Rover 414 (R8) - with K-Series! Is it rubbish?

Подписаться 115 тыс.

Просмотров 54 тыс.

50% 1

Triangle of Doom Shirts now back in stock!
Arguably the greatest collaboration between Rover and Honda, the R8 proved that Rover could make market-competitive cars. But, the K-Series engine acquired a reputation for blowing head gaskets, and the car's reputation struggled. Was that deserved? I explore as I examine this delightful 1992 Rover 414Si - the booted version of the 200/400 range, with the facelift treatment.
HubNut goodies can be purchased at hubnut.org where you'll also find support options. Or, support HubNut at / hubnut or via Channel memberships: / @hubnut
Snail mail:
HubNut
PO Box 96
NEW QUAY
SA44 9AZ
UNITED KINGDOM
Don't forget to like the video if you like it, and share with your friends if you really like it! Thank you all.

Авто/Мото

Опубликовано:

11 июл 2024

Ссылка:

Скачать:

Готовим ссылку...

Добавить в:

Мой плейлист

Посмотреть позже

Комментарии : 839

@daler2577 3 года назад

Gone are the days with indicators big enough to see properly in bright sunshine!

@warren6815 3 года назад

I find it difficult to spot indicators at the best of times now, especially front indicators where a weedy halogen orange bulb is lost amongst a bright white LED DRL, the second generation J11 Qashqai being a perfect example.

@andrewbarnes1295 3 года назад

Agreed, the ones installed adjacent to bright LED running lights can be terrible.

@jamesgallagher1992 3 года назад

@@andrewbarnes1295 or the ones in between rear and brake leds ffs...cant see em blinkin then🙈🙈

@Jaxs2 3 года назад

@@jamesgallagher1992 it's not you can't see them people just don't bother using them they think they are assessories🤡

@daler2577 3 года назад

@nh73 yes I agree as you're going round the roundabout or round the corner is a bit late really especially for pedestrians who are waiting to cross

@robdixon3953 3 года назад

Used to drive a few of these back in the day and owned a 220 turbo coupe. Always annoys me to see the keyboard warriors spouting off about how rubbish Rovers were .. its simply not true, these cars were as good if not better than anything else at the time. The K series was so smooth and advanced compared to Ford and Vauxhall equivalents at its launch.

3 года назад

220 Turbo Coupe... my holy grail car though I never ended up owning one, sadly. When were 16 and at college I remember me and a mate making the staff at Evans Halshaw near the college extremely nervous by actually clambering into a dark metallic blue Turbo Coupe on the showroom floor and sitting there full of want! I did however get to own a 620ti some years later, wish I'd never sold it! White Gold 'facelift' model 😍

@matty6848 3 года назад

Yep I had the 220 GTi and it was a brilliant car. Went like s#*t off a shovel and in the 4 years I had it I never had any problems.

@JuiceTerry87 3 года назад

@@matty6848 my missus used to drive her Dad's 420 GSI which was rapid, nice comfortable car

@ZIGZAG12345 3 года назад

The K series was powerful and economical, it was a good "engine". I owned a few and the HGF tendencies definitely ARE real, though.

@matty6848 3 года назад

ZIGZAG! Yes I had the K series for 4 years and that time it didn’t miss a beat. Those plucky K series were built like tank engines and could really take a battering. I used to thrash mine as I was only 22/23 at the time so drove like a bit of a dick looking back now, lol. Now I have a 2018, 2.0D, VW Passat and I’ve had nothing but trouble with it. It’s. Company car so I’m not really that bothered as all costs are covered by the lease car company. But if it was my own I would of got rid by now, it’s been in the garage that many times I’ve genuinely can’t remember how many times it’s been up on the ramp for repairs, breakdowns etc. Absolute pile of trash, give me back my old Rover 3 door 2020 GTi any day👍

@gerardbosvonhohenfels1866 3 года назад

Rover is always in my heart. I felt devastated when the news came out that the inevitable had happened, their bankruptcy. Such a history gone again.

@gadrian58 3 года назад

Land Rover are still going strong and they own the Rover brand. They are soon to market a new Road Rover so Rover isnt completely gone and could be back stronger and better in the not too distant future.

@stolensilver5811 2 года назад

you want to get out more

@simonmcroy1753 3 года назад

Thanks for reviewing it Ian. It's definitely a keeper and I'll do my best to keep it as healthy and maintained as possible.

@pwensor 3 года назад

Looks a cracking example. Totally immaculate. Hope you enjoy it !

@debbiepeter112 3 года назад

I am so jealous. I love older cars and this one is absolutely lovely and in such condition.

@stateofmind91 3 года назад

My Dad worked at Rover in the early 90's while I was an infant and would regularly come home covered in specs of nightfire red.

@bobwalker8907 3 года назад

My dad used to come home with his dinner bag full of car parts

@herrfister1477 3 года назад

Bob Walker Scouse?

@bradlemmond 3 года назад

@@bobwalker8907 Did he bring enough home to build a Cadillac?

@matty6848 3 года назад

Then he would of been in the paint shop I take it? I worked in the West works then the Cab 1 & 2.

@Treviscoe 3 года назад

@@bradlemmond His name wasn't John(ny) Cash by any chance?

@frglee 3 года назад

This is a nice one! Absolutely immaculate car, clearly very well looked after. Rare to see such a nice example, should attract many admiring looks at a car show.

@andrewfrancis3591 3 года назад

My dad Bought 2 new and did 100 miles a day commuting, he loved them.

@MrMarshalbeej 3 года назад

Big fan of the K-Series here. I have had many K cars and currently own a 2002 MG TF 160 and an MG6 that uses a beefed up version of the 1.8 Turbo K

@andrewhead6267 3 года назад

Rover would have survived and prospered with Honda - BMW finally killed it

@Chaostheory1971 3 года назад

Makes me think that BMW bought Rover for one thing only, that being the Mini, which they still own.

@Rassilon72 3 года назад

@@Chaostheory1971 Exactly that reason- kept all the good bits and ran the rest into the ground. I think BMW also own the Triumph name (for road cars only).

@siraff4461 3 года назад

Yeah it was all BMW's fault. Of course it was. Its not like Rover had been burning money for years, already had bailouts and multiple owners or like BMW also lost a shed load of money trying to keep them going, is it? I used to go to Longbridge regularly through the 90's (through Honda tie in and BMW ownership). After seeing it it was obvious there was no way it was ever going to be sustainable. When people are doing important jobs like waiting for someone else who's doing an important job (on a break) it just gets silly. The workers wanted to turn up and do no work and the management were clueless. The only reason Mini is still going is because BMW dragged the quality up kicking and screaming until it was actually a viable car.

@Rassilon72 3 года назад

@@siraff4461 You are right of course. It's a shame that Rover couldn't be turned around into an efficient and profitable company. I'm sad that when it was sold by BMW, they appeared to take all the profitable bits with them (which of course is their absolute right to do), and leave the shell of Rover behind. By that time the writing was on the wall.

@saddoncarrs6963 3 года назад

@@siraff4461 Absolutely agree - it is churlish to blame BMW for what was obviously homegrown mismanagement and poor work ethics. No wonder they called it The English Patient.

@WhosAGoodDogue 3 года назад

_(edited because of Primary 2 spelling)_ - Now, I have to say, that's a superb example. Lovely colour. Spotless inside and out. That engine bay is a mechanical dinner plate. Inside is bright and very well kept. This is a credit to the previous keepers, and the current one. A show piece if ever there was one (probably even museum quality!). The steering wheel at first seemed an odd design to me, but when you were on the road, it dawned that the open design at the top was so you could get a clear view of the instrument panel/clocks. Damn good idea!

@ianmontgomery7213 3 года назад

I doubt it was any better when it was finished being pre-deliver serviced.

@Strike86 3 года назад

"RAVE - we won't have a rave just now..." Pure HubNut 10/10

@philh1462 3 года назад

I actually LOL'd.

@probablychalk 3 года назад

I'd've walked away at Simply Red. Some lines are not to be crossed.

@groovygraham 3 года назад

:) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JKA4Utj9vVQ.html

@stephenmorrish 3 года назад

Rover should have been sold to Honda instead of BMW, I'm sure we would still have rovers being made today.

@11sfr 3 года назад

Honda had a longstanding corporate policy of not engaging in foreign acquisitions, they were willing to double their stake in Rover from 20% up to 40%, but not buy the whole thing, and BAe wanted to sell all of it, and BMW were pretty much the only ones interested in owning the whole thing by 1994 (Ford had expressed some interest in the late 1980s, but the UK government insisted on selling it to a British company, and so pressured BAe into taking it on, by the mid 90s, Ford had their hands full turning around Jaguar and Aston-Martin and were no longer interested in all of Rover Group).

@nouvalari 3 года назад

I had a Metro Gti as a driving school car.165,000 miles no issues. Original clutch, and only 3 disc and pad changes.Written off by a knob in an uninsured Transit, the engine was sold and ended up in a Caterham . Cam belt, Antifreeze, water pump change every 50,000,and radiator changed at 100,000. Great car.

@connelp72 3 года назад

I remember the first time I drove one of these, after owning a Maestro, and I was amazed at how good they were in comparison. It has dated very well and is still a good looking car. Nice review Ian, and some happy memories.

@thedeadstig123 3 года назад

The early K series were brilliant engines, the big issues comes from when BMW took over Rover and tried to cheapen the build of the K series engines, they changed the metal head dowels to plastics, these cracked and caused the heads to move which blew head gaskets

@MINKIN2 3 года назад

Absolutely this. Once the are fixed/replaced, the engines will run "forever". Part of the reason we still see so many 25s running on the roads today.

@robinwells8879 3 года назад

The design award for the engine was thoroughly well deserved and had the engine been coupled to a similarly worthy cooling system and the owners perhaps more attentive to the maintenance regime then the unit would have become legendary rather than infamous. It was almost orders of magnitude more compact and lighter than anything else on the market but this requires sophisticated heat management. It almost lends itself more to outboard engine design than automotive. Lovely looking example of a beautifully styled car. My goodness that car has been cherished. 😊

@siraff4461 3 года назад

Not at all. There are a few well known design flaws with the K series and the cooling system. While I'm firmly in agreement that they are basically a great little lump once the issues are sorted you can't try to put the blame on BMW. The rusting radiator, corroding rear water pipe, easy block matrix, lack of a low coolant level warning and so on are some of the main culprits. The over ambitious compression ratio (fine with better quality studs/gasket), poor quality materials and general lack of quality for the tolerances required is the real killer. I've stripped and built quite a lot of them over the years and they always come with one of a few issues - stretched head studs, coolant leaks or the big one overheating. The headgaskets go from overheating or from being thrashed from cold. The nonsense about the dowels is just that. There isn't an engine in history which relied on the locating dowels to stop it going pop and that includes this. The head bolt torque is 20nm then 180deg then another 180deg (stretch bolts that should only be used once - another common mistake is reusing them). When you crack them it usually takes around 90lb/ft which will increase as the engine warms. If you think for one minute the dowels are having any effect on head location once that lot is done up you're kidding yourself. Once sorted with decent head studs, gasket, a proper skim and match then the cooling system addressed they are solid. That doesn't mean they left the factory as a good engine.

@robames1293 3 года назад

@@siraff4461 Thanks for that. I don't recall seeing a Rover like this (rebadged Hondas yes) here in Australia. I have been interested in the K series because of its use in Caterhams. We did get the rear engined MGs here and they had a bit of a reputation for overheating but that may be due to the reasons you outlined. Best wishes from Oz and stay safe

@grahamariss2111 3 года назад

The plastic dowels were introduced with the 1600 and 1800 cars, the enlargement of the engines and change of the dowels was signed off in the later BAe years as the Honda relationship cooled before the BMW takeover, BMW never had much oversite of the K Series during their ownership, it was for them a "sunset" engine to be replace once the Hams Hall facility would come online with a new generation of BMW 4 cylinder engines, so remained very much undrr Rover management regarding its development which included a quite extensive reworking of the K6, to cure its head gasket issues in the 800 for the 75, K4 engines after 2000 reverted to steel dowels but still suffered from head gasket issues.

@zugbug1986 3 года назад

Nice example good colour and comes with the optional extra of Fox's Glacier mints in the door pocket.

@GentilsGarage 3 года назад

No, never rubbish! Great car and a cut above anything else on the market at the time. I’m getting one early 414 soon, so I can’t wait! There was far too much publicity in regards to HGF and everyone else forgot that engine from other cars also had their pitfalls. On the power, that engine being a multipoint injection, would have 102/3bhp. The earlier single point cars had 95. Also, the reason why they had an adapted Peugeot gearbox for the 1.4 cars was because it was cheaper than developing a new one. The 1.6 had its own Honda gearbox, hence why autos were only available on the 1.6 too.

@paulqueripel3493 3 года назад

Wasn't the gearbox being a Honda in the 1600 because that engine was the other way around, as it runs in the opposite direction. Didn't they also use a VW gearbox in the maestro?

@GentilsGarage 3 года назад

Paul Queripel Yes, the Honda engine was mounted the other way round because it turns on the opposite direction compared to the Rover one and also, it was the one that has a specific manual and auto gearbox designed for it, so there was a saving in development costs. The Maestro and montego had VW boxes, but they weren’t great.

@RichieRouge206 3 года назад

Absolutely love the acres of beige, good engineering, light and flat Eric! The R8 to me was the perfect blend of modern and traditional sensibility and no stupid computers or useless tat found on modern cars. Great review Ian!

@RichieRouge206 3 года назад

The revving engine reminded me of Matt's intro on Furious Driving 😆

@furiousdriving 3 года назад

Although despite plenty of Rover engines on the drive, thats an Alfa twin spark! High praise for Rover there

@tides2002 3 года назад

The K Series as said doesn’t tolerate coolant loss very well at all, a low coolant alarm would have helped mitigate this. It also didn’t help that head gaskets were often changed without investigating the reason for the loss of coolant assuming that it was always the head gasket in the first place, the replacement would pop soon after.

@siraff4461 3 года назад

I used to have a load come in saying they had the headgasket replaced but it hadn't fixed it. Usually the metal pipe running along the back of the block would have corroded and be leaking. Unfortunately a lot of them had already boiled past the point of no return by the time I got hold of them. Almost always needed a head skim, thicker gasket and the usual flushing of everything. They hold up pretty well once sorted properly though. A good engine overall once the minor issues are addressed.

@millomweb 3 года назад

@@siraff4461 Ahh, the beauty of air cooled engines - leaks didn't really matter !

@charliepragnell5791 3 года назад

I had the head gasket changed on both a Tom Cat (1.8vvci) and an MGF (1.6). The gasket was changed by specialist ex MG/Rover engineer who used to travel the UK in his van changing head gaskets on these engines. He told me the gasket failure was due to nothing more than a poor gasket design. When they eventually developed a steel sandwich construction gasket (much later on) this put an end to any failures and as a consequence eventually put him out work.

@coopers4491 3 года назад

Very thin head gaskets were used in the new k series ,so they put thicker head gaskets to solve this issue and they were still K rap....!!!!!

@siraff4461 3 года назад

@@charliepragnell5791 The gasket is a weak point but thats on purpose. If you use the MLS gaskets without sorting the other issues you're just sending the problem elswhere - usually to a cracked head/liners. This isn't new tech and wasn't developed later on - it was just less expensive to use cheap ring insert gaskets than multi layer metal and the rings were considered "good enough" for mass production. Total saving around £10 per car. I'll leave you to decide if that was a wise choice or not.

@BrorAppelsin 3 года назад

Very nice car indeed, so well kept for its age. Hopefully it stays that way, too.

@barryjackson8512 3 года назад

I love the R8 really need another. Engines are not as bad as they made out. Look after them and they are sweet. Really nice example.

@evo5dave 3 года назад

Yay - no sandals! On a different note, Rover should have been sold to Honda, not BMW. It would probably be still going had it been.

@timhancock6626 3 года назад

Honda said repeatedly that they couldn't afford Rover and that partnership was their only offer. Otherwise I agree. Subsequent owners did not serve the company well. Honda always played straight.

@evo5dave 3 года назад

@@timhancock6626 I may be wrong but that's not how I remember it. I thought Honda had made an offer which was more or less assumed to be the way to go. Honda even stated their long term plan to be to see Rover as an independent company sometime on the future.

@benbrown3541 3 года назад

@@evo5dave It does make you wonder why Rover management decided to partner with BMW, considering that all the models at the time were Rover/Honda hybrids, using many shared parts, and with Rover's suppliers actually providing Honda with parts for their cars aswell. Whereas BMW bought a company which it shared no designs, components or suppliers with, in a completely different market sector, while still having to negotiate with Honda to supply parts for most models, not least of which being major things such as the dashboards for the R8, and later 400 & 45. Absolute madness.

@typos1477 3 года назад

@@woodrow_mayes The idea that BMW "abused" Rover is, with respect, utter nonsense. BMW buying Rover was the best thing that ever happened to Rover, the problem was BMW were too "nice" - they stepped back and let us get on with it, partly cos they were worried about the offence a German company taking over an English one might cause and partly cos theyd seen some of the surprisingly good results we d got on ridiculously small budgets in the past, so figured that we d be able to get really great results with decent funding behind us. As usual us Brits effed up and carried on with our distinct and unique skills of gross mismanagement, arrogance and blatant stupidity (which got even more out of hand with MG Rover). By the time BMW realised we needed to be properly managed and that the light touch wasnt working it was too late. Had BMW stepped in and taken more control early on Rover would still be around today.

@HowardLeVert 3 года назад

@@typos1477 "The English Patient"... you've probably put the cat amongst the pigeons with your post, but it's the uncomfortable reality.

@carlsturges7600 3 года назад

I've owned 2 in my life the first was a two tone K plate 214 and the second was that colour, M plate 214 SEi with half leather. Both cracking cars and great fun to drive.

@gerardbooth40 2 года назад

Cracking review Ian - you've really been on a roll recently. Thanks.

@TheAllegroMan 3 года назад

That one is the multi-point injection with 103bhp. The earlier single point injection models were 95bhp ish.

@PaulBaker85 3 года назад

Came here to say this. Doesn't have the triangular airbox which was the giveaway of the SPi.

@DruggedBunny 3 года назад

Great review... I had a 41-something, same shape, different trim/grille, with the Honda engine, and I loved it, even being an auto!

@farkingbarlocks 3 года назад

Really enjoyed the video. THANKS. I had one of these and it was so good.

@iancropper4952 3 года назад

Loved the styling exterior and interior alike, refined motoring in the day, thank you so much for this video

@steved3702 3 года назад

Nice, polished review, Ian! Love the glasshouse - nice and airy.

@Hanzilla75 3 года назад

Having lived in the UK in the 1990's I remember seeing these everywhere. They were very popular, just not able to compete with Ford and Vauxhall in the fleets. I got to ride in some of these and also the 200, and I remember being impressed by the comfort, ride and quality. I had a 1.3 Escort which felt a lot more plastic and thrown together. What an amazing example your friend found, it looks showroom fresh. My favorite of the entire range was the estate.

@ferrumignis 3 года назад

The interiors were way better than most cars in it's class at that time, but then again it was usually more expensive as well.

@marcusdamberger 3 года назад

That engine bay looks immaculate! Like the day it was bought from the dealer. How is that possible to get the grime off after 28 years?

@ferrumignis 3 года назад

@@marcusdamberger Best not to let it get filthy in the first place and stay on top of rust/corrosion.

@leeallen7491 3 года назад

just about to take ownership of a 416SLi tourer , shall have three then a 213S, 414SLi and the tourer

@stephenshippam9374 3 года назад

Hi Ian, great video, just in time for lunch, what lovely condition in side and out, keep up the good work.

@WolvesInferno 3 года назад

Great video Hubnut as per usual. Nice teddies in the back seat. I spotted a teddy of Stay Puft Marshmallow and a teddy of Bertie Bassett.

@jaggass 3 года назад

It brings back memories as a nipper riding around in a red/grey Rover 214 SLi back in the early 90's. I loved the walnut wood it had as well. Engine wise we never had a problem with it. I always thought the head gasket issues only affected the 1.8 but sounds like it effected it the 1.1, and 1.4 as well.

@GazzaView123 3 года назад

Great review, Ian, I really enjoyed that. Back in '95 I bought a '93 414Si in dark blue with light grey interior. In the three years of ownership I took it from 21,000 miles at purchase, to 60,000 miles when I sold it & in that time the only issue I had (honestly!) was the bulb failing in the clock in the centre of the dash! The K series never gave me any trouble whatsoever. In 2000 I bought a M reg 214SEi in platinum with the superb 1/2 leather interior which was just as reliable. Lovely cars!

@seancooke4127 3 года назад

Wasn't aware that the front suspension was different in the Rover and the Honda. Exemplary 3 point turning skills. Hint of what could have been possibly, but don't ever stop showing these Austin, Morris or Rover gems. Love them all. I'm sure the people who designed them and built them had a love for them and a pride in them.

@Lobo-ih3bh 3 года назад

Lovely car. Aronline is awesome, the hours fly by there

@andrewsmith8608 3 года назад

“All tapes left in a car for more than about a fortnight metamorphose into Best of Queen albums.” copyright Terry Pratchett

@extramild1 3 года назад

A good man RIP

@probablychalk 3 года назад

@@extramild1 among the best.

@paulqueripel3493 3 года назад

And Neil Gaiman.

@2760ade 3 года назад

That is an immaculate example, inside and out, and even under the bonnet! A credit to its owner:) Lovely car!

@fulwell1 3 года назад

Great video as always Ian, thank you :) - I still think these are one of the best looking modern Rovers ever made

@andicog 3 года назад

I bought and sold loads of these, 214/414, they were great, never had any bother, bought most with body damage and fixed them, didn't rust as bad as Ford Escorts and were generally nice to drive, with a light airy feel, Ialso had a 416gti with the full leather, different engine I know but was fun to drive and quite quick.

@gorsmy 3 года назад

We used to hire these Rovers back in the 90s to follow tarmac rallies in Ireland and I can tell you after a weekend of hard driving they were a dam good car good reving engine and not to bad handling on Irish lanes easy run as well

@caileanshields4545 3 года назад

Simon should be proud, he's got himself a right corker of a car there. Spotless inside and out. And the soundtrack is just heavenly (rarely do you hear a K-series engine being given the beans). Should my aspirations of acquiring a Volvo estate or a Rover 75 as a first car fall flat, I certainly wouldn't mind one of these in their stead (preferably in that gorgeous shade of red). Right now though, I'd be grateful to have anything as a first car to be honest lol Cracking vid as ever, Ian. :)

@christineayres5339 3 года назад

The Engine if you ignore the head problems is a gem as the 1.8 K series was used in the Lotus Elise and that is an amazing car

@stepheng8779 3 года назад

Lovely car, great colour. Takes me back to a time when I used to work next door to the local Rover dealers, many a dinner hour spent mooching round these beauties :)

@richlc 3 года назад

Great video, I had a MGTF 160, 18 months old when purchased in 2004. The head gasket failed at 24,000 miles. The car was serviced correctly. The garage that repaired it replaced the plastic Rover cylinder liner shims with metal ones and an upgraded head gasket. No more problems. I’ve uploaded a video to my channel after watching your video on the risks of running older vehicles. Appreciate it if you take a look and share it. Possibly help save lives.

@peterowen4456 3 года назад

We had one of these at work as a pool car back in the day. It was easily the most popular car in the pool and the step change in quality from things like the Montego was huge.

@dunnockdan 3 года назад

These use to be everywhere! Not seen one for a very long time in the wild, shame really as It seems quite a nice looking saloon when out of context now. Good review as always HubNut.

@alansmith1770 3 года назад

Looks so nice for a 28 year old car

@waynetetley584 3 года назад

Nice colour. Brought back nice memories of my H plate R8 a white 214SLi. Early Si's didnt get the walnut (real) trim on the doors. So much better than the Orion at the time in my opinion 😊

@Shane_Marsh 3 года назад

Tremendous video ian, I've never even looked at one of these rovers before. I would love to hear a HubNut version of what really went wrong with BL/austin rover.

@Chaostheory1971 3 года назад

Yet another superb HubNut review! Hope you didn't forget to collect the camera as you drove off and left it. lol

@micktaylor9332 3 года назад

The condition of the car body and engine is amazing. Someone has put a lot of love into that little rover. Nice one.

@sirdunster8419 3 года назад

I had a 214 si 3 door in British racing green,, H plate. loved it, excellent fit and finish, it was very reliable.

@MrButtonpresser 3 года назад

Brilliant car review, thanks again. Very nice specimen.

@lucythemoggy1970 3 года назад

i had a 1.8 vvc tomcat in amethyst. went like a scalded cat, head gasket failure, but great steering wheel feedback from the road. previous to that i had a rover 400, but the bubble shape. in a dark metallic green, 1.4 engine, paisley interior which i loved with the wood effect on the dash and doors. loved em both.

@MINIMOTOMADNESS 3 года назад

dude,flat eric from 1999 mr oizo (flat beats) what a tune and video,

@stevegoodier1241 3 года назад

Many moons ago I had a 216 Vitesse, Loved that motor and kept it for a couple of years....did plenty of trouble free miles in it. I bought it from the old Stoke car auctions in the early 90's and eventually sold it for roughly the same price as i bought it for. Great motor !

@michaelb9664 3 года назад

Your reviews are spot on. Big Rover fan myself and I own two K-series powered MGs, the K is very much maligned.

@damianfuller74 3 года назад

Compliments to the owner. Very clean car. Very nice indeed!

@lewishart9698 3 года назад

I have a 2003 MG ZS with the 1.8 K-Series and it is a lovely engine, punchy and pokey when you need it to be but also happy to just tick over when cruising along at 60 or so. It too has the same issue with the pedal height as does the 45 and I believe there is an after market mod out there to lower the pedal down an inch or so. As others have said though and I see if often on forums, people are so quick to "diagnose" issues as head gasket failures when in fact it's usually down to thermostats or small leaks from hoses. Great engines in my eyes and so easy to work on with basic tools.

@peteressextrucker8014 3 года назад

I had an 214 si 16v 3 door ! Never had a problem with the engine it ran beautifully and was surprisingly quick ! What a blast from the past though to see flat Eric 😎👍👍

@brianiswrong 3 года назад

A friend's parents had a brand new 1984 rover 213SE as a lada 1500 driver at the time,I was blown away by how fast, spacious,well equipped and good handling car it was. Engine revved for fun and the dash (with its 414 simplicity) was fantastic.

@TK42138 3 года назад

Good review as always.

@zebedep 3 года назад

I've always liked these cars. Super video!

@everydaysalvage 3 года назад

Seeing Flat Eric in the back did it for me. Mine sits pride of place in the back of my 95 mini sidewalk. 👌🏻

@stratos_wolf3896 3 года назад

I’ve got a 1.8 K-series in my 2003 Freelander, it’s been nothing but completely reliable, surprisingly fuel efficient (considering the Freelander isn’t a light car) and best of all, really good fun. It pulls well too, on and off the road, just seems to have a really wide power range. Definitely a better engine than the reputation it unfortunately can’t shake despite the later Ks (post bad gasket and plastic dowels) seem to be quite dependable. I’m at 140,000 miles, I think it’ll keep going as long as it’s looked after. Also remember my great uncle who worked for Rover owning on of those Rovers, quite comfortable.

@aNdy_AL_C0S 3 года назад

Had a '95 Rover 214SEi in that exact colour. Lovely car. Looked after it and it looked after me.

@milesfinch 3 года назад

The K series engine was a great engine, if looked after and not neglected. Nice amount of power and torque, i had the next model 416 SI.

@GadgetMart 3 года назад

Not just a case of looking after them sadly. They need the dowels replacing on the cyclinder head but once this has been done it is indeed a great engine

@GadgetMart 3 года назад

I would sooner have the 216 Honda unit

@eggy1962 3 года назад

Miles Finch my sis had the 1.4 k blew head gasket x2 no prior coolant loss so it had to go, she liked the car but could not afford the engine gasket appetite,i would not wish that engine on my enemies

@SimpleOldGaming 3 года назад

@@eggy1962 I've had 4 rovers and never had any issues, a complete gasket change is pretty cheap nowadays regardless

@eggy1962 3 года назад

@@SimpleOldGaming i can only vouch for a 214 that my sis had and it popped its gasket x2 the second time it didn't get repaired by my sis she sold it. Now i had the deisel 218td great car no mechanical issue whatsoever. but i also was freindly with a few mechanics who said avoid the k series nuff said

@alansimpson835 3 года назад

I always liked the style of these. That interior was so distinctive and the front grill was smart. I loved the sunroof craze with cars in the 90s too. I do enjoy a car with a sunroof

@KHGrinderboy 3 года назад

Wow what a lovely example! very well kept

@stephencresswell4760 3 года назад

Cracking engine. Got one in my Freelander. Sorted the head gasket with the upgraded sump ladder and head bolts. It’s at 100,000 miles now and still runs great. Many garages made a lot of money out of the head gasket issue, it was often a cracked expansion bottle or warped inlet manifold at fault......

@isaacplaysbass8568 3 года назад

This reminds me of my Green Rover 418 Turbo Diesel, with Peugeot XUD7TE. Such a really well handling suspension and so quick off the mark when the traffic lights turned green. I miss it so.

@southendparaquest 3 года назад

I passed my test in a K series engined Metro. the year after I passed, BSM switched to the new Corsa. Have to say, I really got on with the little 1.4 Metro. Maybe i have rose tinted glasses on, but I remember it being pretty nippy. and I always remember some pearls of wisdom from my driving instructor. Don't be afraid to use the throttle (which I invariably did!), it will get you out of as much situations as the brakes will.

@Buck3366 3 года назад

I had a Metro GTI 16v as a little runabout way back and I hammered that little thing to bits .The engine never failed once . Fun little car .

@martinhall5980 3 года назад

Looks to be a very clean example. Lovely motor.

@dazzlerbob1870 3 года назад

Mr Hub nut, had 2 k-series engined rover R8 1.4 & 1.6. Rock solid, no gasket issues. Kept serviced. Only issue was the steel coolant pipes rotted that went around the back of the engine.

@sbomorse 3 года назад

I had a J-Reg 214 and the engine was great! Very nippy and really good on fuel. Same engine and interior to this. I was lucky to have power steering optioned on mine.

@redsorgum 3 года назад

Another one I’ve never heard of, thanks. 🙏🏻

@TheIronInspector94 3 года назад

My Mother had a 414 Si just like this one. Hers was a 1994 model and the plate was M91 MDA. Tax was due in 2006 so I'm guessing it's been crushed or SORN since. Not a bad car to be fair, lovely blue with black interior, sunroof and the wood wrap around the dash, and the suspension was extremely soft. Good memories watching this review!

@richfixescars 3 года назад

Worcestershire car on Startins plates I love it. We had a Metro GTi from Startins in Worcester in 1993.

@petergouldbourn2312 3 года назад

Fascinating. Thanks Ian Pete 🇬🇧

@flemmingsorensen5470 3 года назад

This is truely a great looking car! And well maintained !

@MillerCorner 3 года назад

Absolutely love R8s! Daily drove one for nine months, WILL own one!

@simonabbott7323 3 года назад

HubNut looking for Clannad album, finds Simply Red instead. "You cannot be Sirius!" As TDS123 says, the early K series engines were cracking units, but in a different way to the later ones! I remember hiring a 1.1 Metro and marvelling at how much more grown up it was than my 1.0 A+ series powered Metro Mayfair. A bit like certain versions of Windows, I wondered how much better the Metro would have fared with that engine/'box upgrade a lot earlier.

@leeallen7491 3 года назад

I had both an austin metro with the A series and a Rover Metro with the K series, The K series felt so much nicer than the A series

@daftbugger2011 3 года назад

Incidentally, I owned a Rover 200 of similar vintage (k reg), It had the old indicators but had the grille. I paid £275 and it was utterly reliable for the entire time I owned it, a brilliant car. I loved it despite the lack of power steering & only 3 working speakers, great engine too!

@stevem268 3 года назад

it is too bad the honda/rover alliance didnt continue. honda was and still is known for reliability and rover for was known for great design work. if the alliance had continued, maybe rover would still be making cars in england

@cliveb9126 3 года назад

And maybe Honda would be making cars Europeans want to buy...

@matty6848 3 года назад

Yep and Rover made such lovely interiors which Honda was sadly lacking in.

@thepowerman1000 3 года назад

Once again a great video that brought back some memories, just like the Granada one. Again, just like the Granada I have a family connection to these cars, with my mother owning two. An early (J225JTP) 214Si in a solid red (I can't recall the exact name of the colour...Radiant red???). No power steering, but certainly an uplift from her previous Mk2 Fiesta 1.1. She then had a facelifted (M189JPM) 214SEi, in British Racing Green. The early one had a grey dash, with grey seats with typically early 90's coloured slashes/moquette on the cushions. The later one had part leather, electric front windows, drivers airbag, power steering and alloys! I was too young to have driven the early one, but did get a drive in the later one, although at the time anything would have been better than my Mk1 Polo 895cc (RPK990X), where you only had to twitch your toes and the clutch bit! I recall that in both the stalks felt rather cheap compared to the equivalent in other Austin Rover products. As you mention, these were Honda, but I think remarkably the ones in Maestros and Montegos were better. The backlit orange dash/dials were very exotic and again a step change from the side-lit green in the Fiesta. I agree also that the window switches in the later model were awkwardly mounted and rather cheap too - again a Honda influence. I used to look over both of them and try to spot all of the ARG parts that even had the emblem on - like the side repeater indicator lenses and the lamp in the boot and then see the same parts on LDV vans! I've watched that video too - and remember having college trips in such vehicles. Weren't the wipers on those LDV's crazy? Didn't one arm go under the actual blade frame because of the curve of the screen? Oh - and I used to love the radio aerials on these cars and other ARG models too. The pillar mounted one that retracts. Perfect position compared to the wing mounted ones of the time. No chance of one on the pillar getting snagged by trees and the like and you could push it down if you went through a car wash! BTW - I did a BTEC in Electrical Engineering too and have been in Electrical Power Engineering for 21 years now!

@jamesgallagher1992 3 года назад

Lovely car...that engine bay looks abs mint👍👍👍👍

@fifthoarsmanoftheacropolis4173 3 года назад

A nice review of a very smart, well looked after car. I had a '93 216gsi 5door some years ago - great little family car, did everything well, but wasn't outstanding in any area. Thinking back, its in the top five of all the cars Ive owned in 33 years, and imho the best looking, best proprtioned of the "modern" rovers. Sadly, my ex got custody of it and ran it into the ground ( last time i saw it she was getting airborn over speedbumps doing about 50 mph). I later had a 216 bubble - which, predictably, blew the head gasket due to expansion bottle cap failure. I vivdly remember stripping & rebuilding that engine.... outside, mid winter, in the dark...... good times !!

@mpersad 3 года назад

I loved the hire car Rover 416 SLi in Kingfisher Blue I had for the summer of 1991. Great car!

@mickles1975 3 года назад

Bertie Bassett, Flat Eric and the Staypuft marshmallow man on the back seat. I thoroughly approve.

@brianiswrong 3 года назад

Takes me back to our old L reg 214SLI we had no problem with the engine or box,just a bit of rust showing on the passanger rear door step.

@johnboy384 3 года назад

That engine bay is immaculate. Very impressed.

@christaylor3544 Год назад

Looking under the bonnet and thinking that used to be my office. Great to work on. Although I'd have the single cam Honda rather than the K series. Great memories.

@1066gaz 3 года назад

Used to dream about getting one of these in the early 90's when i had the chevette's. I thought they seemed good quality. My favourite was the rover 220 GTI in bottle green though yum yum.