Advice

Roverlady

Roverlady

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
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Shenandoah valley
We have 5 vehicles. To some of you, that's not very many...but it's getting a little old.

2 are new(er) and are not paid off just yet. Those are our daily drivers.

Then we have 3 Rovers. The 95 and 92 are still good runners but have their fair share of annoying little issues. We kept thinking the 92 was near death and eventually we would part it and build up the 96 a little. The 96 has been sitting in our garage (in non-running state) since winter 2009. It's the cleanest and prettiest (mostly) of the three. But I'd really like to get it out of the garage and will not park a non-running vehicle in our yard!!

I've had my 95 since 2002 and love it. Lots of sweat equity in it. Good body, etc. Paint is faded and seats are torn. The 92 is awesome in the snow but it has some rust that is starting to show and it's in pretty rough shape.

I'm afraid our family and friends think we are approaching "hoarder" level...

So, sell the 96?
Sell one of the others and keep the 96 for 15 years so our daughter can have it?
Combine them all into one nice (old) Disco? :eek:
 
Ed Cheung

Ed Cheung

Well-known member
Aug 23, 2006
1,584
2
Hong Kong
Since those 3 are already paid off long ago and by selling it you would get much out of it neither. If I were in your shoes I would properly combine them into 2 good running rovers. I would keep the 96 for sure as it is the best shape, and properly restore the 95 as it sound like you love it the most.

For me I would keep all three.
 
kennith

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
The 95 is a capable vehicle that doesn't require perfect treatment. That's a valuable thing, and you've had it long enough that there's absolutely no sense selling it.

The 96, if it's nice and clean, could be worth bringing back to life as a daily driver. It might even be worth a partial restoration. You could have a lot of fun with that.

Cheers,

Kennith
 
rovercanus

rovercanus

Well-known member
Apr 24, 2004
9,651
246
Build one good Rover out of the others then drag the shells into a field so they can become shootin' trucks.
 
p m

p m

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Apr 19, 2004
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Fix the one with the cleanest body.
Engines are a dime a dozen, and, having put about half a million miles on one 89, two 95s, and two 96s - there's not a bit of a difference between 14CUX and GEMS, reliability-wise.
 
D

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,735
1,026
Northern Illinois
p m said:
Fix the one with the cleanest body.
Engines are a dime a dozen, and, having put about half a million miles on one 89, two 95s, and two 96s - there's not a bit of a difference between 14CUX and GEMS, reliability-wise.
Click to expand...

After fixing about a half a million Rovers, I would disagree with your reliability quote. Respectfully of course.
 
MM3846

MM3846

Well-known member
Feb 18, 2014
1,230
164
LI, NY
I like the simplicity of the 14CUX motor.... Yea, the GEMS system isn't the most advanced in the world but the early OBDII systems were a little wonky (in my experience with all cars, not just Rovers). They just HAD to change it again when it was working great after sorting out all of the vacuum-run emissions control nightmares of the 80s.

Plus, safety only inspection here in NY.
 
Tugela

Tugela

Well-known member
May 21, 2007
4,764
564
Seattle
1. Cannibalize all the parts off the 92 and 95 that are compatible with the 96 so you have an inventory of spares.
2. Sell what's left of the 92 and 95.
3. Get the 96 running. Install a rebuilt engine and you'll have years of reliable operation.

Like Stew and Jimmie I am partial to the GEMS engines. I've owned 2 GEMS and one 14CUX. The only reason I'd go back to 14CUX is to own a RRC.
 
D

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,735
1,026
Northern Illinois
p m said:
Stew - is it a design issue or maintenance issue? Or simply climate?
Click to expand...

Gems is so much less problematic. No moving parts in the ignition system is a huge plus. The distributors have so many issues like water under the cap, modules and coils. The whole issue with the module getting too hot in its original location and being relocated to the bracket the coil rides on. Then I learned the hard way that the module takes the coil out. I learned that by replacing the module(no correction) took the module back out of the car and reinstalled the original then put a coil in it(no correction) left the coil in in and went back to parts for the module and installed it again with the new coil still in(fixed) So after going thru all that shittery once, I learned and used to put the coil AND the module in.

I know a lot of guys like the distributors because it makes sense to them. Distributors have been around forever and they have always understood how it works so they can fix them. But GEMS ignition systems don't seem to fail ever. So understanding how to fix it isn't important. But I do remember when I had to fix my first cars with Distributor-less ignition back in like 84 with Oldsmobile it was kind of daunting. So I get that.
 
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p m

p m

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Apr 19, 2004
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discostew said:
I know a lot of guys like the distributors because it makes sense to them. Distributors have been around forever and they have always understood how it works so they can fix them. But GEMS ignition systems don't seem to fail ever. So understanding how to fix it isn't important. But I do remember when I had to fix my first cars with Distributor-less ignition back in like 84 with Oldsmobile it was kind of daunting. So I get that.
Click to expand...
I was wondering if you were a closet lover of 14CUX :)

14CUX allows a lot more "deferred maintenance" before caving in. It'll run on ridiculously low fuel pressure, it'll run with distributor cap halfway off, and with a bunch of other crap dead or halfway dead.
But I feel the CEL of GEMS for a reason of lean condition is a #1 engine saver. And the fact that it will bitch about little things is not a bad one for me.

Both have been equally good to me, so my choice between a 95 and 96 wouldn't include engine management.
 
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