General General Panda thoughts
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General General Panda thoughts
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Some 8-9 year old kids were loitering around my car this morning. I have some Nike trainers behind the passenger seat. 
Some 8-9 year old kids were loitering around my car this morning. I have some Nike trainers behind the passenger seat.
Probably trying to work out what the box on wheels is for, mobile shed perhaps, trailer, perhaps a home made vehicle of some kind. "can't be a car" says little Jimmy to his friend "far to ugly for that", "no" says Jimmys mate "must be a caravan for midgets"
Probably trying to work out what the box on wheels is for, mobile shed perhaps, trailer, perhaps a home made vehicle of some kind. "can't be a car" says little Jimmy to his friend "far to ugly for that", "no" says Jimmys mate "must be a caravan for midgets"
Coming from someone with a Rover in their avatar.
lol I nearly spat my tea out lol
The Rover is a thing of beauty and old English style, which is why I am currently driving the wifes Punto
I would dearly love it if Rover had managed to stay afloat, however by the time anyone realised the money was an issue they were stuck with trying to rehash the same old rover 200, calling it a 25 and a streetwise and an MG ZR. All clever ideas in their own way, but still using the K series, it was a weak engine in the 70s and yet they still persevered with it that and the car was old fashioned in 1993 never mind 2003.
I feel I may have opened a can of worms with my opinions here, but I really do wish Rover had spotted their problems earlier so they had money to develop new engines and new cars which would hopefully have been more succesful. Just look how well BMW have done with the Mini name! (Although it bears nothing more than a passing resemblance to an actual mini and is an affront to clever british engineering)
Enjoy
that and the car was old fashioned in 1993 never mind 2003.I feel I may have opened a can of worms with my opinions here, but I really do wish Rover had spotted their problems earlier so they had money to develop new engines and new cars which would hopefully have been more succesful. Just look how well BMW have done with the Mini name! (Although it bears nothing more than a passing resemblance to an actual mini and is an affront to clever british engineering)
Enjoy
Some 8-9 year old kids were loitering around my car this morning. I have some Nike trainers behind the passenger seat.
You've got small feet..
I would dearly love it if Rover had managed to stay afloat, however by the time anyone realised the money was an issue they were stuck with trying to rehash the same old rover 200, calling it a 25 and a streetwise and an MG ZR. All clever ideas in their own way, but still using the K series, it was a weak engine in the 70s and yet they still persevered with it
I feel I may have opened a can of worms with my opinions here, but I really do wish Rover had spotted their problems earlier so they had money to develop new engines and new cars which would hopefully have been more succesful. Just look how well BMW have done with the Mini name! (Although it bears nothing more than a passing resemblance to an actual mini and is an affront to clever british engineering)
Enjoy
Er hang on, the K series was quite advanced (though had its faults!) when it was launched in 1989
It certainly wasn't about in the 1970's - are you thinking of the A series?The 200/400 of 1989 vintage was a good car - Dad had a 416GSi with the Honda lump & it was a quick sporting saloon for its time (the later 416 he had was not great). Rover slowly killed it through the various rehash's & lack of investment until it ended up as the pointless 25/45.
I would dearly love it if Rover had managed to stay afloat, however by the time anyone realised the money was an issue they were stuck with trying to rehash the same old rover 200, calling it a 25 and a streetwise and an MG ZR. All clever ideas in their own way, but still using the K series, it was a weak engine in the 70s and yet they still persevered with it
I feel I may have opened a can of worms with my opinions here, but I really do wish Rover had spotted their problems earlier so they had money to develop new engines and new cars which would hopefully have been more succesful. Just look how well BMW have done with the Mini name! (Although it bears nothing more than a passing resemblance to an actual mini and is an affront to clever british engineering)
Enjoy
I think Rovers downfall was many things, firstly unions are the reason we have no industry now, secondly the people who worked with them/bought them limited what they were allowed to do so they couldn't compete with them. I still overall blame the government though who should have taken it over and kicked ass to sort it out. But then I think we should still have public transport and coal mines so what do I know
And as for outdated, have you seen how many Panda nutters there are buying rusting square boxes and love them. If they give me this disease and make me buy one I will turn up to shows and everything, that will teach you, you have been warned lol
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I love a bit of automotive chod, having owned a Maestro Clubfoot and Rover SD1 and taking my aunties mk1 metro city on seaside jaunts
I never understood why after years of collaboration with Honda, Rover was sold to BMW?
Make me sick what BMW have done to the mini, who won the war anyway?
I never understood why after years of collaboration with Honda, Rover was sold to BMW?
Make me sick what BMW have done to the mini, who won the war anyway?
pandamaniac
Established member
Might as well call the new Mini the Austin Maxi then as they are both large and ugly.
Original Mini was dinky and cute and went well with a 28/36 webber carb on Hyrdro-elastic suspension, Janspeed exhaust etc etc........
Dave
:whogives::whogives:
Original Mini was dinky and cute and went well with a 28/36 webber carb on Hyrdro-elastic suspension, Janspeed exhaust etc etc........
Dave
:whogives::whogives:
Er hang on, the K series was quite advanced (though had its faults!) when it was launched in 1989
The 200/400 of 1989 vintage was a good car - Dad had a 416GSi with the Honda lump & it was a quick sporting saloon for its time (the later 416 he had was not great). Rover slowly killed it through the various rehash's & lack of investment until it ended up as the pointless 25/45.
Just checked Im wrong on the engines time, fair dos.
The rehashes were definetly a bad idea though.
Theres nothing wrong with a car being outdated, so long as the company arent trying to tell you that it isnt outdated. When they were making rover 200s and calling them "streetwise" because they had some plastic parts shoved on, its not a good business strategy!
And I love my rustbox
The thing about pandas is, it has never, and will never matter that they are outdated, because fun is timeless they are a modern day "peasant car", designed to be a swiss army knife on wheels, and if you dont need it, its not there Rover were supposed to be a luxury car group, and rehashes are anything but luxurious I would have loved to see them succeed though.
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Can't beat owning a rot box Panda, they are self-lightening you know, every morning you just need to have a look underneath and you can see just how much weight they've discarded over night. Just remember, rust is lighter than carbon fibre
Oh and the best and coolest rover ever made was the SD1 - I wish i'd bought one when there were alot more left, then i could've had even more rust piles on the drive
Oh and the best and coolest rover ever made was the SD1 - I wish i'd bought one when there were alot more left, then i could've had even more rust piles on the drive
Talks about Rover......hang on, just of to get my pipe and slippers.
Can't beat owning a rot box Panda, they are self-lightening you know, every morning you just need to have a look underneath and you can see just how much weight they've discarded over night. Just remember, rust is lighter than carbon fibre
Oh and the best and coolest rover ever made was the SD1 - I wish i'd bought one when there were alot more left, then i could've had even more rust piles on the drive
SD1 yuck don't like them much but there are a few about being sold currently. I didn't know the panda came with self lightening modes
This was parked next to the car park we met up in at Woodstock, on Monday. It's the only model of Rover I've really ever lusted after....
The only issue with the K series was the gaskets I believe the engine was very advanced, I have the T series which has none of those issues 162000 miles and started first time after sitting for a year on my drive, no soot, muck or noise, it's quiet and powerful. The HHR 400 is nice with the spoiler and overtaking BMWs and the MGZR is pretty fast and agile, it was there touring car at the time. But it's not as much fun as the Cento was, but its comfortable, has electric everything and rare cream leather and GSI 2 litre.
