Hi All, new member here

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TomSaintJames
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Hi All, new member here

Post by TomSaintJames » Fri Oct 20, 2017 4:25 pm

Hello everyone,

I've always been a fan of big luxury barges, and have always quite fancied an 800 - so here I am! No pictures today unfortunately as i'm at work. My 800 is that which used to belong to Dusan, the BRG 820 fastback converted to LPG with a manual 825 V6 gearbox and diesel 5th gear. I love it, although I will have to do something about all the rattling trim pieces! It also has a 2.5" stainless downpipe back system, so is on the noisy side, but does sound great for just a 2.0 4cyl, and with the LPG is cheap to fuel. So it should fit the role of daily driver quite nicely.

I'm doing a distance-learning degree course at the moment until January, so i'll probably be quiet until then as most of my evenings/weekends are spent studying and doing assignments, but afterwards I have plans for this car! I also hope to attend any meets/shows etc when the season is upon us later next year.

Cheers,
Tom
I'm by no means a Saint, nor a James - but a Tom. My cars are:

1985 Citroen BX19 GT Bleu Romantique
1999 Rover 820 Si Fastback British Racing Green

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Re: Hi All, new member here

Post by dollysprint » Fri Oct 20, 2017 5:56 pm

Welcome Tom, your car is well known, enjoy

Dave
1988 Sterling saloon 2.7 Auto Pulsar over gunmetal
1990 Sterling Saloon 2.7 Auto black over storm
1993 Coupe 2.7 auto white gold 1
2005 Ford Transit 2.4 lwb, Club van
2007 Jaguar X Type 2.2 manual Estate

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Re: Hi All, new member here

Post by SJG » Fri Oct 20, 2017 6:08 pm

Hi Tom, you've got yourself a cracking car there, hope you enjoy it, and good luck with your studies.
Simon

Rover Vitesse Coupe - 1997

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scoobyh123
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Re: Hi All, new member here

Post by scoobyh123 » Fri Oct 20, 2017 6:47 pm

Welcome aboard Tom! After a few miles you won't notice the exhaust and as it's a custom built stainless it will always give a little rasp anyway.

Looking forward to your updates as and when! :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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'94 827 Sterling saloon
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Re: Hi All, new member here

Post by TomSaintJames » Fri Oct 20, 2017 7:33 pm

Thanks for the welcome guys.

I've already been enjoying it. We went for a walking/outdoorsy holiday last thursday, for a long weekend in Snowdonia (quite a trek from somerset). Accident on M5 meant we had to detour around the twisties in Wales, the A5 was quite fun especially as this car feels like it's driving on rails - and for a 2.0 with longer legs than usual, if you rev it it does have a bit of go! As I discovered overtaking all the slowpokes on the Shrewsbury ring road. We had a bit of time to make up :D

I have a couple of jobs that i'd like to do with it, and some cosmetics that I feel need doing. I'm not sure about the gold wheels, I think I like them but may be swayed at a later date to go for some Vitesse 17"s, these look the business IMO, really suit the look of the 800.

Any BX or other french hydraulic owners on here? My other wheels are a rather special BX, a MK1 in GT flavour. There appears to be only 10-15 left of the GT's, and very few MK1's as they have mostly rusted away now (MK2's had way better factory rust prevention) mine is lucky as it's been well looked after for it's whole life. Did 2000 miles over the French alps in the summer, awesome roadtrip, the hydraulic suspension made the journey very comfrotable, there are some awful roads in rural France! I think in places iUK roads are worse though.

Here she is.
Image

Cheers.
I'm by no means a Saint, nor a James - but a Tom. My cars are:

1985 Citroen BX19 GT Bleu Romantique
1999 Rover 820 Si Fastback British Racing Green

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scoobyh123
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Re: Hi All, new member here

Post by scoobyh123 » Fri Oct 20, 2017 9:18 pm

If you or anyone that rides in the car suffer from a bad back Tom, don't do the 17" wheels! I do know of a set of Vitesse 6-spoke 17" wheels for sale though, shame you hadn't decided that when you picked the car up as they're pretty close by!

I'd stick with the gold 5-spoke Roversports as they are one of the things that help make the car unique and it's a very good paint job on them. However if you want to go down a slightly alternative route, Volvo S/V 40 and similar from 98-02 fit, have the right offset and are usually a smidge wider than the Rover wheels but will need a spigot ring as the centre bores are 67.1mm which is 3mm larger than the Rovers 64.1mm. Aluminium spigot rings the right size are available at a sensible price on fleabay, you'll need some aftermarket universal Volvo size centre caps and if you want a Rover badge on them, an aftermarket one of those for each wheel too. The S/V 40 etc had 15, 16 and 17" wheels so there's a fair choice if you take that option.

As for your BX19GT, is it a GT or GTi version? Rare either way and one of the very few Citroens i have any time (or respect) for. It's certainly in nice condition from the photo, very quirky and quick for its time. :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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Re: Hi All, new member here

Post by TomSaintJames » Fri Oct 20, 2017 10:04 pm

Ah, thanks for the heads up Dave! No back problems here, the 820 is on the stiffly-sprung side anyway. But they do look great!

It's not in bad nick, only has 62000 miles and was laid up between 1996 and 2015 so still have a few bits that need doing, the 2000 mile roadtrip over the alps in the summer really shook her up! If some service parts didn't need doing, they do now.

BX is definiately a GT, the only sporting version of the MK1 for sale in the UK, not very sporting though as it's a 1.9 8v petrol with a double barrel carb making 105bhp, quite a torquey motor though and as the car is so light (plastic bonnet/boot etc) it is no slouch at all. On the continent they had the sport which is the same car, but with a mopre sporting body (side skirts etc) and the same engine slightly re-worked with twin carbs but still only 125bhp.
The GTI's are entirely different, all MK2's and with EFI. The 16v being the quick one with 160bhp, but very cammy, really needs revving for the power. 8v is still good though at 125bhp.
They only made the GT for two years until the EFI MK2's came out. If you wanted a MK1 BX but not a GT, you could have a 1.6 or gearbox-in-sump 1.4, and then there's the n/a diesels. The MK1's have the lego-style really quirky dashboard too. I'd love a CX turbo and proper DS for the collection too - one day maybe! These old Citroens are starting to get a bit expensive, especially the DS's.
I'm by no means a Saint, nor a James - but a Tom. My cars are:

1985 Citroen BX19 GT Bleu Romantique
1999 Rover 820 Si Fastback British Racing Green

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scoobyh123
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Re: Hi All, new member here

Post by scoobyh123 » Fri Oct 20, 2017 10:29 pm

I can't remember what springs ended up on the 820, i know he recently put a set of new KYB shocks on it so they'll be good for quite some time to come. It also has the Vitesse spec 26mm front and 21mm rear anti roll bars, hence cornering so flat.

I remember the "Lego dashboards" of the Mk1 BXs in particular the non-self-canceling indicators - took some getting used to! Oddly the Jag XJ40 had a similar thing but a more conventional indicator switch.
The n/asp diseasels were a bit of a pain as the heads had a nasty habit of crumbling due to the heat/pressure of the diesel ignition. The turbodiesel heads were treated (can't remember how now) to reduce the risk of crumbling but because the turbo had a lower compression ratio, the heads weren't under so much stress and the forced induction acted as a cushion making them a much stronger engine without the head treatment!
The baby brethren of the 800, the 218 and 418 diesel models used the PSA diesels and gearboxes, the 2/418 turbo diesel used the XU7DT 1769cc turbo and the n/asp used the XU9D 1905cc.
The CX25GT Turbo was a flying machine in it's day and the DS models were used in the 60s in experiments on the M4 for driverless cars. The DS to have has to be the SM though with that Maserati V6 under the bonnet! :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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Re: Hi All, new member here

Post by Nuts4my827 » Mon Oct 23, 2017 10:12 am

Welcome. You cetainly do have a nice car there in Dusan's old car.

i also had a BX between 97 & 99. Was the Mk2 16V GTi, but with the 1.7 Turbo Diesel engine. Went well, and handled like it was on rails. Mine also had leather amd A/c too. :) Got written off by some silly old lady though. :(
Phil B
95 827 Stirling: Nightfire Saloon.
96 Coupé 827 Manual White Gold.
97 Coupé 820 Vitesse Gunmetal.
99 820 Vitesse Nightfire Fastback. SERIOUS amount of welding done. Lived in a fettid garage for years.
EX 1994 Saloon Rover 827 SLi White Gold- RIP.

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Re: Hi All, new member here

Post by Alucard7002 » Tue Oct 24, 2017 11:00 pm

You're right about the rattly trim. I gave up and just turned the radio up a bit more ;-)

The front springs are ~50mm lowering springs of unknown age/brand but with a 50mm spacer on the bottom of the spring seat to return the front to normal ride height.

The rear springs are the Police/Heavy Duty spec that are significantly stiffer yet do not alter the ride height.

That with the biggest anti-roll bars ever fitted to an 800 and the 55 profile tyres is what makes it go where you point it! Unfortunately the tradeoff is a harsh ride when compared to a standard 820.

I'm glad you found it goes well, you do have to let it sing and not be afraid to hit 6.5k RPM! Though around town the T16 really shows its torquey nature.

The cosmetics are not brilliant, it was never a show winner even from the first day I bought it. Clean it up and wax it and it looks cracking from anything up to 10' away. Then you start to notice the odd supermarket ding/scar (from others I might add, I never dinged it in my ownership)

My personal cosmetic gripes were the bumpers, rear left quarter and front left wing. Never got a neat enough job for me to be completely happy with but for a daily driver I found it plenty good enough.

The wheels are a bit Marmite as is the interior! I would definitely NOT go for the 17" Vitesse wheels though as I had a set (very briefly!) on my old 820 Vitesse. Horrible ride compared to the 16" wheels although did improve the handling slightly.
Dušan - head lunatic @ Four Paw Racing

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Re: Hi All, new member here

Post by TomSaintJames » Wed Oct 25, 2017 11:49 am

Thanks for the info Dusan, it's all good to know.

The front is quite hard, I've been avoiding any bumps as it makes a horrid noise. Might investigate some non-lowering front springs at some point in the future. The engine is nice, especially on petrol. On LPG though it's not particularly smooth and seems to kangaroo quite easily at low revs, no problem at above 2000rpm though. It does sound great when the second cam starts working, you can hear the difference in exhaust note!

I'm finding the seats a bit on the firm side, so have thoughts about putting a set of non-vitesse armchairs back in.

Interesting that the extra inch on the vitesse alloys makes such a difference. Perhaps they are wider? The passenger rear quarter and front wing are the worst bits, but as you say it is fine for a daily driver. I like it, it's a big luxury barge that can go around corners surprisingly well, and sounds great. People keep asking me if it's a V8/V6 or something lol

How was your holiday Dusan? Hope the weather was better than the crappy stuff we've been having here! Although today is quite nice and sunny.
I'm by no means a Saint, nor a James - but a Tom. My cars are:

1985 Citroen BX19 GT Bleu Romantique
1999 Rover 820 Si Fastback British Racing Green

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scoobyh123
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Re: Hi All, new member here

Post by scoobyh123 » Wed Oct 25, 2017 1:09 pm

I could be wrong Tom but i think the only bit of the front suspension Dusan hasn't changed recently are the anti-roll bar drop links. That said, the 26mm front ARB does tend to be a bit hard on them and also its mounting bushes (RBX100500 from Rimmers, about £8 each + the usual P&P) and the drop links make a hell of a row if they're worn and you go over a bump. I've got one beginning to go on my Coupé on the right and don't i hear it! :shock:

The Vitesse rims are 7J x17", the 16" wheels are 6J so yes they are wider. However it's not the width that causes the ride harshness, i've got 7J x 16" on my Coupé and it rides just as smoothly as the 6J x16" on my Sterling or even the 6.5J x16" that are on it now.

That set of Vitesse rims is still available Tom :

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=14306&p=147189#p147189

Same seller might have a pair of grey front seats available as well. :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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Re: Hi All, new member here

Post by CHR15E » Wed Oct 25, 2017 2:44 pm

Does it really make that much difference which wheels are on with how the roads are today?

Or maybe I've just become immune? My Mondeo has 18" wheels with even lower profile tyres than are used on Vitesse sport alloys.

I think on an older car you have to make a choice on whether it's handling or comfort you want?
Chris
19 Vauxhall Astra 1.6T SRi Nav Estate
08 Vauxhall Astra 2.0T Design Twintop
02 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4.7 V8 HO

Previously owned 57 800s 2000-2012
Relapse of 1 in 2021 Now Sold

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scoobyh123
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Re: Hi All, new member here

Post by scoobyh123 » Wed Oct 25, 2017 3:10 pm

Think you've become immune Chris! :lol:

Either that or our backs are more sensitive than yours? :?
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


Image
'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

TomSaintJames
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Re: Hi All, new member here

Post by TomSaintJames » Wed Oct 25, 2017 7:39 pm

Im happy enough with the gold roversports for now, especially as the tyres have loads of tread left and are rather good!

Part of the want is due to the hydraulically suspended BX, you only feel the sharper or larger bumps in the road, anything else is soaked up. It's not as good as the system in the 'proper' DS from the 60's or 70's - but then what is? The CX and XM come closer than the BX, but theydon't have the McPherson struts used in BX's.

I just assumed the hard suspension and it's lack of travel/absorptive properties would be the cause of the thumps over bumps? Good to know that there are replacements, i've just discovered the Rimmer bros site and love it, they have so many original genuine parts! Even a whole carpet and genuine floor mats etc. I assume they bought a load of stock from Rover when they went bust.
I'm by no means a Saint, nor a James - but a Tom. My cars are:

1985 Citroen BX19 GT Bleu Romantique
1999 Rover 820 Si Fastback British Racing Green

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