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Here we are then, your chance to own a little bit of Car & Classic history. This is our Head of Editorial's very own 1989 Rover 827Si. Found in an unloved state, the car has been given a comprehensive refurbishment and is now back on the road and fighting fit. It wears a mere 19, 259 genuine miles.

This is a special car, and not just because it's a YouTube star (well over half a million people have watched the videos). It's also a first-year fastback, it's the best colour - British Racing Green, it has the legendary Honda 2. 7 V6 engine, automatic transmission and early six-clock dash. It is completely original, too. Nothing has been tweaked or modified.

Bought new by a professor in 1989, it was sold again in 1994. The second owner used the car sparingly until 1999, at which point the car was parked in the garage and left. Around four years ago, it was taken from the garage and put outside. It has NEVER been driven in the rain or in winter, and that explains why it's so very, very rust free.

I bought it as part of the deceased estate, and over the last few months the car has been given a comprehensive overhaul to bring it back to spec. Is it perfect? No, of course not, it's 34 years old. But is it still one of the best of its kind, in show-worthy condition? Yes. As evidenced by the fact it was one of the stars of the NEC Classic Motor Show this year.

It's a special car. I don't want to sell it, frankly. But I have another old Rover, so it's time to set this one free. And truly, this is a once in a lifetime deal. You won't find another like this.

One thing I keep getting asked - is the mileage real. Well, I can confirm that it is. I have the original book pack, I have the full service history, I have every old hand-written MOT and I can gladly HPi the car for you. It is very, very real.

As for the MOT, it passed on the 10th of November, so has nearly a year left. And it passed with no advisories - we don't mess about! As mentioned above, I have the book pack, the owner's manual, every V5 the car has ever had, even the invoice from when the last owner bought it.

I will be so, so sad to see this car go. It's already one of the best of its kind, one that will simply never be repeated. I'll never be lucky enough to make a discovery like this again. But, it has to go. House move, Christmas, the needy other child (my 800 Vitesse Turbo) all stop me from keeping it. I will, however, take a great deal of pride in knowing I saved it.

As I hope the pictures go to show, this Rover 827Si is in excellent condition. But, it's not perfect. The four years outside have left it with some blemishes. I'm probably being over critical, but that's what I do. Let's get the negative out of the way...

The birds have left their 'mark'. Particularly on the roof and the nearside front wing (both pictured). My detailer was confident that with more time, significant improvements could be made.

There are two small spots of corrosion at either upper corner of the screen aperture. 2p sized. They have been treated.

There is some fine micro-blistering on the leading edge of the bonnet (again, pictured) where I think the vines rubbed on the car when it was parked outside.

There is a paint patch on the rear hatch, from where I suspect the previous owner attempted... something? It's in the pictures.

Now for the good stuff. Firstly, just look at it. I had a professional detailer come and spend a day on the car, and he washed, decontaminated, clayed and machine polished the car and it looks incredible. The paint has an inviting, deep shine. The panel fit is outstanding. It's just a seriously eye-catching thing.

The rear bumper insert (black) and body coloured upper have been repainted, and the rear spoiler has been stripped, repaired and repainted (after sun damage).

The car wears its original hubcaps, original badges, original trim, so on and so forth. I have replaced the nearside front indicator with a NOS item. All the bulbs are new. The wheels have been repainted, and they wear a set of 250 mile old Falken AS210 all-season tyres.

I would encourage you pore over the many images included. They are, after all, each worth a thousand words.

With the exception of the slightly sagging headlining (it's a Rover), it is, and I employ no hyperbole here, mint. The seats are factory fresh, as are the door cards, the dash and so on. It's real time warp stuff in here. The door shuts gleam, as do the hinge areas, the strikers and so on. There is no wear, no damage, nothing. The velour seats are every bit as comfortable and firm as you would expect them to be.

The carpets are mint, the boot is fresh and clean, the glass is all unmarked (though the front screen is showing some signs of age in the guise of slight delamination in the corners).

Of course, there are some small negatives. Again, a 34 year old car. There is some slight corrosion in the offside front corner of the sunroof frame, as in the black, internal piece that hold the glass. This has stained the sliding cover. I have treated the rust though.

Time has killed the radio. It turns on, I have the code, but there is no sound. I left it though, as I like the sound of the V6, and I like the originality of the radio. I may be able to source one for you.

The driver's window can sometimes need some 'help' when going up. Again, typical Rover stuff. I haven't investigated as I don't want to damage those immaculate door cards. Plus, it's really not that much of a problem.

I love it in here. It's warm, everything works (bar the radio) it is incredibly comfortable, it's remarkably well made (the Mk2s were awful - I know, I have one), and thanks to just 19, 000 miles, it's all utterly immaculate. Again, please look at and lose yourself in the many, many pictures.

The body is excellent, the interior is remarkable, but the mechanics take things to a whole new level. We have done some considerable work here. The car was, after over twenty years idle, a non-runner when we collected it. That's not the case now. Here is what we have done.

* New timing belt and tensioners
* New HT leads
* New distributor and arm
* New plugs
* New fuel filter
* New air filter
* New fuel pump
* New Yuasa battery
* PAS fluid flush
* Coolant flush
* Oil flush and refill with Mobil 2000
* New oil filter
* Injectors removed, then placed in an ultrasonic bath of injector cleaner

As such, it now starts on the button and runs oh so very sweetly. To the point where I have to look at the rev counter to check it's still running - it is that quiet! It's smooth, it's powerful, it's refined and it runs without fault or complaint. It cruised back from the NEC to Bristol at a steady 70mph and loved it.

Then we have everything else. A lot of work was done to the chassis, so let's cover that now.

* New front calipers
* Rear calipers stripped, cleaned, painted and fitted with new seals
* New rubber lines all round
* New discs all round
* New pads (and wear sensors) all round
* All suspension components cleaned and painted/ protected
* New front shock absorbers
* New drop link bushes
* New track control arms
* All inner arches stripped, cleaned and re-coated with Waxoyl clear
* New exhaust backbox
* New Falken AS210 all-season tyres

In summary, we've done everything this car could possibly need, as we felt it deserved it. With 19, 259 miles on the clock, this car has years... no, decades of motoring ahead of it.

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