Boy Racers in Rover 200s!!!!!!!!!!

Boy Racers in Rover 200s!!!!!!!!!!

Author
Discussion

ToroTVR

Original Poster:

73 posts

289 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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Can somebody please explain to me what the attraction is with a Rover 200? There appear to be an increasing number of "boy racers" driving these automotive zimmer frames about,usually fitted out with various items of kit to make them "faster", who are they trying to kid? This car is the automotive equivalent of Greenwoods Mens Outfitters and has all the street cred of an Ox.
It must give the owners a buzz though to more than double the value of their steed every time they fill it up ( with fuel, not vomit! ).

Dave_H

996 posts

290 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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I've got a 220 Gsi - the 3 door one that Rover bolted on all the bits

But I know what you mean. Last night outside Halfords I saw a 4 door 214 with big wheels, blacked out lights/windows, add on body kit and bean can exhaust - there's loads of these around my way. I don't understand why they pick on these cars to exercise their spanners

kevinday

12,275 posts

287 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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It is a better basic car than a Nova, Micra, Escort, Fiesta or Astra!

superflid

2,254 posts

272 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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quote:

It is a better basic car than a Nova, Micra, Escort, Fiesta or Astra!



Most things are

Jason F

1,183 posts

291 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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They come with Electric Windows, Mirrors, Sunroof etc (Gsi version) and they are quicker than an Xr3i (my mate used to race them all the time) and they are damn cheap cars considering..

So it is no wonder they are being used by the boy racer brigade.

nmlowe

1,666 posts

274 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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A lad I've known since school had a Rover 214 si 16v (L-reg) 3dr.
It was grey, with grey plastic bumpers
He thought that because it was twin-cam that it was a limited edition 3dr, and wouldn't accept the possibility that all rover 214 16v's might also be twin-cam, 5dr included.
Didn't look very limited edition to me!
He used to make a habit of wheel spinning whenever he would see someone he knew and driving like a numpty.
Then you would get the stories (lies) of what car he had just blown away at the lights, such as a sierra XR4i, Dihatsu Charade Gti (Turbo), Suzuki Swift Gti...etc...etc (all shitheaps in their own rights)
Just couldn't convince him that his car was 100BHP and could only muster 0-60 in 11 sec (parkers car guide). Aparrently he was convinced that the 'limited edition' one wasn't listed.

CarZee

13,382 posts

274 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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Never underestimate the power of denial

pbirkett

18,525 posts

279 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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Forgive me for not joining in the snobbery, but surely you all cant of started off driving in supercars, or am I wrong?

I dont see where a Rover 200 is any worse than any other car for the same price, admittedly it doesnt have the same image as a Tiv, but what does?

Just a thought, I'll get me coat...

vinny

101 posts

274 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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My Girlfriend drives a 96 rover 200 ( round bubbly one) she likes it, and she likes TVR so it cant all be bad, AND I havnt had to spend a penny on it (except service) for a few years. Come to think of it, its damn more reliable than my tiv, but its not a supercar so whart do you expect. She has'nt asked for any boy racer wheels yet, I think she wants to demolish the wheel trims completely first, like they do.

relaxitscool

368 posts

273 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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Have to agree with the last post. My wife has a 96 bubbly model. Its not quick, its doesn't really handle..but, it never fails to start, the only money I've ever spent on it is for a new exhaust and its cheap tax.

But the most important point is that it loves those little 2 mile runs to the off licence my car just hates

nmlowe

1,666 posts

274 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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I don't think the issue is whether they are 'good little run-around cars' for normal people.
Its the plonkers that try to make them look like sports cars and why they choose the 200, when it seems to be a more mature person's car. What is it that attracts that sort to the 200?, rather than a more obvious corsa, saxo, ax, nova, fiesta etc etc.

vinny

101 posts

274 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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I reckon its because as standard they come with a load of 'extras' as standard compared to the other cheaper makes, PAS blah de blah. They are dead boring and practical so the spanners come out for tarting. My dad didnt have a clue what I had in store for the standard bright orange mini he bought me when I was 17. Any 1 remember weller wheels, spats and cb radio's and graffik equalisers. Gulp.

nmlowe

1,666 posts

274 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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The lad I knew never had PAS on his 93' 214 Si.
Just as well wrote it off when he smashed it into a parked car really! (middle of the night)
Not only was he drink driving, doing 40 in a 30 but he was texting someone at the same time (allegedly).
Still, a tewlve-month ban, neck brace and a £250 fine soon wiped the grin off his face.
Also, the monday prior to this particular friday, he managed to take a corner too fast and hit a wall by the side of a country road. He had just fitted a new
front bumper, bonnet and headlamps.
What a numpty....

Dave_H

996 posts

290 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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As I mentioned before, I've got a 220 GSi as a run around, good car does the job, looks alright, fairly nippy, but nothing to give you the raging horn over..

But when I bought it I did have a number of people say "What are you going to do with it?" as in lower it, big wheels uprate the shocks etc... Which I thought was a bit odd

sjc

14,306 posts

277 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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What is it with people constantly taking the piss out of others just because they do something different with their cars, wether it be a Rover 200, a Saxo or a friggin' TVR? These people are probably all driving enthusiasts like the rest of us and want to make their car look or sound a bit different or maybe more like the car they would like to own. The 200 is probably ideal for younger people to have a bit of fun in sweetish engine,cheap to insure and reliable. I've gone through an escort, XR2, two CRX16v's, two Griffs, a Cerby, Tuscan and now an HSV and changed something on all of them. I didn't consider I was gaining so much more streed cred when I put a sports exhaust in the Cerby aged 33 than when I put one on the XR2 at 18.

gnomesmith

2,458 posts

283 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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A lady friend of mine has had two 200s in sucession, the old Amaranth one was electronically clocked at 137, still accelerating, at Bruntingford by a magazine that we don't talk about (M## P###r) but was a bit short of brakes. The current Metallic Pink (quite nice actually) one has more power and much more effective brakes.

The Magic Rover word is Motorbuild Racing who race a Pink Elise, Pink MGFs, Pink Maestros etc, gives your Rover a much louder bark.

pbrettle

3,280 posts

290 months

Wednesday 24th April 2002
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Used to have a company 220GSi of the old boxy shape. Went like the clappers (for 1994) but the handling was evil.... grip fine...beyond grip, there was just no telling what it would do.

Other than a broken radiator it was fine. Oh, and the radio was crap....

Cheers,

Paul

steve harrison

461 posts

274 months

Thursday 25th April 2002
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quote:

Used to have a company 220GSi of the old boxy shape. Went like the clappers (for 1994) but the handling was evil.... grip fine...beyond grip, there was just no telling what it would do.

Other than a broken radiator it was fine. Oh, and the radio was crap....

Cheers,

Paul



One of our blokes used to have one. Dropped a valve, trashed the engine

smeagol

1,947 posts

291 months

Thursday 25th April 2002
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quote:

What is it with people constantly taking the piss out of others just because they do something different with their cars, wether it be a Rover 200, a Saxo or a friggin' TVR? These people are probably all driving enthusiasts like the rest of us and want to make their car look or sound a bit different or maybe more like the car they would like to own.


The problem is they do it without a) knowledge and b) taste. I'm sorry there is a huge difference between talking a sports car and tuning it with specialist race parts, and taking a shoppping trolly car and strapping on plastic bits (including false disks), 5" exhaust pipe, and washer lights, thinking you've converted it into a performance car.

I talked to one of these modder chaps and he looked totally purplexed when I pointed out that the 5" "sports exhaust" would if anything actually slow the car down because the exhaust gasses weren't flowing correctly for the size of engine.

Cars seem to be the only thing that people will happily mod without research. I truely don't believe that the boy racer modders are enthusiastic about mechanics and cars, they just want things that "sound and look good". True enthusiasts are the ones that research and base their modifications on improving the cars performance, all round (often including stuff you don't see).

loudpedal

3,934 posts

276 months

Thursday 25th April 2002
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I had a 91 216 GTI. Completely unmodded, but it was heaps of fun. Not bad in a straight line, Honda engine loved revs and was indestructible; sat so high on its firm springs that you could do any speed bump at 40 (useful in town). Would do 110 comfortably on the motorway. downsides were, some braindead scrotes tried to nick it twice £180 damage each time... and if you went round a corner you had to swing the steering wheel from left to right to try and get some traction. Hold on, that was fun, I want it back!