1988 rover 213s

[Martin Evans]

As someone, whose newest car is 33 years old, I would hardly say that old cars are necessarily old bangers. However, when I look down my street, there aren't that many that are 51 plate but those that there are certainly don't look like they have been well maintained. Come the cold weather and you can't walk down the pavement, for falling over battery booster leads and if your alarm clock doesn't wake you, squeeling water pumps will. By the standards of the people, who own those cars, anything over twenty years old would probably be assumed to be a banger. I have no doubt that some of them would see me as the poor b&^%t"£d down the end, with the old bangers.....or is that also an assumption

[mr rusty]

I would disagree Martin- years ago I was the one down the street who was always called on to sort a non-starter, these days I'm still out there welding and stuff, people know I fix things and tinker, but 21st century cars are so damned good, even the 'old' cars, nobody knocks on the door-even though i'm probably the only person around here who actually owns a set of jump leads!

[Luxobarge]

I think we just need to put it down to the street/area you live in Martin - sounds like it's not a universal phenomenon!

[Martin Evans]

I wouldn't know. The majority in my street have little idea on how to maintain cars but I suppose I would say that about most people. Below is the back lane of my street. The place with the van (It has now gone) is pretty exceptional but despite there being plenty of room and good access, most prefer to abandon their cars on the road at the front, even some of those who have garages, prefer to fill them with deck chairs and flower pots.



I live on the edge of the South Wales Valleys; my parents live in the Usk Valley, which is very "Middle England". Infact, there is one place, that even the most deprived inner city area would struggle to match, though you'd never think it if you spoke to them, old chap . The place with the van is a palace by comparison and the owner is a very nice bloke......he just has no interest in the place.
(Edited to remove racial reference - Suffolkpete)

[mr rusty]

Most people do maintain their cars I would have thought, they're too costly not to, it's just that you don't see them doing it because they pay a garage to maintain their cars, getting oily and cold is not everbody's idea of fun, although it might be ours Personally I wouldn't bother putting a modern non-leaky car in a garage, there's no reason to, and it generally does more harm than good putting a wet car in a garage for ther night, that's probably what did for most of the pensioner owned Rover 213/6's! sadly the image still lingers as Hyacinth Bucket is being rerun on Sundays.


But..... if Quentin Willson is to be believed, all modern cars need a new engine at 6- 7 years old ....he was on the BBC news yesterday espousing the benefits of the 30 grand Nissan Leaf and it's 1.5p a mile running cost, the news woman said but aren't the batteries very expensive and need replacing at 6 or 7 years old to which genius Quentin, who it will be recalled also touts various magic engine potions to make your engine last forever, came out with the idiotic comment, and nobody challenged him on it

[Martin Evans]

There's every reason to put a car away at night; even the polish lasts better, than if it's left out constantly in all the weathers (It's also less likely to be damaged), though I would concede that cars in daily use are more tollerant of being left outside, than those used less often. I suppose not many people are hoping to make the car last forty years. No doubt most people do now take their cars in to the dealer for servicing, as repairing an ECU, with a multi meter and a tin opener, is beyond most of us but they certainly won't part company with their money as willingly, to keep their existing car going, as when they buy a new or newer one. Although not interested in cars as such, many are interested in the keeping up appearances side of it, hence the priority is always with the new one (Believe it or not, the same happens in the bike trade). There is definately a link between the registration number and people's perception of the car (And it's driver), so the newer the car, the greater the street cred.

Moving back to the Rover 213, if it has an image of being driven by "Pensioners", I suggest that's a better image, than the obnoxious brat image, associated with certain types of (To use a previously used phrase) “Hun iron”. God willing, we will all become pensioners, a status that is indicative of age, not of personality, aptitude or anything else.

Whilst I feel that the Rover 213 and 216 fall into the black hole, from which few cars survive (Basically 1980s onwards), thus creating the automotive generation gap, between the bulk of preserved classics and modern stuff, it is good to see that someone is not shrinking from the challenge of preserving something from that era (The MK2 VW Golf GTI was a superb car). The danger for these cars is that some may see them as a "Stop gap" classic, until they can afford the "Real thing"; a bit like someone with a modern car, who will cut corners on maintenance in order to put money towards a new one. Up to a point, you used to see that with MG Midgets. Some people bourght them as stop gaps, until they could afford an MGB or similar. As a result tatty Midgets were quite common.

[Diesel Fionn]

The newest car I've ever owned was a 1997 Ford Escort TD in 2001-2002. It was a good car, but nothing spectacular. However in the last twenty years of owning driving cars the newest one I've owned has been nine years old. The cars of the mid to late 90's are much less encumbered with electronic trickery and thus easier to DIY maintain. I bought a Nissan Primera 1.6 year 2000 in December before the silly season. it had 191K on the clock, mint interior, good exterior which a good polish will sort out.
However it's all spoiled by the fact the ECU is f**ked. I paid €400 for this car and the engine light was on when I bought it. I naively thought it would be easily sorted, the light and jerky running, that is.
So I've forked out €200 for another primera with a damaged front but mechanically/electronically perfect. One good (multicoloured) car will be yielded from my €600 investment and some labour on my part. I'll stick with diesels in future, they're much less bothersome.

[VYO 372M]

Just purchaced a 1988 rover 213s 2 ownwes with 42000 miles from new had to save this one from the scrap man WHAT HAVE I DONE HAVE I LOST THE PLOT answers on a post card

Great stuff. Nice to see one being saved. My father bought a brand new last of the line white 213 EX in 1989. kept it four years before trading it in for a new nightfire red 214i. The EX was a lovely car, had the top of the range radio/cassette player fitted, same as the top spec 800 series. It was dead reliable too, just like the Acclaim had been before it. Nothing ever fell off or didn't work. The only problem with it was rust caught it at a relatively early age, in fact the dealer my father traded in to had all four doors renewed under the six year anti corrosion warranty because rust was already seeping through. I remember many a 213 advert of the day stating that this was the model with the 'Honda' engine.

Steve

[MidgetSaab]

Don't know what jogged my memory but I seem to remember that 1300 Honda engine had 12 valves.

[Toledo Man]

Yes, the 213 had a 12 valve engine that was similar to the EN4 unit that was used in the Acclaim. I once nearly bought a 213 back in 1994 but I was put off by a rust hole in what I thought was the A post. It turned out to be the door frame but by then I'd already bought a Ford Sierra instead.