Rover 200 Bubble

This is my 1999 Rover 214 8 valve bubble shape, last of this model. I have owned it since January 2011 and began modifying it in the summer. It now looks like this with a range of subtle modifications I have made to it. Read more for the specs and information...

I am a creature of habbit and can't leave standard alone, however when I bought this car it was originally with only to reduce my fuel costs as I was running a 2.0 litre engine car previously and being the 1.4 8 valve model it is efficient but still a bit of fun to drive. When I got it it was standard apart from the lowered suspension and a set of standard OEM Rover 15 inch alloy wheels painted black.

After driving it about for a bit to get a feel for it I decided to repair the little faults and give it a full service. The faults were minimal but it did suffer with the usual sunroof leak which had gotten quite bad and flooded the spare wheel recess in the boot, as well as lazy wing mirrors which slowly pointed towards the ground which was irritating. The service, induction kit and oil and water changes gave it a more responsive feel to the engine and the addition of the alloy wheels gave much better road holding.

I continued with a variety of subtle mods as I like people to look at it and know it looks different but not sure why. To my own amusement a local neighbour already had the 4 door version in the same colour, but mine is a different (nicer looking) shade. So every time I made a change to my car I would park it out on the road in the hope that when he drives past he would notice, ha. I haven't seen it lately though and think he might have sold his.

If you want to know more about the day to day ownership of a Rover 200 click here to read a review.

17 inch chrome Status alloy wheels with 205/40/17 profile tyres
Lowered 40mm on Spax springs
Custom black meshed front grille
De-orange'd front indicator lenses
Clear side repeaters
Carbon fibre vinyl roof wrap
Carbon fibre vinyl door pillars
Rover 25 wing mirrors
Bumper strips painted black
Side rubbing strips painted black
De-badged boot lid
Stubby roof aerial
Diamond Blue headlight bulbs
SMD blue front side lights
SMD rear number plate lights
GB banded number plates

MG ZR silver carbon dash surrounds
Alpine CDA-9851R CD/MP3 player motorised face
6x9 rear parcel shelf speakers with MDF reinforcement
MDF 1/2 inch boot floor under carpet
Spax tax disc holder

Powerflow dual exit exhaust backbox
Silver air induction kit
Aluminium throttle body upgrade
Full service including fluid changes
De-coked throttle body and inlet

MG ZR interior - seats and door cards
Smoothed bumpers
Colour coded wing mirros
De-locked colour coded outer door handles
MG side skirts
Smoked tail lights
Remove roof spoiler and blank holes
Rover Streetwise boot lid badge strip
10 inch sub woofer enclosure in boot

General
Production - 01 Nov 1995 - 07 Jun 1999
Length - 3970 mm
Width - 1890 mm
Height - 1420 mm

Fuel Delivery - Multi point fuel injection
Transmission - Manual
Gears - 5 Speed

MPG - 41 mpg
Insurance Group - 9
Euro Emissions Standard - 2
CO2 Emissions - 170 g/km

Engine Size - 1396 cc
Cylinders - 4
0-60 mph - 12.5 secs
Top Speed - 103 mph
Power Output - 73 bhp
Valves - 8
Torque - 117 Nm

Wheelbase - 2500 mm
Fuel Capacity - 50 litres
Turning Circle - 10 m

Review submitted by Ryan Cake on 01 August 2010

What does this car say about you?
i think ive spent £500 on a very quick first car thats good on fuel and reliable, it looks good and handles well, insurance is cheap. Its slated purely on the fact its a Rover. if it was called a ford fiesta every 17 year old would own one

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?
i dont listen to what people say, they generally go on what top gear feed to them. until you own one you shouldnt open your mouth. this backed up by a friend with a ZR105 which is cool but because mine is a Rover its not. friends that have been in it cant beleive it, the speed, reliability and mgp. so they soon change their mind. seeing their face when you hit 70mph in second gear and showing them a video of doing 140mph is priceless

Would you buy this car again and why?
yes, i was looking into getting a rover 25 gti (same engine) and making it look like this: MG Rover Forum Thread, but the only diffence is the front end so its not really worth it

What are you likely to buy next?
looking into a mk2 golf gti, mk4 golf gt tdi 130, fiesta rs turbo, toyota hilux or toyota mr2 or a rover 2L turbo engine in my motor 200bhp!

Buying experience
4 out of 5

Type of dealer you bought from?
Didn't buy from a dealer

Did you buy this car new?
Used

What price did you pay?
£560

When did you buy the car?
April 2009

Did you get a good deal and why?
£560 from a private seller. knocked a bit off for a new mass air flow meter

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?
First car. £500 for a reliable 150bhp car. 0-60 in 7.5 and can get 43mpg.

Driving it
4 out of 5

What's it like to drive?
great, pulls well in each gear, i go into 5th @40mph and dont really need to change down from 30mph. great road handling and chassis, you can feel whats going on; if your going to oversteer or understeer (yes, in a fwd) if you want to oversteer it is easy and fun. really comfortable and the seats hug you, nice driving position. I like the clutch but it has been slated. goes like stink, proven by someone local who owns a £15,000 corsa VXR who couldnt keep up until 110mph and overteers like nothing ive ever seen in the corners. compared with a £500 rover! i average 38mpg driving 'perky' and will sit happily @ 90mph for an hour with no wheel wobble.

What's it like to park?
its not articluated so its easy! good visability and steerings not heavy. handbrakes good because it holds the car still when you park!

Living with it
4 out of 5

Have you had any problems with the car?
headgasket, as always. but i expected it to go if im honest, a 1997 k series engine with 84k on the clock. the cause was a seized thermostat. genral issues with these cars: sunroof leaks; silicone up the seal or buy a new one, wiper motor; copper blade burns out can be soldered for £5, rust on arches; new body panels are easy and cheap to find, again silicone, Heaggasket; cost me £150 but keep checking temp guage, check oil and water weekly (like your supposed to)

What's most practical about your car?
being 18 i dont need the space but its taken 3 people for a weekend away with room to spare. good mpg and the power to get past most cars on the road.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?
doesnt have much, just the normal; electric windows, mirrors (+heated), sunroof. 'winged' seats, lumbar support. all i need really