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Gaby the cabby: a 1994 Rover 214i cabriolet revival

96K views 420 replies 10 participants last post by  Dorchester 
#1 ·
I fear I may have caught a kind of disease uneasy to get rid of...
After a 214Gsi sadly broken in 2015, then a 25 which replaced the latter at once, maybe another one is pointing at the corner of the driveway...
More to come soon I hope...:wink:
 
#3 ·
If all is clear today is D-11...
But it's not plain sailing to do 500km without any direct train line, locked with the bond to change in Paris!
Neither any hope to find out a direct coach line...
Only solution: sharing a car with a driver keen to take passengers to alleviate his expense.
And we found the guy thanks to an Android app called 'Blablacar': direct from Montauban to Angers at 38€ each, which looks very reasonable the cheaper train fee (without any voucher) being twice that sum.
'Blablacar' is a very secure way to easily do a quiet journey, every driver being appreciated by a figure out of 5. Our young man (30 years old) is highly praised: 4.7/5. I bet something similar does exist in other countries. It's a very handy solution to travel friendly.
To be continued...

EDIT: I omitted to say that unfortunately our car will not be a British one: Renault Laguna III...
 
#4 ·
When I said "our car will not be a British one: Renault Laguna III" I was talking about the car we're going to share on the 26th of September next.
Don't be silly: I told you I was Rover-holic! :wink:
Thus my 3rd car will be a Rover indeed! :laugh:
Place your bets gentlemen...
 
#6 ·
:err:
Well you have a 75 and a 25. It could be a 45, but I don’t think so.
Have you gone older? No.
100. Nah.
I think an MG F or TF as it will give you something different for your fleet. Two seater, soft top, RWD etc.
:wink:
Very interesting thoughts @gnu.
But let's recap all those assertions of yours.

1. 75 & 25, but not a 45? Good bet! You're right. It will not be a 45.

2. Not older? Why not?

3. 100? Nice but a bit on the small-ish side, isn't it?

4. MG F or TF? Not so bad but - there is a big but - you should dig large in your kitty to find one LHD in rather decent order.

I give you a good hint: I'm to pay 2,500€ or around £2,200. Don't compare with UK prices: it's pretty higher here on the continent, France, Belgium, Netherlands or Germany prices are rather close to one another.
An MG F/TF: you're right, I was tempted...
A decent RHD MG F is around 3,500€, a decent RHD MG TF is around one grand more.

If you fancy a LHD one, add another grand to F or TF in either case, i.e loosely speaking 4,500€ for a F, 5,500€ for a TF. That's an average. You may be lucky to find some cheaper, but that may hide some dark hole in the engine, suspension, hood or body.
And you told it: two seater. Nice but I should have bought one... 40 years ago! A roadster is a dream but at 66 it's a bit late, mainly when your wife is ever endlessly demanding to add this or that in the boot.
What could I put in an MG boot? My electric shaver and a pair of toothbrushes!

Regarding a RHD car, I could do with the wheel but the gear lever! Every time I drove a car in the UK it was a RHD indeed and obviously on the right side of the road. No problem but using my left hand to change gears! Awful, because I've got two right hands! Even after 1k miles in Scotland, I wasn't used to the gear lever.

Hence no RHD car and no MG.
A Rover I told you!
Nonetheless your final sentence contains a big part of the solution.
I've got a saloon, a hatchback thus what could be missing then?

I'd one with the same British engine but with a difference easy to notice from the outside...
Have another go...
 
#9 ·
Sorry to say @gnu that I'd put you on the right track saying: "Not older? Why not?"
Moreover as you guessed 2,500€ would not be enough in France to get a decent 75 Tourer.
And I don't need a tourer nor a diesel car.

You've nearly won @Cromp85! Bravo!

It's a R8 Rover 200 series indeed but it isn't a coupé nor a hatchback GTI/GSI even it is technically a GSI or more precisely a "I" as it reads at the rear of the boot just after the figures, and "SE" finishing.
Mind you it's a British engine, not a Japanese one...

I'm sure it's obvious now...
Last hint: the boot is a tad smaller but a decent one nonetheless, because the back boot is partly occupied by...?
Easy now!

Have a last try!:wink:
 
#12 ·
Cheers of applause! :woo::clap::clap::clap::woo:

You got it!

A 214i cabriolet SE mk2 sold on the 23 Aug 1994 by Boursault garage Rover dealer 11-13 rue Boursault Paris (17th arrondissement) which is 750m far from the 55 rue Nolet where I'm born... a few years earlier! ;)
I couldn't let it go frankly: it was for me...

Body in classical BRG and inside in cream leather (inside nearly immaculate).
Hood at the moment in a sorry condition (3 holes) but the seller gives me a brand new mohair one. Even better! My job to swap them and I've just found the man who'll do it, a saddler living 15km far from home! No way I could do that myself, so many professionals contacted refusing to take the job in charge!

A rather bruised rear right aisle but nothing to worry: the professional will correct it.
Some minor niggles to get rid of and all the services to do (including belts & pump) and the car will be top notch.

Oops! I'd forgot: 94,000 km (60k mls) which is not so much for a 25 years old car.
An engine in perfect order without any leaking & a body without any hint of rust.

Two previous owners (a retired chap 1994-2013 & the seller a 30 years old lad 2013-2019) & the whole history with service booklet, driver's manual & several bills.

D-5! :taz::bgrin2::bunnydance:
 
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#18 ·
Sorry @gnu I'd not seen your astute suggestion: Tomcat indeed would have been a brilliant idea provided it would have been fitted with a soft top! The best of both world: cabby & sporty... Unfortunately it was never done.

Given the tiny difference between 1.4 Rover & 1.6 Honda, I'd rather to stick to a K engine. In France a 1.4 103 bhp is taxed as a 6cv and a 1.6 122 bhp as a 9cv, 150% more! :scary:
In comparison my KV6 2.5 auto (175 bhp & going up to 210km/h) is taxed as a 13cv and nearly the same, a KV6 2.5 manual (175 bhp as well, a tad thriftier & going up to 215km/h) is taxed as a 12cv...
Preposterous! :wtf: :shake:
 
#14 ·
The cab in its present condition

Here are some pics taken by the seller. Not great but better than none.

Around 500 LHD 214 cab only sold in France from 1993 to 1996.
About the same figure for the 216 cab with its Honda engine.
But I wanted a British car with a British engine! :happy:

Since the pics were done my kind seller has cleaned the inside & washed & polished the outside.
Bonus: I'll have a pair of brand new Kleber tyres to replace a rather worn one (but still legal) on the car.
 

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#15 ·
Oops I'd forgot!

Icing on the cake, a reinforced head gasket so no HGF!
2 keys & fob, alarm & anti-theft wheel bolts.
Electric windows, hood & aerial (the best device in my opinion! A James Bond like! :grin:).
 
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#16 ·
Lovely. These look good top up or top down.
Both the interior and the engine bay look well cared for- a very good sign.
If you haven't tried it yet, open motoring is a different experience. Muh more onneted to the sights, sounds and smells of the world you're passing through.
You'll enjoy her I'm sure
 
#17 ·
Lovely. These look good top up or top down.
Both the interior and the engine bay look well cared for- a very good sign.
If you haven't tried it yet, open motoring is a different experience. Muh more onneted to the sights, sounds and smells of the world you're passing through.
You'll enjoy her I'm sure
Thank you buddie!

I've had a Fiat Punto convertible 1.6 90bhp ELX Bertone 1995 during 2 years & a half (2015-2017) that was actually my better half's daily.
Very smooth, fantastic in the sunshine or decent weather.
That's a reason why I was a bit nostalgic of it.

But there are other reasons.
I'd had a 214Gsi that was once my parents then mine when they died. That very well built car lasted 24 years when my wife unwillingly had the silly idea of trespassing a stop... The car didn't appreciate...

Third reason: when I was involved in a British rally in France 2 months ago, I was deeply attracted by all those nice or luxurious roadsters or convertibles: easily more than half of the whole fleet! MG, Lotus, AC, Morgan, Austin, Triumph, Jaguar, Mazda, Volvo, you name it...
Hence the idea made its progress in my brains: why not mixing the good memories of my late 214 hatchback & my Punto convertible?

And I recalled as well the image of my wealthy godfather driving successively lots of roadsters or convertibles such as Daimler, Jaguar or Aston Martin in the late 50s.
I arrive at the conclusion that on a far humbler scale I'll be very happy with a modest 214i convertible.

A bit windy & a bit noisy indeed, not too fast obviously, but far less isolated from the brave new world than in my classy 75!
And if I can wait safely up to 5 years, that 214i cabriolet will become a 'collector', with a special status protecting it against the crusher: the insurance will be committed to repair it at any cost.

A piece of the good old British motor industry protected by French laws! Despite that ghastly Brexit, 'l'Entente Cordiale' will be back! :grin:
 
#19 ·
I've just had a second phone call from my seller within two days.
He had yesterday a hard game with a security bolt on one wheel he'd told me about yesterday. The key looked rather messed up.
I'm relieved it happened before the deal was sealed...

Today is a better day: after lots of searches, he's found out a compatible brand new key from a distant scrapyard he'd called on and a corresponding bolt. And just in case he'd ordered 4 standard bolts as well. The parcel has been posted today at once and he hopes it will arrive just in time next Thursday. Meantime he has asked his mechanic to manage the extraction of the reluctant bolt.
How lovely is he? :broon:

BTW I've got now nearly all of the stuff needed to begin to clear the niggles from Rimmers, Oscaro & Norauto (both last ones being French car pieces & consumables providers).
I'm just waiting for the 'Dutch' clips.
And appointment was made with the saddler for the hood swap on the 17th of next October.
I need now to get the same but a bit earlier from the coach-builder. And from my good mechanic as well at any time.

Definitely that car is growing on me more and more! :mg_chic:
 
#20 ·
200 or R8?

I'm thinking @Roverlike that my new journal might be misplaced here and more rightly located in
'R8' Rovers (aka Wedges!!).
But there I'm unsure of its 'visibility' so few are the threads... :confused:
It seems that cabriolets & coupés are becoming rare beasts...
 
#22 ·
Reluctant bolt problem kindly sorted by my seller who borrowed the magic key from his local garage. Well done him.
He sent me 2 messages at the end of the morning.
Good man!

Now crossing fingers & the like that the new key, security bolt (the one that was stuck in being to be swopped just in case) & the 4 standard one arrive tomorrow by mail.

Now prevention being better than cure, just in case one or more of the 3 hood patches give up too quickly with the speed and because - as done for purpose - the weather forecast is rather gloomy & rain predicted when going up to North - I asked my better half to add 2 terry towels in the suitcase... I'm not that keen to travel in a tub! :haha:
D-1!
 
#23 ·
Best of luck for your collection journey, tomorrow ?


I haven't seen a "cabbie" on UK roads for a very long time; the last one I saw was ~6 yrs ago...




















... in a scrap yard :frown:


Interior & exterior, incl hood, looked in good condition (considering the location); guess it must've had rust or a blown engine to be scrapped.
 
#24 ·
Best of luck for your collection journey, tomorrow ?

I haven't seen a "cabbie" on UK roads for a very long time; the last one I saw was ~6 yrs ago...
... in a scrap yard :frown:

Interior & exterior, incl hood, looked in good condition (considering the location); guess it must've had rust or a blown engine to be scrapped.

Thank you @Pinkie15.
Yes a lovely journey back with the cab apart the expected rain which was not that nice given the hood condition!
But as you may guess I'm very busy now.
I'll report a bit later.
Suspense...
 
#25 ·
Our journey back was like a dream.

The engine looked astonishingly responsive.
I've got a 25 (103 bhp) with the same 1.4 K engine. I'd had a 214Gsi (90 bhp only for it was a 1991 mk1 model) during 17 years, but this 214i drives better than my 25 before the remap.
She swallowed even easily the sensible uphills on the motorway.
Just a very soft touch on the pedal and up she goes.

I should say now she drove better because she doesn't want to start now, even yesterday after a while when the engine was still warm nor today when colder.
The starter is doing the job but it looks that the petrol doesn't reach the plugs.
I swapped the fuel filter: it was scheduled on the planning.
But to no avail.
There was fuel inside the old filter but obviously no need to depressurize for there was very little pression or none.
Despite my attempts no much fuel smell under the bonnet.

Moreover when I put the key on the 2nd position just before trying to start, there was a kind of endless high pitch noise instead of the usual short one of the pump.
I put my bet on the fuel pump: maybe its hard work yesterday (after a test exam finally I drove at a brisky pace!) gave it a kind of 'heart failure' after one year and a half of quiet rest (or nearly) in a garage. Maybe it was as old as the car...

Some days are good days...
Finally we were lucky to be back after 3 stops: 2 to fuel up and one at a kind of Irish pub in the middle of nowhere in the region Limousin. Tasty meal and... unsurprisingly a great Irish coffee!

Hence I'm now to ask the help of my good mechanic to get me out of my misery on Monday if he finds enough time, and if not later in the week.
 
#27 · (Edited)
I smell that cabby may become a money pit... but I love it! :mg_chic:

In my misery I think I was lucky. Why?

Looking for the petrol pump, I saw at Rimmers that the item WFX100271P was unavailable up to the 5th of November next. All the same 128,93€ plus postage...
Then looking at one of my French providers I saw an entirely compatible device (Austin WFX10027*) Airtex E10244 (pressure 4.3 bars) at 75.62€ plus postage.
In the end looking on the fly bay I saw the same Airtex E10244 at a well famed seller's (100% happy!) located in France not so far from home at 31.63€ free postage if sent at a relay shop 4 km far from home! And it was his last one!
I can say the search wasn't a waste of time!



BTW I had the idea of changing the plugs for Bosch 4 electrodes.
But I noticed that the leads (probably 25 years old!) were in very poor condition (it works or worked but plastic broken here and there so much so I can't take off the 4th one! I can't grasp it at the moment), hence I ordered a new (old) set as well NGC000261EVA from France (rather close as well) for 39€. Last one as well!
And for the plugs I shall be committed to buy a new key because it's deeper than in my 25.



In the end it looks that more jobbies are to be done & lots of stuff need a replacement...
The money pit... I'll be to dig deep in my pocket as well...! :wink:
But never mind: 'Gaby the cabby' will become a beauty! I swear it! :grin:
'Gaby' = 'GB', got it? And BTW the affectionate nickname of my grandma DAVIS whose name was Gabrielle... Lovely memory...
 
#29 · (Edited)
I quite agree. Never ever I'd bought a new used car without getting all clear & at least doing services I've no information about.

Progressing... maybe but in the weeks, months even year to come.
I think at the moment I can't be more distant from a rewarding result.
I can't do anything about several impending & blocking problems but ordering bits and pieces needed, thinking and waiting.

But let's be brave & positive: things being so bad they can't do anything else than improve! :rofl:
Thus my - relative - happiness... dreaming of a brighter future... ;)
 
#31 ·
It needs to be indeed!
Don't want to be frustrated next spring with my cabby in pieces or still stuck in the garage.

Initially a majority of gremlins should have been nearly cleared in a month, provided the fuel pump was still working. It would have been a performance! But all my hopes were ruined by that silly pump...

On the to do list:

Engine: lots of services but oil & filter done by the seller, i.e. belts & water pump, coolant, brake fluid, spark plugs & leads (I hope I will be able to do that jobby in the beginning of the week, provided I can get rid of that 4th lead - I'll receive the leads next Tuesday or Wednesday), pollen filter (I'll try to swap it myself), air filter (already done by my goodself), fuel filter (already done by my goodself)

Body: the rear right aisle put right & repainted. Maybe the lower part of the driver's door & rear bumper. I have already swapped a chrome rod on the left part of the front bumper and replaced a missing Rover cap on the rear left alloy wheel. But the passenger door trim needs to be stripped off to reconnect the locking rod: the locking motor works (I hear it) but the door doesn't lock or unlock with the fob (only by hand).

Hood: swapped for the mohair one. That's a big job and I hope the saddler will be happy enough with the nearly new hood and the new interliner bought from BAS International by my seller. I've got an appointment for the 17th of October but I fear it will be postponed given the circumstances.

I'm ready to get it right as quick as possible, because I'm pretty sure several hidden problems will keep me busy along winter as with my 75.

But unfortunately it doesn't depend on me only.
I'm waiting for the fuel pump at the end of the week, friday or before if I'm lucky.

But it's a dream to drive, brisk & smooth, all the interior is neat & clean with its original Rover stamped rubber mats, and I've got nearly all the history of the car since new, with lots of bills, service leaflets & owner's book in the genuine plastic holster with both genuine working keys & fobs, with reference number. It has all the authenticity.
Only the radio is not stock and replaced by a very good Alpine CDE181RR, with CD reader, digital display, RDS & usb plug on the front.
And I've got the genuine hood cover as well in very decent condition.

It will be a fantastic cabriolet... later on - fingers crossed! :smile:
 
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#32 ·
Good man!

A light in the dark!

My good mechanic has just made a call to answer to my Saturday sms.
He has immediately understood the situation and is keen to come home as soon as I get the new pump to get it sorted and allow the car to start up.
He had suspected the immobilizer in the first place but it can't be: lights on the dash & starter are working fine. If it were the immobilizer (I'd the trick because the seller had omitted to synchronize the fobs after connecting back the battery), I should have neither lights nor working starter.
I spoke about the leads as well: he told me they need to be replaced from time to time (I don't remember how many km he gave me.
I'm glad at least to have ordered & done all that was needed.
My mechanic is hoping he may gain access to the pump from the rear seat but I fear taking off the tank (and emptying it!) will be needed... :(

Now I'm hoping my pump & leads sellers will quickly send the stuff. I've sent each of them a kind message asking them to do their best.

Good man! :URGOD:
Mind you that with 3 Rovers I'm a good & regular customer as well! :lol:
And that thanks to me he will become very soon a very fine Rover specialized mechanic! :haha:
 
#33 ·
I am not too worried about your non-starter at the moment. You always have to get back to basics: air, fuel, spark are three items needed for engine to run. Most probably you found out that fuel presure (e.g. pump) is the problem.


Unfortunately, you are correct. In case of Cabby is the same as for Rover 25, in order to get to the fuel pump, you need to lower the tank.
 
#34 · (Edited)
Something's odd in my 216i identification.
On the day of purchase at Boursault garage in Paris, in the book and on the code card, the id number is: SAXXWMBHNBD016011, but everywhere else in the car (pillar, windscreen (changed once) and under the bonnet, the last figures are 016010, as on my owner's card ('carte grise' as we say in France).
However my car is actually stamped 'garage Boursault' at the rear of the boot, which seems to prove it should be the same provenance and the same car.
I smell a change of Rover engine: the fact is I was puzzled by the brisk pace of it uphill and on motorway. Moreover the picture of the engine under the bonnet and the one given my Haynes guide (and it's neither a carburettor one nor a 8v) for my 16v are not exactly matching, mainly regarding the metal throttle body (with metal inlet manifold) and everything close by, including sensors, which are sensibly different.
What could have been done in the beginning of its life say between 1994 & 2000? I've nothing suggesting any engine change after that within the bills. Just an intervention on the cylinder head taken out & back and a reinforced gasket kit in 2005: probably the bl..dy HGF...
Have a look on the second line: am I wrong when I guess that it may suggest that the car was built in 19(93), even if it was sold the year after?
 

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#36 ·
...
Have a look on the second line: am I wrong when I guess that it may suggest that the car was built in 19(93), even if it was sold the year after?

On the VIN plate everything upper from the VIN number should be E.C.C. Approval Number or whatever it was called back then.

There were Rover Group Chasis VIN plates from '88-'99 and new ones. You have old type one.
 
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