Dan's 1998 Rover 820 Si Saloon

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DLR
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Dan's 1998 Rover 820 Si Saloon

Post by DLR » Thu Jul 25, 2013 7:19 pm

Started out as a Rover company vehicle, sold to some people, then sold to some more persons of class after that. Spotted by Lord Sterling in 2011 AND 2012, then sold to a chap in Swindon with intentions of taking it on a road trip to John o' Groats which sadly never happened. With the trip on hold and members of this epic journey abandoning, the future looked bleak for this old barge...

Then last week I spotted it. I saw it advertised on gumtree and hesitated - local and cheap, a bad combination. A viewing was made and my offer was rejected - it looked like it was on course for the scrapyard with no chance of salvation. Then the following evening a text was received "Hi mate, I'll accept your offer if you still want it". Money changed hands, logbooks were signed and all were merry in the rather uneventful and straightforward convoy of 800s back to Rivers Towers. Parked up on the driveway and in absolutely no way prepared for photos, ladies and gentlemen I give you a Rover 820 Si, in gold with brown stripes!

Pics first to entice you, then I'll explain the quirks and foibles I have found.

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So as you can see she is far from mint. 98,000 miles on the clock, Tax and MOT until October this year, engine runs reasonably well and pulls nicely but wears many battle scars with pride. Faults I can think of/have been told about:
- There is a knock when driving which I have been told is likely to be the Anti Roll Bar bushes (not investigated further)
- *think* the clutch slave cylinder is very nearly nackered as the clutch pedal has no real pressure until you get right down close to the floor, but gears still engage properly (just need to stretch to find the biting point, you could live with it if you're not a short arse like me!!)
- Interior is not really worn as in tatty, but needs a clean to liven it up (whatever was in there has irritated my eyes and I currently look like I've been in a fight as a result).
- Gearstick leather is worn and the glovebox hinges have snapped, other than that it is all present.
- Rust on both front wings and the scuttle panel looks like swiss cheese
- As pictured, the expansion tank has been swapped for one out of a Rover 200 and crudely cable-tied on. Only replaced due to a crack in the top (wasn't losing coolant apparently, just a precaution given the lad's plans for the vehicle). It does appear to work, though.
- Air conditioning would not make an eskimo feel at home, but a mexican gentleman would require a jacket to feel comfortable

On the plus side, it has Tax and MOT and a towbar with twin electrics (this will be being removed from the car as I want it for my Si). Plus the filler neck looks good.

Now I bought it to try and save it from being scrapped, I have no use for it so I am happy to give it a temporary reprieve and see if someone else would like to take it on. I'm going to put a link to this post in the 'For Sale' section, so if anybody is interested please PM me and perhaps we can do a deal. If I've not had any offers by the time the logbook has come back I will take off some parts that are worth keeping and scrap the rest. I have ideas of what I'd like to do with it, but with a move to the north to study at uni looming I am worried about the running costs for one 800, let alone two.

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Re: Dan's 1998 Rover 820 Si Saloon

Post by Lord Sterling » Thu Jul 25, 2013 7:42 pm

NO WAI! You, Dan, have done the one thing I've always wanted to do, save an 800, give one a temporary reprieve. I've come very close once on saving an 800 agreeing to buy when the seller pulled out of the deal. Funnily enough, it was a Grey mk2 820 saloon on Prestige alloys, I think the Prestiges were from a 600 though.

I still can't believe that an 800 local to me would end up owned by someone not local to me, the oldish lad I spoke to who owned it when I photo'd it seemed to indicate that he loved the car, but it was a work tool for him, always full of stuff, the headrests had been removed to make space and I think the passenger seat was almost always flat.

Its nice to see that its been given another chance, I'd most certainly buy it off you (and not leave it on your drive for months on end) if I had thenspace, but alas I don't, I'm now looking for another garage to keep my broken Mk1 in until I can afford to get the new engine fitted.

Enjoy it for now Dan!

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Re: Dan's 1998 Rover 820 Si Saloon

Post by DLR » Thu Jul 25, 2013 10:10 pm

Thank you for your kind words, Mo.

I know it's not a desirable car being a cloth seated, 2 litre baby of an 800 but as it's basically the slightly revised but basically the same version of my car I'm hoping I can get quite a lot off for my own use if it comes to it.

The exhaust has had a new rear section and front downpipe in the last 12 months - what was I doing at the garage just two weeks ago? Rear box and front downpipe, please! :roll:

Oh, and Mo - the chap I bought it off said the old boy who you saw had owned it for about 5 years andd cherished it, reason for sale was downsizing or something? His creative streak with making things explains why there is sawdust in unmentionable places...

I'm tempted to swap my insurance onto it for a few weeks just for teh lolz, we shall see.

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Re: Dan's 1998 Rover 820 Si Saloon

Post by Alex SBY » Fri Jul 26, 2013 12:19 am

A great find and save. This demonstrates just how cheap these cars now are and mark my words these days won't last. Give it five years we will be seeing far fewer appear in my view and then prices rising. Get em and save em now!
One or two 800s...

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Re: Dan's 1998 Rover 820 Si Saloon

Post by DLR » Wed Sep 18, 2013 8:50 pm

Unfortunately this R667BWK has gone to the great carpark in the sky. I took a couple of bits off for myself...

However I did have a little bit of a play with some aerosol. Not 100% accurate, but hey worth a go! Those of you on Facebook will have seen these already, but here they are again:

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I could possibly probably saved more of the car if I had more time, but it was no great loss. I don't intend on scrapping any more Rover 800s though! First and last.

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Re: Dan's 1998 Rover 820 Si Saloon

Post by Lord Sterling » Wed Sep 18, 2013 10:38 pm

Noooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :shock:

I know its academic now, but I could have garaged it until it was sold. I've been let a garage in Telford (again) and the people letting me the garage seem to think I want another one.

I guess you can't save 'em all, but watch these low spec 820s get rarer than Sterlings and Vitesses.

:cry:

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Re: Dan's 1998 Rover 820 Si Saloon

Post by DLR » Wed Sep 18, 2013 11:20 pm

To be fair it wasn't as if I didn't try finding a buyer for it. I tried here, ebay, facebook and gumtree. But after unsuccessfully selling it 3 times my patience and time ran out. However dismantling of certain parts uncovered some interesting bodges - the radiator brackets were nackered and paper clips/elastic bands doing their job instead. Bulbs held in with blu tac. That expansion tank. Split in the boot floor where the towbar was mounted. Stained and ripped interior. Nackered slave cylinder. Silly things like that. I'm glad it didn't sell now after uncovering what I did, but it was destined for scrap anyway before I came across it. At least it has donated a few bits and pieces before it was taken away. For the record I didn't want to scrap it and kept it as long as I could. I don't think I'll be scrapping another though...

I agree about the lesser specs becoming rarer, but sadly I can't see my '95 820 Si being worth any more than this gold one was (and that has had a fair few quid thrown at it and is still relatively straight and original). I'd struggle to get £350-400 on a good day if I sold that one. These 'lesser specs' are never going to be worth more as people who are new to 800 ownership want the best spec for the money, which means Sterling and Vitesse models (it's only natural to go for leather and cruise control over cloth seats and blanking plates, is it not?)

I don't have a Sterling yet, but when I do I will still keep my Si. I can't imagine selling it after this long now and I think after 21 months of 'lesser spec' ownership I've passed the 'commitment to the brand' test?

Apologies if this post sounds like a rant. It's not meant to sound like that...

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Re: Dan's 1998 Rover 820 Si Saloon

Post by Lord Sterling » Thu Sep 19, 2013 5:17 pm

No worries Dan. I know you tried hard to sell it and you did give it an extended 'stay of execution' and as I said before, you can't save 'em all, I know, I've tried.

Good to hear that you are keeping the 820Si, I reckon you might end up doing what I've done, buying, using and storing. I will not sell any of my cars as I still want to enjoy owning them, all the 800s I've had so far have mostly imploded thier engines, been involved in a crash or just became too expensive to run, which meant that I've not been able to make the choice of simply taking it off the road to replace with something else until I feel I want to use the original car.

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Re: Dan's 1998 Rover 820 Si Saloon

Post by DLR » Thu Nov 28, 2013 10:22 pm

Update on this beauty I scrapped at the beginning of September - I received the logbook today! Only 4 months after I bought the bloody thing...

Reason for posting - what do I do with the logbook? Shall I just send it back to the DVLA with a letter enclosed stating the date I scrapped the vehicle? Usually I have paperwork in order before doing things like this, but I had to get rid of it quickly as I was moving. I'm not likely to enter a world of shite with this am I?

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Re: Dan's 1998 Rover 820 Si Saloon

Post by Very Tall Brad » Fri Nov 29, 2013 12:00 am

DLR wrote: just send it back to the DVLA with a letter enclosed stating the date I scrapped the vehicle?
I've had this problem in the past.

Just do that - send a letter to explain, including your phone number, and the V5. Send by "Signed for" (the old Recorded Delivery) and keep copies of everything. In about 6 to 8 weeks, you'll get confirmation all is well.
No longer an 800 owner!

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Re: Dan's 1998 Rover 820 Si Saloon

Post by dollysprint » Fri Nov 29, 2013 12:12 am

How did it get scrapped, by you or scrap man picking it up? I'm amazed they took it without the log book, they wont touch them around here without one, been like that for the last 18 months now.
Anyway checked DVLA site and its still showing as current with the sorn running out on the 1st November, so when it was scrapped DVLA weren't notified by the look of things. Do you have anything to say who took it away or a certificate of destruction from the scrapyard Dan?
If I was you I would send it back filled in as scrapped on such and such a date by whoever you used and hope DVLA dont hit you with a £80 fine for failure to sorn or notify of scrapping.
For anyone else scrapping a car, if its picked up get the guy to sign the yellow bit on the V5 and you send that to Swansea or if they are DVLA registered they should issue a certificate of destruction. If they refuse to do either then fill in the V5 like you were selling the car normally and just give them the green slip and you send the V5 to Swansea, of course you still need their signature on that too.Cover yourself, Swansea are making a small fortune on this sort of thing, unless they are notified the car remains the responsibility on the last owner on the log book.
Best of luck Dan ,hope you dont get screwed over this.

Dave
1988 Sterling saloon 2.7 Auto Pulsar over gunmetal
1990 Sterling Saloon 2.7 Auto black over storm
1993 Coupe 2.7 auto white gold 1
2005 Ford Transit 2.4 lwb, Club van
2007 Jaguar X Type 2.2 manual Estate

DLR
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Re: Dan's 1998 Rover 820 Si Saloon

Post by DLR » Fri Jan 03, 2014 11:34 pm

Oh bugger.

What with things being rather hectic I forgot to send this off. This morning a letter dated 24th December landed on my doorstep demanding an £80 fine, tax arrears of £18.75 and a new tax disc or sorn.

I've been up to the breakers yard and he said he would send me a certificate of destruction within 5 working days. Yellow slip signed and dated and sent. I've included all this info with the form I'm sending back and hopefully that'll be the end of it.

I hate to say it but I didn't actually get a receipt or anything on the day. Although they took the car but took my drivers licence number as proof as ID in case it was stolen or dodgy or something. At the moment it's their word against mine, but I should be ok shouldn't I?

The annoying thing is I sent off a tax refund for this car at the end of August for the two remaining months worth of tax. This was rejected because the car wasn't in my name. Now suddenly I was the keeper from july, bet I don't see my tax money back!

This bloody thing was cursed. It attracted the worst kind of buyer, sold it three tines and nobody could be arsed to see it through.

Despite my valid reasoning, do we think I'm about to be shafted for this, or will they see reason?

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Re: Dan's 1998 Rover 820 Si Saloon

Post by SJG » Sat Jan 04, 2014 6:42 am

I had similar when the red vitesse in my signature went. I did have a receipt, but at the time could not find it when the tax reminder came through (so perhaps not quite so far down the process as you).

I wrote to them and said I had sent the relevant paperwork in and evidenced the cars demise with pictures of it being trailered away.

Worth a try
Simon

Rover Vitesse Coupe - 1997

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Re: Dan's 1998 Rover 820 Si Saloon

Post by DLR » Mon Jan 20, 2014 7:59 pm

No further action from the DVLA. Result considering I didn't have proof of the day I scrapped it or anything.

Lessons have been learned today, in future keep paper trails for everything!!

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Re: Dan's 1998 Rover 820 Si Saloon

Post by SJG » Mon Jan 20, 2014 8:03 pm

That's good news Dan
Simon

Rover Vitesse Coupe - 1997

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