I would say fair enough, there’s more than one way to skin a cat, I was thinking more of getting the moisture out rather than displacing it & moving it elsewhere. If the outcome is the same your way is certainly less of a fag than mine.
I was looking at the photograph of the stripped interior & noted the notional water line. When you get around to rebuilding that do be conscious of the seatbelt pretentioners, these have a charge built in which when fired draws the belt tight as you are projected forward into the airbag. These will in all probability be duff. A short while ago I commented on parts bin cars being easier to get parts for & this could be a case in point. The connectors under the seats are poor & many owners have made alternative arrangements, explore other Rovers & see if their seat buckled are similar to your f.
I would like to bet a set off a 25 or 45 will be easier & cheaper to find on a scrap yard. If you source a a set from a scrappy get the whole loom under the seat, the connector is better & this is a job for me when the weather breaks.