Have you got one?Would you buy one?

i was looking at one dead cheap for a new car at a rover main dealer a week before they went bust.

lovely retro car, plenty of space and nice looking.

Got 2 mates that have 75’s & one that has just sold one.The one who sold it hated it as it was unreliable,always had some problem with the fuel pump that used to make the engine cut out if he went over a speed bump too fast,said it was a 2 minute job to get it going again but a real PITA.Of the blokes who’ve still got them,one loves it & the other one is looking at other cars now as it’s broken down on him 3 times for various reasons……

We looked at one but the seats looked like they came from the Thora Hird range at DFS.

No but just bought an X-Type for probably the same reasons you’re looking at 75’s – cheap, plush/comfy, fast, loaded (with equipment) and did I mention, cheap.

The one who sold it hated it as it was unreliable,always had some problem with the fuel pump that used to make the engine cut out if he went over a speed bump too fast,said it was a 2 minute job to get it going again but a real PITA

Or just put in a new pump?

Avoid anythig that’s done 55,000-65,000 miles, the head gaskets go like clockwork so either the owners getting rid or it’s already gone and had a cheep repair.

Only solution is to either buy one that’s not yet failed and have the gasket replaced. Or have the head and block skimmed and do it propelry. And there’s a conversion to plumb in the cooling system the conventional* way arround which reduces the odds of it occouring too.

*it’s quite a clever engine, as the thermostat’s in a different place to every other engine, so that it runs warm water through the engine untill it’s upto temp, great for city cars where you need it to warm up quickly, rubbish in the bigger cars (like the Freelander FFS why did it end up in that!), but when the thermostat opens rather than letting warm water in and hot water out, it takes cold water, and the thermal shock is what warps’s the head and casues the gasket to go.

Or just put in a new pump?

By all accounts it’s quite a common problem with them,or so the AA bloke said the first time it happened…..

My sister’s 75 estate, with about 60,000 miles on it went west in a big electrical way 6 months ago. ECU failed.
My freelander, which I’d had from new as a company vehicle, was off the road for eleven weeks, or just under 10% of the time I had it. Repeated headgasket failure and many little electrical gliches.
Personally I’d not touch either.

Rover went bust for a reason. A bunch of incompetent brummies who should have never been allowed to make stuff. The only car I ever bought new was a rebadged 25/MGZR …fell apart after 6 months . I wouldn’t touch o e with anyone’s money…

An Over 75? which is how old you should be to consider buying one

Avoid anythig that’s done 55,000-65,000 miles, the head gaskets go like clockwork

Avoid any of the 1.8 four cylinder engines that is the one that is known for head gasket failure.

The 2.0 and 2.5 V6 engines are much more reliable but obviously cost more to run and insure. They have VIS valve(whatever they are?) problems.

All the petrol models are known to sometimes have a problem with the in tank fuel filter coming apart but there is a known fix for it.

the 2.0 diesel engine is almost bombproof (from pre 2000 BMW 320d) but does suffer from the above mentioned fuel pump problem and also the MAF sensor can go out of spec quite drastically after 50K .

Pre 2004 (54 plate) cars tend to be a bit better put together but also tend to have higher mileages.

I have had a ‘Y’ reg diesel 75 estate for the last 6 years it’s done nearl 140K , paid 5K for it in ’06 . In the time I’ve owned it the bits I’ve had to replace are ,front coil springs , rear coil springs and dampers , both front wishbones and bushes , rear brake pipes , the hand brake lever and the clutch (£500).As far as I’m concerned all these bits are wear and tear items that can go on any car over 5-7 years old.

The price these cars go for now makes them a steal , forget a lot of the MG/Rover tags the 75/ZT range on the whole were very well put together cars , when what car tested it against an X-type it blew the Jag out of the water and was reported to be closer to an S-type.

Get one with a full service history so you know it’s been looked after and you’re onto a winner IMO.

Avoid anythig that’s done 55,000-65,000 miles, the head gaskets go like clockwork so either the owners getting rid or it’s already gone and had a cheep repair.

That’ll be the 1.8’s, which need careful attention to the cooling – no different to V8 Beemers.

Recently traded my ZT-T 180 V6 auto in for a diesel 407. I miss it but it was the sensible thing to do as I am now driving 500 miles a week and the at best I only ever average 28MPG out of it.

The best ones were built at Longbridge after BWM got shot of Rover but before the cost cutting started in 2004/5 although some people swear that BWM didn’t scrimp on the sound proofing on the 75’s that were built at Cowley and therefore prefer them to the later MG Rover models.

The 1.8 and 1.8Turbo’s are the ones to watch for head gasket failures. The V6 engines not so much although the 2.0 V6 75’s have a smaller ooling system than the 2.5 litre V6’s which means if you get a leak they will quickly over heat.

Common problems/fixes on the KV-6 engined models are;

Fabled orange clip (something to do with fuel line)
Plennum Drains (keep these clear of gunk else the ECU will drown)
Cracked thermostat (poor design) if you ignore this overheating and HGF may result.
Cooling fan electrical problems (MK 1 cars only and easily fixed)
leaky boot / rear lights cluster
VIS motor failure (Varible inlet system) which controls airflow into the engine. These can be easily replaced, repaired with a soldering iron or just ignored (loss in performance which varies depending on which VIS went – there are 2 of them).

No real show stoppers that should put you off, but as my wife noted the car does become a bit of a hobby to keep it running in top form. In the 3 years I had it I had thermostat and VIS problems, the only other things were usual wear and tear – brakes, tyres etc.

There is a great online community of enthusiasts who will help diagnose and fix any issues but I would not recommend if you don’t want to learn about the car you drive!

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/best-cars/40930/best-comfort
Autoexpress Driver Power survey

for crying out loud…. A ROVER 75. You have lost the way.

Just buy one of these and be done with it

edit: actually that looks quite exciting in comparison

A couple of the boys on the taxies went for them as they seemed a bargain. It generaly ended in tears.