Novice ... Please Excuse The Errors

[ned]

Originally Posted by sf8752

hi ned
as i was told by members of this club when i got my 75 check those plemium drains glad i did as mine where blocked also do the mod
steve.................

you got me there mate?? plemium drains??? sounds like an easy job ...where do I start..

[ned]

Thanks for the warm welcome , I suspect I will be needing your advice and help in the future.

[ned]

righteeeeho, here goes...the radio/cassette is a harmony model..I suspect this is the base model eh??...just have to work out now what the approx cost of looms, syphony model and a cd changer will cost ?......I take it I shouldnt fit an after market cd player ( it would be cheaper mind you ) ....saying all that I dont really want to change the rover features but at the end of the day it comes down to cost ..

on a brighter note I did become a daddy on last friday ( one of the reasons why I got a big safe car )...which brings me onto my next question....am I correct in thinking that I cant turn off the passenger air bag in order to fit child seat )

[BigJacko]

Originally Posted by ned

righteeeeho, here goes...the radio/cassette is a harmony model..I suspect this is the base model eh??...

Yup, that's correct. Harmony is base, Symphony is next, and the Hi-Line Nav system is the top-o'-the-range.

Originally Posted by ned

just have to work out now what the approx cost of looms, syphony model and a cd changer will cost ?......I take it I shouldnt fit an after market cd player ( it would be cheaper mind you ) ....saying all that I dont really want to change the rover features but at the end of the day it comes down to cost ..

My sentiments exactly. I looked at a number of replacement ideas - including various CD-cum-radio all-in-one units at Halfords - and in the end decided that I really didn't want to stick anything in the dash that wasn't going to glow that lovely orange Rover glow at me at night! The idea of a blue flourescent radio display next to all that subtle orange just seemed so crass, so in the end, I decided I'd just pay the extra and get a 'bona fide' Rover CD-autochanger and stick it in the glovebox.

And of course, as luck would have it, I got lucky, and got a damn good deal from SMC, and had the opportunity to upgrade the Harmony to a Symphony at the same time - which I took with both hands (especially useful seeing as mum was never able to find the radio code for the factory-fitted Harmony after I inherited the car from dad!). In the end, it all worked out cheaper than the best-looking deal at Halfords!!!

Keep in touch on this forum (and especially with SMC), and I'm sure you WILL find something that doesn't break the bank, and properly looks the part!

on a brighter note I did become a daddy on last friday ( one of the reasons why I got a big safe car )...which brings me onto my next question....am I correct in thinking that I cant turn off the passenger air bag in order to fit child seat )

Hehe - well done mate! Truly, well done! I'm an expectant father myself (due September). Hope mother and baby are doing well.

I know exactly what you're going thru in terms of looking up child car seats! I've been doing that myself for the last week, and running circles round myself! Nightmare!

Anyway, it seems NO, you can't disable the front passenger airbag - and there'll not only be one in the dashboard, there's another one in the side of the seat, and (in your case perhaps) possibly even another one in the headlining above the door. So disablement seems unlikely - I've certainly not managed to find anything simple to that end, anyway.

Apart from that, though, you're better off with putting baby in the back (they actually recommend the middle of the back seat, but that's not always possible on the R75, in some cases). The 'best' infant seat (according to Which? magazine) is the Maxi-Cosi Cabriofix - but of course, their tests featured it on an ISOFIX base (called Maxi-Cosi EasyFix) ... and not all Rover 75s have ISOFIX attachment points. Some do, some don't, I think - mainly the late-model Connoisseurs. You may be lucky. Look for holes in the back of the backseat bottom squab, with small bars inside - if you have them, you can use an ISOFIX seat. If not, then you're like me, and must use either the Maxi-Cosi 'Easybase' - and that's supposedly not quite as good as the 'EasyFix', but still about the best, or just strap the seat in using the seat-belts (ie, no separate base at all).

The Maxi-Cosi Cabriofix is very closely followed in the Which? tests by the Britax CosyTot - but again that was tested using the Britax ISOFIX base that goes with it, and there is no 'non-ISOFIX' base for that one. If you had no ISOFIX, you'd just have to strap that in using the seatbelt, as per most of the run-of-the-mill non-ISOFIX seats.

Personally, I would feel happiest using either of the above seats, though we're still not 100% decided, cos there's so much other gubbins to do with pushchairs, travel systems, and all that jazz. Me 'n' the missus are still wading thru it all as we speak!

Unfortunately, the two carseats that are 'recommended by Rover' (both of which are Britax seats) are now long discontinued, and worse, cannot be fitted 'rearwards-facing' for babies anyway! Only good for toddlers facing forwards. Likewise, on the Britax website (which is VERY good, by the way, with clear fitting test results for the R75, and well worth a close look), there is very little choice of Britax seats that will work 100% for babies - you're pretty much down to the aforementioned CosyTot, or the Rock-a-Tot (which Which? never tested, alas).

Maxi-Cosi's website by contrast is a little less helpful, but does show some basic level of whether it will work in an R75 or not. The choice is more limited, though - and we've since heard that the 'pushchair' bits which the Cabriofix matches up with (the Mura 4 and the Quinny) are both really heavy (and we live up 75 stairs!!). So we're still undecided as yet.

We also had a look at the Mamas & Papas Primo Viaggio system, and there are various 'deals' going on instore and at Argos, which seem tempting. But the Which? report showed that THREE out of SIX of the Mamas and Papas carseats were actually so bad, they were marked as a 'DON'T BUY'. Now, the Primo Viaggio was actually the best Mamas & Papas one on sale (but still didn't make it to 'Best Buy', unlike the the Maxi-Cosi one and the Britax one mentioned earlier, which is a shame) - but I feel a bit dubious about buying ANY carseat from a company whose reputation is that 'half of their offerings are considered dodgy' - even if I bought the best one of theirs, really. I'd take a lot of convincing to buy a Mamas & Papas one, really.

So - as you'd probably expected, another flippin' minefield (compared to stereo & CD choices, baby-seats is a NIGHTMARE! ). But I'm sure you'll find a good-un - the first thing is to find out if you have ISOFIX or not.

And once again, sincere congratulations to you pal!

[ned]

thanks for that Jacko, well to put it in a nutshell....no isofix. anyway madam has already picked a three in one contraption that is more technical than an F1 car. I have had no say in the matter as she has had this buggy-baby carrier thingy hidden down her mums house....! pah


Thanks again for the advice though. We have been out for the first time as a 'family' and bambino was secured on the middle of the back seat, all seemed comfy until I tried to show off and cool the interior down with the fan-dangled climate control...to be honest it wasn't that cool....I think it may need re-gassing, I don't suppose there is a way of checking the level as such is there??????

there's a company round here that specialises in refrigeration and do a little sideline in re gassing for 25 quid......is that a fair price??


regards to the radio, I am currently bidding on a symphony unit and will then look at buying a CD changer at a later date ( depending on overtime availability at work )


to summarise........ROVER 75...............I LUVS IT..

Vauxhall vectra, ford mondeo......stick em up yer ****!!!!

Note...the wife and her friend were taking the mick the other day after noticing that I have been looking for any excuse to nip out to the local tesco superstore for trivial things such as bread, milk etc.....( bearing in mind that there is a spar around the corner) .....its true ..rovers are addictive


regards

ned

[stevemac]

Originally Posted by ned

I take it I shouldnt fit an after market cd player ( it would be cheaper mind you ) ....saying all that I dont really want to change the rover features but at the end of the day it comes down to cost ..

Just out of interest my Blaupunkt Los Angeles works with the steering wheel controls and you can dial in any colour lighting on the readout. I do have mine to match the red glow. The only thing is that mine is silver but you may be able to get them in black. Silver looks good tho'. The advantage is that it doesn't have that funny slot in the front where you slide in some sort of plastic block that promptly chews itself to pieces :lol:
I can also plug in my iPod on an accessory wire.

[ned]

thanks stevemac, have had a gander at these but they dont appeal to me..I could only see silver ones. The ability to play mp3 does appeal to me the most but its the after market look that I am trying to avoid..ta anways mate.

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by ned

... its down as a connisure ( dont know if thats the correct spelling) ...

The correct spelling is connoisseur.:lol:

Simon.