Why I Bought One Of Britain's Last Failures As A Daily..
Vložit
- čas přidán 7. 09. 2023
- I'm betting some of my viewers won't approve of my latest choice! But My 306 has to go.. I need something more comfortable and that I can run through winter.
Tayna Car Batteries are fantastic and supply all my car batteries! Use the code NUMBER27YT for a further 5% off! - www.tayna.co.uk - Auta a dopravní prostředky
I used to work at a car auction, we had one that had 220,000 miles on it, only one owner and full service and no one would buy it. A chap was working for us and had no money so we chipped in and bought it for him so he could get to work and back he ran it for 3 years and it never let him down.
Wish I worked with fellas like you ... I had to buy my 220k car myself
Awesome...that's what you like to hear!
Was that one with a Honda derived engine?
@@MaximilianvonPinneberg bmw engine.
@@saulmc8920was only £250...
Looks like you have a nice example Jack - Serpent alloys too! If you pop over to the 75 and ZT owners' club and register (it's free), then drop Pete a line he can get hold of the factory build data for you. Plus, we have a stack of advice and help all online for you to browse round and ask questions about.
True story.
An old mate of mine used to work at Rover, he had a 75. He kept it when he moved to Lotus. He was later offered a job with a small start up in America and his Rover is up on axle stands in his house in Norfolk for when he comes back from working for Tesla where he's the senior chassis department management engineer - responsible for them all since the Lotus Roadster and even 'invented' the gigapress! (His name is on the patents!). Loves his 75.
The Rover 75 is unjustly billed as a "retirement special", but especially in these days of same-y SUVs and terribly anonymous electric vehicles, the Rover 75's retro-styling makes it stand out as both modern and classic, really calls back to the old British car industry's glory days, before the British-Leyland mandated fusion spelled the end.
BMW engine I suppose
@@enricol5974 Actually no - the Rover 75 was the breaking point between BMW and Rover during development, so all specs of the 75 mount K-Series Rover engines.
I'd guess they put their name on their electric vehicles.
@@richsackett3423 rights to the Rover name are owned by Tata at the moment, and they don't seem to be interested in bringing it back.
Back in late 90s my cousin sold his 94 CRX SiR for a Rover 220 Turbo. The reason was dat he needs to grow up and Rover 220 Turbo image goes well around the people dat he needs to deal with daily as opposed to the Honda CRX SiR which gave out the hooligan boy racer joy riders vibe.
Always been a fan of the 75. It seemed a bit of a pastiche (or even a parody) of old Rovers at the time but now Rover are long gone that doesn’t really matter. It’s modern looking enough to work and I agree the design is really well balanced. Thumbs up 👍
As a Rover man through and through I totally approve of the 75, which I had back in the day as a company car. Lovely car.
The Rover 75's are great cars even today, very much under-appreciated. I worked in a Rover dealership when these came out and they were very well received in their day.
...by OAPs
@@matthewlewis2072 yeah, you think you're funny mate, crack on and keep making yourself look stupid
@@matthewlewis2072 which is a sign of wisdom
Nice to see you hogging the middle lane like a proper Rover owner 👍😂
😂
Well, it has got a BMW engine too so the indicators probably never get used either.
Also known as the 'Centre Lane Owners' Group' (CLOG), hence cloggers always clogging the middle lane. If only police cars were equipped with harpoons... 😊
Love that, "Cloggers" spot on!
Disappointed....
Nice to see that Pistachio has you fully trained. My cat has done the same with me.
I had one years ago had nearly 300k on it when I sold it. And it was 100% reliable, good cheap motors
One of my younger colleagues bought a Rover 75 as one of his first cars...think he paid around £1,500 and gave him years of reliable service as a daily commuter car. Very comfortable.
I had the 2 litre diesel a few years ago in Racing Green ( although nothing racy about the ‘75’ ). It was like driving sitting in your favourite club armchair. I drove from Solihull to N.W. Scotland in a day and I was simply ‘wafted’ there. A outstanding old ‘barge’.
Absolutely no problem with this Jack; the result of great BMW investment. I was lucky enough to drive both the X Type and the MG ZT at launch around Milbrook. The MG was so much better ressolved (and better put together) than the Jag, with a superb driving position and ride/handling balance, and its fundamentals were great. So much so that I bought one a few years later to the amusment of my mates. I've owned about 30 cars and it was one of the best all-rounders.
Pity BMW followed the investment with a rant at Government at the 75 launch. Talk about putting the kibosh on it.
@@roverenderalligator9104 and then some. Cue and here I use their very words.
THE ENGLISH PATIENT.
They asset the two small cars to balance up their otherwise gas guzzler model range and thus avoid punitive EU measures.
The massive R&D costs of the Bini and R30 / 1-Seies set against Rover Group costs not BMW's used to demonstrate that financial sickness. MUG UK. ... Ongoing. They form queues to do that ongoing daily.
There are decided advantages to an "old man's car" which you will have the joy of discovering. We don't have those in The States so to my eye, it's a fascinating stylistic mashup of a half-dozen Euro saloons. It is on my bucket list to order a sarsaparilla at the bar of a Euro saloon, which would also have Dutch doors, I imagine.
Had a racy ZT 2.5 from new on a bargain finance deal that couldn't understand how the dealer was making any money. Great spec and never put a fault wrong. Was a great "grand tourer" .
Good choice Jack, these cars are still in my view one of the best cars Rover made. I had the MG ZTT 2003 YM which was absolutely faultless over 2 years of ownership. TBH as a daily driver for £2k you cannot go wrong. Its funny though it still looks thoroughly modern as a "retro" car even after 20 years. Look forward to the next review....
Here in America Cadillacs and Buicks are "old man's cars", but I've owned several and they were all very capable with lots of power. Plus super comfortable on a long trip. I say well done Jack!
I was thinking this was similar to the Oldsmobile/ middle management car from a brand that no longer exists.
Always had the feelers out for the right Buick LeSabre or Lucerne V6 myself. Totally get that.
Good choice. Had my 75 diesel auto for 6 years now, and only let me down when the starter motor failed. Strong chain driven engine and no pesky DPF to get clogged up. I see your cat has you well trained.
We had the same M47D20 engine (M47R in your case) in a BMW E46 318d Touring that we bought new in 2004. We had the car for 10 years and put a total of 346,000 Km (215,000 miles) on it with no significant problems. The engine is really solid and seems marginally stronger than stated by BMW. The car's top speed on my GPS in Germany was also 7-8 km/h higher than stated by BMW. I also like the Rover 75 and good luck with it :)
I saw one of these at down at Thatcham's testing centre, on a work jolly, whilst it was going through its tests before it went on sale.
They were *really* impressed with it. The first ones had almost BMW levels of build quality, and yet they looked so classic and sub BMW prices. And the look was retro, yet done so well, they don't seem to have aged even today. Had BMW not lost their bottle, Rover could today be in big cars what Mini is to small cars today.
Bloody good car the 75, will serve you well so long as it's been looked after.
The 45 was also massively underrated - it shared much with the Honda Civic of it's day.
45 was a mistake after the R8.
'Keep left unless overtaking'. I see Rover ownership still comes with membership of the Middle Lane Owners Club...
These were everywhere in Manchester after 2002 Commonwealth Games. Dozens were dumped onto the local market after their stint as official transport . Most trim/engine options were used and many finished up in the private hire sector as they were so cheap. I also seem to recall a compound near the ship canal at Flixton being stuffed with unsold cars after the collapse of Rover. Ironically I can't recall seeing one in Manchester for a longtime now. Good luck with this one, always liked the look of the estate, first gen V6 with a manual box.
Ran one of these years ago when i was in my mid thirties, mates thought I'd lost the plot. I loved it long distance, so refined and relaxing
I am in a similar position. I am 31 and hopefully picking up an S Type Jag tomorrow. Although my mates probably wont be surprised at all as I am an old fart 🤣
I've always considered myself to be a petrol head and I must say that I loved my '02 Connoisseur SE. An absolutely brilliant car and I was in my 30s at the time. I don't think you'll regret this decision Jack. Also, as a serial Jag owner, I have to say you're spot on with the S-type comparison (and that's why I've never owned the x200).
I had this car many years ago and loved it. I had the V6 petrol maybe even the same year as the one you have here. The interior could be a little flimsy but looked and felt luxurious and loved the drive the feel and everything about it. Definitely a great buy. Good to here what you think of it and see you give it some TLC.
Watch out for the bonnet mech failing, tie it together with a zip tie if getting problems, rust prone trailing arms, handbrake that stretches (for which a mod is available) leaking rear light seals, from memory.
Nice to see a 75 from the inside again. Back in the day I developed the optional rear window electric sunshade for the 75, but sadly your car does not have it, just the grooves in the parcel shelf. At one point I was invited to Rover for a first fitment and functional test on the basically finished car, and I was completely blown away by the wonderfully retro interior design, the seats, the wood, all of it 😁
Was the poor steering the reason you had to stick in the middle lane the whole way?😀
No, it was the traffic in the inside lane, don't want to be a caused of being a weaver bird do we?
As soon as you said that you were up for something more comfy, I guessed it was the 75. Seem to be very comfortable cars, and I find the design to be very fine and well-proportioned.
12:07 I found the same feeling from my steering, which is good to hear. I also found that they handle well enough when you throw them into corners.
Congratulations on your purchase No.27. I like it, great spec to boot. I have a hankering for a 75 estate in BRG. Good luck with your ownership and please keep us all updated!😊
The dark colour does give the 75 a more classy feel indeed! The interior is really nice! 🙂👌
The interior reminds me of the X-type, and in general, it has a Jaguar vibe to it. They've never sold these in the US, at least not for a long time. But it does look quite smart, no matter the reputation it has in the UK. Hey, it got you home, and when the aircon is fixed, I imagine it will be a really nice place to be while driving. 😊
Greetings from New Smyrna Beach, Florida. 👋
Much prefer the facelift headlights although the panel fit around the grille, bonnet & wings is awful ! Very comfortable ride and one of the smoothest gear changes I’ve ever driven.
Being a black Rover with cream leather I was half expecting it to come with a PM smoking a pipe sitting in the rear. Anyway Jack, go luck with it, looking forward to seeing how things go. Can't help thinking it's a bit of a bargain.
Dear Reader,
May I say that I find it encouraging that Mr. Number 27, will probably come with new tinkering video's, because I can't imagine that nothing has to be done about the car. And I've always enjoyed the tinkering video's a lot more than the test drives of expensive cars. But of course, I don't have to tinker myself, I just watch and admire the persistence of Mr. Number 27.
So, thank you for the upcoming video's about the 75.
With Kind Regards,
Michel F. van den Brun
Dutch pedestrian
I had a 2004 MG ZT diesel in black a decade ago. It was the lower powered version so I wasn't expecting much from it but was surprised how quick it was on the way home. I later found out it had been superchipped to about 160hp.🙂 The MGs had pretty decent handling for a car of that era and size. I'd have another but it's tough finding a good one these days.
Jack, we definitely didn't see that one coming, I thought I'd tuned into Hubnut. totally underrated car and a credit to the designer Richard Woolley I believe. Enjoy, looking forward to the updates.
Great choice Jack. I bought a manual one of these new in 2003 in White Gold (I live in southern Spain so a dark coloured car soaks up the heat). Like your's it had the 2.0 litre BMW diesel (135 bhp) engine, cream leather interior and alloy wheels. Coming from an Alfa Romeo 156, I thought the handling might be disappointing but it was surprisingly nimble for such a big car. I covered 300,000 kms in 17 years of trouble-free ownership and only sold it because spares were getting rare and expensive and I stopped driving long distances on the motorway. It had quite a heavy clutch and eventually the roof lining started to collapse but nothing that couldn't be fixed. I didn't like the face-lifted version as much, and am still furious at the Phoenix Four for the way they bled the company to death. I believe they still make them in China though for copyright reasons they're no longer called Rover. Hope the car gives you loads of smooth and comfortable miles 😃
When these first came out, there were discussions in the press as to why none seemed be available in the UK to buy. A trip to Munich in late 1999 revealed why - they were *everywhere* over there.
A very interesting buy and a very sensible one. I would have run away on seeing those horrendous wind deflectors but it seem you have bagged a good one. Congratulations.
Vape vents.
As long as you approve it doesn't really matter if anyone else does.
Hardly true when it's bought for views on a CZcams channel, is it?
Yes. If anything he will get more engagement from people who don't like it than people who do.@@resnonverba137
Yes Gav, old man's car. Fergal
This car has a cult following. I know a garage in Shrewsbury who can’t get enough of them. The BMW diesel engine with blue paint of white leather would be my choice for sure. Beautiful comfortable car. Great choice. I approve. 😊
Had a couple of the V6 version of these on long term hire back in the day. Lovely noise but a bit thirsty for doing 15K per annum. Also liking the blog format of this one.👍
Very nice car and I have had an excellent run with my Black 75 V6 in Australia. The steering wheel looks like the incorrect oak wood in the car but overall an excellent choice. The MG variant would have a more driver focus suspension. Look forward to viewing your road test. I would add the rear spoiler but that is my personal choice and 18" alloys.
These are lovely cars and very much underrated. Not the nicest cars to work on thanks to some "interesting" engineering, but when they're well sorted, they're lovely. Very comfortable, quiet and serene. Better at being a small Jaguar than the actual small Jaguars of the era. Nice build quality, too. One or two bits of cheap feeling switchgear, but really nice overall.
I've always had a soft spot for Rovers, going back many decades. I was greatly saddened when they closed down. I'm happy you've got what appears to be a good one that you like, and wish you many happy miles and good times with it. Cheers!
In our family it's just Alfa Romeos and Fiats that we all love. Then we got a lone 75 2.5 v6 auto with just over 300 000km still in mint condition and still totally reliable. Even hopping between 147, 156 and 2017 Giulia, the 75 still make you feel good and drive and handle surprisingly well. Much underrated cars. BTW the sunroof should be completely silent and if it works, the aircon is amongst the best...
Very nice. A good alternative is the 210 hp diesel Alfa 159. Beautiful car, and a very nice torque. Also a smooth ride, and a good build quality much better than the 156.
As a design brief to produce something like a mini Bentley to fit the rover middle management image, I think it's outstanding. I would also go for the BMW diesel with auto box. I don't think they were a failure. They were and still are everywhere, just like my CLK. Good choice and I hope it doesn't need much.
Hello Jack, if that car was in pristine condition I would love it!!!! Gorgeous classy exterior and an even more classy and almost perfect interior. The black exterior and the beige interior matches our current BMW colors perfectly. We really enjoy the color scheme and we get a lot of nice comments on it . Your Diesel engine makes it quite interesting. I wish I could drive it. Enjoy it while you can.
The pound shop Bentley. I had two Rovers and loved them, put your slippers on, light your pipe and remember to drive at the same speed whatever the signs say.
Great daily car mate! Lovely colour and the inside is stunning! I think you should go full on grandad mode and put the badge bar back on 😂
I always thought the 75 was a very elegant looking car, it just 'works'
It looks like you got yourself a bargain! 😉 👍
It has to have the right wheels to work.
You won't regret it bought one 18 months ago and don't regret it, very simple to work on, I use mine as a daily clocking 1000 miles a month, shame you didn't go for a tourer, so practical
What a cracking car! I think the 75 looks amazing and this one in this spec looks proper! Congrats and I think you'll really enjoy this one.
Interesting choice in a Daily driver Jack! I'll be interested to see how you get on with the 75 👍
Great choice. They are amazing value. Always like them and the S-type. I'd have a V6 or V8 as not worried about MPG. A touring too.
I've had both and prefer the Jag, but had the Rover 3 years and is doing well. Both are good for town driving but the Jag more comfortable on the long / high speed runs. I was especially lucky as the Jag was manual.
Great call. I have always liked these, and come close to buying a few times. Looking forward to the learning curve
I was pondering myself, getting one of these. Unfortunately they're not that common in holland, and prices are relatively high.
But you've done well dear sir.
I had one of these about 10 years ago and it was absolutely fantastic and probably one of my favourite ever cars.
I got it cheap from eBay as it had the infamous water loss issue: I just topped it up regularly for 18 months and never had a single issue with it. I then made the mistake of having the engine flushed and within a week the cylinder head gasket finally gave out and ruined the engine! I’d absolutely have another one if I had the space though
I've had two - one for 9 years and the other for 5. They were great.
New car day is always fun - well done, Jack. As with my American neighbour below we didn’t get these in Canada that I remember. An interesting mashup of BMW up front and Ford era Jag/Lincoln out back. So glad you pried off those window shields. Hopefully the vent surrounds followed close after into the bin. Looking forward to learning more!
Many moons ago, I had to inspect a car at Gaydon when it was just a testing facility. There were lots of as yet unseen Rover 75's being tested. A little later, I was at Hayling Island, and one pulled up next to me, un badged, chatted with the driver who was surprised I knew what it was.
Always liked these Jack and I think I'm probably a gentleman of a similar vintage to yourself!
Hope you get the niggles sorted and enjoy years of comfortable daily driving.
Always loved the shape of the Rover 75. I had the MG variant - a ZT 190+ with the 2.5-litre engine. Great car. Not the fastest but a nice place to be and quite fun to drive.
Nice Jammer. Not an old man's car at all, just somebody with good taste!
Nice one Jack that’s a mile munching machine super clean as well looking forward to many updates including you joining the local bowling club 👍🏻
I saw this first at the British Motorshow back in the 90s when it was released. I worked at a nearby hotel and was always able to blag my way in thanks to customers staying at the hotel. I remember the buzz around this at the time and I think I still have some photos of it, back in the day before digital cameras! Also remember seeing the McLaren F1 when it was released one year too. Fond memories that seem so distant now the older I get.
Good looking machine inside and out. Hope it works out well for you.
I love em!! My mates think I’m mad! But they look so good. I’ve had two pre facelift diesels and alas a 1.8turbo Contemporary with black leather buckets, black ash wood etc, which did the head gasket thing even though it was supposed to have had a new one!! Don’t own one now, but I will get a v6 one day, just because!
Lovely car.....had 3 of these over the years...all diesel and all got to 180-190k. Only swapped out when repair cost would be better spent on a replacement motor. Never had a problem with engine.
Good that the plenum fix has been done. Check the bonnet release junction box on OSF wing - can end up with cables coming out of the block and then it's a an interesting (in a cut your hands to shreds stylee) exercise to get the bonnet open.
Came across one here in NZ few weeks back, it was unbelievably tidy. Owner seemed real proud of it.
That looks lovely. Back in the day my mums cousin's husband had a couple as company cars, a 02 reg one then a 05 reg one that arrived the day Rover went bust
First thing I learned with a diesel was always use gloves at the pump. I used to tuck a pair under the fuel flap as i closed it once filled up.
It’s a beauty! I’ve had two: a 2.0 KV6 and then a 2.0 CDTi ZTT. Both were brilliant, and the only reason I don’t still have one is thanks to Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ
Awesome buy! I've always liked the 75 despite its uncool reputation, fabulous interior.
interesting choice! I think they've aged pretty well. I ran an MG version in british racing green and it looked fantastic with the big standard alloys. And. the V6 was a nice engine. Will follow this story line with interest.
Very nice car. I'm a fan of the dark red/maroon colour these came in. Looking forward to the new video series with this. Keep up the good work.
Had one of these for about 5years the cdti version as your is .There's an excellent club/ forum The75and ZT owners club, they have a great list of how too's . When I had mine the only thing that went wrong was a broken front spring. I still think it was the best car I ever had. The Jatco gear box has very specific auto transmission fluid, can't use any old thing, also the autobox learns your driving style. There's a small filter under the engine cover along by the injectors that needs to be change periodically, a lot of garages forget about this. The EGR valve can get clogged up it's not hard to do just very messy.
I'm on my 5th 75... just love em... can't go wrong for the money. Excellent purchase mate. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Gorgeous looking cars - i used to have an MG ZT V8, and it was a beautiful old thing. I look forward to more videos on yours.😀
Beautiful car, looks comfy, hope it works out well for you.
Nice car for a daily driver. Looks good in black and should be easy to sort any minor detailing in this colour. Great buy! 👍🏻
Jack I had one about 16 years ago my son the only 8 cried when I sold it. The 75 Was a great family car always wanted the estate that was a good looking car. Looking forwards to the next video.
John
Excellent choice! As i have a 2005 mg zt which is in summer use only.
I had a MGZT , 53 reg , and I really liked it . A 75 would have been better as ZT had low profile tyres ( my only gripe ) . I removed the egr valve and suggest you also do this to clean it . I made up a dummy with a slightly bigger diameter and blanked odd the egr . I chipped it (A remap would be better ) . There is an oil separator (breather) which may also need changing . Maybe your gearbox is needing an oil and filter change as I have not heard of any issues with the auto box. Happy motoring !
I knew this would be a 75, looking like a good example to! Good to see you still have the Gti6 to, Jack.
I had one of these as a company car . I wasn’t entirely comfortable with it as the time as I was only 30 years old but in retrospect they look better now .
Quite a comfortable cruiser , definitely won’t be getting any speeding tickets as default in these is to chill!😂
Great colour and wheel combo. I was given one as a rental back in the day and was surprised how great it was compared to 200 and 400s of the time.
Good on ya! My Dad had one of those cars, a Diesel auto, but the Estate. I loved being a passenger in that car, it would eat up the miles. 👍
Changing bulbs was the only problem I had ,under the wheel arch very awkward to do apart from that a very reliable car 2 litre cdti and it was a tourer. 👍
One tip is to replace the bumper bolts on the lower edge with stainless ones. If you ever need to change the zenon bulb the bumper has to come off and the bolts will be heavily corroded by then
I had the ZT version and loved it.
Can't believe you removed those air vent chrome surrounds already! Put them back!! Lol. Just bought a 4.2 XKR Jag about the same age as a project to convert to a manual. Only paid just over £3k for it. I fit in it perfectly being that I'm 5'10 and don't have any of the seating issues you did, although mine has recaro's. Great purchase though, I was expecting you to have bought some sort of hateful German tank.
Always liked the 75 my parents had a Connoisseur se in white gold when I was a kid (VN53OKU) and it was such a lovely car, at the time we were travelling between Wales and the west Midlands quite a lot and it soaked up the motorway miles effortlessly. Very underrated car in my opinion.
Great review as always and it will be interesting how you get on with the 75. Thanks also for featuring the house that the 75 was parked next to, as that was the house I was born in 50 odd years ago. Can i assume that was the owner of the 75? Regards Matt
I had a ZT cdti, it was a great car, never let me down. The interior was lovely, air con worked after I fixed it, I retrofitted cruise control which was great. Very comfy and quiet car but handled amazingly.
My 75 2.5 litre Club SE auto was one of the best, if not THE best cars I ever owned. It took us all around Europe on holidays including 2 trips to Rome. The engine could really howl in you revved it. Of course, the car majors on comfort, something that seems to have been forgotten in the current Sport, Sport, Sport mania we now have.
It was like having my Jaguar Mark 2 back again, with its external chrome and walnut dash. Not leather seats though.
I've never seen one in black. It's transformational. That shape in black is so evocative of past classic Rovers. I'm shocked. A superb purchase. :)
I'm far from 'Grandad ' age, and absolutely love my 05 Model Year Mk2 75 Connoisseur SE. It's a derv manual in Xirallic Firefrost Red, has Factory option Premium front bumper and very rare ' Viking' alloy wheels. I'll soon be swapping the Ash leather interior for a full Sandstone leather interior and going old-school by adding Highline head unit, Harmon Kardon speakers and powerfold mirrors.
Sweet motor 👍
If I was gonna go Rover it would be a P5b all the way but we are all different. Enjoy!