[Dorchester]

Have you ordered yours ??

News: Rover 75 & MG ZT Documentary Goes on Sale

The two-disc set includes personal and in-depth interviews with key senior Rover stylists, engineers, P.R officers, project managers and directors along with thoughts and words coming from owners too.

Automotive names including Peter Morgan, David Waide, Ron Brown and Richard Woolley – now design director with Jaguar Land Rover plus many more guide you through the turbulent times of what the press called “Rover’s last chance saloon”

 

[Dorchester]

Here is the teaser on YouTube:
Rover 75 MG ZT documentary preview - Code Name: R40

 

[Dorchester]

Received my 75 double DVD today from John Clancy.
But I'll to wait a while...
Like the Parisian bus (see Other models) it'll be among Santa Claus Xmas gifts!

 

[Dorchester]

Music to our ears:
Recovering A Dream

 

[Dorchester]

The 75 is at the mechanic's. Time due to swap all the belts, pump, pulley & the like.
A big hole in the kitty for sure but it's only money as they say!
Moreover my fussy mechanic dislike the thermostat housing which is very very slightly moist and the temperature sensor as well they think not 100% clean.
But I'm looking for the levels every fortnight and I can't see any significant loss in the coolant tank. Barely going a tiny bit under the max level and that's it. I'm adding maybe a glass of coolant twice a year, just to maintain it at the upper level.
A mate suggested it would be a waste of money to swap them. Anyway I've just order the whole stuff and more (not only the whole kit, but 2 hoses, O rings etc...) from DMGRS just in case. I'll put that aside on the shelf. Mind that the ghastly Brexit will happen at the end of the year...

 

[Dorchester]

Just back from my good mechanic's.
First class job he did: I'd already come at the garage on Tuesday to have a look on the thermostat housing he wasn't sure about, all the old belts, pump & pulleys taken off. Hence it was easier for me to see what they were talking about, the mechanic giving me a good light with his torch while I was taking some pictures to give me food for thought.
So that on the bill he mentioned it to be done in the future: I'm warned...
I told you so: he's ever fussy with all that isn't 100% correct.
BTW he changed oil (Mobil Super 3000 5W40 full synthetic) & filter (Rover), and 'my' new magnetic drain plug (I'd bought one for each car on flea bay). And icing on the cake, he corrected the front passenger door trim which upper part was rather keen to pop up on a hard speed bump or on uneven roads.
He asked me 500€ (£450) for his work, put apart all the stuff I'd brought in (mainly from DMGRS). Very decent fee for such a labour.

 

[gnu]

Nice to have a good trustworthy mechanic. Did you change the plastic thermostat in the end?

 

[Dorchester]

Nice to have a good trustworthy mechanic. Did you change the plastic thermostat in the end?

Nope, not yet. But Mat (Price, DMGRS) sent the whole bundle I've bought at once on Thursday via a fast shipping. It'll wait on the shelf until the time will come.
Simon (SD1 from 75&ZT OC, who is BTW the champion of the main belt longest life, 19 years which generates every time some strong arguments on the forum!) suggested that because it had well resisted since 21 years there is no hurry to swap it. I'll have the coolant level on view every fortnight. I assume that might a crack occur in the months or years to come, it will not happen brutally.
The second argument is that swapping the belts didn't help to swap the thermostat housing and the like, the belts being reached from sides but the thermostat from the top.
At last thanks to a very interesting study on the 75/ZT coolant expansion tank - How To Understand Pressure Caps and Header Tanks, to my greatest surprise I discovered that I was topping up too high since 3 years, for the MAX level should be read a tad lower than those baffles upper level. Hence I checked it just after my excellent mechanic's work: it was nearly perfect! Now I shall stick to that level. Which may be an explanation why the thermostat and the sensor at the lowest level look slightly moist.
And guess what? I checked all the levels back home, waiting the day after to be perfectly sure: they were pretty on the mark!
As you say @gnu I bet it'll be hard to find out in France a better mechanic able to do any kind of job on Rover cars, and on older ones as well, because it's him who serviced and adjusted so nicely my younger son's Renault R17 TS convertible Weber twin carburettor (and its fiddly automatic starter), which is never an easy task.
Precious & friendly chap!

 

[gnu]

Hang on to that mechanic then! The below happened the last time I put my car into a garage for a 'professional' job. At that point I figured I was better off doing the cars myself (apart from specialist stuff like tyre fitting and tracking that's difficult without the specialist tools). Done the servicing and repairs myself since...

R214 back from the dead (Head Gasket Change)

BACKGROUND The Rover 214 was suffering coolant loss at the rate of 300 ml in 300 miles. There were no visible external leaks. I thought that the quickest solution would be to put it into a local garage for repair. When I did so, unsurprisingly, they diagnosed Head Gasket Failure (HGF) and set...

www.mg-rover.org

 

[Dorchester]

Hang on to that mechanic then! The below happened the last time I put my car into a garage for a 'professional' job. At that point I figured I was better off doing the cars myself (apart from specialist stuff like tyre fitting and tracking that's difficult without the specialist tools). Done the servicing and repairs myself since...

R214 back from the dead (Head Gasket Change)

BACKGROUND The Rover 214 was suffering coolant loss at the rate of 300 ml in 300 miles. There were no visible external leaks. I thought that the quickest solution would be to put it into a local garage for repair. When I did so, unsurprisingly, they diagnosed Head Gasket Failure (HGF) and set...

www.mg-rover.org

A very edifying story you told long ago. I've got several others that could be added of careless or incompetent mechanics, including one who swap for new belts that lasted less than 300 mls and snapping ruined the engine!
That's why I'm so chuffed every time I go to my mechanic's...
But back to your story I admire your skillfulness. I'm absolutely unable to do such a work by myself alone without anyone with expertise & training lending me an helpful hand. And given the V6 complexity, it's utterly unthinkable.
You deserve my warmest congratulations! 🙌

 

[gnu]

Thank you. My secret is I actually trained as an engineer, although nowadays I only really do 'hands on' stuff for fun in my spare time.

 

[Dorchester]

I've just got today the parcel from DMGRS: Re-inforced KV6 Thermostat Kit - 45/ZS/75/ZT (2.0 and 2.5 V6) - PEM101050 - Kit - With 2x Clips (PYC101320), Temperature Sensor (MEK000030) and 2x Inlet Manifold Gaskets (LKJ100992) (£75) & K Series Thermostat Seal Kit - 1x PEF10010 and 2x CDU3858 and O Ring - K Series / KV6 Thermostat Housing - CDU3858 (£9.50). Plus express shipping.
Only a week thanks to the Express Post. And Mat was very kind to make a courteous refund of all I'd ordered twice (I was a bit lost with all the references some being already included in the bundle item #1, for fear my mechanic asked me for some I would have omitted), and lowering the shipping price for he made one only parcel from all the items.
Now I'm ready in case any crack or coolant loss does appear at the bottom of the V.
And I've even some "Maoam" to enjoy!

 

[alanaslan]

I've just got today the parcel from DMGRS: Re-inforced KV6 Thermostat Kit - 45/ZS/75/ZT (2.0 and 2.5 V6) - PEM101050 - Kit - With 2x Clips (PYC101320), Temperature Sensor (MEK000030) and 2x Inlet Manifold Gaskets (LKJ100992) (£75) & K Series Thermostat Seal Kit - 1x PEF10010 and 2x CDU3858 and O Ring - K Series / KV6 Thermostat Housing - CDU3858 (£9.50). Plus express shipping.
Only a week thanks to the Express Post. And Mat was very kind to make a courteous refund of all I'd ordered twice (I was a bit lost with all the references some being already included in the bundle item #1, for fear my mechanic asked me for some I would have omitted), and lowering the shipping price for he made one only parcel from all the items.
Now I'm ready in case any crack or coolant loss does appear at the bottom of the V.
And I've even some "Maoam" to enjoy!

I have been using the boys for some time now. I much prefer their friendly service to that of Rimmers. I have found the boys to have first hand experience of most things that I am doing. they are not just a company selling rover parts, they are MG Rover enthusiasts who have worked on the Rover 75 or its MG brother and have hands on experience of the workings of the vehicles. They are also happy to look up parts manuals, just to make sure that the obscure part you want is just what you are in fact looking for. I have always found them helpfull and willing to chat through the best options for what you are doing. the inclusion of the sweets is a nice touch lost on me at my age but my two older grandchildren who both have autism are not slow in getting to the deliveries from the boys. I can not recomend their srevice and depth of knowledge enough. I still use them for my own two cars and the odd club member who comes around for help. I retired from my vehicle restoration buisness, which I sold and is now the Village Garage, Just over ten years ago. Due to age and age related problems I now use the garage when I am doing something that is to much for me, but they are always happy to humour me and let me spray cavity wax into places that become accessible when they have got some bits off whilst doing a job for me. Even so I still get Rover owners turning up on my door steep looking for advice or help. Which I am always happy to give freely.
DMGRS are always my first port of call for Items I dont have in stock for my Tourer and Paulines Saloon both of which are M47R powered cars.
Alan

 

[Dorchester]

Thank you Alan for your kind message. I feel the same friendliness and dedication from Mat & Scott.
But being far from that skillful than you are (my late job had nothing to do with engines!) I'd better to rely upon my good mechanic but for minor interventions I can do myself. I feel more secure with both my K4 easier to manage but the KV6 is too large & too heavy a beast, the engine bay is too crammed and I don't feel comfortable to lie under because of a degenerative backbone disease.
Hence for my good mechanic isn't a Rover specialist despite being deeply experienced, I'm ordering all the bits & pieces he needs and eventually if necessary (for the belts swapping it was) I give him in advance some pages of the French Rave edition. In exchange he's sending me a few pictures of the work in progress to let me participate a little & appreciate what he's done, that he calls teleworking! And job being done, we are chatting a while and he's keen to give me every explanation possible... He's happy because he knows I'm an enthusiast and not a mere customer.
We're making a kind of dream team if I may say so! I'm a happy bunny and appreciate at its price to have at hand (4 km / 2.5 mls only) such a man.

 

[Dorchester]

Bad luck: the door card cloth trim upper part is beginning to come loose.
Fortunately the roof liner still looking good.
I don't want to take off the whole door card. The remaining part looking correct.
I'll try to glue as nicely as possible the upper part only, getting rid of the decomposed foam.

 

[Dorchester]

Well. I took an old plastic desk paper knife and meticulously put back in place the not that high upper part of the cloth, insisting on the thin upper gap while pushing on the cloth as far as I could. It looks now very nearly perfect. I'll see how long it last...
Why not to do a full job, take off the door trim and refit the whole on the bench?
Simple: the temperature is swinging between -3° and +3° every day and my garage isn't heated!

 

[Dorchester]

Unfortunately it will not last too long I dare use that door. Hence I'm to do a full upper job at least with a neoprene spray. The tougher job will be to protect everything around. Maybe not that late if warm days are keen to last a while.

BTW taking the opportunity of a free delivery I ordered 6 new sparking plugs. Mine were done in autumn 2017 and according Rover they should be changed every 4 years. Given they were NGK platinum I think I easily can push up to 5 years, i.e. 2022. Anyway these Denso Iridium will be parked on the shelf meanwhile. Hence I'll be able to feel any difference... or not. Hot price nonetheless: 20€ each (£17.35)!

 

[Dorchester]

27 Nov 2020:
Buyer’s guide: MG ZT/ZT-T & Rover 75

 

[Dorchester]

Regarding the rear right door I was telling lately (see above) 'Hence I'm to do a full upper job at least with a neoprene spray.'
I think I've avoided to re-glue the upper part of the trim I was feeling uneasy with.
I'm not that cocky about my original repair but:
1. it's efficient
2. it's invisible.
Easy and quickly done.
There is a small gap between the central part covered by the creamy cloth and the upper black solid plastic part.
Hence I introduced 3 lengths of black plastic within the gap, suitably thick, large and long & spaced out along the limit from left to right. I gently pushed them at the back of the slit with my plastic letter opener and that's it. The cloth trim is well tight and nothing disgraceful can be seen.
And it looks solid & keen to last... so far.
I'm not that proud, it's only a trick of mine but why to worry if the result is fine?
EDIT: a thin & supple black stick stuck all along could even be better to keep in place the whole upper part of the cloth. Moreover it could even be removable if necessary because it's not glued.

 

[Dorchester]

Encouraging: here is a French advert for a 2000 75 V6 2.5 with 263k km (163 mls). Not a huge mileage but respectable enough.

Rover 75 2.5 V6 177 cv, serviced with 3 months guarantee

Blue inside & outside: not that common... With highline & sunroof I haven't got!
Price: 2290€ / £1976...

Mine being 187k km (116k mls) at the moment and doing 5k km in that gloomy period, I hope she may stay safe for... say... 15 years maybe or 10 years of a normal life!
But I feel I may be dreaming...