Well, it was surely just a matter of time before I ended up owning another Tomcat. Especially in Nightfire Red. A car which carried lots of memories of a very up and down second marriage, but over the years since then, the ties to that rocky time become less important than how much I love these cars themselves.
Here is my old thread for the second Tomcat I had, back in about 2012...
forum.retro-rides.org/thread/142494/1995-rover-tomcat-coupe
and this is that car..
I just love these, and could happily stare doey eyed at the rear end of them for hours. Love the lower rear diffuser, love the chunky spoiler, the glass T-bar roof, the classy leather interiors (in the ones that have them) and of course, when it's all smothered in gorgeous Nightfire Red all the better. I'm really not to bothered in which engine is under the bonnet, it's all about how lovely they look. My first one was a non-turbo 2 litre manual, the second one was a 1.6 Honda engined auto. This one is a 1.6 manual, so it's the K series. An engine with it's well known flaws and achilles heels, but an engine which most people accept is revvy, perky and not bad at all. A future proofed K series is a happy thing to own, which is where the new one enters stage left....
forum.retro-rides.org/thread/207920/rover-216-coupe
I was in touch with Pete exactly a year ago, when he originally had the car up for sale when the head gasket went. He decided to keep the car and fix it, and we left it that if he ever did decide to sell it, he'd tip me the wink on it and let me know. A man good to his word, that's exactly what he did in October. After he'd pretty much overhalled the whole car!
A list of the work done includes:
New oil rail
New uprated head bolts
New headgasket
New cam cover gasket
New thermostat
New inlet manifold gasket
New exhaust gasket
New radiator
New Timing belt
New Water pump
New tensioner
New inlet manifold bolts/nuts
New exhaust studs and bolts
New front exhaust section
New front calipers, discs & pads
Full seats and carpets out deep clean
New MOT
I'm not sure I could have asked for more peace of mind.
Bad bits? There's some lacquer peel on the bonnet, and some small bits of bubbling near the sill ends, but the sills themselves are very, very good.
As one of six new cars in the last two weeks, I think it has to be my favourite, due to my history with them, and it just has to be a keeper. I mean, I'll never get a better one that ticks more of my personal boxes.
Here's some pics anyway, the first of which is the ubiquitous first fill up shot on collection day in Sleaford...
ploppy white number plate screw caps
replaced with nice ones. It's the little things...
It has a lovely piped cream leather interior...
That lacquer peel...
With my other 90's coupe, the Hyundai Scoupe. Watch out for a new thread on that one soon...
Engine bay...
And there we are for now. Not sure what else I can do for now, apart from sort the lacquer peel out.
These R8's are growing in popularity and appreciation these days, so I think I feel a big wedge of relief to get one of these, in the right colour for me and with all the work done. Thanks Pete, I'll look after it.
Here is my old thread for the second Tomcat I had, back in about 2012...
forum.retro-rides.org/thread/142494/1995-rover-tomcat-coupe
and this is that car..
I just love these, and could happily stare doey eyed at the rear end of them for hours. Love the lower rear diffuser, love the chunky spoiler, the glass T-bar roof, the classy leather interiors (in the ones that have them) and of course, when it's all smothered in gorgeous Nightfire Red all the better. I'm really not to bothered in which engine is under the bonnet, it's all about how lovely they look. My first one was a non-turbo 2 litre manual, the second one was a 1.6 Honda engined auto. This one is a 1.6 manual, so it's the K series. An engine with it's well known flaws and achilles heels, but an engine which most people accept is revvy, perky and not bad at all. A future proofed K series is a happy thing to own, which is where the new one enters stage left....
forum.retro-rides.org/thread/207920/rover-216-coupe
I was in touch with Pete exactly a year ago, when he originally had the car up for sale when the head gasket went. He decided to keep the car and fix it, and we left it that if he ever did decide to sell it, he'd tip me the wink on it and let me know. A man good to his word, that's exactly what he did in October. After he'd pretty much overhalled the whole car!
A list of the work done includes:
New oil rail
New uprated head bolts
New headgasket
New cam cover gasket
New thermostat
New inlet manifold gasket
New exhaust gasket
New radiator
New Timing belt
New Water pump
New tensioner
New inlet manifold bolts/nuts
New exhaust studs and bolts
New front exhaust section
New front calipers, discs & pads
Full seats and carpets out deep clean
New MOT
I'm not sure I could have asked for more peace of mind.
Bad bits? There's some lacquer peel on the bonnet, and some small bits of bubbling near the sill ends, but the sills themselves are very, very good.
As one of six new cars in the last two weeks, I think it has to be my favourite, due to my history with them, and it just has to be a keeper. I mean, I'll never get a better one that ticks more of my personal boxes.
Here's some pics anyway, the first of which is the ubiquitous first fill up shot on collection day in Sleaford...
ploppy white number plate screw caps
replaced with nice ones. It's the little things...
It has a lovely piped cream leather interior...
That lacquer peel...
With my other 90's coupe, the Hyundai Scoupe. Watch out for a new thread on that one soon...
Engine bay...
And there we are for now. Not sure what else I can do for now, apart from sort the lacquer peel out.
These R8's are growing in popularity and appreciation these days, so I think I feel a big wedge of relief to get one of these, in the right colour for me and with all the work done. Thanks Pete, I'll look after it.
