PetrolBlogPetrolBlogPetrolBlogPetrolBlog
  • Home
  • 70s cars
  • 80s cars
  • 90s cars
  • 00s cars
  • Manufacturers
    • CITROËN
    • PEUGEOT
    • RENAULT
    • Alfa Romeo
    • Audi
    • Dacia
    • Daihatsu
    • Fiat
    • Ford
    • Honda
    • Hyundai
    • Lancia
    • Matra
    • Mazda
    • Mercedes-Benz
    • Mitsubishi
    • Nissan
    • Opel
    • Proton
    • Saab
    • Seat
    • Skoda
    • Suzuki
    • Talbot
    • Toyota
    • Vauxhall
    • Volkswagen
    • Volvo
  • Features
    • 10 of the best
    • CarTunes
    • General Bunk
    • It’s time to appreciate
    • Major Waffle
    • New cars
    • Regrets
    • Reviews
    • Save Our Scrap
    • Shatchbacks
    • The Barn
    • Whatever happened to?
  • Garage
  • Shop
0

Regrets: Rover 75 CDT Club

Published by Gavin Big-Surname at 16th November 2012
Rover 75 CDT Club

Regrets –  we’ve had a few, but then again, too few to mention. Actually that’s not strictly true – it seems we all look back on our catalogue of car purchases with some degree of regret. There are cars we regret selling. Cars we regret not buying. And cars we regret buying. PetrolBlog’s latest feature has certainly struck a chord with many of you, leading to an outpouring of tales of regret. Here’s regret number three and it comes from PetrolBlog regular, Antony Ingram.

I realised, reading through the esteemed Major’s report on his old Corrado VR6, that regrets are a subject close to the heart of many a petrolhead.

My car history isn’t quite as long, with only ten years behind the wheel; nor as plentiful, with an ownership roster topping five cars, but in that time I’ve owned quite a spectrum.

There was the first car, a 1998 Ford Fiesta. 6.5 years passed before I swapped the hard-working Ford for an MX-5. I have no regrets about buying it, but I do regret trusting Newcastle’s pond life enough to leave it on a street with no security systems to protect it.

That was then replaced by my Fiat Panda 100HP, reviewed on PetrolBlog not so long ago. Excellent car, but for a while one I regretted buying as it didn’t have the character of my Mazda. I do now partly regret selling it, as the newest car I’ve ever owned (with the creature comforts that brings) and a barrel of laughs on the right road.

It was joined by my 1974 Beetle, bought to restore some of the old car goodness of the departed Mazda. I don’t regret the Beetle at all, though in hindsight I’ve decided that restoring something is actually a bit boring and time-consuming, and I’d prefer something I can drive from day one.

But no, it’s my most recent, and most recently departed car I regret.

That car was my Rover 75 CDT Club.

Antony Ingram's Rover 75 CDT

I regret buying it, for plenty of reasons.

The 75 is a lovely car. When brand new, it would have been even lovelier. It was built better than any other car I’ve owned, including the Mazda. It had the best ride quality of almost anything I’ve ever driven – Jaguars and Mercedes-Benz included. The 75 simply sailed over bumps on its sensibly-sized tyres and ripple-absorbing springs.

It was also relatively quiet, had remarkably rust-resistant bodywork, perfect chrome trim and a pleasing colour combination – metallic maroon with cream innards.

Interior of Antony Ingram's Rover 75 CDT

But sadly, it was also a money pit.

I paid over the odds for it, during a brain-fart in which I forgot the first rule of car-buying: Walk away if you’re not happy with anything. After buying, it soon needed new tyres, a new rear spring to replace a snapped unit, a service, and an ABS sensor fixing.

It also had broken seat height adjustment, leaving me in a driving position I never really felt comfortable with. And the interior was grubby.

The costs added up. Worse still, the clutch didn’t feel quite right. I know now this was a master cylinder issue and not too expensive to deal with, but the thought of changing a clutch, and possibly a dual-mass flywheel to go with it (a combined job topping a grand or more), filled me with dread.

In fact, it sapped my confidence from the car. I didn’t want to drive it, and a car you don’t want to drive is as fulfilling as dating a supermodel with no libido.

Rover 75 CDT

So I put it on sale, after only two months of owning it. And waited, and waited. I kept dropping the price, and eventually I got bites.

I won’t divulge what it sold for, but suffice to say I lost a lot of money. Money I could have better spent elsewhere, or ideally, given my poorly-paid job, saved. My fingers are well and truly burned by the experience.

I will be a lot more careful buying a used car in future, and I’ll haggle like a demon if I feel I can save a bit more on the purchase price. I did neither anywhere near well enough with the Rover.

And yet… that isn’t the extent of my regret.

Really, I regret not buying the right Rover 75.

I didn’t do it properly. I bought a diesel, manual, in middling Club trim. That’s just the wrong spec for a 75. It’s a bit too minicab for a car which could offer so much more.

Perhaps, when I have the money, I’ll buy another. In the absence of being able to run the V8, I can still do better. It would be the V6, for a start – the 2.5, if possible. It would be an auto, as a manual 75 just isn’t cricket.

Rover 75 Club CDT Dashboard

It would also be the best example I can find. And it would be in Connoisseur spec, with leather seats. Then, it might be an example to be proud of – and by buying the best out there, I could also avoid the pain of having to put everything right myself.

I have no ill feelings towards the 75. I just now know I bought the wrong one.

REGRET FACTOR:

Car: 2001 Rover 75 CDT Club

Regret: Buying the wrong one

Reason for selling: Money pit

Strength of regret: 9/10

Possibility of buying another one: 6/10

Follow Antony Ingram on twitter @antonyingram.

PetrolBlog wants to hear your regrets. Get in touch with us at the usual address and fill PetrolBlog with regret. You know it makes sense.

Share
0


Related Waffle


CarTunes by Ben Hooper

CarTunes: a mixtape by Ben Hooper

Aug 17, 2020
1994 Rover 220 GSi for sale

Ben is selling his 1994 Rover 220 GSi

May 28, 2020
Ralph's Rover 75

Ralph Hosier’s Rover 75

Nov 19, 2011
Rover 216 Keeping Up Appearances

Rover 216: Pass the bucket or bouquet?

Sep 23, 2011

5 Comments

  1. gordon says:
    16th November 2012 at 1:02 pm

    Rover doodle do……..that look nice, love that interior trim.
    I’m trundlng about at the moment in a Rover 416, 62,000 miles, £400 and sails through MOT’s it had the updated head gasket modification many miles ago and manages 40+ mpg even with my lead foot.

    Reply
  2. Simon Hingston says:
    16th November 2012 at 4:19 pm

    Aah a cautionary tale indeed and the reason that most of them are so cheap. Not sure where many cars of the last 15 years are going after the third owner these days.

    Reply
    • Antony Ingram (@antonyingram) says:
      16th November 2012 at 6:59 pm

      There are certainly a lot of cheap ones and I imagine a good few sheds, but it’s surprising how little money does seem to secure a good one. Mine was a little rough around the edges but generally the 75 seems to last okay – I just went cold over thoughts of having to do lots of expensive maintenance at BMW prices.

      Some cars are happy to be run as bangers. I’m beginning to suspect the 75 is better as one of those “best you can afford” cars.

      Reply
  3. gordon says:
    16th November 2012 at 4:27 pm

    I would imagine because of there faulty head gasket problem most have been recycled and are now fridges? which is a shame because apart from Rovers cock up with cheap components on the cylinder head they ain’t a bad drive. they don’t seem to do anything exceptionally but just do everything ok and with the mpg I’m getting my little Rover will remain my daily drive until I have a silly outburst and see something else…………..cheap!

    Reply
    • Antony Ingram (@antonyingram) says:
      16th November 2012 at 7:01 pm

      I’d be kind with the 75 – I’d go as far as saying that in terms of build, ride quality and styling, the 75 *is* pretty exceptional. I’m not surprised at all that they have such a loyal following.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

JOIN CLUB PETROLBLOG

Club PetrolBlog

Latest PetrolBlog Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YrdKXz-OgM&t=2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDhXQQ39lAE&t=764s

Join Club PetrolBlog Today!

  • Club PetrolBlog sticker Club PetrolBlog membership 2020/2021
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    £15.00
  • Tollfoolery sticker Tollfoolery car window sticker £4.00
  • PetrolBlog sticker PetrolBlog car sticker £4.00
  • French Tat window sticker #FrenchTat window sticker £4.00
  • French Tat bumper sticker #FrenchTat bumper sticker £3.50
  • Tollfoolery sticker Tollfoolery car bumper sticker £3.50
  • PETROLBLOG laptop sticker PetrolBlog laptop sticker £3.00
  • Waffle & Bunk laptop sticker Waffle & Bunk laptop sticker £3.00

What you’re saying

  • 20th January 2021

    Chris commented on Bangers and Flash: Peugeot 309 XS Heads to Auction

  • 20th January 2021

    Alan j perry commented on The Citroën Xsara Enterprise was a tax-dodging starship trooper

  • 20th January 2021

    Alan j perry commented on The Citroën Xsara Enterprise was a tax-dodging starship trooper

  • 20th January 2021

    Ben H commented on Bangers and Flash: Peugeot 309 XS Heads to Auction

  • 19th January 2021

    Ben H commented on Revealed: The UK’s Best-Selling Cars of 1992

Keep PetrolBlog Alive!

Donate to PetrolBlog

Fresh waffle

  • 1997 Seat Arosa0
    Seat Arosa: Spanish City Car, Made in Germany
    21st January 2021
  • Citroen Visa Sextant0
    Chris Barker asks: What Gender is My Car?
    21st January 2021
  • Eos in fashion0
    Could the Volkswagen Eos be Your Greek Goddess?
    20th January 2021
  • 1987 Peugeot 309 XS for sale2
    Bangers and Flash: Peugeot 309 XS Heads to Auction
    20th January 2021
  • Toyota Camry passes MOT1
    Fleet Update: Camry Shines, Safrane Smells, Megane Stalls
    19th January 2021
  • Looking back to move forward2
    Renault 5 Prototype: Looking Back to Move Forward
    15th January 2021
  • Subaru MV Pick-up in mirror1
    This Exmoor apartment has a Subaru MV in its front room
    14th January 2021
  • Renault Clio Baccara0
    Posh in fun size: 10 of the Best Luxury Small Cars
    8th January 2021
  • Ford Escort best-selling car 19925
    Revealed: The UK’s Best-Selling Cars of 1992
    6th January 2021
  • Chrysler Valiant Charger0
    Great Chrysler UK Journeys: Staycation Hints for Our Time
    2nd December 2020

Newsletters

PetrolBlog
ABOUT | ADVERTISING / SPONSORSHIP | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS & CONDITIONS | CONTACT US

Unashamedly unmodern, delivering automotive waffle and bunk, on and off, since 2010

Copyright © PetrolBlog. Website by Oxinternet.

0