I've long admired Rover Sterlings from afar. I've wanted one since I was about 12, and last weekend I made that dream a reality and put down a deposit on a 1998 Rover 820 Sterling auto. This Saturday I go up and collect it - an understatement to say I'm over excited.
It's not you're average car choice for a 21 year old, partly a reason why I love it so much.
The car itself isn't in bad order overall, but there's a list of issues which will need fixing sooner rather than later:
The driver's door won't open. The door handle broke just before I was about to make an offer!
The head offside headlight is making a very odd sound on some settings. I'm guessing it's a worn adjuster gear, but we will see.
The boot leaks and the spare wheel well will need cleaning up to get rid of surface rust, and the leak will need to be traced and fixed ASAP.
Another problem is the rear arches are just starting to go crispy on their inner lips. Not the end of the world as it is, but again it needs fixing as a matter of urgency.
Not so urgent is the radio which only plays White Noise FM, and a previous owner has clobbered the front wing and the middle box is also held on by gum and hope.
I'm probably making the car sound like a dog, when it really isn't - I just want to catch it before it ends up as such. Good points are the T-Series pulls great, the autobox is smooth and the aircon works (I was stunned). I paid £680 for it, probably a little overbook considering it's faults, but it's in the colour I want (Oxford Blue) and has the right colour leather (cream). I also got a hideous vision of it being used as a cheap family hack, filled with rubbish with finger prints on the windows before being scrapped a year later. No way! It needs saving and bringing around again! It's done a genuine 68k.
It was sold as spares or repairs and I'm thinking of it as a winter project.
Some pictures to be getting on with...Brum reg too. Rover Group were the first registered keepers. It may look a bit OTT for a first car, but because of what I do for work I'm used to driving big cars. I won't mention how much insurance is
Pictures flatter it, the paint is as rough as whatnot. That comes later, after I've sorted the niggles and serviced her.
Thanks,
Sam
