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Rover 417 TD...not the typical Rover :D
Well, I thought I would create a thread for the work that I have done on my 1996 Rover 414. When I moved back to Malta a year and a half ago I bought this car for 500 Euros and it was a mess to begin with.
The interior was falling apart and had stains everywhere, the trim was cracked in places from constant abuse, the exterior looked horrible with scratches everywhere, side skirts from a Ford Escort that didn’t fit right, and mismatching rims. http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0455.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0458.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0459.jpg I then found other rims that went with the set and now they all match! http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0463.jpg The engine was also blown. The 1.4L had the head gasket failure with seized internals as well. The only good thing was that the owner included a 1.7L Turbo diesel Isuzu engine with it. The parts to fix the 1.4 were too expensive here in Malta so we decided to swap in the Isuzu engine. It was a task but it fit nicely. http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0837.jpg Once I washed the car and saw the extent of the disaster that I just bought, I got right to work. The first thing we did was replace the rear suspension bushes and shocks. That made the ride more bearable. That's my cousin in the first picture (without him, this would have taken a LOT longer and not been done as cleanly.) http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0537.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0538.jpg Next, once it passed its VRT (MOT equivalent), I got to work on the interior. The first thing was to fit an actual gear shift boot and knob (yes, it didn’t even have those!) http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0491.jpg With the boot and knob: http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0744.jpg Next was to get started on the entertainment system. I brought this radio with me from Canada: http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0833.jpg I didn’t like the fact that there was no armrest, so got that sorted in a jiffy, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0827.jpg And some seat covers as a temporary solution, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0738.jpg After all of that work, I started to feel more comfortable in the car and take pride in this purchase because I saw where I could take it. This is how it looked after tidying up the exterior a bit, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0821.jpg Now onto some mods. I blacked out the grill fin insert, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0981.jpg Manufactured some hydraulics for the bonnet. No more prop stand for me! http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...DSC_1258-1.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1265.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1284.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1283.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1279.jpg Then transferred my HID kit (another thing I brought from Canada) from my Canadian car as well, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0988.jpg Threw on a bee sting antenna, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0984.jpg One thing that really bothered me was the fact that the pedals didn’t even match! http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1228.jpg So I quickly sorted that out, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1229.jpg So since parts are really a pain to get here and super expensive for these cars when you do find them, I did the next best thing, I bought another one! http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...77152883_n.jpg This had a scrap title because the owner's son didn't want to spend the money to repair the shocks after his father passed away. Got the little 33000km gem for 200 Euro!. From it I replaced the wheel, and a bunch of the broken trim like the long dash piece, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1178.jpg and the side skirts, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1181.jpg After that, it was taking up a lot of room in the garage, so I did this to it. http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1658.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1657.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1655.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1656.jpg Then chopped up the rest, keeping the parts that I thought I might use in the future, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1649.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1646.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1638.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1632.jpg All that was left of the poor thing before it went to scrap yard heaven, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1653.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1652.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1651.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1650.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1660.jpg Now back to my Black Beauty. Now is when I could start getting a little creative. The first thing to be modified was the amplifier switches. They were on all the time before and then I thought, I don't need the clock anymore! So I fabricated this instead to take the spot, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...48832031_n.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_0833.jpg The thing in the middle is the microphone for the Bluetooth portion of my radio. One switch for the shelf speakers and the other for the sub underneath. This is what it looks like (the grey patch in the middle is what is covering the shelf speakers, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...17457423_n.jpg Added some Freelander side repeaters with LED lights, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...09672963_n.jpg And now came the MAJOR overhaul of the interior. I didn't like the cloth seats and all of the fabric was coming undone from the roof and the doors so I went home and thought of what I could do. After 2 night of mulling it over I came up with this design. The seats were done by a local upholsterer who had a really low price but AMAZING work! He stiffened the seats a bit on the sides for more support, and covered them in the material and added the stitching that I wanted. This is how they turned out, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1611.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1610.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1363.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...psf9dfea16.jpg He even did the centre console top and the shifter boot in the same style and material, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1614.jpg Then I went to work on the rest of it, The interior pillars are all covered in similar material but in the same colour gray as the lower trim all the way around, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1617.jpg The roof liner, is covered in the same material, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1615.jpg And similarly the doors. I got them stitched by another upholsterer but they were put on by myself and my cousin and also front electric windows fitted with homemade wiring looms by us as well, http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1613.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1612.jpg That is how the car is sitting at the moment. I have a few other mods that I am currently working such as led mods and such. The major projects this year will be however, some exterior body modifications, taking off that sticker, projector housings for the headlights and a fresh coat of paint (the same colour). I will continue to update this post as I go. Hope you guys like! |
You have been busy! So what's the Isuzu conversion like? Happy with it?
Seat retrim looks very good and fresh, all the interior work is looking better than factory! Glad to hear the stickers are going, doesn't suit it imo. |
Just realized that I haven't updated this thread in quite a while! Been very busy with teaching and everything but I have been working on little things here and there on the car. Here are a few things that I have done...
I have changed the interior lighting to LED panels. Now lights up brighter than the sun! Also painted it black. http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...psb4e47973.jpg Changed the shifter knob again to something that feels better. http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps41ad62aa.jpg Bought some new Rover Puma carpets to put in when the weather gets better http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps3087b4c8.jpg Sprayed the rear shelf black and replace the cloth over the rear speakers with black speaker cloth http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...pse1a7acf1.jpg Fitted an Oil catch tank http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps553c8b6d.jpg Modified a cluster surround to fit a boost and oil pressure gauge. http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...psbc83fcb3.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps7389bbba.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...psb9a1ae0d.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps0d698ee9.jpg Just fitted 185psi injectors and upped the fuel pump a bit as well today. (original injectors were 135psi) http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...psa4ed1786.jpg Photoshopped the speedo and rev counters to adjust to Diesel engine and KM/H http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...4gaugesOLD.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...PHNEWSmall.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps0cd00a38.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...psc763f0bd.jpg Future projects: Inside: - Fit cluster and guages - Fit rear light - Buy and fit rear electric windows - Buy and fit leather steering wheel (but has to have the thumb spats!) Exterior: - Fit extreme hatch spoiler to spare hatch and fit MK1 front lip to spare bumper http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps785e690d.jpg - Refurb MK2 11 spoke wheels (still unsure as to what colour to spray them...thinking either Arctic White or the Silver Sparkle that they come in) http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps246b96f8.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps04ccc86a.jpg - Start fitting MK2 180 body kit (Still waiting on package) - start working on fitting projector lens kit to headlights http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...psca978b89.jpg - Finish and fit LED panels to rear tail light clusters and tint (So far just the reverse lights are done) http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps0793743b.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps9a9e93e3.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps78329328.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...pseee0c634.jpg - Full repray of the car in the same colour Now some shots of the exterior http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1619.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1604.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...D/DSC_1198.jpg http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps8c9fe5a5.jpg |
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The Isuzu conversion is pretty good. Loving that extra bit of oomf it gets but the clutch hydraulics (which have always been SOOOOOO reliable on these :wacko: ) didn't like it, so I fitted the hydraulic system from a Toyota Starlet Glanza which works really well AND can be bled!!! The interior is probably one of my favourite parts to be honest. It is such a nice place to be now. |
Oh, and sorry for the copying and pasting from the other forum I'm on but I am lazy this morning...lol.
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We not, saves alot of work and why reinvent the wheel ;)
Good work, looks better with the mk2 alloys, needs lowering a little to set it off. |
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Great stuff - it's nice to see real engineering solutions are still alive.
Don't forget Civic parts may fir (I have civic bonnet lifters on my ZS) and don't forget to keep us updated. |
nice little project there - not surprised that the Hydralics went on the clutch part. the 400 ones were more reliable than the later 45/ZS, but still not up to the job when switching from petrol to diesel clamping pressures!
very nice rescue of a car though - a *lot* of work has gone into it! |
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