A warm welcome to all our overseas members

[Andrewg10rover]

Originally Posted by kwhitefoot

The mechanic I normally use in Drammen, Norway is reluctant to do work on things like door handles and locks because the parts are hard to find here and the work is time consuming. His best offer is that if I obtain the parts he will fit them. But without dismantling the door I have no idea what parts are needed. Does anyone know of a Rover specialist in Norway, preferably within, say, 150km of Drammen?

The specific problem is that the outside driver's door handle came off in my hand a few months ago and now the rear door on the same side is showing the same symptoms, won't open from the outside even though both doors open fine from the inside.

I've looked in the Haynes manual for instructions for removing and replacing the door trim but it looks altogether too much work for me to do self, not to mention the risk of breaking the various clips (which also seem to be hard to find). I don't even have a garage let alone a workshop and I've never been much good with this sort of craftsmanship anyway (I'm an electronics engineer).

I'm beginning to think I'll have to drive the car to the UK to get that sort of thing fixed.

Any advice?

The car is a 1999 Rover 75 Connoisseur in British Racing Green and I'm very fond of it but it's horribly expensive when things go wrong (here in Norway anyway).

Hi

If it's any help, removing the door cards isn't actually that difficult - I'm not particularly handy but I followed some instructions on these pages and it was quite straightforward. There is one point where you just have to be brave and lift and pull, firmly. If you do break a few clips it's no big deal - they are pennies/cents on eBay. It sounds like the sliding retainer behind the door that holds the door handle against the door has slipped out. It just needs pushing back with perhaps some glue/paint/gunk to stop it sliding out again. I think it will be obvious when you get the door card off! But I do know it's not the kind of job to be messing about with in bad weather, outdoors, with freezing fingers...a warm garage and a screwdriver is all you need though.

😬

[kwhitefoot]

Originally Posted by Andrewg10rover

Hi

If it's any help, removing the door cards isn't actually that difficult - I'm not particularly handy but I followed some instructions on these pages and it was quite straightforward. There is one point where you just have to be brave and lift and pull, firmly. If you do break a few clips it's no big deal - they are pennies/cents on eBay. It sounds like the sliding retainer behind the door that holds the door handle against the door has slipped out. It just needs pushing back with perhaps some glue/paint/gunk to stop it sliding out again. I think it will be obvious when you get the door card off! But I do know it's not the kind of job to be messing about with in bad weather, outdoors, with freezing fingers...a warm garage and a screwdriver is all you need though.

Thank you. Perhaps I'll give it a try. It's good to get an opinion from someone who has actually done the job while not being an expert, makes me feel a bit more confident that I might be able to do it without wrecking things.

[ChrisNHH]

If removing door cards, it's best to use this tool > https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ca...p%20tool&rct=j

Door clips tend to break when pulling. It's safer to remove cards/clips from behind.

If Germany is closer, then there are a few MG-Rover specialists in Hamburg.

We use this one > www.autohaus-seevetal.de

[COLVERT]

Originally Posted by ChrisNHH

If removing door cards, it's best to use this tool > https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ca...p%20tool&rct=j

Door clips tend to break when pulling. It's safer to remove cards/clips from behind.

If Germany is closer, then there are a few MG-Rover specialists in Hamburg.

We use this one > www.autohaus-seevetal.de

Belated thanks for that info. Yes those things do work well.--

[COLVERT]

Originally Posted by kwhitefoot

The mechanic I normally use in Drammen, Norway is reluctant to do work on things like door handles and locks because the parts are hard to find here and the work is time consuming. His best offer is that if I obtain the parts he will fit them. But without dismantling the door I have no idea what parts are needed. Does anyone know of a Rover specialist in Norway, preferably within, say, 150km of Drammen?

The specific problem is that the outside driver's door handle came off in my hand a few months ago and now the rear door on the same side is showing the same symptoms, won't open from the outside even though both doors open fine from the inside.

I've looked in the Haynes manual for instructions for removing and replacing the door trim but it looks altogether too much work for me to do self, not to mention the risk of breaking the various clips (which also seem to be hard to find). I don't even have a garage let alone a workshop and I've never been much good with this sort of craftsmanship anyway (I'm an electronics engineer).

I'm beginning to think I'll have to drive the car to the UK to get that sort of thing fixed.

Any advice?

The car is a 1999 Rover 75 Connoisseur in British Racing Green and I'm very fond of it but it's horribly expensive when things go wrong (here in Norway anyway).

On the forum there are lots of detailed How-Tos.

Also the search feature is handy for finding things too.

Many of the forum members had little experience of repairing cars but have learnt LOTS by reading the posts on here.

Quite a few say--"I didn't realise that was so easy to do or I would have done it myself sooner".

You could easily become one of these.--

If you can manage electrickery then all you have to is divert your thinking process slightly.


Happy reading. Colvert.

[kwhitefoot]

Thanks for the encouragement, I'll poke around the forum a bit for more instructions and hope the weather next weekend is good enough to give it a try.

Edit: I see I have some learning to do, accidentally posted this twice.

[suzublu]

This might help http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=79202
And this http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...d.php?t=122319

[kwhitefoot]

Originally Posted by suzublu

This might help http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=79202
And this http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...d.php?t=122319

Thank you for those two links. Especially the one that advises about where to get spare clips from. In my case the cable must be ok because I can still open the door from the inside.

On a slightly different topic: I see that it is possible to record one's thanks somehow on this forum so that it gets counted. How is that done?

[kwhitefoot]

Originally Posted by COLVERT

On the forum there are lots of detailed How-Toos.

Also the search feature is handy for finding things too.

Many of the forum members had little experience of repairing cars but have learnt LOTS by reading the posts on here.

Quite a few say--I didn't realise that was so easy to do or I would have done it myself sooner.

You could easily become one of these.--

If you can manage electrickery then all you have to is divert your thinking process slightly.


Happy reading. Colvert.

Thanks for the encouragement. I'll poke around the forum a bit for further instructions. Perhaps the weather will be kind next weekend so I can give it a try.