Wow, how six months flies. It's had a bit of TLC...I hope it serves you well. I can tell that you're very fond of this car and rightfully so too. Fingers crossed the coolant problem isn't anything serious.
This is the life of a retro classic, the C124 battery has just died, as I mentioned in Sunday’s Live. It’s well worth keeping, these are becoming rarer and rarer, no doubt James ll be able to sort it. Ps these cars aren’t too keen in Winter unless they’re tucked up in a heated garage.
Yes, I heard about that. Such a shame! At the moment, we don't know exactly what the issue is, hopefully it will not be failure of both head gaskets, as that is a very expensive thing to fit. If anyone can work out what is going on, Mr Coleman can!
It’s a lovely looking car, but the problems are shame really. I had KV6’s before and what puts me off is their maintenance and not very easy to work on. But when they’re in tip top condition, they’re amazing.
Yes, I have driven a couple of KV6 engined cars, and the noise is absolutely lovely. It's a much more characterful engine than a K Series too. As you say, however, the engine is quite packed in, whether it is a 45 V6/ZS 180 or a 75 V6/ZT, and they do need proper maintenance on a regular basis.
Good to have a wee update on your Rover again sir. It does look very good for a 17 year old car. At least you have some good friends who know Rovers and can hopefully help you keep any repair costs down. I know how much you like this car so I hope it doesn't have to leave the fleet
Thank you, sir! Yes, these cars are almost museum pieces now due to their rarity. Mr Coleman and Mr Partridge have been very useful to know. I do hope that it isn't going to have to leave the fleet, but we will have to be realistic about it once it is established what is wrong.
Yes, the four cylinder ones don't tend to be worth a lot of money, and even the rare V6 ones like this are worth much, much less than the more desirable (and far more common) ZS 180s , so often the work needed to fix them can render them beyond economical repair. Mr Coleman (aka The Rubbish Mechanic) is coming to have a look!
Very sorry to hear you are having a problem. Hopefully Mr Coleman can locate the leak and it is not a major issue. You must be commended for finding the 45 V6 and running it. My mechanic looks after a similar vintage 75 with the 2.0 V6 and he said that listening to it idle reminds him of a sewing machine. A very smooth engine indeed.
It is a very nice sounding engine, and I really love this car, but we are going to have to think with our practical heads about its future once we know what is wrong, sadly. Mr Coleman will be taking a look at it in a few days' time.
The joys of owning an older car, hopefully the water leak may be something fairly simple such as the water pump leaking although it's probably not too easy to replace it but easier than head gaskets. Fingers crossed for a quick fix on what is undeniably a stylish car.
Oh yes, sir! The joys of older car ownership. The car has two head gaskets, so it would be a complicated repair if that is what is wrong. The water pump is not that accessible, as it has three cam belts (!), but it would be cheaper to replace than the head gaskets, I imagine. The cambelt replacement job is huge....
happy new year mr lloyd i really do hope you keep this example but needs must and it will be sought after even though they are bad to work heres to 2021
Yes sir, I think it could be time to have to take this off daily duties at least... Sadly, they aren't that valuable, but there are some who absolutely love them, and I am one of them.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting because of people like you the h nut and matt and neil at italia autos people are taking interest keep it up your better than politicians you lot tell the truth
@@a11csc , yes, I know Italia Autos. Neil seems a very down to earth chap. Mr Seabrook and Mr Richardson certainly have a lot of fans now and they do provide a bit of a diversion from what is going on at the moment.
The V6 engine is not prone to head gasket failure though I guess if a previous owner had run it in an overheated mode they just might. When I got my Rover75 2.5 V6 the very first thing I did was take it to a Rover specialist who checked the Vee and found a very slight leak so replaced the thermostat. It ran fine for 12 months then I decided to have the belts done and replaced the water pump at the same time. After that I was having to top the coolant up daily though no sign of water leaks at all. Turns out the new water pump was 'duff' meaning the engine needed stripping again and the pump changed. Never had a problem after that. Just telling this as the water pump is far more likely to fail than the head gaskets. Hope this helps.
My friend Jordan, who replaced both the inlet manifold and the plastic thermostat housing on our 45 V6, had the head gaskets fail on his ZT-T 190+ which you may have seen on the channel. It was primarily caused by the spectacular failure of the thermostat housing whilst driving on the motorway (normally) around 1am. Like mine, it was just due to age, and as he had been doing motorway speeds when the thermostat housing blew itself apart, it had an adverse effect on the head gaskets. He ended up rebuilding the entire top half of the engine, so he was easily able to do the jobs on mine. I am hoping that the head gaskets have not gone, as you say, it is rare, but it isn't unheard of. The water pump is also a big job, as it is effectively like changing the cambelts, so either way, we may just have to take this car off daily duties if we don't have to sell it.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting Aw such a shame but as you say it's looking more like a major engine strip down be it the water pump or head gaskets. Your comment re the pump being almost same work as belts is why I had mine done at the same time but still ended up having to do the job all over again. Anyway I know your mechanic will fix it but just wanted to pass on my experiences in an attempt to be helpful. Hope you get it sorted. Good luck.
@@haitch04 , yes, I am in very safe hands having consulted with both Mr Coleman and Mr Jordan Partridge about what to do. What you have said exactly backs up what Mr Coleman has explained to me about the possibilities of what has happened, so it has been very useful. The cambelts were changed in 2018, but if the water pump or headgaskets need changing, then it would be stupid not to change them again too. We will keep reporting on this situation as it develops.
This is such a lovely RARE vehicle I would hate for you to either sell or break for parts. I find it quite admirable that the members of the Rover club step up to help, very, VERY kind of them to look out for each other. As you stated, a very Honda interior, especially the dashboard and controls, at the same time very British, especially with the window controls, which I would have put on the door cards, but I guess Rover wanted to be different. Very happy your model had mudflaps, our last two vehicles had them either factory or dealer installed and I highly recommend them. Is the manifold plenum plastic as in modern vehicles? I find it ironic that car washes are closed in the UK 🇬🇧 but still open here in the US. Then again, our infection rates are much, much worse than yours. Was listening to BBC World News earlier, so I hope you in the UK 🇬🇧 will have this under control shortly and get back to some semblance of normalcy whatever that will be. And I do hope it is economically feasible to repair its current issue, so I will keep my fingers crossed 🤞!
Yes, nowhere near as rare as Mr Coleman's Alfa Romeo 90, but increasingly getting rare due to engine issues and rust, which means that numbers are still decreasing. There are a number of very obvious Honda components, but the Honda Civics and Domanis that share the same platform were never so luxurious. Yes, the window switches are really weird... That is right, the inlet manifold on this car, which houses the variable valve timing system, is completely made of plastic, and is a common failure point on them. Mr Coleman is coming down this weekend, and he will assess the situation for me, which is really kind.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting I do hope it is somewhat of a positive report, that repairs will be in your range of affordability. I know you like this modern classic, and has become extremely rare in your country.
@@frothe42 , yes, I know that the cost of the parts to replace the head gaskets alone (without the labour) is around £300, and it is not an easy job, so I am hoping that it does not come to that. The 45 V6s are rare in all countries in which they were sold, most of them are probably over here now!
Thanks Mike! Sadly, head gasket failure on a KV6 or even a K Series, is not normally accompanied by a mayonnaise type substance on the oil filler cap, due to the design of the engine. In fact, some engines can have the same type of substance on the oil filler cap (I have seen this on Vauxhalls, Volkswagens and Kias) and be nothing more than the sign of a no mileage engine. There is no residue on the oil filler cap in this instance at all. We are hoping that it is not something too expensive!
Ahh coolant issues again. I'm all too familiar with those (With 2 of the 3 unfortunately in 2019/20). Fingers crossed it's a quick and cheap fix for you 🤞 I do like this car very much!
Thank you also for the shoutout of the walkaround on this made at the British Motor Museum last year 😁 are you likely to go to the BMC and Leyland show this year if it goes ahead?
Mr Bill, of course I want to go to the BMC and Leyland Show if it happens this year. This time we should actually go together if we don't need to socially distance....
We did change the whole thermostat housing in July, as I explained in the video, so I would say it is unlikely to be that. It also seems to hold a bit in the system, whereas with the broken thermostat housing, it wouldn't hold any at all.
Just a shame they thought project drive was a good idea. They made 02 on cars look so cheap .we run a 02 L series 25 and a 04 L series 45. The 25 feels well made compared to the 45.
Yes, as you say, Project Drive turned out to be a bit pointless, as MG Rover failed anyway... Having driven a very early 25 from November 1999 recently on the No B, and having owned a July 2003 one myself a few years ago, I would definitely agree that the earlier ones are better. The facelifted 45s from around March 2004 onwards certainly have their problems, as I found when I owned a June 2004 1.4 Club SE from 2009-2012!
@@depechem0demusic , as I mention in the title, we have had this just over six months, and have been using it as one of our two daily cars. My lady wife doesn't drive a lot, but she drives both of our cars when she does.
Wow, how six months flies. It's had a bit of TLC...I hope it serves you well. I can tell that you're very fond of this car and rightfully so too. Fingers crossed the coolant problem isn't anything serious.
We are fond of it, sir, and it has had a lot of recommissioning work done over the last six months. Sadly, it now needs a bit more!
@@lloydvehicleconsulting I'm sure it'll all be worth it. It's a very nice 45.
@@SuperFIFTHGEAR , we will see what Mr Coleman is able to find out and take it from there.
This is the life of a retro classic, the C124 battery has just died, as I mentioned in Sunday’s Live. It’s well worth keeping, these are becoming rarer and rarer, no doubt James ll be able to sort it. Ps these cars aren’t too keen in Winter unless they’re tucked up in a heated garage.
Yes, I heard about that. Such a shame! At the moment, we don't know exactly what the issue is, hopefully it will not be failure of both head gaskets, as that is a very expensive thing to fit. If anyone can work out what is going on, Mr Coleman can!
@@lloydvehicleconsulting there’s a new one on its way, crossing our fingers for you on the 45
Thank you, I hope that the battery isn't difficult to fit.
It’s a lovely looking car, but the problems are shame really. I had KV6’s before and what puts me off is their maintenance and not very easy to work on. But when they’re in tip top condition, they’re amazing.
Yes, I have driven a couple of KV6 engined cars, and the noise is absolutely lovely. It's a much more characterful engine than a K Series too. As you say, however, the engine is quite packed in, whether it is a 45 V6/ZS 180 or a 75 V6/ZT, and they do need proper maintenance on a regular basis.
Good to have a wee update on your Rover again sir. It does look very good for a 17 year old car.
At least you have some good friends who know Rovers and can hopefully help you keep any repair costs down. I know how much you like this car so I hope it doesn't have to leave the fleet
Thank you, sir! Yes, these cars are almost museum pieces now due to their rarity. Mr Coleman and Mr Partridge have been very useful to know. I do hope that it isn't going to have to leave the fleet, but we will have to be realistic about it once it is established what is wrong.
I have a weak spot for 45s but they are getting old now and the amount of work needed is usually too much. I hope you manage to get it fixed...
Yes, the four cylinder ones don't tend to be worth a lot of money, and even the rare V6 ones like this are worth much, much less than the more desirable (and far more common) ZS 180s , so often the work needed to fix them can render them beyond economical repair. Mr Coleman (aka The Rubbish Mechanic) is coming to have a look!
Very sorry to hear you are having a problem. Hopefully Mr Coleman can locate the leak and it is not a major issue. You must be commended for finding the 45 V6 and running it. My mechanic looks after a similar vintage 75 with the 2.0 V6 and he said that listening to it idle reminds him of a sewing machine. A very smooth engine indeed.
It is a very nice sounding engine, and I really love this car, but we are going to have to think with our practical heads about its future once we know what is wrong, sadly. Mr Coleman will be taking a look at it in a few days' time.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting fingers crossed. We know that they weren't all built after tea 🍵 on a Friday afternoon.
@@seancooke4127 , let's hope so, sir!
I think this variant and the mG are the ones id buy :)
Well sir, there would be many people who would agree with you there!
The joys of owning an older car, hopefully the water leak may be something fairly simple such as the water pump leaking although it's probably not too easy to replace it but easier than head gaskets. Fingers crossed for a quick fix on what is undeniably a stylish car.
Oh yes, sir! The joys of older car ownership. The car has two head gaskets, so it would be a complicated repair if that is what is wrong. The water pump is not that accessible, as it has three cam belts (!), but it would be cheaper to replace than the head gaskets, I imagine. The cambelt replacement job is huge....
Love the car, really hope Mr Coleman can do his usual magic.
Why yes, sir, let us hope that he can come up with something wonderful!
happy new year mr lloyd i really do hope you keep this example but needs must and it will be sought after even though they are bad to work heres to 2021
Yes sir, I think it could be time to have to take this off daily duties at least... Sadly, they aren't that valuable, but there are some who absolutely love them, and I am one of them.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting they will be so cling on for dear life lol
@@a11csc , I do hope that people start to take an interest in them, but it could be a while before it happens, sadly.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting because of people like you the h nut and matt and neil at italia autos people are taking interest keep it up your better than politicians you lot tell the truth
@@a11csc , yes, I know Italia Autos. Neil seems a very down to earth chap. Mr Seabrook and Mr Richardson certainly have a lot of fans now and they do provide a bit of a diversion from what is going on at the moment.
It's a lovely looking car Joseph. I do hope the water problem turns out to be a cheap and easy fix.
Well sir, Mr Coleman is coming on Friday to take a look, so we should get to the bottom of it soon.
The V6 engine is not prone to head gasket failure though I guess if a previous owner had run it in an overheated mode they just might. When I got my Rover75 2.5 V6 the very first thing I did was take it to a Rover specialist who checked the Vee and found a very slight leak so replaced the thermostat. It ran fine for 12 months then I decided to have the belts done and replaced the water pump at the same time. After that I was having to top the coolant up daily though no sign of water leaks at all. Turns out the new water pump was 'duff' meaning the engine needed stripping again and the pump changed. Never had a problem after that. Just telling this as the water pump is far more likely to fail than the head gaskets. Hope this helps.
My friend Jordan, who replaced both the inlet manifold and the plastic thermostat housing on our 45 V6, had the head gaskets fail on his ZT-T 190+ which you may have seen on the channel. It was primarily caused by the spectacular failure of the thermostat housing whilst driving on the motorway (normally) around 1am. Like mine, it was just due to age, and as he had been doing motorway speeds when the thermostat housing blew itself apart, it had an adverse effect on the head gaskets. He ended up rebuilding the entire top half of the engine, so he was easily able to do the jobs on mine. I am hoping that the head gaskets have not gone, as you say, it is rare, but it isn't unheard of. The water pump is also a big job, as it is effectively like changing the cambelts, so either way, we may just have to take this car off daily duties if we don't have to sell it.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting Aw such a shame but as you say it's looking more like a major engine strip down be it the water pump or head gaskets. Your comment re the pump being almost same work as belts is why I had mine done at the same time but still ended up having to do the job all over again. Anyway I know your mechanic will fix it but just wanted to pass on my experiences in an attempt to be helpful. Hope you get it sorted. Good luck.
@@haitch04 , yes, I am in very safe hands having consulted with both Mr Coleman and Mr Jordan Partridge about what to do. What you have said exactly backs up what Mr Coleman has explained to me about the possibilities of what has happened, so it has been very useful. The cambelts were changed in 2018, but if the water pump or headgaskets need changing, then it would be stupid not to change them again too. We will keep reporting on this situation as it develops.
Fingers crossed for a cheap fix. Hope Mr Coleman can work his magic
Yes, let's hope so, sir!
This is such a lovely RARE vehicle I would hate for you to either sell or break for parts.
I find it quite admirable that the members of the Rover club step up to help, very, VERY kind of them to look out for each other.
As you stated, a very Honda interior, especially the dashboard and controls, at the same time very British, especially with the window controls, which I would have put on the door cards, but I guess Rover wanted to be different.
Very happy your model had mudflaps, our last two vehicles had them either factory or dealer installed and I highly recommend them.
Is the manifold plenum plastic as in modern vehicles?
I find it ironic that car washes are closed in the UK 🇬🇧 but still open here in the US. Then again, our infection rates are much, much worse than yours.
Was listening to BBC World News earlier, so I hope you in the UK 🇬🇧 will have this under control shortly and get back to some semblance of normalcy whatever that will be.
And I do hope it is economically feasible to repair its current issue, so I will keep my fingers crossed 🤞!
Yes, nowhere near as rare as Mr Coleman's Alfa Romeo 90, but increasingly getting rare due to engine issues and rust, which means that numbers are still decreasing. There are a number of very obvious Honda components, but the Honda Civics and Domanis that share the same platform were never so luxurious. Yes, the window switches are really weird...
That is right, the inlet manifold on this car, which houses the variable valve timing system, is completely made of plastic, and is a common failure point on them. Mr Coleman is coming down this weekend, and he will assess the situation for me, which is really kind.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting I do hope it is somewhat of a positive report, that repairs will be in your range of affordability.
I know you like this modern classic, and has become extremely rare in your country.
@@frothe42 , yes, I know that the cost of the parts to replace the head gaskets alone (without the labour) is around £300, and it is not an easy job, so I am hoping that it does not come to that. The 45 V6s are rare in all countries in which they were sold, most of them are probably over here now!
love the videos :)
I'm pretty sure you'd know if it was a headgasket, oil mixing with water and visa versa! hope its a quick fix :)
Thanks Mike! Sadly, head gasket failure on a KV6 or even a K Series, is not normally accompanied by a mayonnaise type substance on the oil filler cap, due to the design of the engine. In fact, some engines can have the same type of substance on the oil filler cap (I have seen this on Vauxhalls, Volkswagens and Kias) and be nothing more than the sign of a no mileage engine. There is no residue on the oil filler cap in this instance at all. We are hoping that it is not something too expensive!
Ahh coolant issues again. I'm all too familiar with those (With 2 of the 3 unfortunately in 2019/20). Fingers crossed it's a quick and cheap fix for you 🤞 I do like this car very much!
Thank you also for the shoutout of the walkaround on this made at the British Motor Museum last year 😁 are you likely to go to the BMC and Leyland show this year if it goes ahead?
Mr Bill, of course I want to go to the BMC and Leyland Show if it happens this year. This time we should actually go together if we don't need to socially distance....
Mr Coleman will be taking a look at it in a few days' time. I suppose we will find out more then!
@@lloydvehicleconsulting Let's hope he can work his magic on the Rover and make it all well again.
@@FuelPower , indeed, sir! The joint Livestream will be going ahead tomorrow evening.
Have you checked the thermostat isn't leaking Sir? Hugely common fault!
We did change the whole thermostat housing in July, as I explained in the video, so I would say it is unlikely to be that. It also seems to hold a bit in the system, whereas with the broken thermostat housing, it wouldn't hold any at all.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting Apologies, its too early!
Head gasket failure on the KV6 is quite rare.
@@Pauljn67 , yes, it is much rarer than on a K Series, for example, but sadly it does happen sometimes.
Just a shame they thought project drive was a good idea. They made 02 on cars look so cheap .we run a 02 L series 25 and a 04 L series 45.
The 25 feels well made compared to the 45.
Yes, as you say, Project Drive turned out to be a bit pointless, as MG Rover failed anyway... Having driven a very early 25 from November 1999 recently on the No B, and having owned a July 2003 one myself a few years ago, I would definitely agree that the earlier ones are better. The facelifted 45s from around March 2004 onwards certainly have their problems, as I found when I owned a June 2004 1.4 Club SE from 2009-2012!
Suits you sir!!!!!!
We do love it, sir...
@@lloydvehicleconsulting is this your new daily then or your good wife’s??
@@depechem0demusic , as I mention in the title, we have had this just over six months, and have been using it as one of our two daily cars. My lady wife doesn't drive a lot, but she drives both of our cars when she does.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting so the rover and the Tivoli ??
@@depechem0demusic , exactly, sir!
I hope the repairs needed are not too costly Joseph.A disappointment I'm sure.
It's just what comes with older cars sometimes, sir, which is why we keep hold of the SsangYong!