Everything wrong with my Rover 75...Have I bought good car? 

This channel is quickly becoming my favourite! Great honest reviews with a great approach to realistic content. Well done Mat.

As loads have probably already told you, the water ingress in the boot will almost certainly be down to failed gaskets on the light clusters

I had a Rover 75, same colour with BMW diesel engine in some 20yrs ago, was one of the best modern cars I have ever owned!!!!!!! The bulk head drain tubes were a known problem even then, I took mine into Rover and there solution was the pipes underneath they ran a Stanley knife through them!!!!!! So pipes still there but split open!!!!!!!!! To be fair to Rover, it worked!!! They never blocked again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This blue makes for a very pretty car. I'm sure the old boy who had it before you must have been very proud of it! I can see you finding this one very hard to sell on. It's certainly a modern classic, a car people could be admiring at classic car shows a dozen years from now, if looked after - a task I suspect you would greatly relish.

Those simple fixes like the window controls are so satisfying 😊

You got a good car, mine has a few niggles too but it’s a 20 year old car so to be expected, I hope you keep it.

It looks in great condition all round! Just a point about the plenum drains, I'm not sure if you know but there's another one on the passenger side further in that's right under the ECU. That's the one that can cause the ECU to become flooded if it blocks. You need to take a few panels off the scuttle to get access but overall it's an easy job.

Can’t agree this engine is the best version. I had the BMW diesel. Totally reliable and went like a train on almost 50 mpg. And no head gasket nightmares.

Matt, you KNOW it makes sense to keep it. Much as I’m loving this trading up series you’ll have to hang on to it..find another this good if you can. Dilemma is what goes??

Looks good. I owned a 2 litre V6 R75 which we took to Barcelona and back a brilliant car which still exists to this day thanks to a great enthusiast. Keep these R75s going they are classics already!

Lovely Old car Matt! You can see how well the previous owner loved it. I am looking to buy a second hand car soon and a bissell is a must! Thanks for featuring it during the cleaning section of the video.

Thanks Matt, I’m consistently impressed by your patience and attention to detail, I wish I had the same qualities! I think you’ve got a tidy example of a 75 there, that blue is a nice colour, when I’m interested in buying any Rover product I always ask for Cambelt and Head gasket history about the car, if those haven’t been done I generally walk away. Glad you didn’t end up with a “rotbox” this time.

I am a proud owner of a 2000 R75 1.8 SE and I gotta say, it is a great car to drive. I got it as my first car a couple of years ago and after paying £700 for it,(61000 on the clock) I am still loving the thing. Had to do the Head Gasket and the paint work needed redoing as it had all flaked on the bonnet, roof and boot. I have spent a fair bit on this car, but its gonna be my ride for however long I draw breath. I bought a cheap steering wheel cover that sorted the old roughed up wheel out. I also have a plenum guard that a lad on facebook 3D prints. it sits just under the hinge on the drivers side and has a foam filter to stop debris getting into the plenum area and clogging it up. I have had new front coil springs, drop links(all) rear swing arm bush (did both) new stereo, tinted windows, focal speakers, sundown amp and sub, cow print seat covers, neon lights in the front, just about to put more neons on it underneath, hopefully get her to a few rover festivals in the future after I have got a few more bits done. DGMRS are a great company for parts, and they throw in free MAOAM sweets with your order. had to replace the rear door mech as the small plastic clip had snapped, soon to be getting full set of door handles, and at some point I will be getting the door liner, headliner and rear liners redone...........in cow print. yup, I am a bit wierd, but its my pride and joy. The Rover 75 is a true classic.

Looks like a good add-value purchase with bits to fix plus an intensive clean in and out (DiamondBrite deployed!). Interior smell - Rover 75 + pipe sounds about right 😊

This is one very good example, at the moment it’s looking to be a straightforward restoration too, hopefully!!. Well done finding this one Matt, dare I say, I think it’s a keeper ❤.

Just a quick tip, on our Rover 75 Classic there used to be a swimming pool just below the master cylinder on the driver's side, I discovered there is a rubber pipe just below the power steering pot on the bulkhead. Also watch Ian's (Hubnut) upload regarding how to remove the plastic just below the windscreen, (the garage that serviced the Rover managed to break the item, than repaired it badly so I guess it's quite brittle plastic). Good luck with your car, it's in great condition.

Really enjoying your stuff...it's actually a refreshing change to see such 'smaller scale' projects with more modest (but very interesting) cars...strangely therapeutic.

Enjoying your channel with good advice. my 75 wasn't solid after only owning for a 18months. To get through MOT each jacking points had to be replaced as rust had made therm redundant. Steering wheel is like yours but my boot floor handle has come into two. Need to replace if i can find replacements.

Had one for about 6 years, with the diesel cdti engine ,and autobox what a pleasure to drive, best car i have ever had still regret selling it. The 75 and ZT club is a great forum to follow with loads of help and advice.

Great video Matt, looks like it's possibly a keeper, for a while at least ! One word of warning though, before you start work on swapping the steering wheel. Make sure you follow the manufacturer's procedure to fully disarm the SRS circuits, and allow enough time for any capacitor stored charge to drop away. Most vehicles of that age will just require the battery completely disconnected at both terminals, and wait the manufacturer specified time of 30+ minutes. Sudden disconnection, or connection of any electrical plug when stored charge is still in the system, will cause enough electrical spike to trigger the pyrotechnics that deploy all the AirBags and Seatbelt Tensioners etc. They go off with more than enough force to do you a serious injury, break bones, knock out teeth etc, if you're too close to an airbag as it fires.

That is a great car, Matt. I've lived the look of a 75 since I first saw one on Dalziel and Pascoe. Tom Barnaby in Midsomer Murders had a couple of them, one pre- and one post-facelift. With most of that surface rust, get rid of the loose stuff and then either POR-15 or Krown Rustproofing to the rescue. Krown WORKS. It was invented to counteract the dreadful winter weather here that can destroy a car in 10 years. It has kept my 240DL Estate in one piece for 33 years and counting. With my dislike, even hatred, of front wheel drive and the Ford 4.6 litre, I wonder if I could take the rear wheel drive MG version, yank the engine and transmission, and drop in a late 80s spec 351W (5.8 litre) V8 with Edelbrock Performer intake and square bore carb, all backed up with the 5 speed manual that lived behind a 5.0 H.O in an older Mustang. The neat thing there is that the highway mileage might well be better than the 1.8 litre Turbo. Hmmm. Point to ponder.

You'd be bonkers to sell this! I had an early one in the same colour that I bought for a mere £550 to quickly replace my written off ZT and I was massively impressed with how it drove; very different in character. Miss that car!

Agitation is key to good extraction and fabric cleaning. Spray a good fabric cleaner on and allow it to dwell for a few minutes, agitate with an appropriate brush (not too soft otherwise it wont do much, not to stiff or it will ruin the fabric), and then extract. Drenching fabric and simply extracting it isn't going to make the most of the detergents that you are using. If you don't have a steam cleaner I'd invest in one of those as well - wrap a microfibre towel over the end and agitate fabrics with it and you will be surprised as to how much gunk comes out.

I had a BMW built 2000 X 75 1.8 Club SE. The dash was real polished walnut, the seats were cloth (I hate leather seats). It covered 172,000 miles over the ten years I owned it. Getting into it on a wet, cold day was like going into my living room and I would regularly drive from Victoria Embankment to the North Coast of Scotland on a single hop. Of all the cars I've owned, that and my current Forester have been the best. But for comfort and class, the 75 beats them all.

Keep the 75, you'd regret selling it. It's too handsome in that shade of blue (and now even more so with those shining headlights) and too good condition-wise to let go. And it already is something of a modern classic. A great swap/find, really and after the unfortunate turn of the beetle story, your luck with this one is well deserved. The one I'd trade instead would be the 400 tourer, but the choice is obviously all up to you 😀.

Immediate like for the use of the word “interfrastically” and I’d like it again if I could because of Paul being a total legend! What a lovely car this is.

Water ingress in your boot is the light cluster seals,I took mine off and cleaned them then smeared sealant into them & reversed them & placed them on the opposite sides, sorted 👍

Matt, a quick tip regards the plenum drains. Under the car the exit for the fluid can stick together causing a blockage. I cut mine at an angle which prevents this from happening

Had a 1.8 turbo Tourer. Great car. Clutch hydraulics were a weakness, went through two master cylinders. A pain to access above the clutch pedal. Sure you've heard of the 'orange clip' fix on the intank fuel pump, only thing that stranded us.

Always always liked the 75 and still lust after one. I think it’s one of the nicest shapes &proportions on the road even today. The only thing that puts me off is some reports of dicey reliability. But wow, from the front especially it’s a gorgeous car

Would be a nice keeper if you can Matt. Maybe swop L to R with the headrests to equalise wear. Love the colour, engine and manual trans. What’s not to like?????

Looks like a decent example you got yourself. Check rear suspension arms ( the ones the coil spring sits in) they fail over time and is an expensive job. Keep that window control unit, you can fit a new button and it's as good as new (garage broke mine).

Definitely keep the 75 Matt. Find another one with that mileage, history and condition. It’s the right colour and being a manual turbo is in the spec you prefer. This would make great channel content to turn it into a minter. 🍻

Many years ago I had a W reg CDI, great car very solid and went surprisingly well. Only one problem was the ignition key would get stuck in the barrel. Managed to cure it with 3 in 1 oil, although I put so much in it dripped for months. Good luck with yours.

Enjoying these updates. As both an MG ZT V8 and ZT 1.8T owner, the 1.8T K-Series Turbo engine IS as you say the best one to have ... as a daily driver. When I got the first 1.8T ten years ago, I read those strong opinions on-line and quite frankly, found them hard to believe. That considering the V6, BMW and Mustang V8 engine options available. Ten years later, I fully understand that point of view. There is a better MG engine option though. The Chinese version of the 1.8T K-Series from the MG6. Have fitted one to my ZT-T seven years ago. The SAIC made a very fine job of their version of the K-Series 1.8T. That Electric Window Switch Pack you casually threw away could almost certainly be revived with a little no cost TLC. EDIT TO ADD What progress on the Crown Victoria V8 regarding the Handbrake issue?

furious bmw er rover type thing. I had one a v6 at two years old and that overheated. sent it back and swapped it for a Mondeo 2.0. was a nice car while it lasted for a few weeks.

What a find - lovely motor. Keep/sell dilemma wouldn't be a dilemma for me - I'd keep this and bid a fond farewell to the 400 estate. No-brainer as far as I'm concerned!

Great vid as always! I own a 1.4 petrol 2002 Rover 25 which is currently off the road as I now work from home and no longer need it for commuting. It was a hand-me-down car from a late grandparent. It suffered a coolant leak a few years back, which lead me to believe it was the dreaded HG issue, so I simply chucked in some gasket weld and it’s been fine ever since. No leaks and the temp stays below the half way line 👍🏻. I just can’t bring myself to get rid of it. It starts on the button every time, even if it’s been left for weeks. They look great these old Rovers do and I’m glad to see that there are still many enthusiasts out there who are willing to keep them on the road 👍🏻

Love these cars: I’ve had a 75 2.0 KV6 and a ZTT 2.0CDTi. I’d still have one if the latter was ULEZ compliant! Non- working passenger lock likely the c/l door motor: it’s the same as your Freelander’s and the same as fitted to the R50-53 Mini Boot leak may be a leaking chrome waist trim fastener I suspect misfire is a coil pack on a MEMS3 engine. Glad this one is a k16! ❤

Matt you have worked wonders already and improved a really nice car you can’t let that one go to get a 75 in that condition and provenance would be very difficult and I think you would regret it The 400 tourer needs a load of work and the Volvo is a great car but this would be a good daily and classic with ulez I hope you keep it I love the 75 and my family worked on the longbridge built cars from when they moved from cowley

I've just fixed the mirros on my 75, took the switch unit apart and cleaned the connections with isopropyl alcohol, mirrors works fine now

With the water ingress in the boot I highly recommend pulling the inner trim away from the wing (this was the same side as mine) and check where the chrome trim on the outside clips in on the wing, took me ages to figure out where the water was coming from (I changed the light seals hoping it was that but I saw the water dripping from one of the clips from the trim. If it is from there I just chucked some mastic sealer in the clip and it's been dry since

Well worth cleaning and lubricating the bonnet release mechanism, they can be a nightmare when one side sticks. Also, rear light to body seals is likely to be where the boot leaks are from.

I tend to use thick strimmer wire for clearing drain holes. Works especially well with sunroofs where the drainage channels go all the way from the roof to the chassis. Still looks like a good one you've got there Matt. Just stick a leather interior in it and keep it, you know you want to. 😂

Oh my goodness. reminds me of antimacassars grannies used to have on their chairs. Macassar was even before Brylcreem, but the cloth napkins on the chair backs and arms still kept the same name and stayed as a fixture long after people stopped using the stuff.

for the boot leak, suggest getting the rear light gaskets changed for new ones, they are prone to leaking. mine have been done, but I am looking for a boot seal now as I think that is now leaking a bit.

I'd get rid of the 400, keep the Volvo prices seem to be on the up and yours is a tidy example. The 400 needs work. Looks like a choice will have to be soon as turnaround gonna b quick on this one. Great series, varied cars 👍

As it has the K-series engine, (and turbo charged too), a head gasket failure can't be too far away, unless somebody has previously fitted the updated gasket and oil rail.

The drain holes can be a problem on a Mazda MX5 - I cleaned mine with a flexible trombone brush! (£4 off eBay) suggested by someone in the owners club

IIRC the R40/R41 75 (saloon exterior: Richard Woolley / Tourer exterior: Ian Callum (was mocked at Jaguar for it)) and R50 MINI (exterior: Frank Stephenson) had the same interior design team - look at the dashboard shapes and overall silhouette!

There are 10 water entry points in the 75 saloons boot. They're a bloody nightmare, most common is just the light seals. If you're getting the T-Piece (located correctly btw) from DMGRS I think they've got the seals too. If it is one of the other points there's a whole thread on the forum about how to fix them. Always advisable as having a damp boot is always a pain!

Great video. lovely car. Damp boot on my ZT was the rear light cluster gaskets.

Nice 75 Matty bodywork has cleaned up well can't believe the 75 is 25 years old this Autumn remember it's 1998 launch when I was a young 24 year old

I was thinking throughout the video that I'd move the Volvo on and keep this if I were you. The Rover estate is a big project but it is my favourite Rover in the fleet so I hope that one will stay. Good luck with everything, I'll be watching whatever you decide 🙂

KEEP IT! Sorry to shout, Matt, but it is a perfect fit with your Rover collection, so please, please keep it! It is in great condition and wont take much to bring back to something befitting a gentleman’s car of that age. Like someone else said, get shut of the Volvo or the Alfa. This car demands a permanent home in your Rover museum. Nice one, Matt!

Such a shame that we didn’t get the 1.8 turbo in Australia. I have a 2002 rover 75 V6 in top spec Connoisseur SE trim it is metallic burgundy red with leather & wood everywhere. It’s a dream to drive & is one of my regular drivers. It has 140,000 miles on it never put a foot wrong. As with any of my cars I service them every 5000 miles regardless of what the sticker says. Being a mechanic myself

I really love this car. I have had two rover 75s in the past and I regret selling them both. Looking at this one really puts me in the notion to buy another!

For the sake of the cost of new pads, I’d swap the existing ones out. I’ve had experience of pads degrading on a low mileage car that has stood around for a long time…the friction material just came off the backing plate in chunks.

Glad to see you have struck gold this time with a really sound car with a lot of the potential problem areas (head gasket) fixed. This is too nice to move on I'd say, I would part with the Volvo or the 400 estate, maybe both?? Great content as always 👍

Water ingress on my 75 was from two places. The chrome trim along the side of the car at the boot is screwed in and these seals fail. With where your water appeared to be coming in, I would say it's a leaking rear-light seal. These are a very strange material and split easily after 20+years. I initially glued it, which did not work, then flipped the seals on the headlights and applied gutter sealant. This worked a treat although you have to be a fairly steady hand with a mastic gun. You can buy the replacement seals too but I grumbled at the price, and of course, the fact they failed in the first place! If you want to clean it up a little while you're there a toothbrush is ideal. My handbrake was also atrocious when I bought my car. The 75 and ZT club forums hold the answer, compensator mod!

Think you've a good'un there, Brylcream is a bugger to wash out, i know you don't use it but maybe a couple of antimacasers for the front seats will keep those head restraints clean or a couple of Furious beanies stretched over them. Most dirt comes from hands when reaching into the rear or rear seat passengers grabbing them. Your trolley underfloor washer will come in useful as looks a bit mucky underneath.

Literally just wet vacced my car today and it also had the same hair product deposits on the head rest. The bissell got through it really well too

That ducksback stuff is incredible. And you really have had a result with the 75 in terms of the body. The leak in the boot will be either tail light seals ( they split ), chrome trim pins on the rear quarter ( mine was leaking there just coated them in CT1) , rear window trim clips (again CT1 to the rescue otherwise its window out) , boot seal or boot plinth gasket.

16:15 That isn't the fuel pump. That's the evaporative emissions charcoal canister. The pump is in the tank.

Having driven literally hundreds of these when they were new (car hire) they still stand out as a fine car to me. I did enjoy the automatic version more, as it suited the car well. Definitely on par with the Germans back in the day.

Morning Matt, Re your dilemma, The 75 is a quality car with nowt needed done.(Superficial stuff). Practically no outlay. The other 2 you mentioned particularly the Rover estate is gonna need big bucks and personally in cash terms it' a no brainer. £3/4k value possibility or 2k outlay. You can do the maths ive already done them. Thanks for the vid . Lookn forward to your next one. Later👍

I had a lovely 75 cdti connoisseur se with loads mods. lovely car. still have my roof bars and roof box if you wanted to buy them for your 75.

I love the Rover 75 - such a handsome car still looking good today. Great project.

Thanks for plugging the pscan.

Always a good & interesting watch 👌 Love the 75 Grandpa had one from new in 2003

Great video as always! Top cheapskate tip, you can use washing powder in your Bissell, works just as good as the solution 😁

Great car ! with the 1.8 turbo K series engine Good buy ! - My 1985 Austin Maestro VDP was in this same pale blue colour as your Rover 75 !

I've had a similar quandary in my little collection Matt. I put them all into two piles, ones I definitely do not want to sell, and ones that I would. The proceeds from the sales will pay for the keepers to be made just right. You know my collection Matt, the van is going I'm afraid.

If im honest I thought you would have gone for a ZT over the 75, but I think you've done quite well here Matt, keep up the great work.

Looking good all round, did you note the weeping R/N/S damper? Or was that just an overspray of cleaner. Sorry to mention if it's already in the comments below.

The 75 in all its generations is a beautiful and dare I say it? A timeless looking car. JLR, forget yet more expensive SUV's and bring back Rover!

your poor handbrake will be down to a stretched mild steel adjuster - stainless ones are available but faffy to fit. Your water ingress could be rear light gaskets or could be where the chrome trim clips poke through the side of the car. Other problems include bonnet release cable coming detached under the bonnet and being unable to undo the bonnet. Petrol filter comes unscrewed and the car won't start. They rust around the jacking points.

If you get it working and the niggles sorted out it should be a very comfortable ride, but not much else. I had a conny 2ltr in 2005.

Nothing like shampooing the furnishings just draw air through at the end of cleaning to aid faster drying of upholstery and rinse machine with clean water to help water pump last longer.

There ought to be a "Rover Family" photo sometime. Maybe when your 3.5 comes back?

Another great video, I do love this series.

I’ve just bought myself a29;000 mile rover 114 sli. It’s spent periods of time in storage so it’s totally rust free and still has the spot welds showing on the wheel arches. It had a cam belt change at 26;000. But that was in 2008 so before I drie it I think it needs changing .

Absolutely love your videos, by far my favourite channel, but please please please stress the importance of supporting the vehicle with an axle stand, I’ve seen far too many accidents over the years

Think you're more of a Rover man than a Volvo owner so I'd move on the 7 series. I also think that it wouldn't be a bad idea to rationalise some of your projects and move a couple on, the 400 estate is a lovely car, always preferred it to the touring 3 series BMW in looks, but I think when you have the MB, the Mini and the fleet to look after you need at least one big reliable motor...as long as that head gasket holds out 😉

A nice surprise that it's in good condition. The toughest repair is probably those brake lines, otherwise it's cleaning and bolt ons. Can't ask for more!

Really enjoying the whole flip series!

Was it a Rover Management car? Would be great to see an underside restoration, a lot of dealers look at the top, it’s polished but the chassis/ suspension stay’s rusty….. I feel it’s often overlooked..

Brake & clutch cleaner, would that be suitable to remove some oily marks from my V70s headlining? The previous owner liked to stuff his bicycle in the boot, unfortunately he wasn't the most careful of owners.

water in boot comes from rear light seals. may also get airbag warning light with is just the plugs under the front seats that need lube

Water in boot comes through trim clips at base of screen and side mouldings , fuel pump is accessed through removable panel under rear seat

Looks like a pretty good Rover 75 that wood steering will look great set of the dashboard l realy like the dashboards on these Rover 75s and the instruments one of the best dashboards put in a car although the wood is from a plastic tree still is very classy and shock horror mot much rust from a UK car and all it needs is a service some new struts a good polish and very minor rust repairs are you sure it didn't spend some of its life in Australia and the indicator stalk l think its a keeper its a Rover and manual and l know you like your Rovers and how is the P5 V8 going

I agree with others Matt, keep this and sell something else. This will look great in your barn and at the NEC with Mr HubNut and his Australian Ford.

Great video as always,how ever I never recommend using a gun on locking wheel nuts,

I think you need to keep it, The rover 75s are getting collectable and that does seem a nice one, it would fit in with your collection nicely

Before using the bissell cleaner take a stiff brush dipped in hot water and scrub with the brush, then the Bessell. More effective.

Water in the boot tends to come from the body strip mounting holes & occasionally the tail light blocks.

Great car for the price! I do like the classiness of these cars. It's a shame that the 75s were front wheel drive though thanks to BMW not wanting direct competition with their products.

Lovely car, but I’d still trade it in. I’m biased though and love the Volvo (what I subscribed to the channel for) and the 400 estate!

Water ingress in the boot might be due to the seals on the rear lamp clusters. I had the same with my ZT

Looks a good car with just a few bits and pieces to iron out to make it excellent. I think you should stick with the plan and move it on though, there should be a decent profit in it to haul the trading series up a rung or two! If you do keep it and trade out another car on the fleet, NOT the Volvo or the W123 please 😬.... Perhaps the Alfa...