I've owned it for about 18 months. I brought it as a quick fix when the engine in my Chevette cried enough.
It was completely standard when i brought it except a stainless DTM backbox.
Since i've had it ive fitted G-max suspension, a Renault Espace splitter, a K&N cone filter and a set of 17" BK racing alloys. And a load of ICE.
I was bricking myself when i took it for a test drive, i've only had small engined cars before (1.1 MK3 Fiesta, 1.3 MK1 Escort and the Chevette was also a 1.3) and it seemed sooooooo fast, I soon got used to the power tho!
After a couple of months it started to leak oil, but i was too busy with other projects to do anything about it so i thought id get away with just topping it up as the leak didnt seem to bad.
Oe day i went out to grab some food on my lunch break, and when i went to start it up it seized. BUGGER.
As it was winter time the car sat on our driveway for about 4 months (i brought a mk2 Golf GTi in the meantime
) until the weather brightened up and we could get started on the engine swap. I brought a 2nd hand n/a 2litre out of a newer 400-series. After i bought the engine i found out it was slightly different, so we had a slightly more complicated job on our hands then we should.Anyway we got it back on the road so i was faced with a choice - keep the Rover which we'd just changed the engine on (with much grief) or keep the GTi which i loved cos it was brutal and a much better drivers car. I decided to keep the Rover as it was nicer to drive and the interior is MUCH better and as i use it for commuting that seemed to make sense.
So thats pretty much the cars story so far. Ive got a few plans, i want it to sit a bit lower, and i'm after some Roversport skirts and rear bumper. The gearbox is starting to get real noisey so i'm keeping my eyes peeled for a LSD-equipped box out of one of the turbo models, possibly a 600ti to try and get the gearing down and get some decent MPG. Also want to do the brakes cos they seem really poor. Probably go for 600ti calipers with MG ZR(?) disks - heard this is a much better setup.
Oh yeah back to the top... brought as a stop-gap but now i want to keep it for the long run! Considered a few possible replacements including a MK3 Golf VR6, but the price difference is quite a lot, and i know a few guys with MINT VRs, so i'd always be comparing to theirs, and i've only ever seen 1 other GSi down here!
Oh yeah - i was gonna do a car swap with a mate of mine for a day - he's got a E36 BMW 318i which he raves about and he slates my Rover all the time. I thought it was rubbish and swapped keys back afer about an hour!
Seems like a lot of blurb so i guess the pics have loaded by now? enjoy - comments welcomed!
Heres those piccies....
I want it! And I want it nooowww!
