Rover owners: Hold on. I have a good idea. 620ti Stowbar Content.

Hold on, I have an

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My second project MG ZT ( Currently on long term SORN due to £270 VED P.A. ) came with the complete Witter Stowbar Frame attached, minus the all important quickly detachable Stowbar Ball attachment. I sourced the latter and transferred the complete assembly to my daily driver MG ZT Saloon after cleaning and painting the assembly to protect against corrosion. Impressive piece of Kit. :~

More recently, spotted another Stowbar Frame less ball attachment on a 75 in a local scrapyard. Removed that, refurbished it and fitted it to the ZT-T :~

Again a patient search on ebay produced the missing part for a few quid. Delighted with the result. These QD ( Quickly Detachable ) Stowbars and really useful and versatile. Used both a couple of times already. Recovering an MG Metro ( Contact Breaker points closed up ~ What's those Dad? ) and a few of trips to the Council tip to dispose of a trailer loads of assorted rubbish.

The second ebay Stowbar Ball Attachment came with the fixing bracket as well. So that was spare as I already had one. I wonder if it's possible to fit it to the Rover 620ti. Careful measurements showed it should be possible but drilling the additional mounting holes, removing excess metal from the 620ti's tow bar frame were beyond my resources. I used a local engineering firm ( in Stonehouse ) to do that for me ... cost thirty quid but they did a perfect job so money well spent. Here's the modified Frame with additional bolt hole :~

Trial fitment...perfect :~

Rubbed down the frame ( which I had painted/refurbished ten years previously when first fitted to the 620ti ) where needed and painted the bare metal with Hammerite Smooth Black and Gold. Just a few mms in the bottom of old tins I hate to see wasted.. My previous effort confirmed it was time well spent. The old tow bar was in very good shape and should live on for more years with fresh paint :~

Fitted to car :~

Stowbar locked in place. Takes a few seconds only to remove or replace.

Some years ago, a near neighbour had on pro-fitted to his car on the hard standing in front of his garage. He had little change out of four hundred quid. By patient searches of ebay and local breaker yards, three of my cars have Stowbars fitted to them for a mere fraction of that. They are a nice piece of kit.

They are always handy. Few years or so ago, a good friend phoned up late at night rather worried. His daughter's car had broken down a few miles away from me. Could I recover her car to their place a few miles away ... yes, of course I could. Few days later, my son phoned up. His clutch slave cylinder had packed up stranded in Cheltenham... losing fluid past that little seal ~ soon had his car back home. Then there was the BMW I pulled out of a ditch during a period of exceptional freakish sheet ice in Gloucestershire. His rear wheel drive car could not cope and slid into the ditch and nearly tipped over.,

That's what friends and Dads are for. However, if you prefer a more peaceful life with less interruptions, do NOT fit a tow bar ... or, do not let folks know your car has one...... .....