Rover 800 Sterling mk1

[leerogs]

I bought a mk1 Rover 800 Sterling, initially for the 2.7 V6 engine to go into a Mini or Metro. The body work is very bad but I began to realise it might be less work to bring the Sterling back to life, IF I can find a replacement bulkhead first! This needs replacing as the car was found parked in a garden and beneath trees, so all the leaves and moisture settled at the bottom of the windscreen for 5+ years, slowly eating away at the bulkhead where the wiper linkage etc is bolted. I've tried Rover dealer/outlets, Rimmer bros', ebay etc. Am maybe thinking of looking down the mk1 Honda Legend route? Any help would be greatly appreciated as the only other alternative would be trying to find a donor vehicle.... Thanks guys.

[midnite]

mate put up a pic of the offending rust area, because to change a bulk head is virtually an impossible job, its going to take so much time you'd be better buying another car.

[leerogs]

Would do but car's at work. It's rotten in so many areas of the bulkhead. It's a large complexed pressing I know. It would be screen out (new screen), dashboard out. I don't mind the work so much if I could get a new bulkhead. To patch it, it would just look wrong and probably be just as time consuming.

[midnite]

i don't think you can get new screens mate, unless you get a nos bulkhead, but I've never seen one rotted that badly, where did the car come from, is it one we might have seen advertised recently?

[Alucard7002]

If you can wait a month or are willing to travel to Cambridge I can supply an angle grinder, cut off wheels and a hammer for you to cut out the bits you need from my breaker?

[leerogs]

It would be a second hand screen. I've heard mk2 screens are the same as mk1's? Anyway, irrelevant if I can't get the bulkhead. My mk1 is a 1988 model, I think these '99 models have a different bulkhead? Thanks guys.

[scoobyh123]

The car Dusan is referring to is his 93/L reg 827 Sterling fastback and i'm pretty sure from memory that the bulkheads are the same as the Mk1 - can't be too far out bearing in mind they're both 827s.
However i think you're right about the post-96 bulkheads being different - if not there is another one about 30 miles east of Cambridge in a 1999 825 Si.

You're right about the screens being the same from Mk1 to Mk2 and in the si that i'm breaking there are two new screens - they just need removing! I'd be willing to let you cut the bodywork away round them so you could then spend hours painstakingly removing the body bits from the screen, probably the safest way of removing a screen in one piece!

That said and referring to Matts comment about your bulkhead, it may well be easier to repair what you have - some pics would help assess the damage.

If you still want a V6 to drop in a Mini or similar, i also have a sweet (i know, it's a rarity!) KV6 engine and manual box for sale, 61k from new and cambelts changed 10k ago.

[leerogs]

I'm going to try and get some pics to show you what I'm up against! Thanks for the info', much appreciated.

[gyrobird]

bulkheads are all the same barring one or two additions and omissions of the stud and captive nut variety but the shape is unchanged regarding 1996 onwards.

one other is right here., I'd get another and use the one you have for spares.