[ROVER Cabby]

Hell of an update buddy, some graft gone in there over the weeks.

[Vulgalour]

Another big update for you then, since I've been lax updating here.

After the failure of the condenser, I bought and fitted an Accuspark Stealth electronic ignition kit. Really good instructions, very easy to fit.



Since fitting this, my urban fuel economy has improved by 2.2mpg, which I had not expected. The car runs smoother than it did, which I had expected. Today was the first damp day and normally the car would be a bit stubborn about starting, so it was a pleasant surprise that it wasn't now. It was certainly a good idea to fit this kit.

The hole in the rear wing was repaired as best I could. A difficult shape to make because it curves in several different directions. I haven't applied any filler here, just paint to keep it all weathertight until it's a bit warmer and I can finish the job properly. At least I don't get water spraying up into the boot now.


I refitted the front arch liners, which are a bit of a faff. This is worth doing as it protects a lot of the rot prone sections of the front wings. They do need a little trim as they catch on the tyre on full lock, a problem that it seems they all suffer from. I'm just waiting for the tyres to make an obvious enough witness mark so that I can figure out what and where to trim off.


Sills and the repaired rear inner arch were undersealed which will help protect against the winter weather and salt.


A little milestone was achieved when we ticked over 77k just after that fuel station shot was taken.


I also made a start dismantling my spare rear suspension units with a view to getting the best pair re-gassed to improve the ride. I am having issues with the pivot shafts being seized on all of them, a common problem caused by a design flaw in the suspension themselves having two steel units going through one another that are exposed to all of the rubbish thrown up from the road. You're supposed to service them by removing an greasing the pivot shafts at regular intervals but nobody ever does.


The stainless steel stonechip guards were refitted to the sills. These prevent stonechips on the doors and rear arches, while also keeping the road dirt from rubbing off on clothes when you get in and out of the car. They help the car look a bit longer too since it's another horizontal line. Seen here in Stockton's shortest parking bay.


Over the course of the last six weeks the car has used 200ml (ish) of oil, no coolant, and has never left me in a position when I've had to use the Rover. In fact, during all this time the Rover had done a total of 3 miles. I was willing to let the six month experiment run to the end until making a decision, but then this appeared, so now it's up for sale.

[ROVER Cabby]

More hydrogas madness.

[Vulgalour]

Yup! A few bits to attend to before the MoT next month and it'll be in action alongside the Princess. Now just to wait for the Rover to sell so I can crack on with Stuff. I'm definitely going to miss the Rover when it's gone but I'm very glad I owned it for a few years, definitely a car that's left a positive impression.

[ROVER Cabby]

Since you removed the old rear Fog Lights do you have any now ?

[Vulgalour]

Yes. One of the inner chrome bits is a fog (red bulb), the other is the reverse. It works really well.

Here's a cold start video. Okay so it wasn't Big Coat cold, but there was snow, so it's close enough.

https://youtu.be/GC7HB4ufcIM