Roadworthy Rover

My Rover 2000’s MoT ran out a few weeks ago, but as there was salt on the roads and rain and snow in the air I wasn’t planning on using it, so let that wait until better weather. When I gave it a check over, only two things looked broken. The windscreen washer pump had broken and the hazard lights didn’t flash, although I knew about that as the indicator relay had packed up so I’d stolen the hazard one as a get-home fix months earlier.

I was passing Winns International in East Grinstead so called in to pick up both, and while there saw a new old stock interior light in perfect condition so grabbed that as a nice finishing touch for after the repaint.

Fitting both parts only took five minutes. The new relay fits into the clip under the dash and makes the nice think-think sound. When I bought the car 25 years ago someone had bypassed the washer bottle pump in the lid and fitted one on the wing. I imagine it must have been a cheaper fix, but the pipes just needed connecting correctly, then it was on to the test station.

It’s always good to have a tester who understands old cars and I’m lucky to have found one. The exhaust had a slight blow on a joint which he patched for me before the test and then the only advisory was for the non-structural corrosion which the car is booked in for repairing soon. With it back on the road I’m looking forward to getting it into the bodyshop.

After getting stuck taking the timing cover off the Rover 3500’s V8 I spent ages looking for what I’d missed, but couldn’t see anything. Eventually I put a call for help on a forum and a few people suggested ideas, but I’d done them already, leaving the conclusion I’d come to and someone online suggested that when the SD1 timing cover was

I broke out the grinder and started hacking into the rear arch but soon started to feel I’d bitten off more than I could chew!

fitted they had used some kind of instant gasket that’s bonded it in place. That will need heat and bravery to remove so I left it for now.

Having hit a wall on one massive task I decided to start another. My Mk1 MR2 has the usual near-terminal rusty arches. The driver’s side was professionally welded a few years ago but the job was bigger than planned and went over budget leaving me to fix the passenger side, so it remained under a cover for a while.

I finally broke out the grinder and started hacking into the rear arch. I soon started to feel I’d bitten off more than I could chew! Under the plastic side skirt an old repair had rotted through and when I dug through the thick filler, fibre glass and gaffer tape of previous repairs and got back to metal the outer panel had rotted back to a frilly edge and the inner arch has many holes to patch.

I started by cutting a clean edge to the outer arch. I have a repair panel and normally you would overlap and save original steel but here I’ve just had to mark the repair panel edges and cut to that as so much has gone.

Now I’ve started cutting back and patching holes in the inner panel, testing my limited welding skills to the limit!

Freshly MoT’d Rover is already booked in for bodywork and paint.

The old screenwash motor had come apart.

New lid made the old bottle look shabby.

MoT revealed Rover’s underside has remained sound.

Repair patches were shaped by hand for MR2.

Wheelarch was made from filler, fibreglass and gaffer tape.

The problem soon turned out to be worse than thought.

Holes in inner arch will need sorting before repair panel can be added.