rover again calms me down with its waft factor."
What next?
"I don't think I could sell it, as I could not sell a dog either. The next stage of upgrades will be uprated shocks and better brakes, because braided brake lines are already fitted."
Want to share your car with PHers on Carpool? Email us at carpool@pistonheads.com!
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