Buying a 1.8T Rover 75
 

Hi all,
many thanks for accepting me here. While not an owner of a Rover I am off to look at one tomorrow near London. I am in Basingstoke so was just wondering if I could get a few pointers as to what I should look for when viewing the Vehicle. I have never owned a Rover.
The car I am going to look at was registered as new in April 2003. It has 42000 miles on the clock and looks to be in pretty much great condition. It has a five speed automatic gearbox and 1.8 turbo engine. The car has a full service history and appears to have been well looked after.
What sort of price should I be paying if it's in good nick?
What should I look for as far as problems or issue that maybe apparent?
Any other comments?
I guess it's cutting it fine to expect any answers, but do hope I get some.
Many thanks in advance.
Regards
Mike

Welcome & good luck with any future purchase, the 1.8T is, imo, the best of the bunch, but needs looking after. Have a quick read http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...13&postcount=9

The 1.8 T is a marvellous engine. I have experienced head gasket failure (hgf) but so long as you look after it you should be alright.
check coolant level before taking the test drive! [IMG]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...psau2g0wyx.jpg[/IMG]

hope it all goes well!

If you haven't already read this then it's definitely worth having a look at, although it contains so much information I doubt you'd remember all of it when checking over your prospective car.

http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=75282

I bought my 1.8T (manual) last April. It had covered just 42,850 miles and, apart from being in need of a thorough valet, was in excellent nick. It cost me £941 and was money well spent as it's been a joy to own. I'm no expert on the value of our cars but still believe I got it at a fantastic price - especially as I haven't seen a good example with that sort of mileage for sale at less than about £1,200 since.

But, like anything, it will be worth what you're prepared to pay for it.

Andrew

The 1.8 Turbo is suited great to the Automatic gearbox, like others have said, check the coolant level and look for signs of oily deposits in the header tank, also check header tank cap and dipstick for signs of oil/water mix (looks like mayonnaise ) also look at water hoses make sure none are soft/spongy or look bloated
On test drive check heaters work, also temp gauge does not go above 9 o clock position, check gearbox changes are smooth, and all 5 forward gears engage.

Apart from that just like any other car

You'll find that most people love their own car on here. Diesel owners will love their diesels, v6 owners love their v6's and 1.8 owners love their 1.8's.

1.8's tend to need a little more love and attention than the diesel and v6's but are much cheaper to maintain and can be very rewarding (quiet around town with reasonable mpg, and fun if you let it rev a little).

The 1.8T and auto box is a very rare combination, but a very good one. IMO, the 1.8T is a wonderful engine and made better with the auto. Just check for signs of head gasket failure (i.e. coolant looks good and no signs of mayonnaise in the oil), and look after if you get it. Similarly, make sure that the auto-box works smoothly. The auto boxes are generally quite reliable, but can be expensive to fix if there is a problem.

One thing I love about the 1.8 (other than the cheap servicing) is that it's an easy engine to work on as you can almost climb into the engine bay if you need to (and I have done on occasion!).

Don't. Get a diesel automatic.
Mike

I have the 1.8 T Auto and a Diesel Auto , both are great in their own right....

Now that sounds like something I would say.

It's amazing how many of us have had a k-series with HGF who still sing the praises of the engine.

My standard advice for anybody thinking of buying a k-series is budget for replacing the head gasket and associated gubbins and you'll be getting a cracking car for comparatively little money.

My 1.8t with manual gearbox is on 178,900. Has had a few HGF's but I just love the car and the reasonably reliable K series lump.