My Rover

SydneyRoverP6B

Well-Known Member
Staff member
My Rover is a 1974 model, originally a 3500 but in 2007 she became a 4600. An everyday Rover and the only car that I have ever owned. In 1978 when purchased by my late father, all work undertaken has been logged and I have continued with that approach since 1985. My Rover is a work in progress which has become an integral part of my life. I knew nothing when I first started and now I know just a little bit more. In the last month my Rover took me 2642 Miles (4253km) which was the most I had driven in a month in the past 26 years. Now with 239,343 Miles (385,342km) covered, she is a truly wonderful car, an excellent piece of British engineering, a car to be proud of, a car to keep forever.

The duco, now 37 years old is original, the interior is also largely original. For me, driving and maintaining is the enjoyment, so in that regard my Rover is a project. There is always something to do, and even when there is not, I can always polish something. When I was at University, I would pop down to the garage late at night for a break from my formal studies, sit in the Rover, turn on my stereo and listen to my favourite album at the time or open the bonnet and look, become familiar with what I saw, learn what the different parts do, read the workshop manual or just clean and polish. It was stress relieving and a joy to do. I love sharing information and learning from others, it makes being a Rover owner just that much better.

Chris York very nicely suggested I post a photo spread of my Rover, and now with my new digital camera... :D that is all possible. So today I took some photos, and there will be more to follow. But for the moment, here is an initial selection of images.

P4090062.jpg

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P4090074.jpg

P4090075.jpg

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I have also managed to delete the unwanted photobucket markers that they have issued after banning 3rd party hosting, unless a person pays $399 per year. Not likely!!

Ron.
 
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Wow - that's one very clean car! (especially considering how far you've done in the last month!)

Rich.
 
Thanks Rich.. :D I am very lucky in that both the engine and the transmission don't leak, so that really helps. The transmission especially is so incredibly clean, just as it was fitted following a major rebuild in 2009.

I am also lucky in that corrosion is not a major problem here in Australia, unless of course you live by the sea, then you would need to be more careful. So even though Sydney's average annual rainfall is twice that of London, there is no salt tossed about in Winter, and that is a major benefit to us here. The bright shiny metal on the tailshaft, 37 years old, no paint and no corrosion to speak of.

Ron.
 
Nice car! The underside looks well cared for. Is there a couple of holes that need a quick weld in the 1st pic of the drive shaft looking forward?
 
Very nice!
The fact that it is the very same car in your family since the 1970's is not less impressive.
Also, how can you keep it so clean underneath when it is a daily driver?
Both my cars are daily drivers (with the Austin also having a similar mileage to yours at almost 234,000 miles) but there is no way i can keep them so clean.
Anyway, i have only one remark, get another steering wheel cover!
 
Ron

Your car looks in excellent condition considering the mileage it's done. My own car has done half the mileage of yours (125K miles) and I put about 16K miles a year on it at the moment. One day my car will look like that from underneath..... :D

I had a run up to Inverness a couple of days ago, a run of 320 ish milesa and the car returned a very resaonable 28mpg. Having seen your picture through the windscreen on the other thread I was inspired to do likewise (Mr Plod look the other way please, I was in full control of the vehicle.....honest.... :wink: )

CIMG4199.jpg


This is on the A9 heading south through the Cairngorm National park.

Keep the pictures coming Ron

Dave
 
The nice comments are much appreciated, so thank you.. :D

cdnp6 wrote,...
Nice car! The underside looks well cared for. Is there a couple of holes that need a quick weld in the 1st pic of the drive shaft looking forward?

Not that I can see. There are some exisiting spot welds, but nothing in the way of corrosion. All the grease flung out of the sliding joint and the front uni joint over the years keep everything nice and protected.


Demetris wrote,...
how can you keep it so clean underneath when it is a daily driver?

Yes that suprises me too. I do wipe the suspension parts down every now and then, and of course the half shaft that you can see has only been in for a couple of days, but the undeseal is pretty clean too considering. I prefer not to drive on dirt roads if I can avoid it, but apart from that.....

Yes my steering wheel....Dad fitted a platted leather sleeve back in 1978 which lasted till the mid 90s or so, and that really helped to protect the original leather covering beneath. Naturally all subsequent leather sleeves are far too large in rim size, so nothing off the shelf will do. I have investigated having a sleeve made, but a ball park figure of $300 is tossed about... :shock: What is on there now is actually bicycle handebar tape. It feels quite good I must say, although I am not really happy where it meets the spokes. I do have another second hand steering wheel, the leather is in perfect condition, but unlike mine it has shiny stainless steel spokes which are bare as opposed to leather covered ones like mine. On top of that,..I do have another steering wheel.... 8)

Hello Dave,

I appreciate your comments... :D I like the photo that you took through your windscreen, there is nothing nicer to drive along than an empty road. I am pleased that you found mine inspiring. I shall indeed keep the photos coming... :D

Ron.
 
Hi Ron
Lovely car , I'll give you two grand for it , if you throw in the camera and instructions ! Bet your chomping at the bit eh ? You can keep the big spiders though ! I still do that sneak out to the garage thing , sit in the car and listen to the push button radio . Then start the motor . used to do it with my moggy traveller to, i'd either nearly poision my self or my husband would come and find me !
stina
 
Hi Ron
Lovely car , I'll give you two grand for it , if you throw in the camera and instructions ! Bet your chomping at the bit eh ? You can keep the big spiders though ! I still do that sneak out to the garage thing , sit in the car and listen to the push button radio . Then start the motor . used to do it with my moggy traveller to, i'd either nearly poision my self or my husband would come and find me !
stina
 
Hi Ron.
These are the areas I was referring to. It may be just the lighting, but to my starting to age eyes, there seems to be a couple of small gashes.

If the underside is this nice, I'm sure the top half is just as fantastic. More pics?
 

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Hi cdnp6,

Oh I see what you are referring to. I am happy to say that is a gap between the brake line which runs along the tunnel and the wall of the tunnel. The grease which is there in that part of the tunnel helps to make it look like a split, but luckily there isn't one, rather it is a small dent in the tunnel wall, which leaves a gap between it and the brake line.

I very much appreciate your comments and yes indeed, I'll post some more pics in the coming days.. :D

Ron.
 
Nice

Hi Ron

nice work with the snaps, got any of the whole engine bay?

question:

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Have you got a sandwich plate under the oil filter for the oil cooler? What's the ribbed thing on it with "flow" in the arrow?
 
Hello Geoff,

Glad you like my pics...boys with their toys... :D I will have a complete engine pic coming, but as it is raining today I'll wait till it is nice and sunny so I can park out in the drive for full advantage of the sunlight.

Yes, the engine oil cooler sandwich plate fits between the oil pump front cover and the filter. Luckily it just leaves me enough room to fit one of the shorter filters. The ribbed cylinder with 'flow' written upon it is an inline transmission fluid filter. I investigated prior to fitting one, received mixed opinions from transmission people, those that liked them said that they were great, those against looked at them from a replacement point of view, saying you can't leave them on forever. If you change them every 20,000km or 12 months no probs, but a lot of people wouldn't hence their negativity.

Personally, I find them excellent.

Ron.
 
Interesting! What brand is the trans fluid filter?

Has your K&N oil filter got the moulded part on top so that you can loosen it off with a socket or ring spanner? (I know that some of them do and some don't). I would pay in gold doubloons if Ryco had that on their filters!

ps. It's sunny here. :)

pps. It is cold, I froze on the bike.
 
ewokracing wrote,...
What brand is the trans fluid filter? Has your K&N oil filter got the moulded part on top so that you can loosen it off with a socket or ring spanner?

The filter is a Magnefine. The oil filter does have the nut section which is spot welded to the end, but I have to cut it off as there is insufficient clearance.

Didn't ride at all today. Rode an easy 41km yesterday, supposed to be fine tomorrow so I'll go for 50!

Ron.
 
Hi Ron

Most impressive set of pictures. I see that, like me, you start looking at a car from the oily bits out!

There's a chap in the Rover Sports Register has had some correct steering wheel covers manufactured:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260759896659


If you've gone to the trouble of getting a sandwich plate for the oil pump so that you can run lines to an oil cooler, why not swap it for a blank sandwich plate? Then you can use a remote oil filter and mount it where you can get a maximum length filter on it. (and vertically so you don't finish up with oily armpits!)

Chris
 
Hello Chris,

Very much appreciate your comments, and thanks for the link regarding the steering wheel covers... :D The remote oil filter is something that I had not previously considered, so it is definitely food for thought.

Ron.
 
Once you've had a remote oil filter setup, it's really hard to go back. The best ones are where the filter is upside down, unscrew the old filter, swap over, bit of tidying up the drips with a rag, done! You'd be able to go back to using a Z30 filter too.
 
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