Rover 214/414 life expectancy

[Resident.Alien]

Hi all!

I'm currently thinking about buying my first (low-cost) Rover.

Since I do not really have a lot of money at the moment I have been looking for old Rovers (K/L Reg). I found a couple of Rovers at 100,000 miles each, but I am unsure as to whether it would be worth buying a Rover for £400 at that mileage (full MOT/TAX).

My questions are:

1) What is the average mileage before a Rover 214/414 tends to "call it a day"?

2) Are there any issues that Rovers are bound to experience at that age/mileage?

3) How long do you think would I be able to drive an old car like those mentioned above?

Thanks in advance for your help.

R.A

[MGJohn]

The same as any old car of similar age and mileage. Find a reasonably well cared for example and you should not go far wrong. Cheap as chips also means good value if you find a good one.

Check all the things you'd do on ANY old used car. On the whole Rovers of that age do not usually suffer from serious corrosion. In fact, by comparison they are a lot better than more highly regarded cars of similar age. Yes, you're wise to go for one with long MoT and some Tax. Even so, make an offer and haggle on the price.

I've noticed a strong trend locally when it comes to the kind of car you're considering. Two years ago I never observed a Baseball cap youngish driver in a Rover 214. Now these once labelled 'old men's cars' are apparently appreciated by young drivers.

Maybe you can put a wise head on young shoulders ...

Funny old game cars and drivers ...

Finally - welcome to Rovertech and Good luck - always handy when buying any older car.

[SubCat001]

Difficult to say. It all depends on how well cared for the car has been. Look for an honest car from a mature owner. Look for some history, be it old mots and receipts, but dont expect a stamped service book.
Keep an eye out for suspect head gasket failures, of which the K series engine can be prone to with out care. Check for suspension bush failure and split CVs. On the test drive listen for any whining from the gearbox particularly in 1st and keep an eye out for any smoke.

HTH

[Resident.Alien]

Thanks, guys.

[Steve]

FWIW my old man sold his old 414 onto some chap two years ago, then it was on 130K and still going strong...

See it about now and again!!

[alexf2828]

go for lowest mileage and best condition for ur budget and u should b ok

[alexf2828]

I once bought a D reg cavalier 1.3 for £80,was one of the best cars I ever had! only failed on two things on MOT and needed a bit of TLC to keep it running but used to get us to blackpool and back (180miles round trip) every other week!

[Sheaf]

As above go for as low miles and good condition as you can. As far as I know the k series isn't known for lasting stupily long amounts of time, I mean dont go looking at ones eith 160k on the clock, but I think Leo had one where the original engine last til 140k or something, and that's with him raggin it

Have you considered a 216/416SLI? They have the honda engine which has been known to last over 200k, and the insurance/buying costs are pretty much the same.

[alexf2828]

remember though the engine might still be ok at high miles but the rest of the car will need work-shockers,discs,cv's brakes etc so low/average mileage is best

[marksmith]

My first car was a 1990 214SLi, the first to use the K-series engine. It was running like new when I sold it to my friend at 120k, and as far as I'm aware just as good when she wrote it off at 140k.

I saw it in a scrap yard some time later, minus engine, so someone must have thought a 140k engine was useful...

[200SEI]

Rear trailing arm bushes - Check for knocking from back of car
Head Gasket Failure - Look for any mayonaise in the oil / oil in the coolant or white smoke from the exhaust.
Gearbox - Check each gear for whining as said above
Check the fans cut in.

All in all i never had a single mechanical fault with mine (apart from oil leaks) it had done 92K when i sold it on. Watch for leaking cam seals too as mine leaked al over the cam belt and if i hadn't of changed them the belt would have surely snapped!

Just lift the top timing belt cover away and inspect.

You will have to expect small faults with any £400 car though.

[Resident.Alien]

Thanks everyone for your help! It turned out that both Rovers (214/414) weren't as good as they were advertised on autotrader.co.uk. Thankfully, I still managed to find a bargain (not a Rover though; maybe next time): G Reg Ford Sierra 1.8 LX, full MOT, some TAX, mint condition throughout, and only 56,000 miles on the clock. Well, at £350 I simply couldn't resist.

I hope this thread will be useful to other people anyway.

Many thanks again.

R.A

[alexf2828]

that doesnt sound like a bad deal,we bought a H reg cavalier with 100 odd on clock for £350 (but I knew the owner) and it has just gone through an MOT needing only £50 worth of work (CV joint gaiter)