It's like this. Before I got my Octavia vrs I owned 2 Rover 200s and my Dad, my brother and myself share another as a spare car. My Dad decided that he wanted some alloy wheels for our spare Rover and after looking on ebay, he found it was cheaper to buy a set of alloys with a car attatched to them . So we bought a green Rover 214SEi, with a dead engine, off ebay for £100 with the intention of keeping the wheels and then breaking the rest of the car for spares. Trouble was, when we got it home we decided it was too nice to break up and as I happened to have the engine out of my first 214 sitting in the back garden, we thought it would be a good idea to fix it. So I swapped the engine, put a new battery on it and turned the key. Fired up first time and everything worked! We put it in for an MOT and it flew straight through. But after that we parked it on the drive and haven't used it at all in 2 years, in which time it got pretty grubby.

I recently decided that I needed a car for doing cheap motorsport events with (Autotests, road rallies and stuff) so I gave it a good clean and polish up, gave the engine a new cambelt, fresh oil and filters, changed the coolant and spark plugs. I insured it and then sent it off for another MOT. Straight through again! Since then I have replaced a rear wheel bearing that was a bit noisy and changed the thermostat and it was overcooling considerably. I also picked up a full set of alloys with pretty much brand new tyres for £77 off ebay so it now looks quite tidy.

Problem I have now, is that since I've been driving it around for the past couple of weeks to make sure it runs alright and give me a chance to sort anything that comes up before I do my first event in it on the 1st of March, I've become quite fond of it and really enjoy driving it. So much so that this weekend, I've parked the Skoda at the back of the drive and that's where it'll stay for a while . I forgotten just how pleasent these little cars are, especially as this one has the 1/2 leather seats which are really comfortable, and it's so economical that I haven't even used 1/2 a tank in the 2 weeks since I filled it up .

Am I mad?

Here's a couple of pics I took on the day of it's big wash.

Before wash:

After wash:

Yes your mad...

HTH

Honda chassis, Rover engine, good engine those 1.4s, however the head lets them down.

Incidentally I saw loads of Rover 600's that appeared to have been LPG converted as Taxis in Cardiff City Centre. I am guessing they know something about them that I don't

You've gotta love those 214's

loved mine to bits, even when it was broken and needed new gearbox/clutch/cylinder head/brakes every few months

I drove a Rover 100 for ages, did me well for a while but just was not up to the trashing to/from work (50 mile trip).

Different type of car to the 200 series, they were not that bad IMHO, very old now of course though

My first car was a J-plate 214Si.

It was ****!

Am I mad?

Errrr.......

.....yup !!

Those Rover 200's arem't that bad actually, and yours look like a minter!!!

Is it the same as the Concerto? as those look bery similar.

The Ballad and 200 Saloon were the same too weren't they?

Yep, Rover 200 and Honda Concerto are the same car, just different badges and lights. Mine's not quite a minter, but it's certainly not bad for just £100! Might try and take some nice pictures of it later now it's got it's alloys on. Matt@theforce's pictures have just reminded me that I've still got the spoiler off my old 200 kicking around in the shed. Be rude not to spray it up and get it on the car.

I got my Favorit for a bargain price, runs sweet and scrubbed up well once clean.

Its good to see good bargain buys out there

Turn the light off as you leave the building.................................................

Matt@theforce's pictures have just reminded me that I've still got the spoiler off my old 200 kicking around in the shed. Be rude not to spray it up and get it on the car.

DO IT, get that spoiler on, these were/are ACE cars and I miss mine, I always wanted the SEi interior for mine but could never find one. For me the only real downside to these 214's were the single (non vented) brake disc's on the front, I tried all sorts of aftermarket disc & pad combinations but they would always warp, I did do around 30k per year in mine though.

Mine finished up with a 1.8vvc mg engine in it from Motobuild (in Hounslow), wish I had of kept the 1.4 though as the 1.8 made the car feel heavy and less responsive but once moving that thing flew

I have had two 214's a blue M Reg Si which i managed to smash up but loved it so much i bought an Charcoal grey N reg SEi, loved it, half leather, electric sunroof and alloys for pocket money. And you've gotta love the fake wooden trim

Never had any mechanical problems with them either which was pretty good considering rovers reliability.

For me the only real downside to these 214's were the single (non vented) brake disc's on the front, I tried all sorts of aftermarket disc & pad combinations but they would always warp

I always had the discs glowing bright orange on my old one until I managed to get hold of ventilated set up from a 220. Brakes were sweet then.

Well, I haven't been able to drive the thing at all this weekend as I got in it yesterday morning, turned the key and it wouldn't start. Not getting a spark or any fuel in the cylinders and no matter what I try, it just won't work! Spent the whole day tinkering and nothing. Couldn't be bothered with it today and tomorrow I'm working away all week and won't have time to sort it for the first auto test next Sunday. Now I remember why I upgraded to the Octavia!

It's alive! Been thinking about it all week whilst I was away and i wondered if it might just be that dodgy earth lead that's given me trouble before. Came home, changed the cable, turned the key... fired up straight away. Happy days!

prefer the big old 800 vanden plas and vitesse's

I used to lust after the (Bubble shape) 200 BRM special edition...

I had a 214si (bubble shape) before my Fabia. I liked it a lot. The Fabia was definitely better though.

prefer the big old 800 vanden plas and vitesse's

Like this one??

the right age, but more the fastbacks

reminds me of the big old SD1's, oooo big old V8's *rubs hands*

the right age, but more the fastbacks

reminds me of the big old SD1's, oooo big old V8's *rubs hands*

Like this one?

Sorry but I just had to post this

I drive an '05 plate Fabia 1.9TDi...at work I drive (many!) Fiesta hire cars to and from the airport, all newer than '05, plus '03 plate auto and manual mondeos. All fairly modern and sophisticated cars...better to drive than the Rover you would think.

The guy round the back of the car hire shop has an ancient Rover identical to the OP's, and one day I had a shot of it. You know what? I liked it!!

I was almost ashamed of myself, guilty pleasures eh