I get fed up with people referring to my car as a jag. I don't much like the way the headlight dip switch works, instead of flashing my headlights at drivers I end up blinding them on full beam . Biggest gripe tho, if I take it to a garage for anything doing, which is very rare I might add. I often get a comment along the lines of "well you will have problems, it's a Rover " even if it's something very simple or just age/wear related. An example, a few years ago I received an advisory at an MOT. They said that the boots on the (original) front drop links had perished. I purchased a pair of new ones, I didn't have time to fit them myself so I asked them to fit them for me. I received the "what do you expect " type comments. I just said "what? You telling me drop link rubbers never perish on any other brand of car, these are about 17 years old". Never went there again, or any garage that makes any similar type of comments.
Atleast it's not a Chrysler 300C bettending to be a Bentley, as someone I have noticed has put Bentley badges on their car. As it happens I rather like the 300C. And I have add someone during lock-down thought my Humber Super Snipe was a Wolseley, even though they both look slightly different. Atleast the gentleman had heard of the latter!
Atleast it's not a VAG product… An Audi A2 with it's bull joints mounted in the lower wishbones. Spent quite a few days removing the wishbones of the A2, only to find I had alot more "fun" trying to wrestle the item into a rubber bush at the rear of the front sub-frame. The very long bolt at the front could then be tightened up. And what about the cam cover that includes the camshaft? And they German engineering is superb, even the garage we used to use for our Rover touch the A2, says alot!
Hi. I have Rover 75 CDT (375,000 km), Rover 75 1.8 tourer (220,000 km) and Rover SD1 Vitesse. They are really great cars. In my opinion, there is no substitute for a Rover 75.
Note all the problems, but there are many more aspects to compensate. Ina Australia my Rover 75 takes me on 450km trip from Brisbane, Queensland, to Nambucca Heads in New South Wales, and I arrive fresh and ready for socialising. Other cars doing the same journey and I need a couple of hours at least before I am fit for company. The Rover is so smooth, quiet and comfortable that the journey is just a delight.
Hi Tom whatever you like, women or cars (or both eventually) ,there are always few things you hate in them . This how it is . Just forget about the irritant things and enjoy the positive one's. By the way I had a bMGB GT in the seventeens and had a lot of fun with it. I have the same Rover 75 as yours and hope to pass it to my grandson so that he knows in future what a luxury car was at the beginning of the century. .Already today when I am parking on a motorway in France, people are gazering at my car like they would look at an UFO ! By the way, I am sad when I see that you are parking outside under the snow. . Good luck to you and keep your car as long as you can. (Sorry for my english : I am french)
Loving these rambles lately everything you say is exactly what I've been thinking to myself especially people not wanting to own their cars or phones. Also proud owner of a 2 litre cdti tourer connoisseur hoping to get her on the road this summer
Hi Tom, I have 2 rover 75s, with obviously the same issues. Please bare in mind that these cars are now over 20 years old, so we have to expect a few troubles, and most of these cars are now in the bin. Cheers Mike peacey.
some great tips in here I'm definitely going to try out the boot latch thing cause its so stressful when its clicking away. As for the fuel situation, I thought it was something to do with the fuel expanding once its warmed up. I could be wrong but the common rail sends fuel back into the tank if it doesn't get burned, then that warm fuel expands the fuel in the tank and you get a different reading.
Hi Tom, love the channel. You are a big part as to why I bought my own rover 75 deisel. I'm moving it on now after 9-10 months of ownership and it really has been great! I've never had the head gasket comment as I've never had a break down. I'm selling it though as I needed MORE rear space. I have now bought a 2000 plate x reg Lexus LS430. It cost 3.5x the rover did but it is sublime. I saw one of your other videos where you spoke about alternatives to the rover. I think the lexus is a great alternative. Keep up the great work!
I find the most irritating thing about my 75 is the awkward task of changing the dip headlight bulbs when they blow. Another annoyance is the air filter cover on the diesel.Sometimes it fits back into place with no problems and other times it's an up hill battle to get it seated back in. Sill kick trims are a pain too. There always coming off. For all it's minor irritations though the car has been fantastically reliable over the 11 year's of ownership and I've covered well over 100,000 miles in it and it still feels fresh. Would I sell it for a bland modern euro box....,.NEVER 👍👍👍
I used to struggle with the bulb change and found it easier to take the bumper off! I then wrote a reminder as to how to do it without removing the bumper and recently had a bulb blow and followed my notes thus: access via wheel arch panel, remove rubber dust cover, disconnect cable terminal, now the tricky bit..... push the clip retaining the bulb towards the radiator and down (you may have to do this a few times) and when it disengages pull it back. Remove the bulb. Then the reverse to put it back together.
For someone so youngish still you don't half talk a lot of sense Tom. I had a friend long past now, but he had a Morris Traveller not for the money but because he loved the car, he could of had a new car but kept on going with his Morris. Don't you change, we need more people who love cars for the car it is not the price tag.
Great video, I personally hate the lack of rear visibility on mine and because mine is a 1.8 manual it can be fairly noisy at 70mph, but then again I'm used to bigger Mercedes of the same time period, so it's just perspective. Either way I'd never change anything about the car, it's perfect as far as I'm concerned!
With the 1.8 you have to tell yourself that the K-series engine loves to rev and it’s not a problem since a big car needs to be geared to carry 4 people uphill. It does give the car a sporty character on normal roads.
Someone made a post on the facebook group once about the driver's side cupholder which really made me laugh because people always point out that it gets in the way. He was listing some parts he wanted and for that one he said: 'I want the driver's cup holder (not your opinion)'
I have 6 Rover 75s and 2 MGZTs. ... You didn't mention the most severe problem with your car....its got a serious ingress of water. Droopy headlining and fabric separation on the door trims. The 75 & ZTs let the water in....but they don't let it out again. It causes unexplained flat batteries, maladies with the boot mount CD stacker system and many other electrical problems. Check the sunroof drainers, the Plenum drain tubes and the clips securing the rear wing trims and the roof Cantrails over the doors. The holes for the clips are prone to allowing water into the passenger compartment. Shame.. as its a Connesseur with lovely leather interior and if you don't fix the water ingress it'll ruin the the entire interior trim. Check your spare wheel well in your boot, it'll have a swimming pool splashing around. Also top up your washer bottle and try parking your car the other way round. You'll have more fuel in you do. My respects. John....
At one point in time one particular jag was viewed as a posh mondeo lol. I live very near to the rover plant , there is no sign left of it . You shocked me when you said 17 years .
Hello, i wanted to buy jaguar x type, but also im thinking about rover 75, both with 2.0 diesel engines. Im not sure if jaguar is worth 2x money, because right now i can buy rover for half price in good condition... Im not sure which car is better overall, i dont care about acceleration, just comfort and not so expensive meintenance
1, I hate the irratic fuel guage. 2, I hate that my central locking has never worked on the key fob. 3, I hate the scrambled digital display. 4, I hate the crap handbrake. 5, I hate the front suspension arms- they are so difficult to work on. But I still love it. Bonus Tom I have had so many people say my car is a Jag, It's really irritating. Thanks for the shout out :)
I noticed back in 2019 on GSF's website, I could type in my registration number, and it would say is it a Rover 75 1.8? Now you go on their website and Rover is no longer mentioned. You can find some obscure Chinese makes such as Greatwall, but no Rover. OK I can understand when I put the details of of my Humber into various websites concerning car spares, or even going into a car spares shop, unless the person in there has a greater knowledge of defunct car makes. The things I dislike about the 75 are the door cards. Why on earth did some think that putting roof lining on a door card was a great idea? The rear seat upright, does not go flat. It was rubbish on our former far superior Jaguar X-Type, at least it was split 40/60 and the opening was larger too. The bulkhead filling up with water. What were they thinking, I have now put a large cable tie into the opening on the drivers side of the drain pipe (near the steering column). The number of German parts on the car. The 'bubble' 200 that we used to have had a whole load of British made parts. The wheel bolts, this is a stupid idea from BMW, what's wrong with wheel studs and nuts? I guess bolts are cheaper. And finally the fabric used on the Classic's seats. It's feels like a pair of nylons stretched over a seat frame. Even on the entry X-Type loan cars had better fabric. But overall the 75 is a timeless classic.
Annoying things about my 03 plate 45... Can't find a dash light dimmer? Passenger elec window switch near the handbrake! Its not listed on GSF parts finder by either reg number or brand for manual entry!! Other than that absolutely love it. 32k miles , FSH, 1.8 Impression with leather and sunroof. Goes well and ride quality is spot on 👍
Apart from the usual like rear right cluster seals failing, both fuel pumps failing, water ingress within the ECU compartment due to debris blocking the drain holes ....I loved my Rover 75s
If Princess Anne had a Rover instead of a Scimitar the headgasket would have failed…. I don’t like the way they excessively sloped the windscreen and made it encroach into the cabin and restrict visibility making it seem unnecessarily cramped.
The way to fix the fuel guage is to put some fuel in it! With Diesels you should never let it go below a quarter of a tank, preferably half a tank. Otherwise you will wear out the fuel pump, and will need a new one. The fuel pump lubricates itself by immersed in the Diesel.
Hi Tom! Dont have a 75 but my 45 has a couple really annoying things( the same on everyone ive owned)1.The damn door handles that come away in ya hand.2.Sorry i have to say this "Head gasket" because both 1.8s ive had have had to be replaced at great expense! 3.Heater resister pack ive had to repair on all 3 ive owned( and on a Rover 25 as well).Still love the old motors though.Entertaining video, Thanks Tom..
Thanks for the boot lock fix, that was a pain. My top 5 issues with my beloved 75 are: 1. The boot lock sticking (see above) 2. Terrible ground clearance, my sump tray fell off after every pothole 3. Leaky boot (have tried the duct tape) 4. Can only open boot from button in driver foot well 5. Wish Rover was still going 😢
Autolock was an option on Rover 75s! It's on mine, but I'm going to stop it (disable the function) using T4. I find it annoying and unecessary. If I want to lock the doors in a dodgy area I can just press the "lock all" button on the centre console.
I'm a Rover 75 owner (2001) I have no clue about cars but I really like the older larger cars. 98330 on the clock. Had a few things repaired and someone else put some lovely scratches down the side of my car in a supermarket car park 😒 I have some minor gripes, rear light fell down, casing is broken but light works OK now it dangles around. Front lights are poor especially if it rains and it's dark. Boot has taken to leaking and it gets soaked inside, am not sure what's happening there. I bought it 2020 had to pay out a couple of times to get it through the mot and on one occasion it stopped dead on a motorway. Luckily I was in the slow lane, police towed me somewhere safer. It needed a new battery. There was no warning which was scary. I may have to let it go due to the Ulez scheme coming in here end of August 😩 or keep it and buy another to get around with. Generally, it's a good car. What is the type pressure meant to be I've never known for sure?
I have the estate, so I don't have *that* boot problem, but do have another: The rear wipe only works when actually in reverse, so you can't clear the rear screen while driving. Another annoying thing is the position and size of the mirror. It's right in the way of where cars appear in your vision when coming to roundabouts. It makes right turns more difficult than they should be. My fuel gauge shows 3/4 full at fill up and is otherwise calibrated correctly (e.g. 1/4 full shows empty). I don't have any of the other problems on mine.
1. Yup, both my front door locks rattle and it is super annoying, especially when I have my sub on :) 2. I havn't had the issue with the boot latch........yet. 3. yup, I have the same issue with the fuel guage indicator. always makes me smile when I see it go up, its like free petrol :) done all the head gasket and its running perfectly. my main issue at the moment is that I have to park facing uphill when the weather is crap because the boot leaks if i park faced downhill. done the rear light gaskets, just saving up for a rear boot seal. hopefully that solves it. Other than that, my ride is lovely. 2000 1.8 SE, done plenty of work on it, new paint job, new HG, new exhaust, new drop links, track rods and ends, tinted windows, android 9" stereo, sundown 1000watt amp with 2x 800 watt subs, focal front speakers (rest upgraded soon) just hit the 70k mile mark and I'm loving it. oh, and i have cow print seat covers. I bought a sawing machine just so I could customize the covers. I will be turning up at some shows this year if all goes well.
Try Captain Tolleys leak seal for the water ingress. I doubt it's the boot seal but it may be related to the rear windscreen especially the joint/clips in the trim at the centre at the bottom.
@Tom // Drives just look at the digital range, if you have the high line model you can see the range, if its at zero and keeps at zero for long that means you have 30KM until your engine stalls from lack of fuel, if you see it going up and down its fine
When I had my ZT, what irritates me the most was the right space on the engine bay and the fact that the steering radio controls were basic and not illuminated.
The fuel gauge is driven by the ECU, when it’s cold fuel economy is bad, so fuel gauge reflects the economy, once it warms up, the distance you can travel goes up, so this is also reflected in the.gauge, select distance to empty on the onboard computer, and the gauge will make sense when watching the range increase.
I can remember when the car was new that whenever we got overtaken on the Autobahn from a Jaguar S-Type or a Rover 75 then we never knew whether it was the Rover or the Jag'. So in terms of design the Rover guys did it really right and my guess is that people are (and always were) mistaking the Rover 75 with a Jaguar because of the design. In my opinion it's looking kind of like a shrinked retro version of the Jaguar Mark X with the double headlamps and also the line of the boot. The boot is what the S-Type should have looked like. So I'm also seeing it as a compliment about this car. I don't own one and there are very few left in Germany for sale. But I find this car interesting especially because of the design. And I recently noticed this car appearing more often at some classic car shows in UK. A great looking car that I haven't seen on the normal traffic for quite a long time. One thing I'm always noticing at some videos are the pixel errors on the upper screen beside the speedo.
Hi Tom...there are 2 fuel level sensors in the car...one in the nearside on the filter and one on the pump on the offside...they are located in the fuel tank under the rear seat...its difficult to remove the rear seat squab too..and difficult to put back ...its held by spring wires...Bob..Paignton....
I don't know where is problem with fuel gauge, but when this happen to me I enter to secret menu, code 19 off, then to code 21 and reset..then after 10-20 sec shows correct reading..
Two weak points of the 75 diesel: The ECU is in an unfortunate place and you need to keep an eye on it because it can fill up with water as the drainage holes are easily clogged up leading to ECU failure. (Ask me how I know!) Also if you drive it for any length of time with the tank at a quarter full or less the fuel pump in the tank goes and if that goes it will take the one in the engine bay with it. (My neighbour knows all about that one.) But then if the ECU dies you have a reason to replace it with a BMW 320d one which will instantly give you 168hp!
I've had all these problems not to forget the leaky back lights but its true that if you mention rover they think land-rover or range rover in fact if you type in rover looking for parts etc it will always come up land-rover etc.. unless you put the 75 on the end !
Hi Tom. Just cant get my rear blinds to work, and that bloody roof lining is Sagging. Who is fixing your roof, or can you get it fixed. I love the cup holder and my rover. Stay in touch.
@Tom // Drives that ABS light poping out is a warning that yoru front right ABS sensor is about to break ( its 90% that one it may be another one ) after the abs cable break you will loose the speed gage as well
Any car you park on a gradient with show an incorrect reading, just like checking engine oil. This is your fault not the car. I never had the issues you have had but my cars were nearly new.
Same with my zs you drive up a hill or down and if the tank is close to half full you see the needle go up and down as you drive there seems to be no delay and it reads every little change. The other gripe is the new MG having an mg zs and making it near impossible to find stuff for the okd one as its full of ads for the new one everytime you search for an item
They are old, they are as cheap as chips and, if you get a decent one, they are a lot of car for almost no money. If you want a car with less annoyances spend some real money.
Tom I love your videos, and I love the 75s. But mate I am so sorry that that car never took over the market. Beautiful cars but slung together . I drove British cars for years and years untill I was so disappointed. I would love one, but I'm too old now to fix the problems now
OH! Man I literally didn’t know what that rattle is, it’s the damn door lock pins. I don’t have my 75 anymore but it drove me nuts and I just suspected it was these but was never sure, otherwise the car was so quiet. Had the same issues with the fuel level too but since I had many old Fords I just didn’t care anymore, I got into the habit of just knowing how much I should have already
The 75 I had had a starting problem and it sometimes it would start on a warm day and more often than not it would only turn over or recycle and would restart. No matter no matter how many times took it to the Rover dealership or other garages they couldn’t find the problem to starting. Ended up giving up and getting another car
@@tomdrives it says on the DVLA website page that YH 51 LSL was first registered on 18th October. MOT expired on 19th January 15 and hasn’t been tested since. So I’m not too sure if it’s still around as it was a 2 litre CDT Connoisseur automatic in gold and had black leather interior.
Nice to know like a young guy interested in Mg Rover cars . What model spec yiy have . I had the plastic thermostat housing leaking in my zs180 lol . Regards mark
Nice video! I can understand your enthusiasm for classic British cars, like the MG etc but for me, the Rover 75 isn't a car to be admired. I had my 75 diesel saloon for 4 years...which is way longer than I should have kept it for. I don't know why I put up with it for so long. On the positive side, it was comfy and the engine was a 2 litre BMW with a timing chain and it wasn't bad on fuel. The Rover 75 MG/ZT forum was a super resource and I made frequent use of their knowledge and help. During my ownership, my Rover 75 needed lots of attention, including: a clutch slave twice (gearbox off and new clutch). I finally bought the metal slave, which for the rest of my ownership, didn't melt and fall apart like the standard plastic ones did. The internals of the boot lock barrel were made of plastic, so they naturally fell apart and didn't work; my front door cards were forever popping out of their moorings and I'd constantly have to whack them back into place; one of the rear door cards came off in a passenger's hand when he tried to open the door to get out; the ABS light was always coming on if a front seat passenger moved the seat backwards or forwards (because the ABS plug was situated under the seat and not of very good quality; the plenum drains were an issue; the driver's kickplate was constantly coming loose, the fuel gauge didn't work properly and...the list goes on. I am so glad I got rid of the Rover 75! I had always avoided buying an Audi because I didn't want everyone thinking I was another "Audi driving ar$3&ole" but I bought an Audi A4 Avant 2.0 tdi and what difference it has been...it's as though I've been released into a beautiful sunny day after spending four years, suffocating in a darkened room. I would certainly buy another Audi but if I was offered another Rover 75, I'd be inclined to run a mile. 😩
Hi Tom I've had my ZT called poor man's Jag . I said no they are poor mans rovers. Most irritating thing for me is door rubbers rattling I put gumming pledge on them and that sorts it. The other thing is BMW bits! They are crap the engine in my ZR diesel is far more lively and economical that the huge BMW plodder but idiots buy them because it has a BMW engine Great video
Well, the 75/ZT diesel is a 2.0d BMW engine, but it is simplified to some extent, without the swirl flaps that were known to come loose and get ingested by the engine. It has a different turbo (Mitsubishi with wastegate rather than VVT) and doesn't have the double drive-chain set up that proved to be rather troublesome in the 2.0d BMWs. It was detuned for the Rover, but is capable of 160hp with a simple remap to match what it was in the BMWs, which transforms the car. They're well known to last to 300k and beyond without issue. So for those that like the comfort of the larger saloon or estate over a small hatchback, it's a decent runaround.
Personally I've never had the fuel gauge issue but my pet hates with the 75 are the boot that only opens with the button on the footwell or keyhole and also doesn't rise by itself and second is the stereo which is horrid no mater the spec be it highline or Harman kardon they all sound horrible
Hey i have the same issues with mine , 😂 but still a lovely car , may i ask you whats the full product name of that Navi/ radio you have there ? Thx alex
Tom, not the car has one or more problems, you have problems, you don't like the car but the car doesn't like you. I have an MG ZTT and it is an excellent car for its generation compared to others. so go and sell potatoes or seeds, if you have those too.
I hate my 75 with the headgasket problems. I seriously want a other engine to install on this! Hoping that a i get something more reliable (btw someone on the comments can help me on what engine sugest me to replace)
If you do a good job of the headgasket replacement, using whichever gasket is recommended depending on your liner heights, and look after it, a K series engine will last just as long as any other engine.
You appear to have a fine example top spec early Rover 75 there young fella and the only thing I dislike about your car is that BMW Oil Burner Power unit.... UNCLEAN despite what the EU, VAG and others brainwashed all car consumers a few years ago about Diesel Engines v. Petrol. Even so. your car looks like a keeper warts ( small ones ) and all. Still a very desirable means of getting about for those car enthusiasts like you who have not been brainwashed by a very negativity prejudicial UK Mainstream Media. With two members of the BBC's Top Gear Trio in the spearhead of spreading ignorance and negativity about indigenous UK automotive product. Cue.. "It's a Rover .. they all do that mate". WRONG in spades. As you clearly have experienced. That with much BBC Watchdog brainwashing assist. Praise be. Other broadcasters are available. That plays a massive part in explaining the reaction of the brainwashed when they see and talk to you about your car. Widespread ignorance. That unreliable fuel gauge all over the shop is a sure sign that someone heavy handed has been inside the fuel tank and disturbed the float arrangement of the in-tank fuel level sensors in some way. . On either or both the In-Tank Fuel Pump or In-Tank Fuel filter. Easily done by the less patient or hurried worker even in the pro-workshop environment. Applies to many cars with In-Tank pumps and filters. Not just Rovers and MGs. There is only one VERY BAD feature on these otherwise fine cars I really dislike which you have not mentioned. It kicks your five irritants high into touch it is so bad. That is the location of the Clutch Hydraulic Slave Cylinder INSIDE the bluddy Bell Housing! Most user and service unfriendly for both amateur spanner man like me and the pro-workshop. It's a gearbox off job to renew a worn CSC ( Concentric Slave Cylinder ). Prior to BMW ownership of the once massively asset rich ( since stripped ) Rover Group, ALL Rover and MG Clutch Hydraulic Slave Cylinders were located OUTSIDE the Bell Housing so a simple renewal DIY job when they begin to show signs of wear. Apart from that. my MG ZTs including the V8 are nice places to be and a fine drive. I recently drove my long term friend's modern BMW 4-Series coupe. I was disappointed. I did not tell him that but when I got back into the MG, it was a nicer place to be and drive. The BMW was a diesel. This easy to mug Nation allowed the MG-Rover IPRs to be snapped up dirt cheaply by the Chinese. I could of course go out and buy a new MG tomorrow just as I have done on several occasions in the past. BIG difference though. Those new MGs now are not built in the UK Midlands but the PRC. Peoples Republic of China. There are now four new MGs down my street of one hundred plus houses. Two BEVs and two hybrids. Me being me I speak to their owners. They like 'em. I have no real issues about that with one BIG exception, those MGs should have been built in the UK midlands providing and sustaining good careers and jobs to thousands of Midlanders. Not manufactured on the other side of the planet. My long term always buys German friend is convinced the reason my MGs and Rovers have been so reliable over the past thirty years is because of their... wait for it HONDA engines. I kid you not. Proof positive right there of ignorant media brainwashing. Only in the UK sadly and getting worse. Still with much Mainstream media biased negativity assist in the land of the increasingly self inflicted. Meantime we now hear again cries from the very distant past all too frequently. EVERYBODY OUT >> We all thought Red Robbo was a thing of the past. His clones now infest much of the Public Sector. Apart from all that, everything is just fine... 🙃
