Saved From The Scrapheap? Will this 1997 Rover 114 1.4 GSi Run & Drive after being sat for 10 years?

[@seasideautoservices7605]

This is the best channel I’ve watched since I started watching KZbin.

[@tastyclassics]

That's a very nice thing to say thank you!

[@seasideautoservices7605]

@@tastyclassics your very welcome. I’d like to donate something to you. Is there anything you need? Tool wise! With in reason though haha

[@tastyclassics]

@@seasideautoservices7605 That's very kind of you! You've seen what I use, I'd appreciate absolutely anything but you don't have to!

[@seasideautoservices7605]

@@tastyclassics or get I don’t have to but I want to. Your video’s are right up my alley. Do you have an address i can have to send you something

[@tastyclassics]

@@seasideautoservices7605 that's very kind of you I can't put it on here but you'll find it on benmolesworthmotorcars.co.uk/contact-us ❤️

[@DjNikGnashers]

The K series engine did have a terrible standard head gasket, but that is resolved with an upgraded modern head gasket, freely available. The actual engine aside from the head gasket is actually very good. I don't hear too many people criticising the series 1 Lotus Elise for having a terrible engine !!! I worked for a classic car parts supplier, and the upgraded head gaskets were always in stock, and not too expensive either, so it's not an expensive job. So, I think you are just repeating 'myths' about the K series without any real context or fact matey. A sorted K series is a brilliant engine, very revvy, very reliable.

[@thejudge-kv2jk]

100%. Quite annoying to hear.

[@richardnewman8983]

Hello Tasty Classics I love ❤️ watching your videos they are exciting and never get boring. Thank you for being on KZbin as I am disabled and suffer with mental health issues it’s always a joy to watch you do your cars/and all sorts of other wonderful stuff. I love old cars and my dad loved his cars but he died when I was a teenager and I have always loved working on cars and I used to buy bangers and do them up and sell them for a little profit when possible. Anyway take care From Richard in Dronfield Derbyshire

[@craigjohnston1194]

Love these videos, can’t be bothered with all the restoration guff on the tv now. Now many of us can relate to ex F1 mechanics but can to someone who has to improvise, ask for help and occasionally drop washers inside the engine 😂. Keep them coming Ben

[@tastyclassics]

Haha I couldn't agree more cheers mate!

[@shaun4164]

I love the horse strapped to a trailer idea, your definitly onto something 😂

[@OldSonyMan]

How about inventing 'drive through' bar'b'ques (basically someone's garage 'on fire' with the doors open and the back wall missing !)

[@ruivaleriano9273]

The crime is that there is in fact a photo .Real or fake we all saw it. So you love a crime.

[@shaun4164]

@@ruivaleriano9273 wtf are you smoking, sort ya head out

[@taxidude]

Why stop at horses. I'm thinking of the wife!

[@Beauloqs]

The whole cash for bangers deal hurts when i think about what got crushed.

[@isaacsrandomvideos667]

Some of the cars they scrapped are worth a bloody fortune now. Specially the Japanese stuff, and the fords.

[@johncarroll9986]

How Right you are such a shame all those Great cars Distroyed at the time

[@fillipo1972]

If i had the cars i scrapped back in the day i would be rich. Gutted

[@kfkwAL7]

@@isaacsrandomvideos667the reality is they’re worth a because of the amount that got crushed.

[@marklittler784]

Think many are still waiting to be crushed too !!!

[@troygoodacre2718]

I have a near concours 114 sli same colour with 29,000 miles. Only thing I’m missing is those alloy wheels. It’s a great fun modern classic I’ve just had all new refurbished hydragas units fitted so it drives just as it did when new

[@michaelbolt4530]

There’s a man in the south who started a small business refurbishing hydragas units he was in practical classics magazine not long ago

[@andrewmalyon5699]

Hi Ben,another great entertaining video,we do not need wheeler dealers or car sos anymore, just an hr video from you once a week, much more fun to watch,and thank goodness half of your videos are not taken up with a " car vertical" check.

[@Pierre-de-Standing]

I had a Rover Metro 1.4GSi - it was a fabulous motor. My understanding is that the early K series engines didn't suffer from HGF and if some Land Rover head gaskets and bolts were fitted, the later ones would be OK too.

[@davarosmith1334]

Not bad for £300 , the K series once the head gaskets been took care of it's rather reliable. I drove 280 miles and back in a 1.8 k series Rover 45 no issues. The car done me proud!

[@byronmills5952]

The smaller 8v K Series weren't half as prone to head gasket failure as the 16v and larger variants.

[@Captain_Scarlet_SIG]

K Series twin cams engines were quite revolutionary all aluminium strong revy units and once the HG was upgraded and done properly gave little problems there are far worse engines out there, I have three K Series cars and have had no issues with any HG’s.

[@byronmills5952]

@@Captain_Scarlet_SIG Agreed great engines when properly serviced and looked after. In my opinion its the marginal level of cooling system content rather than the engine itself which didn't help head gasket failure - any small loss of coolant and the engine would instantly run hot with inevitable results. I had an early 8v K series 1.1 powered Metro followed by an R8 214 16v and they were both trouble free.

[@waynelittle5583]

People say the k series is that bad but if they are maintained properly correct coolant etc there actually reliable the Corsa d engines are more prone to head gasket failure I have a rover 45 51 plate on 72k miles now and never blown a head gasket I know because it's been in my family since brand new

[@jtothew4201]

Were the gaskets not thinner on some of the tuned engines like that used in the MGF? I had two go in those over the years.

[@TurboTimsWorld]

A few notes for you TC, all those BL/rover dash boards fitted all vehicles Layland/ rover/ Land Rover so if you owned a metro your Discovery had the same switches and dash...another flaw with the dash was the fuel gauge stopped and stayed in place so someone walking past your car at 3am could see if you had enough fuel for them to get home to a different town. the immobiliser could be bypassed in 3 mins and even quicker if you had forgotten to blip lock it. As for rust bearing in mind I was the second nearest MOT tester to the rover factory in Swindon we was failing Metros at 3 years old for rust, some of the problem was the body shells were pressed and semi assembled at Swindon then trucked 28mies to Oxford with no paint on, oh and then the workers went on strike lots of times...this meant your brand new car sat as a naked body shell somewhere on the line or out in a truck stop in the rain just Passed Farringdon on the A420. We pre cut repair panels and templates to weld in. A thing I miss MOTing is when you get a metro, open the door, put your thumb on the door seal and fingers into the bit where the floor meets the inner seal and squeeze !! crunch and Fail!! LOL Anyway owned 2 or 3 the last one I was doing 70 foot flat on the floor when the asleep taxi driver on cruise control hit me up the back end on the motorway, I was expecting him to race left passed me to the loos at the service station but he was sleeping and ploughed into the back of me, we did the most amazing slide with the o/s/r locked up the actual stopping distance of a metro thats hit up the back end on a motorway is the same distance from the slip way to the service station and I was still on the motorway luckily with 3 lanes to spin across. only the drivers door opened even the sunroof popped out the boot lid had popped and the glass was gone, the rear doors never opened again and I had to yank open the wife's door to open it, it folded like paper! and that was a rear end shunt at speed in the same direction 20-40 mph difference ?

[@danh6079]

Had a Metro 1.4GL, the radio went funky, so i unplugged it while driving. The Engine then Earthed through the accelerator cable and set the throttle at full. FUN!!! Then it got nicked while i was at college, What really gutted me was that the police found it and made me take it back :(

[@stephenclarke8540]

Ben you really are the patron saint of lost cause s bless you only on the tasty channel love it pal

[@kevinholt5886]

Your content is awesome! Love what you do… I’ve watched 4/5 of you videos now f***ing brilliant I’d rather watch you than any shit on the tele 😂

[@wiedietie]

I hope this channel explodes with new Subscribers! I really enjoy your content, keep up the great work 🍻

[@tastyclassics]

Haha so do I! thank you ❤

[@nattcrawlertechgames]

New subscriber here, just binge watching all your videos! Rover metro 111 Kensington was the first car I ever bought. 16years old, just left school, started my apprenticeship at east Lancs coach builders and bought it off a guy that worked there with a blown head gasket for £50 lol. Unfortunately I was too naive to seriously attempt to fix it so I had it for about 4 months on my parents drive way before my dad got sick of it and told me to scrap it. Thing is when I think back, it was impeccable apart from the head gasket, 1996 N reg in the maroon red colour (could have been mistaken for a dark pink in some light 😅). Anyways, you are fast becoming my new favourite KZbinr and I love the fact that you’re in my county haha. Keep doing what you do bud! Loving your content!

[@marcb5328]

Leave diesel down the cylinders of a seized lump for a few days works wonders loving the video

[@gimble447]

Every time!!!! Little point trying any other way as it’s never failed me yet 🤞

[@jimbob-robob]

50:56 "Glove box"... "Starter Motor"... easy thing to confuse...😂

[@krisrichardson6690]

I know bugger all about cars but these are brilliant and a real education. I’ve been binge watching them for two weeks now. Thank you!

[@MattVF]

Always a “Metro to far” for me. To be fair Austin Rover had designed a very nice super mini but BAE Aerospace (owners at time) said it couldn’t afford it. So we got this instead. On the plus side it got the interconnected suspension that the Metro should have had from day 1 and a more modern engine than the ancient A series that was plonked into every BL car possible. Love the channel. Your a natural!

[@tastyclassics]

Thanks you Matt!!

[@Chris-zo6xd]

‘Built by people who didn’t want to build it ‘ classic 😂

[@willswheels283]

Good Vid Ben, on the point of the K series engine, yes they blow head gaskets, yes the reputation did contribute to Rovers demise but a good sorted K series engine can prove to be a very reliable, revvy, tuneable engine, from experience of owning 4 cars with the K series engine and still own one currently , look after it and it will look after you.

[@drnick1972]

I love your videos Ben. Your presenting style cracks me up 😂👏👏

[@tastyclassics]

Thank you mate!

[@mikes747]

Your story of what you did as a young driver made me think how i used to behave on the road when i was 17. Its amazing that im still alive to be honest! On another point my mate had a rover 114 and it was a proper rapid little thing!

[@Googleuser-et1ot]

The resurrection vids are the best! Forget the big restos

[@spainter1985]

Them GSI's went pretty well - brings back memories trying to jack up my '87 Metro in around 2003. Crunchy crunch.

[@sebastiantuck1813]

Just scrapped a Hyundai matrix GSI lol, another great vid mate 👌🤙

[@janskeet1382]

A lot of fun and nicely done. And you have great hair!

[@redditch11b]

So glad its running buddy 😁 Also, "The power steering doesn't work..." did make me laugh 😅

[@stevehall3410]

Loving the videos. Discovered your channel a few months back and slowly working my way through all your old ones. Nice one tasty 👍🏻👍🏻

[@myacidninjatheamazing1025]

the belt squalling reminds me of when my dad starts his truck up right after theres been the morning dew on the ground

[@craigjohnston1194]

Another brilliant video, loved the suggestion about horse transport 😂. What a shame the underside of the 100 is so bad.

[@Retro_andy_1977]

Well done for getting it running!great video

[@kevhamilton4253]

Have to say the best bit for me is The RAD the rover alarm dance I had to watch it again 😂 good stuff Ben great video thanks

[@23toxic23]

You have to do a short of the old boy walking into the hanging basket. His reaction was like he had been shot. Hilarious. I was in tears and watched about 6 times again.

[@johnrodgers9877]

Ben ; The things you do for your viewers , amazes me ! Adore your accent and sense of humour ! Always a pleasure to watch your antics , from Canada .

[@leeroynozzaar]

New to your page and im really enjoying your videos,keep up the great work

[@SeizedGearbox]

#bitofblue #waitingforthebus loving the blue for the dads!

[@stevebarker1974]

Only been watching you since the wasaabi vid,watched a few vid,especially the mv6 as I have one,fantastic Commentary fantastic repair work generally evrything is fantastic,keep up the great work(got sick of using fantastic)👍👍👍👍👍

[@01123581321341]

My brother had one of those as his first car. Turned into a massive kettle after about 6 months but he loved it 😂

[@moreflowfalls2404]

I love this show. Really makes me wish I had done mechanics. Auto and Electrics. I have watched 2 episodes so far. The presenter is a cool brother. I drive this type of Metro back in 1997, at work. Cars are changing Am going to watch more. Yo, the joy in the presenter as he drove the Metro. Stating "it's smooth as silk"....classic.

[@mickkeen1294]

A great entertaining video again Ben. Such a shame these rotted like hell! The interiors are pretty cool though and look quality. I had a rover 214sei and it was quite a sporty thing. But the car through its history had 3 engines again highlighting the mechanical issues 🚙🚙🚙

[@twocvbloke]

ooooooh that crunching, those red cornflakes, the deformation!!! That thing is pooched!!! Definitely a spares car, that's for sure!!! :S And a couple suggestions; clip the mic onto the side of your cap, all the cool kids are doing it (and keeps it from being sat or rolled onto!), and; acquire one of them poppy-uppy gazebo tenty things to add shade outside so you don't end up looking like a chicken leg on the barbecue... :P

[@tastyclassics]

Great idea! Red cornflakes aswell 🤣🤣

[@stevekaye565]

Great videos - so informative for us total mechanic novices - also love the fact that you don’t swear consistently like many others - pop over for a coffee and see if you can get my 1956 beetle started that’s been sitting for 20 years 😃🤣 keep up the good work

[@Scotts23]

I have really enjoyed this video because I used to have an Rplate rover 114GSI in British racing green and it was a proper little pocket rocket and I absolutely loved it thanks for bringing me back some really good and a few bad memories

[@malcolmaston3547]

I had a 111i (think the I was for I saw you coming). Great car up to 70mph, after that it was a martini shaker, lost most of my fillings. Loved seeing one last hurrah for the Rover/metro/100, cheers Ben.

[@PB_657]

Peeing myself laughing at the nude art. £300 seems a lot for a scrap car!

[@stevejones1972]

How appropriate you decided to do a Metro - in honour of one of its designers; Harris Mann who died 3 days ago on 14th August, aged 85. He'd be proud I'm sure that his little baby the Metro, lived on for 18 years, from 1980 till 1998 pretty much unchanged apart from a few tweaks to the original design. By 1998 though it was so old fashioned compared to the competition, but strange to think that the car it was intended to replace, the original Mini, outlived it by a couple of years. I had a Metro in the early 90s, basic B reg 1985 model 1.0 City X - was not a bad car, but ideal for those who are not on a great income, and for old grannies, who were the predominant drivers. Indeed my Granny did have more than one Metro, she had 3, one after the other. At least the early Metros had the A series engines which were OK.

[@chrisbishop2567]

oh my days brings back the memories ,had a couple but the one that makes me have a giggle is the one i procured of a mate? told me it got moted driving it back home and the rear sub frame decided it wanted to go in the opposite direction ended up in a field minus the rear wheels but totaly beaming ear to ear thoes were the days thanks man for the giggle fest

[@worldofrandometry6912]

Great video. Very entertaining. The crap we had to drive back in the day!

[@darrellpalmer5902]

Loving the content mate, shame it wasn’t able to put this one back on the road. Looking forward to the next video

[@chrisflaws6763]

Really enjoy these long start to finish will it runs. Good content again.

[@MrManBuzz]

When I saw the two front lift arms literally going through the floor I was like "get the hell out of there" That degree of rust is shocking.

[@jonathanbowles2577]

Good afternoon. Yes, what a lovely little Rover 114 GSI Hatchback. Unfortunately, she has come to the end of her Life. Just spare parts for other Rovers. Your video's are very Entertaining and Educational. This is what your Amasing channel is all about. very much Tasty Classics. Sadly, you do not see these on our roads anymore. The modern day car, just seems to be a Blob and four wheels. No Life, No Soul, No Character. What has happened to the car industry?? You have a really Great channel my Friend.

[@clivewinn1588]

Hello Ben! Just back from the pub, nigh on 80 and love your series hence I'm having a natter. My first car was an Austin 10 and the rest including Zodiacs, Zepyhrs, Morris minors and Capris amongst many others I've fixed along the way, including changing big end bearings whilst up on ramps with greasy rain dribbling down my neck, reminded me of those times. I've caught up and seen all of your episodes and look forward to more of the same. 2025 now and still waiting. People now don't remember cracks down distributer caps only seen in the dark or crap in that thing that distributes petrol. (the rigours of old age). What's the point of this mumble. Ah yes; you're a lovely geezer and I appreciate your discourse but I need more to see me out for another 20 years until the King sends me a telegram. I've got a Kuga now and love it because it's got lots of toys and I don't have to bend down so far. I would love my third classic Jag but can't afford the tax on my pension. Sorry about this but as I said I've been up the pub, the missus has just woke me up, hence the rambling. Au revoir old mate and I wish you all the best in your endeavours. Clive

[@bertoltb13]

Who knew taking the wheel off also frees up a seized engine. A couple of patches and it’ll be right as rain! Good stuff Ben.

[@tastyclassics]

It was a first for me! 😅

[@richardskinner6804]

I love your reaction when something starts up 😅😅

[@Cheekymonkey1]

Good night everyone I love your videos of you and your cars that you rescue and get back on the road

[@paulcherrytrains3339]

You have some great items. Looking forward to seeing the Shakespeare Express running. I have many memories of travelling on the HST trains. Thanks for showing regards Paul.

[@kevinclarkson5565]

Ah, the Rover 100... I love these little cars. Best handling little car ever! And way better in every way than the Mk3 Polo... Fortunately, it's a non-airbag car. The airbag equipped cars probably would score zero on the NCAP test as it will likely kill you in the event of a crash. The airbag would direct you into the collapsing A post... It's a nice steering wheel though... My little 100, a 1.1 Kensington called Kenny was amazing! No anti-roll bars but incredible fun! Rust kills them though... I would have a GSi or a GTa in a heartbeat! 😊 Now seen the whole video. Shame it's too rusty. But it's not surprising. Rot claims them all. Loved the video though!

[@Restoration9s]

Brilliant 1st video. You've set the bar high lads 😅

[@neilwalsh4058]

I'd much rather own and drive that ,than a '97 Fiesta with an engine that started life in the Anglia in the 1950's! Fixed once and fixed properly with the correct HG, the K-series is a cracking engine. It was a relatively modern engine in 1997 too, not nearly 40 years old like that pig iron Kent lump in the Fiesta.

[@CraigAllinson-o5t]

Pat pending, let's work on it ! Awesome

[@johncarroll9986]

My late sister had one of these cars and at the time it was great

[@stul71]

I'm 100% sure these never had power steering. Well done getting it running in any case, I had nearly 80k on a 1990 Metro 1.1S from nearly new with no head gasket issues ever, great car.

[@michaelporter8485]

Waiting for a bus 😂😂😂 them paintings had me crying 😂

[@colinevans39]

Your phobia of insects is very apparent and I understand but mine is a phobia of people 👍😊

[@taylorlong6576]

I have the exact same motor same colour everything but done the engine conversion 1.8 vvc turbo, absolute pocket rocket.

[@mancavehobbies6213]

Nowt on tonight and then Tasty Classics popped up. Time to make a coffee settle down .

[@BlueXonar]

Might ask if the guy who sold the car would like the art back, unless it isn't his either! What a random find! Lol

[@papalaz4444244]

"What did you do at school today, Thomas?" "Cats and tits."

[@Dino_Dad.]

That was a whole load of fun. It was like you managed to raise the titanic and get those big steam engines fired up. As it crashed into a 2 post lift I think it's encap has now slipped to 0 now. 😂

[@robtorino]

Awesome!!! Just gone on my break 😁

[@jonphelps3638]

Brilliant vid TCUK. I learnt to drive in an D reg metro back in the 80s, grandmother had one which I had a few spins in, and later my dad got an 95 M GTA version very nippy. All rusted to dust. Keep it going man. Your dry humour is great. Looking forward to the next left4dead 😊😊

[@wobblybobengland]

Them fkin alarms, I remember one summer Saturday, back in the day, I came back from work and my brother should have been home, I opened the front door and set the burglar alarm off but I didn't have the key to an inner door so I couldn't deactivate the house alarm, I then phoned a mate who said they were down the pub. Ran down the pub and a mate was there with his Metro, so I automatically opened the drivers door and asked him to run me home, as soon as I'd done that 'beep beep beep' and he said, you have to deactivate the alarm and then open the drivers door, otherwise you can't turn the alarm off, even when driving. By the time we had got back to my parent's old house, the alarm with an around 125dB shrill had attracted an audience of about 20 people, then we turned up in the fking Metro, beep beep beep, a more embarrassing car than a Metro you could not buy back then.

[@andrewbrown3580]

And there I was, thinking you would weld her up and get her singing down the motorway lol

[@markcassidy5883]

Nice looking wee car,,,shame it's so rotten, another great enjoyable video,,,

[@dreammaker730]

Metros, always good in terms of nostalgia. Borrowed a mates d reg once , horrible driving position, engine was ancient. I know let's put plastic cill covers on they will protect the metal work , not hid all the rust trap mud and hold moisture 😂😂. Remeber those paisley seats from my short time as a valeter. Video was a blast from the past , cheers.

[@damiansutton646]

i love metros always have done great save

[@andrewmeadows2596]

Waiting for a bus😂😂. I must use public transport again.

[@IamBATMAN2024]

Imagine having to try and strap an horse down to a trailer! You might be able to do it once but that same horse isn’t going anywhere near a trailer again!! 😂

[@depniff]

I didn't appreciate that those were plastic sill covers. I thought the sills were painted black and they didn't look too bad. So very crunchy. Great video and lovely paintings. It would be good to track him down and maybe some of the models..

[@tastyclassics]

I've messaged him!

[@keithhetherington2397]

Excellent as always sir! How about sticking that k series into Robs copen!! 😂😂

[@jamesbritton1502]

Entertainment as always. Top job 👍 Another successful mission.

[@NB_NB_NB]

It will pass an MOT at Arnold Clark

[@andyquinn5122]

15:55 this is why we love tasty classics

[@dirktheodale7066]

Got two tasty classics for the price of one here...

[@leeboreham7940]

I looked at buying one of these brand new back in the day (GSi with leather) but it cost more to insure than the GTi 16v, crazy times 😂

[@localreviewking134]

I wondered were my art class paints went.

[@borisklinar9808]

I'l drove it once but it was 114 GTI, Honda engine 1993,105PS. And when you floored it was an knockaut -700kg. !And a death trap! SLOVENIJA, SLOVENIJA!!!

[@goldenhustle]

Just love a metro/100 really wish I had some cash to grab one! Nice video

[@philipatkings9225]

Fantastic! Really enjoyed it!

[@jonasbjork6593]

You're a good welder, you just have to get that car back on the road!

[@jonasbjork6593]

@ianpreece2739 Hehe, he can do it, I have confidence. 🤣 It would be pretty awesome, all that work and money for a car that would be worthless. Would make for a good KZbin series ...

[@andyb1577]

R and B I used to call rovers Rust Bucket 😅😅😅

[@jaggass]

The Metro Clubman next to it doesn't look too bad. It needs rescuing.

[@chriscarr3916]

Throughly enjoyed it 👏🏻👍🏻 This should've had a 🚨🚨SILL ALERT!🚨🚨 flash on screen lol

[@johnmcmahon4364]

Great video again, engine sounds good, very entertaining ,so funny

[@PeeJay7290]

You can buy updates gaskets for the K series these days. I’ve got an 03 MG TF which has only had it changed once… So far

[@drewwalker1148]

Another brilliant film TC.

[@shurlin79]

The art in the car is worth more then the car itself)