My dad bought one for about £12k new, still got it, and still kept like new. It has a very high spec, auto, full cream leather, air etc, radio is "different" but i think actually better than uk spec, folding mirrors, but otherwise I think fairly standard SLi spec, and yes on a "v"

Osbornes in Colchester I think had a few, so I think there are a few knocking around here.

 

Mine is a 623GSi and when I went looking for it there were only 5 for sale in the country, 2 in Grantham, 2 in Newcastle and mine in Cheshire. If your dad,s is like mine it has larger wheels extra interior light and all toys.It will have the cat warning light which is not in the handbook.

 

Do all 80 have the 3 letters in the number plate in common? I know a bunch of 200 coupé's which didn't make it to Japan all ended in 'FDH'

 

Do not think so. These particular 80 were all 600 varieties and mine certainly does not have those letters. They were widely distributed to dealers countrywide when returned from the docks and only registered when sold.

 

I have a 623GSi, 31st December 1999. It doesnt have a CD player in the boot, as I was told the old head unit had gone wrong, but also I dont have any manual for the old stereo, the one that should come with the car.

It has the cat over heat light as well, not noticed it before this morning, also it doesnt have front fog lights, I thought this was standard on the 623GSi but I dont know that for sure. I also have the folding mirrors!

The last three of the plate are GFA, if that helps and it came from a dealer in Newcastle when new.

 

I hope you never need to notice the cat overheat light again 'cos i suspect that to be expensive when it goes off. mine is FGF and as i say they went all over the country when sold off. Mine does not have the cd player but if you look in the off side well, in the boot, there is the wiring for it. I think the extra interior light at the back is an extra. Mine has a spoiler and fog lights fitted.

 

One of my 620ti has the boot mounted CD jobbie from new. I like it.

You can buy the latest (new) MG-R version CR~80 plus 6 disc boot mounted multichanger off ebay* which I have also done..... 75 quid! Sometimes less. Not bad value and a straight fit in the 620s. Works well. The connecting cable is not the same as the original OE Rover item fitted to my car which is a pity as not interchangeable.

I suspect that someone has access to production stock originally earmarked for MG-R production up until April 2005. The CD-80s and CR-80s appear to sell like hot cakes on ebay ~ they're excellent value at anything from 99p upwards ( yes, less than a pound or up to one hundred ~ the vendor allows for that by charging 13 quid p/p ) ... well the ones I've had (four) are fine value.

 

Mine also has a larger finisher around the rear numberplate. I will put some pics up as soon as I can.

 

i hope you have told your insurance company how rare your car is? :stir:

 

They already new, its on their data base, They new what size wheels it had and everything. but thanks for your concern.

 

this story about the jap spec 600s is interesting,i know someone who bought a 618is from a dealer in 1999 at a reduced price of about £12000.
the dealer told him that this car was part of a cancelled jap order,the spec of the car was just standard 600is with half leather,foglights,16 inch wheels etc.
so after reading this post it may have been some dealer bull.

 

There were a lot of special trim specs done at the end, my father worked for a Rover dealer and had all sorts, including 618is that looked just like 620Ti's

 

IIRC it was due to BMW pulling the plug on the Japanese market. Nothing to do with cancelled orders.

 

The number plate surround gives the game away quite easily as it slants inwards at the top. Most I seen through the workshop were white and the dealer at the time didnt actually want them.

 

I can see why, it must have been hassle to sort radios and tell the customer that they were not quite getting the same car in the brochure. My car does seem very nice.

Do you know anything else about these cars?

 

Looking forward to seeing some pics of the external differences!

 

If the writing on fuse boxes is anything to go by, i think i have a FRENCH 600 ti...... That will explian the onion and garlic stink! :lol:

 

If the writing on fuse boxes is anything to go by, i think i have a FRENCH 600 ti...... That will explian the onion and garlic stink! :lol:

my fusebox is in french too! although on the undersode there is the english version moulded into it.

 

without trying to sound like a killjoy is everyone certain there was only 80 of these cars around.i have had look on autotrader and there are two for sale in the north west.
both of them are v reg 1999 models but have the different number plate style.

 

Well spotted - The red one is certainly, it has the space for a jap number plate. The green one may well be? but if so has been changed back to std number plate setup.

 

What happened to the pictures of the car?

 

please try http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mike.markey@btinternet.com/album?.dir=/8844re2
mike

 

how many 623GSI owners use this site?

Just a check on finding out how many 623GSI owners there are on this site.I recently bought 1 and would just like to find out sum more about them and how u get on with ur drive,if u like,cos i like mine very much,its bog standard but i dont think it needs anymore.lovely drive

 

you are right it is a lovely car. there are a few nasties though! It is almost impossible to see the back end through the mirrors, which makes parking difficult. I fitted a lip spoiler which I can now see through the window mounted mirror and a set of reversing sensors which bleep when i get too near something behind. Mine is an automatic and very thirsty especially over 85 on motroways when you can almost see the needle moving. I have mine serviced professionally and the last time cost £870, included all belts, which is about all the car is worth, but i have a cover with AA to repair any mechanical defects, costs about £100 a year, but must be serviced properly.
Mine is '99 V reg and has JUST passed the 60K mark. There are plenty about and this is my second. had it for 6 years now and do not know what i would replace it with. I like my toys and it has them all, 4 electric windows, full electric roof, electric seat adjustment, AC, Cruise, Mp3 player, folding mirrors, rerverse sensors, larger wheels,ABS, Auto gear box.

 

no was never exported, read thread starter for more

 

U said about the price,for a v,reg with low mileage wots the goin rate?obviously to u its worth more.I did read that they were sumin like 24grand brand new.In all its a bargain for the buyer.

 

I think Snowy623GSi said he paid about £550 for his recently

 

Hi, great thread. I bought one of the Japanese 600's marked for export from Appleyards in Edinburgh in 1999. The garage had over a dozen for sale. I got the same "order cancelled" story from the salesman as others on this thread. Whilst I "swithered" for a week about buying it the stock had sold out. The garage then got another load in (not certain how many). I distinctly remember being a bit suspicious at the time as they had a one year old 620 in the showroom for 2K more!! I am surprised to hear that there were only 80 of these 600's as Appleyards must have shifted at least 20 or 30.
When I picked the car up there were various forms and plastic protective films over the interior, all with Japanese writing on them. The rear number plate surround is different, there is a bracket for a multichanger in the boot, there are various components with Japanese writing on them in the engine bay, although I have never been surprised by that as my car has the Honda engine and auto box fitted. I've been delighted with the car, heavy on petrol but never let me down. I'm only now having to start replacing components, see earlier post re radiator!

 

will electric folding mirriors off any other honda fit a 600

 

I looked into this and got some of a scrap prelude, the base plates are different and theres a motor above where they fold in, so the motors may be able to fit into the standard 600 mirrors but haven't looked into this yet.

 

I think I can clear afew things up hear. The cars which wear Jap specced wear all 620 Auto's with the Honda engine. None of them wear 623 or 618's at all. All of them came with sandstone leather and the seats wear all manuel not electric. So if yours is electric it's not a Jap spec one. The all had air con, Philips CDR90 units and as said above autochanger wires already in the boot. They had powerfolding mirrors and air con and electric windows all round. None of them had sunroof's and they only came in three colours. Nightfire red, flame red and glacier white I think it was called. They did have a diffrent number plate mount and they also had 15' 6 spoke alloys from the 800 and the odd one or two had a white puddle style light in the two front doors. They wear all listed as SLi modles. As for fitting powerfold mirrors and from a Honda accord from 94-99 or a 600 will do but you will need the switch and some wiring to be done. The switch on UK/Europe cars has the heater control for the mirrors on in Jap spec cars that same switch has a diffrent logo and that fold the mirrors in.

 

Sorry to say you are misinformed. Some were 623 Gsi automatics and in a variety of colours. These were supplied with sunroofs, powerfold mirrors as standard with the special logo on the switch, electric drivers seat and 15" multispoke wheels. The 80 batch were despatched WITHOUT ANY CD/RADIO as these were to be retro fitted in Japan, to the wiring loom already fitted ex factory.

 

should also have said that it does have the Philips cd radio fitted though!

 

mine is caymen with grey also

 

i dont want to sound like a party pooper but are you sure there were only 80 of these cars,since this thread started a few months ago i have been looking and i have seen about 8 for sale local to me,seems a lot for a rare spec.
a mate of mine bought a 618is in 1999 from lookers in stockport, the salesman said the car was part of a cancelled jap order that were been sold by rover dealers, the story was a load of bull to sell the car as the car was just a standard 618is with the ti interior.
i think we need more details on this story

 

the car was just a standard 618is with the ti interior.

The 'standard' 618iS does have the half leather interior as standard... It was one of the run-out models.

there were only 80 of these cars

Are these cars the new FDH's?!