Rover 75 V8 development car, #185, For Sale
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Thread: Rover 75 V8 development car, #185, For Sale

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    Default Rover 75 V8 development car, #185, For Sale

    Apologies for doing this a bit after the fact. I'm selling #185, but have gone straight to listing it in Autotrader. I'm moving house shortly and want to reduce my fleet. The Autotrader lists all of the info given me by Dom (Middleton) when I bought it from him around 5 years ago. In short, it was rescued by Dom and possibly others after having the engine hydraulic'd over in Ireland where it's previous owner lived (and drive it into a ford - water). Dom told me that he arranged for new front and rear end stuff-ups to be fitted to the car by Austin Garages. I believe that the stuff ups were sourced from Brown and Gammons after the demise of MG Rover. I have photos that he sent me of the engine and gearbox swap. At the same time, a new windscreen, wing, exhausts, brake discs and uprated pads, rear subframe (old one was shocking!), aircon condenser were fitted (the labour bill for the work alone was £4000). After buying the car, I arranged for Austin Garages to transfer the LPG system across to the new engine and replace a leaky heater control valve. I also had the rear dampers rebuilt by Bilstein (reassuringly expensive) and had a new LPG evaporator fitted. I replaced the battery at that time and had a slight colour clash of the replacement wing with the rest of the front of the car rectified by a partial respray. The car has done 8000 miles (2k with Dom) since the major work at Austin Garages, and fewer than 600 miles in the last 2 years. It needed 2 new tyres for the MOT, which was passed only 2 weeks ago. If anyone's interested, please contact me via the Autotrader advert (where there are plenty of photos). I've priced it at £5750 which is hopefully realistic, and way below what I spent buying and refurbishing it after all of the work Dom had done. Mind you, I guess that this is a common theme among owners.
    I'm also selling a pair of brand new Rover 75 V8 front strut assemblies, which I]'d like £600 for the pair, and a set of 4 Vortex wheels and tyres which I'll put on eBay. They've done around 3000 miles after being restored by Pristine Alloy Wheels (respecting their diamond cut surface). I'm after £750 for those, as they're in great (but not perfect) condition and the Michelin Pilot Sport 3 tyres have plenty of life left in them. Apologies for not listing here first.

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    Last edited by Nich; 24-08-2020 at 12:09 PM.

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    Registered User scoubix's Avatar
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    Here's the link to the autotrader ad, I'm sure people won't mind if I put it up: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...02008232826962
    From another fellow 75 V8 development car owner (#190, Tourer, formerly BU53 RXR), I'd say your car should sell quickly at that price. I would have asked for a bit more to be honest...
    1999 2.5 V6 Rover 75 Connoisseur - Dealer Launch - LHD
    2004 4.6 V8 MG ZT-T (the only known auto ZT-T V8) - LHD
    1993 2.7 V6 Rover 827 Coupé - LHD
    1993 Rover 216 GSi
    1975 Rover P6 3500

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    #829 called 'Olive' David's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by scoubix View Post
    Here's the link to the autotrader ad, I'm sure people won't mind if I put it up: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...02008232826962
    From another fellow 75 V8 development car owner (#190, Tourer, formerly BU53 RXR), I'd say your car should sell quickly at that price. I would have asked for a bit more to be honest...
    Sure, Nicolas. It is in the Complete List entry too.
    I also think the price is low, particularly bearing in mind the double-stuff-up and the people responsible for doing that and the other work to restore it. If it were only LHD, ......

    David

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    Registered User scoubix's Avatar
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    Memories of when it was being worked on by the Longbridge engineers...here is #185 cold-testing in Sweden, January 2004.

    Attached Images Attached Images
    1999 2.5 V6 Rover 75 Connoisseur - Dealer Launch - LHD
    2004 4.6 V8 MG ZT-T (the only known auto ZT-T V8) - LHD
    1993 2.7 V6 Rover 827 Coupé - LHD
    1993 Rover 216 GSi
    1975 Rover P6 3500

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    Registered User anthony27's Avatar
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    A really handsome-looking car, with a solid history of servicing and refurbishing.
    I am correct in observing that it has ZT backboxes and bumper?
    MG ZT-T 260 in X-power grey, n° 555, LHD
    MG TF 160 BRG, LHD
    Lotus Evora 2010 Platinum silver LHD

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    #829 called 'Olive' David's Avatar
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    MGR database thinks it's a Mk 1 MG ZT 260SE anyway, of course, as do the photos from 'scoubix', but what's in a name.
    Is it registered as an MG or as a Rover, I wonder?

    David

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    Registered User scoubix's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by David View Post
    MGR database thinks it's a Mk 1 MG ZT 260SE anyway, of course, as do the photos from 'scoubix', but what's in a name.
    Is it registered as an MG or as a Rover, I wonder?

    David
    If it's like mine then it's registered as an MG. The Rover looks date from the time it was at Nick's (or Brown&Gammons), and in any case that has no influence on the registration anyway. The Rover 75 V8 didn't have any legal existence when the car was reg'ed, and its VIN is that of an MG anyway. Mine is officially a manual ZT-T 260...so this one is officially a manual MG ZT 260.
    1999 2.5 V6 Rover 75 Connoisseur - Dealer Launch - LHD
    2004 4.6 V8 MG ZT-T (the only known auto ZT-T V8) - LHD
    1993 2.7 V6 Rover 827 Coupé - LHD
    1993 Rover 216 GSi
    1975 Rover P6 3500

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    Wow! Many thanks for the photo. Maybe we were on some of the same trips? I went cold testing in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Really appreciate the photo. Do you remember the SDV number?

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    I'm a complete novice at posting on here and thought that this reply would position itself under David's post. Apologies for messing up the chain.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    You're absolutely right in the literal sense in that being the first development car for the production Rover spec (at least that's what I was told via the forum a while ago) it is a converted MG ZT, I view it as ending up as a Rover after the company's work. Its starting point as logged by production data would be its MG ZT 260SE origin, and DVLA have that too.
    Last edited by PhilR75; 26-08-2020 at 08:51 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by scoubix View Post
    Here's the link to the autotrader ad, I'm sure people won't mind if I put it up: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...02008232826962
    From another fellow 75 V8 development car owner (#190, Tourer, formerly BU53 RXR), I'd say your car should sell quickly at that price. I would have asked for a bit more to be honest...
    I had no idea how much to ask, but appreciate your helpful post. At least I won't drop the price at all based on what you've written. I've spent a lot more than that on it, but expected to take a hit, and priced it to sell in the current economic climate. Thanks for your help.

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