paul w

My mate is looking at getting one of these,anyone one had one and got any info to pass on to him.Looks like it'll give the scoob a good run for its money.

Cheers Paul

Mike123

My friend had one for about 3 years/40k miles.
He had 2 problems
Head gasket went on an oilway resulting in a big oil leak (no loss of compression though).
Also a circlip went in the gearbox, necessitating a new box. He was extrememly lucky and got a nearly new one quite cheap.

Great motorway car, better than a Subaru in his opinion but handling nowhere near as good. Mpg much better than a Subaru in day to day driving.
Very quick in a straight line - he put the frighteners on a friends E36 M3 more than once.
Also had lift-off roof panels which were nice in the summer.

robby

i had 1 a few years ago, long before the scoob. The torque steer was something though, to do a standing flying start you had to grip the wheel with both hands or you'd either end up on the pavement or in the middle of the road. The first mod to do to these cars is to replace the bushes with poly ones as this makes a heck of a difference. Better brakes are a must as well and then go on to the zorst, chip, filter route.

If you don't like rattles stay clear of these cars, with the targa roof the whole body flexes

Dream Weaver

Not as fast as they should be, rusty, head gaskets go at 45k miles and a bit naff looking IMHO - still, good car for the money though

paul w

Cheers guys,

Keep it coming,been there and all over jason,seems alot of power for your money.

Mega

I am amazed to hear that any are still running. Rover are not know for well built cars and the T series motor went bang at each chance it got. I think Autocar where testing one and went on them big time!
Mega

MattN

my mate has one from Japan. Got it a couple of years ago. Head gasket went at about 40k and a few little gremlins but nothing else major.

Personally I think for the money he did well.

Decent performance, excellent spec (full leather, air-con, abs, pas, targa roof) and not too bad running costs (for a 200+bhp car).

It doesn't do anything particually well but neither is anything that bad on it. It goes it stops it's quite quick and it's quite comfy. Best of all worlds.

Simon220

The rovers are pretty much hondas. The Coupes are from the honda/ rover era and arent as bad as you make out

The engines do not blow up. The head gasket just leaks oil when it goes, it desnt affect performance, this can be solved with the Tri laminer Stainless steel uprated gasket from rover.

I have the 220 Turbo Hatchback version and fo the money nothing comes close on the road. Scoobys and evos get quite a shock when they can't pull away or get beaten.

'What car?' did a review on the escort cossie calibra turbo and rover coupe turbo and they picked the coupe turbo overall. One of its strong points was the engine and running costs.

I easily get over 25mpg on normal driving and up to 35 on motorway trips doing 90mph. On the Motorway there awesome due to the low transmission losses.

Torque steer can be sorted with some poly bushs on the tie bars. the TorSen Differential is too good for the standard chassis and chucks the power from one wheel to the other causing the torque steer probs.

Mine is about 240bhp and only weighs 1185kg so its kicking out over 200bhp/ton. I find it very reliable now and I driver it 50miles a day. teh last time it broke down was in may 2002.

HTH

Si

skiddus_markus

The owner of the 200plus club had one until recently and it was an excellent road/track car.With only around 260bhp he was pushing the skylines round Silverstone at Traxx 2002.
They don't seem to respond as well to tuning as most 2l turbos(that doesn't mean they're not as quick)though as I've been to a few 200plus RR days and most struggle to get over 240bhp with only a couple breaking the magic 300.Andy Nicholls T16 powered Maestro is the exception to the rule though as he managed to eek 418bhp out of the motor.
Si-you from 200plus club?

Ian2wdsaffcos

Simon220,

Who the **** reads "What Car"!!!!.....actually I'll answer that myself....grannies wondering whether they should buy a Micra or a Fiesta!!!! LOL

Completely wasted 2 different 220 Turbo Coupe's in my Cossie, one of which was all stickered up with Moto-Build stickers, big exhaust etc.

Can't deny though if you get a good one then they are a bit of a performance bargain!!

[Edited by Ian2wdsaffcos - 1/13/2003 1:55:22 PM]

Dream Weaver

I actually prefer the 3dr hatch turbo version. Subtle looking, but has the 200bhp engine, and you can pick a nice N reg one up for little money - real Q car status

LOL at Simon220's statement - "The last time it broke down was May 2002". Sounds like you expect it to brake down? My Jap mobile hasn't broken down yet in 2 years - touch wood.

Simon220

Yeah a tuned cossie will kill a rover. Can you remind me the world isn't flat either.

I don't expect much reliability from a 8yr 120k car that cost me £800 though.

i wouldnt expect a new car to break down at all either.

Si
Heres my crappy rover anyway :

Steve220T

Tuning Info:

http://www.an-racing.co.uk
http://www.Roverdose.co.uk




[Edited by Steve220T - 1/13/2003 5:41:00 PM]

worley

LOL Simon220 - the world is NOT flat again.

Your Rover looks very nice - I had a 220 GTI (140 bhp) and always kept an eye out for the odd Turbo version. My only complaints were the handling (new bushes improved this) and the scooby like panels which dented on sight!

Ian2wdsaffcos

Simon220.

What do you mean....the world isn't flat!!??

Nice looking motor mate, especially for £800!!

skiddus_markus

That is a steal-I see what you mean about nothing for that money coming close.

nisr227

Something tells me it didn't look like that at £800!

Skid - I remember seeing a totally stripped out 220Tomcat Turbo at Trax02, and I mean totally stripped out - even the dash, carpets and passenger seat missing. As a performance car for very very cheap bucks, especially for track, it must be a bargain and up there with early original Gt4's and tuned S13 SX200's.

AllanB

I personally would be very wary of Rovers with the T16 engine. I bound my 220GTi with the infamous T16 engine for about 8K and spent about that in the first year. The engine design has a number of flaws. I had the engine rebuilt 3 times in a year. I also has 13 alternators in a year, this must be a record. I have never owned such an unreliable car. Work collegues with Rovers had similar problems . The T16 engine was phased out the the change for the 200GTi to the GSi.

Shame is was a lovely looking car. Build was OK but the handling was pretty poor. I must admit to really liking the look of the Turbo Coupe and I've seen these racing against other cars at places like Lydenn Hill and they do pretty well so I think if you find someone who knowns about them and can work around the issues of the T16 engine then it could be a bargain buy.

Why not speak to someone like Lavender Hill gargage, chap posts under the name of Shark , he'll fill you in as the used to be a Rover dealer before Subaru.

I'd still be wary though of the T16 engine. Rover approached T****o to buy the additive form Clean System 3 in a solid form to out this in the tanks of T16 engined Rovers as the additive reduced the issues with this engine.

If it was my money I'd buy a Legacy Turbo. Sorry if I sound negative but my Rover T16 experience left me with a very bad taste.



AllanB

MGJohn

Simon220 WROTE:

>> The rovers are pretty much hondas. The Coupes are from the honda/ rover era and arent as bad as you make out <<

Only partially true Simon. The best part about those turbos is that ROVER T16 turbocharged engine ... Pure ARG with NO Honda input. It's true origins go back to pre-MGB days! I believe that ARG-Rover turbo was a joint development with Lotus back around 1980.

I suspect that possibly our Barrow-I-F Cossie fan may not have encountered the real Turbo coupes .... just wannabees. Big exhausts and stickers a car faster does not make

A tidy bog-standard 220 Turbo coupe is surprisingly nippy and will match strides with many more highly rated motors as many owners of same have found out ..... including modified ones ... much to their chagrin. There does appear to be an "If it's British it must be inferior" Max Power conditioned mindset with a large section of UK motoring enthusiasts. Their loss both on Road and Track ...

I cheered as much as anybody when the flying scot won that WRC back in 1995 in his Subaru . Certainly put the name Subaru on the UK motoring map. Still puzzles me why so many UK enthusiasts have failed to appreciate MG-Rover's almost immediate winning entry into the BTCC with those MG-ZS cars. These winning successes were against the might of the much more resourceful Multi-National Manufacturer backed outfits, some who failed to secure a single win despite those huge resource investments. Even Honda with the CTR took their time before that first success. Still, they're British so lets ignore them .... Foreign is superior .... stands to reason .... I read it in "Whatnot Car" so must be true ....

What's a mindset Dad? Shaddup and get on with your homework ...

Happy MotorinG

robby

Allanb, the gsi was the same spec as the gti, rover rebadged it because the insurance companies didn't like anything with a gti badge at the time. The badge actually helped some people to get insurance cover whereas they wouldn't with a gti? (young drivers etc)

MGJohn

Just read AllanB's item. Good Grief! Enough to put you off ALL cars forever ... I know they are NOT all like that ....

Simon220

13 alternators, LOL sounds like you got a ****ter.

Also 220 Gti's have the M16 engine rather than the T16 which came in when the Gsi was introduced. So really u meant the m16 was phased out. With regards to additives, was this to avoid sticking valves? as this was solved on the later T16s with carbon break valves.

How the hell did you spend £8k on a 220 though ????????

Skiddus, i am indeed in the 200plus club, i was at the well lane day last April when My mate Phil got you some of that fancy octane booster for your far east engines that cant hack normal fuel

Si

Steve220

Ive a 220 coupe turbo , no torque steer here ? only probs ive had are cam shaft end seal leaked when boost was turned up and circlip went in box last week , box is now being re-built £700 not bad , very nippy car as standard 200bhp 150-155mph even better with boost turned up ,its also up for sale next month ...

Steve220T

Another thing to consider, that when the Coupe's are spec'd up properly, as the ones in the Dunlop cup were, they are very hard to shake off.

I was lucky enough to be a passenger in one recently at Castle Donnington circuit, the chap was taking people out so they could see how it went. I was lucky on my few laps as we were racing against a Porka GT1 Twin turbo, Scoob P1 and an Elise on Throttle Boddies and Nitromethane. He couldent resist the challenge.

We were going full pelt, passed the Porka GT1 on the straight, caught the elise up and overtook on a corner, then went after the P1.

All the cars were very quick, and I know the P1 has blinding acceleration on a straight, but we caught him up on the straights and overtook in the twisties around the back of the circuit.

There were comments that the P1 was running 1.5BAR boost, approx 350BHP? yet the Coupe was standard with 227BHP (Recently RR tested)

Dont slate em until you have been in a properly built one.

Steve

MGJohn

M16 .... T16. Yes, Good point Steve

>> Dont slate em until you have been in a properly built one. <<

Exactly .....

VTECTomcat

New alternators on 220 Gti are £40!!! How did you spend 8k.

British cars are always overlooked

BTW the rear suspension on these cars are the same as the Honda Integra Type R and the MG ZS

The world of T16 tuning is jumping leaps and bounds at the moment. The stripped charcoal Coupe you speak of at Trax2002 was Drew's at Roverdose Motorsport

VT

Ian2wdsaffcos

MGJohn,

No mate, they were really turbo's for definite....they seemed roughly as quick as the Merc C43AMG that I have ragged in the past, so I don't think they could have been non-turbo's....besides, I heard one of their dump valves when I was pulling out a junction behind it & the other one completely wasted a Saxo VTS prior to coming upon me (that was the one with Moto-Build stickers on it etc).....bear in mind though that I am running approx 350bhp so it aint really a fair test.

Cheers,
Ian

Dream Weaver

Simon220 - have to say, that is one of the sweetest looking cars I have seen for a while

I still maintain that the Rover 220 3dr is one of the nicest looking cars about, especially when modded. As I said, before i bought the MR2 I went with cash to buy an N reg 3dr Turbo. Only had about 49k miles on it, and was up for £4500 i think, this was 2 years ago now.

Someone had just bought it before I got there. Same colour as yours as well.

Very nice, well done - subtle mods are king

dnb

My mother-in-law's Rover 220 GSI (M plate) still looks OK, and the engine seems to be surviving well, despite being run without oil briefly due to a rocker cover gasket

I can't really fault the survivability of the engine, as it gets basically no maintainance! (I changed the plugs a couple of months ago, and the old ones had been in since new )


It is the non-turbo version though, so it should be a bit more tollerent to abuse.

Sparky1066

The Porsche and the P1, were probably just having fun, and not trying to stay ahead of you, you wouldn't be able to overtake a GT1 on the straight otherwise.