Timewarp Rover 214 SEI
Discussion
Quite a few Pistonheads members will be familiar with my Rover fetish (evidence your Honour is presented in the shape of my 200 BRM and 75 Connoisseur). Obviously when I saw this car at a recent MG Rover show it was mandatory I bug the owner into selling it to me...no regrets! My parents had one when I was eight so to have a timewarp example now is a bit of a dream realised, and one I never thought I’d actually achieve.
One elderly lady owner for the first 20 or so years of its life, then the enthusiast chap before me. The car has led a charmed and cherished life-it's only been out in the wet a couple of times. Just 12k miles from new is backed up by just how unworn the whole thing is.
It drives, well, brilliantly. I was expecting to make allowances for it being a 24 year old car and a 30 year old design, but it handles well, the body control is really quite impressive and gets down the road nicely thanks to the ever eager K-Series. The fit & finish is also so much nicer than the later 00's Rover products-the leather is thick and supple, the plastics soft (yup!) and it feels well screwed together.
Pictures say it all, really.
One elderly lady owner for the first 20 or so years of its life, then the enthusiast chap before me. The car has led a charmed and cherished life-it's only been out in the wet a couple of times. Just 12k miles from new is backed up by just how unworn the whole thing is.
It drives, well, brilliantly. I was expecting to make allowances for it being a 24 year old car and a 30 year old design, but it handles well, the body control is really quite impressive and gets down the road nicely thanks to the ever eager K-Series. The fit & finish is also so much nicer than the later 00's Rover products-the leather is thick and supple, the plastics soft (yup!) and it feels well screwed together.
Pictures say it all, really.
InitialDave said:
Those R8s were really excellent, I've never understood why people have a downer on them. I prefer the Honda 1.6, though.
Same here. The K-series wasn't bad, but the Honda engines were probably better.Shame that they became so uncool so quickly and disappeared. They were kind of an early Audi A3 - they really did seem like a better quality car than Astra, Escort and Golf.
Thats brilliant!!
Got a lot of time for these old Rover R8s, I had a 216GTi Twin Cam:
DSC01660 by Grant F, on Flickr
I loved that car; only cost me a few hundred pounds, went like the absolute clappers (for what it was!) and until it dropped its guts at high revs, it was ultra reliable and been with me for quite some time as dog-transport and VTR/VTS baiting, which was great fun.
Got a lot of time for these old Rover R8s, I had a 216GTi Twin Cam:
DSC01660 by Grant F, on FlickrI loved that car; only cost me a few hundred pounds, went like the absolute clappers (for what it was!) and until it dropped its guts at high revs, it was ultra reliable and been with me for quite some time as dog-transport and VTR/VTS baiting, which was great fun.
That is absolutely lovely!!
I will confess to being a bit of a Rover pervert.....
When I was 18, I couldn't get insured on a Metro GTi, so I bought a 1993 K Reg Rover 214 SLi, which shared the same 1.4 16v multi injection engine. It felt like a real step up from my basic F Reg Escort 1.3 Popular!!
Always lusted after an SEi with the colour coded bottom half. (Mine was dark blue with primer grey bottom). Nightfire red would have been my ideal choice!!
Great find OP. Please PM me should you ever think of selling!
Please keep the updates / pic coming.....
I will confess to being a bit of a Rover pervert.....
When I was 18, I couldn't get insured on a Metro GTi, so I bought a 1993 K Reg Rover 214 SLi, which shared the same 1.4 16v multi injection engine. It felt like a real step up from my basic F Reg Escort 1.3 Popular!!
Always lusted after an SEi with the colour coded bottom half. (Mine was dark blue with primer grey bottom). Nightfire red would have been my ideal choice!!
Great find OP. Please PM me should you ever think of selling!
Please keep the updates / pic coming.....
I used to drive one of these around when I was on placement at University. There was a selection of cars I could have used but always gravitated towards the Rover. It wasn't desirable back then but it just drove nicely. When I qualified, I went hunting for the 220 coupe as I loved the looks and knew it would be a nice drive. I couldn't find a decent one and ended up with a Calibra 
Love it ! And that really does look like new.
Brings back alot of memory's for me.
My parents bought a 6 month old (ex demo) 214s back in 1991 it was base spec but looked awesome in white with a little lip spoiler. Think that was an 8v version of the engine too so less power.
Several years later my Dad bought a £250 beige G reg 214si which an old bloke had driven into a ditch and left there. Aged 17 I learnt to drive it in then shared it with my Dad, always remember thinking how quick it was, how ugly beige was and how it stank in the hot weather as the water smell from its time in the ditch never really cleared.
Fast forward a little ans 19 year old me buys myself a BRG 1996 216 coupe, lowered it and drove off the wheels off it for a few years, stuck to through the auction after the head gasket went for the 2nd time and the rust got bad
Brings back alot of memory's for me.
My parents bought a 6 month old (ex demo) 214s back in 1991 it was base spec but looked awesome in white with a little lip spoiler. Think that was an 8v version of the engine too so less power.
Several years later my Dad bought a £250 beige G reg 214si which an old bloke had driven into a ditch and left there. Aged 17 I learnt to drive it in then shared it with my Dad, always remember thinking how quick it was, how ugly beige was and how it stank in the hot weather as the water smell from its time in the ditch never really cleared.
Fast forward a little ans 19 year old me buys myself a BRG 1996 216 coupe, lowered it and drove off the wheels off it for a few years, stuck to through the auction after the head gasket went for the 2nd time and the rust got bad
Nice car! My second car was a '94 214SLi, two tone white over grey with (fake?) wood on the doors and dash and velour upholstery. Felt incredibly luxurious after my first car, a 13 year old Fiat Uno
I still think the build quality was superb, the interior plastics felt really solid, the plush trim and wood lifted the interior and the body panel fit and finish was also excellent. They were streets ahead of the contemporary Escort and Astra.
Mine was very reliable for a few year's use once warped front discs and a rusty radiator had been replaced. Sold in 2002 when I emigrated and seems it survived 'til 2007.
The K series was very responsive but pretty noisy and lacking torque, but the 1.6 Honda wasn't much more torquey and seemed to use a lot more fuel. The cars generally seemed to lack bulkhead sound insulation. Drove the turbodiesel version a few times and it felt like the engine was sitting next to me in the passenger seat!
I still think the build quality was superb, the interior plastics felt really solid, the plush trim and wood lifted the interior and the body panel fit and finish was also excellent. They were streets ahead of the contemporary Escort and Astra.
Mine was very reliable for a few year's use once warped front discs and a rusty radiator had been replaced. Sold in 2002 when I emigrated and seems it survived 'til 2007.
The K series was very responsive but pretty noisy and lacking torque, but the 1.6 Honda wasn't much more torquey and seemed to use a lot more fuel. The cars generally seemed to lack bulkhead sound insulation. Drove the turbodiesel version a few times and it felt like the engine was sitting next to me in the passenger seat!
These were brilliant cars with cracking engines when new.
People love slating them but jesus, look at the equivalent wheezy CVH engined Escort or gutless 1.3/1.6 golf and honestly say they were better than the 214. Golf may be a bit better built but that's it.
My mate Godders used to drive us about in his dad's green SEi. Good Times.
People love slating them but jesus, look at the equivalent wheezy CVH engined Escort or gutless 1.3/1.6 golf and honestly say they were better than the 214. Golf may be a bit better built but that's it.
My mate Godders used to drive us about in his dad's green SEi. Good Times.
BGarside said:
Nice car! My second car was a '94 214SLi, two tone white over grey with (fake?) wood on the doors and dash and velour upholstery. Felt incredibly luxurious after my first car, a 13 year old Fiat Uno
I still think the build quality was superb, the interior plastics felt really solid, the plush trim and wood lifted the interior and the body panel fit and finish was also excellent. They were streets ahead of the contemporary Escort and Astra.
Mine was very reliable for a few year's use once warped front discs and a rusty radiator had been replaced. Sold in 2002 when I emigrated and seems it survived 'til 2007.
The K series was very responsive but pretty noisy and lacking torque, but the 1.6 Honda wasn't much more torquey and seemed to use a lot more fuel. The cars generally seemed to lack bulkhead sound insulation. Drove the turbodiesel version a few times and it felt like the engine was sitting next to me in the passenger seat!
I do think the engine mounts suffer quite badly on these; I drove a 80k 1.4 16v example a little while back and the NVH was quite frankly terrible, hence expecting to make allowances for this car.I still think the build quality was superb, the interior plastics felt really solid, the plush trim and wood lifted the interior and the body panel fit and finish was also excellent. They were streets ahead of the contemporary Escort and Astra.
Mine was very reliable for a few year's use once warped front discs and a rusty radiator had been replaced. Sold in 2002 when I emigrated and seems it survived 'til 2007.
The K series was very responsive but pretty noisy and lacking torque, but the 1.6 Honda wasn't much more torquey and seemed to use a lot more fuel. The cars generally seemed to lack bulkhead sound insulation. Drove the turbodiesel version a few times and it felt like the engine was sitting next to me in the passenger seat!
However this one really is great-no excess vibrations, noise or roughness.
Great find OP.
My 1 and only Company Car was an H-plate 214SLi in British Racing Green back in 1993! The other 2 cars I was offered were 1.8 Sierras, but they cost more in tax, so the Rover it was.
I really liked it and it was really economical, but sadly I didn't quite have it a year before my employer went into melt-down and closed our office so I got made redundant and had to give it back.
Next time I qualified for a Company car I just took the cash allowance and bought my own - once bitten as they say!
Many fond memories of that Rover though.
My 1 and only Company Car was an H-plate 214SLi in British Racing Green back in 1993! The other 2 cars I was offered were 1.8 Sierras, but they cost more in tax, so the Rover it was.
I really liked it and it was really economical, but sadly I didn't quite have it a year before my employer went into melt-down and closed our office so I got made redundant and had to give it back.
Next time I qualified for a Company car I just took the cash allowance and bought my own - once bitten as they say!
Many fond memories of that Rover though.
That looks great! I remember willing my parents to buy one of these. We ended up with a red L-reg 214i and then a silver N-reg 214i again 8V.
I think the SEi offered a really nice spec for its time and the 16V was a great engine.
Good luck with yours !!
I think the SEi offered a really nice spec for its time and the 16V was a great engine.
Good luck with yours !!
Edited by Bogsye on Wednesday 29th May 22:01
Edited by Bogsye on Wednesday 29th May 22:45
SEi was a decent specification, especially those gorgeously comfortable seats. Apparently they were a Recaro design commissioned by Rover, who then thought them too expensive-so just made them themselves anyway unfortunately A/C wasn’t available on the SEi. A sunroof was, which this one has-and unlike pretty much every other one, it isn’t rusty!
I’ve got the original brochure of the car so I’ll dig that out and post a few pictures from it.
unfortunately A/C wasn’t available on the SEi. A sunroof was, which this one has-and unlike pretty much every other one, it isn’t rusty!I’ve got the original brochure of the car so I’ll dig that out and post a few pictures from it.
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