Inside The Old School Rover 827 Police Car!

[@chrisblay]

The 2.7 engine in that Rover 827 was a Honda engine. It was made at time of the Rover/Honda joint venture.

[@Simon-ui6db]

Was about to say its not made by Rover. The 825 was but not the 827, would never had a kv6 series rover 800 as them engines were awful. Better off with the 4 pot 820 turbo.

[@DaleSteel]

You can tell by the sound

[@lewis72]

@@Simon-ui6db There were two 2.5 V6 825 models - The 800 was launched with a Honda 2.5 V6 as the 825. It was criticised for not having enough torque, so was enlarged to the 2.7 as seen here. - Then, the Honda engine was replaced by Rover's 2.5 KV6

[@darthgardner]

correct its amazing how they get this engine confused with the KV6 which was a rover block.. some people need to research more.

[@robertwillis4061]

​@@Simon-ui6db mmm Not sure. It's a heavy car. The 4 pot would be stressed all the time. It might have a better top speed. But sustained speed is more important.

[@TheGiftOfBlindness-v2x]

I’m blind and I recognised your voice from police interceptors. I may not be able to see police interceptors but I just love listening to every single episode over and over again

[@BenPearson1965]

Thank you so much x

[@tylerhamilton-nz8qs]

Senator for me a seriously underrated car!

[@absolutefitnessokahandja4621]

The engine was a Honda unit, the later 2.5 v6 was a Rover (powertrain) unit. I was lucky enough to drive an unmarked 827 manual at a Advanced driving course with Dorset police. I did like the 800 and ended up having a Vitesse and a Sterling. Great cars. The build quality wasnt the best, sadly, and i think the Volvo is the better car but i do have a soft spot for the 800. Thanks for all the videos Ben.

[@jfro5867]

I can tell you as fact, the traffic officers used to burn the clutches out in these all the time. They liked the T5 when it came in but the big 3 litre Carltons were hard to beat.

[@iantaylor2737]

I’m going with the 850 T5R. All day long mate

[@kennymaclaurin3683]

A Rover being a T5/R beater 😂 AWD Volvos were the business, I still drive XC70s in D5 form Dad had the T5 and was a rocket

[@trevorockwell8764]

The police didn’t get a T-5R, only a T5, but it was still an awesome machine.

[@DaleSteel]

Police didn't use the T5R. They just used the T5 not the R model

[@1andyronly]

In 9/10 pursuits, the Volvo would eat the Rover for breakfast….Try a pursuit in tight twisty / urban area, where the brakes are in heavy use - and the Rover will have it purely on its ability to stop!…. The Volvo brake dice would glow in the dark after a pursuit….and on one occasion, I’ve suffered complete brake fail….had to use gears and emergency brake to slow me down as overshot a junction…..eventually stopped and had flames licking around the callipers.

[@PeterMitchell-s5t]

Ive had both 827 and 850 t5 ( still my daily) and the t5 is so much quicker, the rover was lovely, but i have to go with the volvo 850 t5, shes a beast.😊

[@craigsg01]

Agreed. Had both. T5 much quicker !

[@sharpgage6512]

is it still possible to find T5's as thay seemed to disapear from the roads so quickly

[@PeterMitchell-s5t]

@@sharpgage6512 you can, but since 2020 they seem to have declined in numbers especially the 850s. And the few people that have them, won't sell them.

[@scottgraham4683]

Loved working on and driving these. Had ARV's at Wapping and plenty of traffic units like that at Catford TDP. That engine was absolutely bomb proof, and yes, they were completely standard, no map upgrades, chips etc. They were so lovely to drive and that V6 sounded lovely but bodywork was typical Rover. I became well practised at changing the drivers outer door handles; they used to break far too often.

[@jchisholm1968]

I had an 825 in the mid 90s & what's memorable about them is the kick-down. It went like a rocket!!

[@jonathon1799]

My old boss had one and I got to drive it once it was very quick for the day

[@2626stephen]

Cracking one. The Vitesse out at the same was a 2.0l Turbo.

[@DM-hp7ct]

I owned three 827s. Despite only 177 BHP they felt very quick off the line - it was the gearing I believe. Very light and easy to drive with the speed regulated power steering.

[@johnj3577]

Yeah my Dad had a few too, older cars were much lighter, probably half the weight of a modern BMW. These were indeed pretty nippy for their size.

[@hanzlah79]

I remember my dad having a lovely blue metallic 827 sli sterling. I owned a volvo 850 T5 P reg, the Rover was lovely but the 850 T5 definitely was the better car

[@DaleSteel]

Police didn't use 850R. They used 850 T5

[@andrewwmacfadyen6958]

820 Vitesse Turbo Sport was by far the best Rover

[@Calvi36]

827 or T5? Aye ok Ben, I'll crack the jokes. 😁

[@eddie7167]

These were in service when I first joined. They were used as ARV's and traffic cars. We had a green unmarked one at AB as a Q Car complete with magnetic 'kojak' light.

[@paulevans9307]

I've seen a rotary siren changer once before. It had a choice of yelp/wail/two tone/horn ring/off. Since it had the option of horn ring, I never bothered manually selecting the other options.

[@6643bear]

Hi great and interesting video, I used to maintained the radio equipment in the 827, with Honda vetec engine , I used to work at Catford traffic garage at the radio service centre and used to take the car out if was an intermittent problem with the comms and give a bit of a run up and down Bromley road!!!Also originally the was a long 5/8 l antenna fitted on the back right hand side on bodywork on the rear near the tailgate and at speed used to whip around and could hurt someone!!, I was tasked to replace the antenna so on the roof at the lhs is new antenna we fitted . Regards mark

[@rj.reliable]

Ben you brought back so many memories this was the motor that was adored even remember the sd inspiration 🫶

[@danielyeo6777]

ben i salute you brother a fantastic car believe me the turbo is a monster

[@mikecookson9256]

Defo the T5... Driven the 820, enough said..

[@andywakefield9826]

The 2 cars are incomparable

[@st170restoration]

800 Vitesse Turbo was the one I had. A lot of car for an 18 year old but insurance was very cheap! Past my IAM test in it loved the 800s

[@nolanstaveley-haynes2129]

Great video, will we get to see any of the Met Omegas in the future, I know some of them were spec'd up for the diplomatic protection unit.

[@deanstanley5799]

I’ve owned and loved both cars in the past but the T5 all day on bhp alone

[@marksmatchboxmemories-xd6qp]

i had a lovely mk2 saloon, which was lighter with the t16 engine, chipped by turbo technics, 270bhp, the speedo stopped at 150 at 5 o`clock, i had the needle around to 6 o`clock and left a porsche behind on the pembrey circuit :)

[@antonbless]

2.7 Honda legend engine!!

[@98Blackbess]

Those blue lights look as though they've had a hard life and are about to give up. 🤣🤣

[@mrchrisdavies]

Didn't Tony Pond get an Isle of Man car record with one of these..they were proper weapons at the time

[@marcusFZ6]

Lapped the IOM TT Course at an avg of 100mph. Absolute classic Duke Video.

[@IanM18]

It's not VASCAR, it's ProViDa, which incorporated the video cameras/VHS recorder and the Police Pilot speed detection unit. The call signs for the first two such vehicles used by the Met Police were, however, Vascar 1 and Vascar 2, which were initially used when the Met trialled Vascar and continued to be used when they chose ProViDa instead.

[@jackwain367]

How do you know that information?

[@IanM18]

@@jackwain367 I worked on (and installed the equipment) on those vehicles during my 43 years as a Technician for the MET.

[@MotherGoose]

No siren demo?!

[@TheSaabClinicUK]

Def not remapped. No one did anything for that honda 2.7 back in the day. I know Van Aaken developments did look into doing something but i believe the ecu was too locked down.

[@Rapscallion2009]

Those are quicker than the figures suggest (often the way). Never lose sight of that fact that "150mph, 0-60 in 5 seconds and 250bhp!" are all marketing claims. That could be that a blueprinted engine managed that at 8000rpm at -15 degrees and then exploded. Or it could be "estimated" (ie "Made Up").

[@ApnaChoud]

Not like the 2.8 Capri's then that were renowned for breaking down!

[@taono]

what you are all forgetting, yea 200+ horsepower means diddlysquat if the car doesnt handle properly around corners ect, there are not many roman roads here in the UK

[@StephenH-ms9og]

Not to mention crap brakes.

[@paul8161]

Hear the sound of my blowing exhaust 😂.

[@Nick-q8k]

I think the film it was in was the 2013 film Dirty Money set in London.

[@jamiemoss5983]

I think the 827 was used as ARV’s in the bill s08 episode 27 snapshot

[@joecarrolljnr]

Rover isn't a patch on a volvo 850 T5. Build quality, reliability, safety and performance from the Swedish motorway cruiser.

[@ChristopherLehane-nl1tk]

Yelp, wail, Two-Tone, Phaser, hold it down, goes honk, Whelan sirens.

[@grahamclark4518]

One of the most gorgeous there is

[@MarkGreenall-iq5fq]

As an ex car thief, we feared the Astra Gsi most at release.

[@jay-rk1ve]

The redtop was a brilliant engine I was a Ford man so the RS2000 was my weapon of choice. I miss old car power delivery

[@allanbale4133]

You get what you pay for, what was the price difference when new?

[@sidbobby3233]

Had 1 of these bk in the day.

[@DavidDouglass-uc6bi]

my mates Dad had the rover 827 and my Dad had a T5 and i bet you can guess which went to the scrap yard after 80,000 miles!

[@mrcogginsgarage7062]

Rover 827 has a Honda engine all Rover ever did was take them out of the crate that they were supplied in and stuff them in the car ! Worked on many of these when they were new and restored one that we pulled out for a bush a couple of years ago. Rover is a good car to drive better in a straight line than many of its contemporaries however we used to have them as traffic/ chase cars in the A&S police and friends that drove them as company cars told me to hat for fast road driving they went round bends like The General Belgrano.

[@Allbanian]

Rover sterling in black full body kit with Honda J37 engine. Should have a 3.7 litre Honda odyssey engine in there. You will never catch that at that time of era. You all kept the 2.7 when they are running 3.7 Honda odyssey engine. I only know the the 1 with a J37 in there in Leicester somewhere. Best of luck great vid.

[@robertford4278]

I’d be very interested in seeing more of the car and conversion

[@Allbanian]

@ some old block had the car all black he even wears all black and dark sun shades all got medals on his jacket one of them guys. He went to the working men’s club in system Leicester every Friday. I haven’t seen him or the car after beginning of Covid seen it every day. after Covid not a sound I know when he came it sounded different. I walked up to him when he popped the bonnet I got shivers when I seen a 3.7 Honda engine in there talking about it is making me shiver the guy even lowered it. He said it’s 3 INCH OF THE GROUND. I was like no never yep bloke measured it. God some beast of a rover that was. That guy was proud of his sterling mate. I know I would love to see that sterling again.

[@ChristopherLehane-nl1tk]

Woodway engineering hint hint.😉👍

[@stevesmith7530]

90s rover, saggy headlining of course. Whilst I owned similar rover 800, I never drove one on the job, and my volvos were later, but the volvo wins on seating for sure

[@the-tortuga-man]

I served in Hampshire police from 1993 onwards. We trialled these 827s and yes they were quick in a straight line, but the couldn’t go round corners for toffee and even worse in the wet. The Volvo 850 T5 was slightly heavier but handled so much better and was much more predictable in the wet. (Not good but predictable!)

[@jackwain367]

First registered October 1996. 2600cc. Camera equipment no longer works.

[@Allbanian]

Just remember the police have a wide range of high powered vehicles at any time so think before putting ya foot down that yellow lotus or Subaru wrx could be a business police car up ya rear side. Wide range of vehicles with some serious remaps on there vehicles power at any god given time. Keep it up

[@theworldaccordingtochris4370]

The 2.7L was a Honda engine, the Rover engie was a 2.5L.

[@SuperFredc]

What really frustrates me is when asked a simple question and the response is, "Can't tell you." I just don't get it. They’re willing to show the vehicle, yet they can't answer a straightforward question about the modifications-other than lights or sirens. It`s every time the question is asked. Why is that? And so what if it is or isn`t?

[@johnj3577]

I'm sure these were quicker than 130mph, Ive seen a police pursuit video online from inside one of these pacing a motorbike on a motorway at 145mph.

[@PJ-om2wq]

Was it a better police car than the SD1 ?

[@chinnyvision]

An SD1 is a proper police car.

[@andrewwmacfadyen6958]

SD1 was grossly overrated cr**

[@marcusFZ6]

827 is nice but the T5 takes the win with ease.

[@tonyburford421]

130mph?? I think not, I had an 827 Vitesse and would do 150mph, that Honda engine is a work of art

[@sailo9507]

how about the rover sd v8 in the infamous "liver run"

[@markweston427]

Vauxhall senator 24v manuals where the daddy in the 90s if u had one of theses in ya rear view mirror it would still be there stuck to ya bumper@ 150mph ❤️👍🏻

[@ChristopherLehane-nl1tk]

I think that light bar is premiere hazard....

[@paulpobsanderson6219]

Just an upgraded 2.2 Princess Wedge 😂😂

[@kevingolden5675]

T5 no bother I think..... still though that's a traffic car for me. Seen one accelerating from about 50 to rapid speeds on the m8 glasgow once, right in front of us, they were fast.

[@michaelcommon3726]

I got chased by a few of them back in the 80s

[@ishz3260]

800 was actually a very good car. This car was in the police so it's been abused. That's why interior moves around. I've had 827 stirring and vitesse sport. You can compare vitesse sport with t5. As I've even had t5 ex police. Thumbs up for 800 and t5

[@nigeh5326]

When are you going to get a 1960s Mini Cooper S police car on? Merseyside police used them as pursuit cars and there are still one or two turning up at shows complete with signage blue light etc. Try driving that on the road and a 60s family car. The Mini was way better handling, braking and could out accelerate most cars of the time.

[@phantomhurricane666]

what's the strangest case you've ever encountered?

[@ablestringer9063]

BL long gone when this came out mate...BMW owned Rover at this time

[@phantomhurricane666]

it's bucket, not bouquet.

[@alexhampton2802]

Love a Rover, but Volvo all day long

[@Whos_boots_are_those_shoes]

2.7 V6 was the honda leg-end engine

[@myname7284]

They was never a t5 beater at all had both t5 walks all over it

[@Luton-Mick]

That was quite rare being an automatic 827 m-way police car, I worked for Rover back in the early late 80s- early 90s, many police spec 800's were based on the poverty spec 827 Si because they could come with a manual straight out the box and were quite a bit quicker than their auto siblings. irrc 0-60 just under 8 sec and just over 140 mph at the top. Mind you they were the much lighter pre facelift not these chubby bugger's from latter on.

[@christophersmith7460]

The Met had loads of these as automatic used as traffic and area cars. I drove them in about 1992. Bit of a barge to throw around but replaced 2 litre Sierra automatics. Replaced by Vectras and the occasional VR6 automatic.

[@kevdavies3445]

watch yony pond driving the IOM video in an 827 Vitesse 100 mph average lap speed amazing

[@kennymaclaurin3683]

Volvo T5 😊

[@MrCrabbing]

I had a nice Audi S2 coupe

[@stevenpaterson9383]

Volvo T5's were much better, handling, everything. The Rover 827 had the turning circle of a barge, not very nimble in some inner city streets for pursuits

[@philipmacdonald9449]

VOLVO 850R ALL DAY LONG...IN PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING AND WAY WAY COOLER AND BETTER SOUNDING ❤

[@ChristopherLehane-nl1tk]

If you want to see One in action.. watch police stop 1 legging it, after an MR2...👍😉

[@stevesmith3732]

Rover 827 bag of shit compared to a Vauxhall omega 3.0 24v

[@northernninjarunner5506]

Volvo 👍

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

Vauxhall Senator 3.0 24V would eat this for breakfast

[@kenharding8437]

I have two ex Met Omegas, a 3.0 and a 3.2, still both pretty quick cars....love 'em!

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

@kenharding8437 Good cars

[@eddie7167]

The MV6's were very sort after at Hendon driving school

[@vincentsmith8345]

The Rover was a great motorway cruiser, I never had anyone escape from the back of the car. However panda cars then were cheap ford's which had no get up and go

[@martinstroud9104]

Volvo 2.3 5pot turbo over 200bhp no contest

[@andrewwmacfadyen6958]

Rover 820 Vitesse Turbo Sport 😊

[@oldskool1234]

The 827 didnt have a rover engine it was a honda engine

[@DessieTots]

The Rover 827 doesn’t have the presence that the Vauxhall Senator / Opel Monza had. It’s not a bad looking car but a bit bland.

[@markpaul1154]

Volvo t5 had one big issue, you couldn't turn the damned thing around if you tried, 3 point turns became 33 point turns.

[@Twistandgouk]

T5 beater come off ot 😂

[@seancooper9138]

Ex traffic car with PIG as the number plate is hilarious, an inside joke or just bad luck?

[@ltrtg13]

I thought the only thing the Rover 827 could beat the Volvo T5 to. Was the back of the tow truck.

[@damianweathers2173]

The Volvo will beat the Rover but neither are a patch on the Vauxhall Senator

[@carlosfrumpy4895]

Right car reliable Honda engine

[@Danilad89]

With them specs mate it aint getting no where near a t5 my dads had one for about 16 years

[@ChristopherLehane-nl1tk]

Yup! But that's the newer one, the MK2, the MK 1's were much better, and yes, they were 'Tweaked' dum de dum, re-bored, Ali block, the down-side of said block, top speed was... Or at least mine was... Well over 160...!😉K.

[@chucky2316]

Id dust that in a volvo mate

[@StephenH-ms9og]

Volvo.

[@peasmold1234]

The 850 T5 would leave it for dead, The Rover would fall apart under hard acceleration.

[@glenncaukill1320]

Honda v6 2.7 , engine was great , rest of car not so good

[@JTV84]

FWD, open diff, big car. both losers really.