Description
Here is my 1996 Rover 216 SE Cabriolet. At the time of writing, it has 53080 miles on the clock, a figure that is confirmed by the MOT.
I have owned this car for 4 years. Before that I understand that it was in someone’s collection for 12 years until he had to vacate the premises where his cars were stored.
It is in generally good condition. The underside is totally rot free. There is just one spot of rust on one of the sills. The paintwork is in overall good condition, with just a few slight blemishes. The ad when I bought it said that the alloys had been refurbished, and their appearance would confirm this.
The grey leather interior is in overall good condition. There is some wear on the driver’s seat and a minor scratch on the rear seat, but nothing serious. There is a hole in the carpet on the driver’s side. I have tried to source a replacement, but so far without success. The radio is not an original Rover radio – it’s a JVC radio/ CD player. But I have downloaded a user manual which I can forward to the buyer. The radio works and the aerial goes up and down as it should. The electric windows and electric door mirrors operate as they should.
Among other things, the car has had the following work done on it since I bought it:
- Timing belt replaced
- New water pump
- Cylinder head gasket replaced (due to overheating caused by failed radiator fan switch)
- New radiator fan switch
- New front shock absorbers
- New radiator
- New mohair hood (complete – inner, outer and lining)
- New offside rear wheel cylinder
- New driver’s door latch mechanism
- New offside driveshaft CV boot
- New exhaust mounting
- Rear brakes stripped and cleaned
The head gasket was replaced by a garage that used to specialise in Rover cars and have done ‘hundreds of them’ (their words!). So I’m confident that they did a good job. The engine pulls really well and the car can bowl along at 70 mph with no problem.
The hood is raised and lowered by an electrically powered hydraulic pump. I have had the hood replaced with a brand new mohair hood. So the new owner will not need to worry about that major expense. Prior to it being replaced, a friend who is a retired engineer helped me strip down and clean the hood mechanism, lubricate it and reassemble it. He also fabricated the little elbows (which are impossible to buy) that adjust the position of the hood as it is lowered and raised. They always break when the mechanism seizes up. I’ll include a photo of one of them. The metal strips that hold the bottom of the hood in place were seriously corroded, so I had them completed stripped and refettled, followed by a couple of coats of rust inhibiting paint. I’ll include a photo to show how bad they were. Now they’re good as new.
A tonneau cover is included.
The car has a stainless steel exhaust, fitted before I bought it.
Since I bought the car it has never been driven in the wet, with the exception of the day I bought it, when I had to drive it home in the rain. It has been taken off the road each winter and covered. A complete car cover is included in the sale, but I suspect it will need to be replaced soon.
The car was serviced at 52807 miles and comes with a new MOT valid until the end of July 2026.
I know I’ll not recover the money I have spent on this car, but I think the price is realistic. It is clean, mechanically sound and ready to go and be enjoyed. All the major things have been done, but as it’s nearly 30 years old, there will inevitably be things to do on it as time passes.
I’ll be sorry to see it go, but we need the space. Also, at the last MOT I was told that NSF brake binding slightly was due to the car needing more use. There were only about 200 miles between the last 2 MOT certificates. So it needs to go to someone who will use it.
The price is negotiable within reason. So make me an offer. I bought this car just to have a bit of open-top fun. It has proved to be reliable and comfortable to ride in. Last year the web-site 'How Many Left' indicated that, at that time, there were 643 of all variants of the 216 Cabriolet left, only 166. So they are becoming fairly rare. ce of rapidly disappearing history.
