Buying a Vitesse

[Vitesse16v]

Need some advice. I sold my vitesse a little while back and now I am really missing it.

I sold mine cos it was a heap of s**t, noisey gearbox leaks everywhere, knackered interior, etc, etc.

I REALLY miss the car now it has gone and I have decided I am gonna spend a bit more on a really good 'un.

Can anyone give me advice on what to look for on these cars. Any hidden things I should worry about? Also, how much should I be looking to pay for a 97ish one with under 100K miles in good nick?

Cheers in advance!

[Squaddiemodo]

Mainly look for rust on the sills and wheel arches, check the ABS and SRS lights come on and go out(coz trust me these can be expensive.) and try and get its emissions tested (any MOT station will prolly do it while u wait) also make sure at idle it runs smooth after about 5 mins warm up. Check for yoghurt in the cooland and/or emulsion in the oil(will be on the dipstick). Last of all check for smoke from the exhaust could be signs of a blown turbo.

As for prices i bought my 1994 vitty on ebay for £200, but i have had to fix the emissions (2 gaskets 3 sensors and a Catalist(fortunatly i know somw good scrapys)) and the ABS 2 new sensors cost me £20 on ebay. But i did all the work myself so i had no labour overheads. Best place to get an idea of prices is ebay then if you go to a forecourt expect to pay upto £1000 more than that. You could by one on the bay but expect to do some tinkering lol.

Mine was deffo worth it. its running like a dream and even at 11 years old i still get envious looks when i destroy other cars on overtake MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

[Vitesse16v]

Cheers for that!

Must admit I did love that about the car, beating most stuff off the road and as you pass thery look at your car like "WTF is that?" One of the reasons I want another!!

[Craig]

Whereabouts are you located? If not too far away, you could always have a look at mine. It needs a good home. Ok, it's a tad older (1994) but it has only done just under 59k miles and it will be fairly cheap too.

[malcolm_durant]

Aside from all the above:

Don't worry about intermittent non-operation of the leccy windows, sun-roof and radio as it's normally the fusebox needing a dollop or twenty of solder. Definitely something to haggle hard over ("Oh no; electrical fault = new computer" type conversation) if you're not purchasing off a Rovertecher

Front wheel-arches seem to be a bit crumbly on many Mk2 800's for no apparent reason. Wings are nice'n'easy bolt on though...

Expansion tanks have a predeliction for cracking around the filler neck...annoyingly so does the screen-wash tank on mine. Only sensible option for the coolant tank is replacement with good s/hand or new.

If you're going for a 200bhp Vit Sport/post 96 Vit, make sure the exhaust is the bigger bore type...the aftermarket one on mine when I got it was smaller bore type with suitable flanges welded on and undoubtedly robbed me of a few horses...not that I really noticed the difference as once I'd fixed the exhaust the clutch started slipping

Hope that helps a bit?

Malcolm

[mach1rob]

As to prices tough to call ATM, you get some owners wanting to get shot of as quick as possible for nothing due to the demise of MG-R, yet others still optomistic, case of finding the right seller at the right time

However, this is a goodun, may need a little bit spent on brakes, but plans are afoot

http://www.rt2468abcd.r8technology.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=32332

[Punx0r]

The Autotrader website is worth a look to get an idea of prices. Sometimes prices vary quite a bit depending on what area of the country you are looking at.

I was looking for the same thing as you, '97+ ~80k miles but a coupe and in nightfire red. I budgeted £2k for a nice one, but would have stretched maybe another £500 for a minter.

After 6 months of looking, I bought one with 112k, everything working, good body and fair interior (few marks, no rips) for £700. But it had a fair sized dent in the rear quarter and a scuffed bumper, which cost me £150 to have sorted. It also needs a new cat (broken monolith), but is decatted now.

Expect to have to do the gearbox bearings at some point whatever age/millage you get!

Also, when you check the car, turn the stearing lock to lock whilst stationary and listen for any odd noises. Check the CV boots at the same time.

I wouldn't buy one from a dealer a you pay twice as much as private (see some on autorader for £4-5K!), ebay is ok, but always go look at the car beforehand (can't hurt to make a cash offer while you're there, if it's good).

[george_chick]

Ebay is no place to look for the price of anything.
I absolutely, positively would not sell a car on Ebay, might as well give it away, lowest of the low as far as prices are concerned.

Local autotrader etc will give you a better idea of prices.
As has been said there's always someone being silly and asking twice the going rate.

ABS faults are usually the front sensors, tenner each from the scrappys max, SRS faults are usually because of a previous battery problem.
Used to be about £30 to get it reset at the stealers, which is all they usually need.
Both are negotiating points.
Sensors are £150 each from the dealer, SRS just make up a figure.
Pre 96 no remote is usually a receiver and remote from Ebay fix, about £30.
Post 96 no remote, new remote and recode from the dealer = silly money.

Check the inner CV's for play or oil seeping at the gearbox, either means the diff bearings are on the way out, can go kaputt tomorrow or last for ages.

Oh despite what people say about Rovers the shutlines are always good on 800's, bad shutlines and it's been faffed about with.

[Vitesse16v]

Thanks for all the replies, I have been away till today so I haven't had chance to reply till now.

So in summary.... expect to pay around a grand for a good un. Bit more for a coupe or Lux.

Check the gearbox ain't leaking and the CV's are nice and tight. Don't worry to much about electric windows not working (the ones on my first didn't work properly either) SRS and ABS lights being on isn't a major worry usually....
Rusty front arches.

One other thing....... when I got mine it developed a a ticking noise which turned out to be the manifold gasket. My brotyher had a 400 turbo which did the same thing. Is this a common fault and something I should worry about?

Craig - I am in Manchester, where are you? - I've not got the cash at the moment but I should have in a couple of weeks. How come your selling yours?

[Minter]

I bought my '97 Vitesse Sport in May this year & wished I hadn't now. By next week I will have spent nearly £2k on repairs & the car is worth no-where near that, possibly £1200 but I can't afford to sell it now - got to get use out of it!

I didn't buy a dog & I still got caught out. Bottom pipe decide to detach itself @ 80mph on the M5 causing major engine problems including head gasket.

Decide to buy a replacement engine, box & turbo. Garage fits it, takes it for test drive.......... head gasket goes yet again , also presents me with a bill of £826 & soon to have another of £300-£400 once this head has been skimed.

Personally, I wouldn't pay over £1500 for a vitty because of my experiance & the fact they ain't worth jack really.

However on the plus side.........

They are such an understated car no-one expects to see a big rover making loud sucking & whooshing sounds zipping past them. Definatly a stealthy car, street sleeper.

[george_chick]

Minter, from what I can tell you swapped a lump because of a blown HG, a HG swap is about £350 top whack (assuming everything else is OK).
Did you actually get your original lump opened up or compression tested?
IIRC you also got properly turned over on the engine swap, blokes couldn't finish it in a day.
I know scrappys who could have swapped that lump in the yard with hand tools and a Hiab in a day.

My last Vit I bought for a £1, even at garage prices It wouldn't have owed me £2K after a year and 22K I put on it.
That lump had 160K on it when I got it too.
HG (£14 payen jobbie 22K@13psi not a problem), exhaust manifold gasket, one balljoint, CV gaitors, s/hand driveshaft (£15), s/hand back box (£10), set of tyres, part worns (£100), broken handbrake cable, fixed by a man under the arches with a flame axe (£20), s/hand front wing (£15).
Don't know who gave some silly figure of £350 for a T16 head, I'd want it ported and polished for that sort of money.
I sold my last T16 head, skimmed and with the valves lapped for £80, to a Rover800 list member.

What can you take from all this?
If you want to run cars on the cheap and not get routinely raped, by robbers and half wits.
Example of a halfwit, coppergrease + sparkplug = 'you'll never get that plug out now, like glue that stuff'.
1. Buy some tools, probably half the stuff I've got is second hand, that way I can buy 2 of something (I'm always losing stuff anyway).
Even Halfrauds kit is worth having, try and stick to branded kit for your 'use everyday' tools, the 'once a bluemoon' sockets are probably second hand.
2. Download manuals if they're available, otherwise get bizzy with search engines and save people's webpages with useful info onto your machine.
3. After downloading manuals (if available) and other info.
Yes I'm going to wheel this old joke out again...

Then open the bonnet and think of Julie Andrews and sing.
"Getting to know you, getting to know all about yooou."
"Getting to like you, getting to hope you like meeee."

4. If you absolutely positively refuse to twirl the spanners, then learn a bit about problem diagnosis, so when a Mech attempts to fill your head with cack, you can come back with a bit of knowledge, hopefully that'll calm them down (doesn't always work though).
After being listening to cack a few times you'll change your mind and start twirling the spanners.

[fluke]

I bought my '97 Vitesse Sport in May this year & wished I hadn't now. By next week I will have spent nearly £2k on repairs & the car is worth no-where near that, possibly £1200 but I can't afford to sell it now - got to get use out of it!

I didn't buy a dog & I still got caught out. Bottom pipe decide to detach itself @ 80mph on the M5 causing major engine problems including head gasket.

Decide to buy a replacement engine, box & turbo. Garage fits it, takes it for test drive.......... head gasket goes yet again , also presents me with a bill of £826 & soon to have another of £300-£400 once this head has been skimed.

Personally, I wouldn't pay over £1500 for a vitty because of my experiance & the fact they ain't worth jack really.

However on the plus side.........

They are such an understated car no-one expects to see a big rover making loud sucking & whooshing sounds zipping past them. Definatly a stealthy car, street sleeper.

Gareth did the guy at the garage have a Fecking Big Pair Of Binoculars ????
Because it sounds like he saw you coming.

Also who test drove the car with the new engine fitted, You or the garage guy ????

Will you have the car back by Saturday ????

[Minter]

Right, I've got some explaining to do

First up is why I cannot do the work myself. This is because I do not have any parking- AT ALL. So my vitty is kept in a public car park & you simply cannot do an engine swap in a public car park.
I do not have any tools & I also have no-where to keep any tools.
I am not from Devon, I only moved here last year, therefor I have no local knowlage, I don't even have any friends where I live. No way am I carting everything back to my home city where I do know people / friends who could possibly help me as the logistics of it all are crazy.
I appealed on this forum for local help for beer tokens (I don't expect people to help me for free!) but no one offered.
I travel nearly 50 miles a day to work & back so I couldn't wait around too long, even though it's been going on about a month now anyway.


When I first looked into sorting this car out the cost of it seemed reasonable & just about justifable.

Here it is...

£300 for replacement 52k engine, turbo & 'box

£100 to hire van & diesel to collect the above

£250 for my local garage to do the swap

All that comes to £650.

------------------------------------------

THIS IS HOW IS ACTUALY HAPPEND....

I had already bought a spax kit so that was to be fitted aswell.
Handbrake cable snaped so that was another job to be done.

Initally I was concerned about the amount of time the garage was taking to do the job, however now they have explained to me why & heres the most importent part........ they stuck to there labour charges even though the bill came to over £800.

Heres a breakdown of the final bill.....

Parts Description the garage purchased:

Handbrake cable L/H - £39.23
Handbrake cable RH - £33.34
Clutch Kit - £118.55
Oil Filter - £9.54
Gearbox Mounting - £26.08
'T' Piece - £2.50
Vacuam Pipe - £4.00
Brake Fluid - £3.00
Elf 10w/40 - £4.00 x 5
Coolant - £2.25 - x 3
Consumables - £2.50 x 2
Elf Trans 75/90 - £5.80 x 2

Parts Sub Total = £279.59

Labour Charges:

Engine Swap - £250
Suspension / Springs £24 x 2
Handbrake Cables £24.00 x 1.5

Labour Total - £424.00

GARAGE TOTAL £703.59

INCLUDING VAT £826.73

Add to that the £400 for the replacement engine....

Thats up to £1226

Add to that again the spax springs I bought @ £125 and £88 I spent on it having a it checked over & a few pipes replaced when I fist bought it & you have a grand total so far of............

£1439

I have partly striped the old enigne down at the garage & the main block is rusted to logger.


Thats how it's all got out of control.

[fluke]

Gareth it was not meant to annoy/upset.
Like most people I hate seeing people getting ripped off, especially by dodgy garages.

Shame no one was close enough to help, if you were closer I would have leant a hand, as would others no doubt.

[Minter]

Sorry wasn't ment to sound "angry", just set things out so it's clear where the expense has occured. I'm a little bitter about it all, more so now I find this h/g has gone aswell

(Did you get my last PM Dave, referance the vitty parts?)

[fluke]

Sorry wasn't ment to sound "angry", just set things out so it's clear where the expense has occured. I'm a little bitter about it all, more so now I find this h/g has gone aswell

(Did you get my last PM Dave, referance the vitty parts?)

Sorry mate I did, maybe sold soon so I will let you know.

[MGJohn]

.... MUCH SNIPPED!


Yes I'm going to wheel this old joke out again...

Then open the bonnet and think of Julie Andrews and sing.
"Getting to know you, getting to know all about yooou."
"Getting to like you, getting to hope you like meeee."

4. If you absolutely positively refuse to twirl the spanners, then learn a bit about problem diagnosis, so when a Mech attempts to fill your head with cack, you can come back with a bit of knowledge, hopefully that'll calm them down (doesn't always work though).

After being listening to cack a few times you'll change your mind and start twirling the spanners.

Cracking post George .... Indeed worth repeating because it's a new one me.

I've highlighted the Julie Andrews bit ... it's a new one on this aged git but, so very very apt!

[george_chick]

Shame no one was close enough to help, if you were closer I would have leant a hand, as would others no doubt.

I certainly won't be helping anyone ever again, I've offered before and won't do it again, anyway...

If the choice is walking, buses, trains, etc or fixing my car so I can drive, I'll pull the head off right where it stands and fix the bugger.

As for working on the road, where'd you think the rest of us work?
90% of my tools live in the boot and never leave, buy a new toy park it back to back with old toy, transfer cack into boot of new toy, sell old toy.
I do most of my work up at the industrial estate next to the train station or on the road in front of my scrappys, mainly because I'm a misanthrope and hate being watched while I'm working.

Right, back to the old lump, were the bores scored or did you find a piston in bits?

[Minter]

Right, back to the old lump, were the bores scored or did you find a piston in bits?

Didn't get that far. All I saw was though the side of the block & it was all orange. Scrap man is comming for for that.

[george_chick]

Kinda on this subject I shall be pulling the head off my 735 tomorrow morning, I'll park it in the council estate a couple of streets away and play.

My roads too busy with buses going past all day, plus my neighbours drive AMG SL55's and the like, get nothing but scabby looks when you play with your toys round here.

[malcolm_durant]

You should move to Eastbourne George!!

Bloke a dozen or so houses down the road from me had his Vectra up on axle stands from the time we moved in (Oct 99) until last summer...his cement mixer hasn't moved in all the time I've been here and the sea air is rapidly turning it to dust!

Mine's been on axle stands on the drive for the last fortnight because I can't be asked to finish refitting the interior and then bleed my new brake-pipes (walking in the rain has got extremely boring though so it'll be MoT'd very soon...).

Incidentally; anyone got opinions on changing a Mk2 820 cluctch on the drive...do-able or more trouble than it's worth?

Malcolm

[george_chick]

Some of the over achievers on here have done it.
I just pull them off and thats enough for me.
I'm too old and weak for that sort of giggle now.
Pretty sure there's a CM article on the SuperCD about their clutch swap on a MKI 820.
If its not on there Bill will probably have a copy, I think I sent a copy to Irishrover too.

Apparently its a 2 jack job to get it back on as its 36 Kg, so you won't be benchpressing it back on.

[malcolm_durant]

36Kg whilst lying on your back under the car in the rain...hmmm. Forget that!!!!!

[mach1rob]

Did my box out in the car park! Mind did have a gorilla holding box to get it back on which helped All my work is done outside in the car park, or at a push I'll use the in-laws drive, don't have the luxury of a garage anymore

[fluke]

You should move to Eastbourne George!!

Bloke a dozen or so houses down the road from me had his Vectra up on axle stands from the time we moved in (Oct 99) until last summer...his cement mixer hasn't moved in all the time I've been here and the sea air is rapidly turning it to dust!

Mine's been on axle stands on the drive for the last fortnight because I can't be asked to finish refitting the interior and then bleed my new brake-pipes (walking in the rain has got extremely boring though so it'll be MoT'd very soon...).

Incidentally; anyone got opinions on changing a Mk2 820 cluctch on the drive...do-able or more trouble than it's worth?

Malcolm

Easily doable on the drive/road.
One jack is enough, but would advise you have an assistant to get it back in, one person and a jack is a struggle.

[Gonzo]

Not picking holes mate but i've seen some experts at er.. upselling shall we call it.
Engine Swap - £250
Suspension / Springs £24 x 2
Handbrake Cables £24.00 x 1.5
Labour Total - £424.00
??
250+ 48+ 36 = 334
334+ vat = 392 thats 30 out already

Elf Trans 75/90 - £5.80 x 2

Only recommended gear oil for PG1 is MTF94

al

[george_chick]

Good catch with the oil there chap.
It's 10/40 or MTF in all the books, don't know where they got the gear oil reference from.
Where did this gearoil thing come from I thought it was only the Tomcat racers who used that in the boxes.

[Slickster]

Hi all,

I have a VVC Coupe (97 Amaranth) at the moment and a dismantled Vitesse (97 Nightfire) in the garage and to be honest the Vitesse would out drag, out handle and out-comfort(?) the VVC any time - the Vitesse has to be the best value performance car out there. I wish I had got another at times. Were my coupe not so beautiful I would cry every day that I smashed my Vitesse. Wet Blackburn potholes eh?

[MGJohn]

Hi all,

I have a VVC Coupe (97 Amaranth) at the moment and a dismantled Vitesse (97 Nightfire) in the garage and to be honest the Vitesse would out drag, out handle and out-comfort(?) the VVC any time - the Vitesse has to be the best value performance car out there. I wish I had got another at times. Were my coupe not so beautiful I would cry every day that I smashed my Vitesse. Wet Blackburn potholes eh?

Bad Luck!

Apparently, there are 4000 holes in Blackburn Lancashire... or there were when I worked there back in the 1970s ..

Have to agree, all the T16 turbos are fine cars ... even by today's so called 'new' but re-arranged tin means of getting about. Except for the 420, I have one of each plus a spare ti.