The car with 2 fronts – The RovoR.
I have always loved cars. As a child I visited the Motor Show in Earls Court every year. What is under the bonnet of a car, has always fascinated me just as much as how a car looks.
I remember as a young teenager, my Dad got a company van and I decked out the back with racking, I know its not quite mechanics but it was still making something inside a vehicle which I enjoyed.
The first vehicle I got my hands on that I could call mine and tinker with was a MK3 Ford Escort 1.6 diesel van. I decked out the van with carpets and sound system and it was my pride and joy, albeit a bit slow and rusty, at age 19 I loved it, so much in fact that i swapped out the engine when the old one died!
At 21 I bought my first “quick” car, a Rover 827 SI manual. This is where my passion for Rovers really started. A friend of mine Mark, also had a Rover 827 which I had admired for years before I bought my own.
Apart from generally maintaining my Rover, I also lowered the suspension, tinted the windows and fitted a cone air filter to enhance the induction noise. I am sure you are painting a picture of me right now!!
Because Rover 800’s were plentiful back then, not to mention cheap, I bought a couple to play with. The place I lived at during that time had a lot of space to work in, including a 4 post lift. I was able to convert a Rover 827 automatic to a manual, and also completely strip and rebuild an engine in another Rover 827.
Believe or not I am not a mechanic by trade, this is my hobby and my passion.
