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OMG ZT-T - my first V6


Dan_ZTT

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Likewise, this slipped out of the first half dozen posts I can be arsed to read usually.

Nicely bought, that looks amazing. Dunno what it is, not sure I'd give a 75 the time of day (LOL GIFFER COFFIN DODGER CHARIOT) but a ZT-T is proper nice looking despite being 99% the same car. 

 

And yes, having a TV in your car is the future. I saw it in The Jetsons.

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Time for an interior shot to show that non-functioning television in all it's tiny-screened glory;

 

post-24231-0-97001000-1522156694_thumb.jpg

 

I also did that build data thing at http://www.mg-rover.info/ and learned things;

 

off_assembly_date Tuesday, 17th September 2002 @ 11:46:24

model ZT-T

variant 190 +

num_doors 5

paint_code MBB

brochure_model_desc ZT-T M2 Plus Tourer 2.5 KV6 (190)

sales_model_derivative RNZTF

sales_model_derivative_desc MG ZT-T + 190

sequence_number 8380

spec_code L01B

home_export HOME

cicode K6215

country GREAT BRITAIN

exterior_paint Starlight Silver

interior_trim Ash / Dark Smokestone

engine 2500 NA 190Bhp

trimlevel TL 7.1 (M2)

bodytype ZTT

manual_auto M

hand_of_drive RHD

model_year 2001

sold_date 2002-10-01 00:00:00

registering_cicode K6215

n09_feature N09A

 

General Information

 

This vehicle was the 2,430th ZT-T to run off the production line, out of 8,249

This vehicle was the 846th ZT-T 190 + to be made out of 1,756

This vehicle was the 99th ZT-T in Starlight Silver (code: MBB) to be made out of 1,134 Starlight Silver ZT-Ts

 

 

My 3-year-old nephew got to see this for the first time on Sunday and had a great time climbing all through it and sitting in the driver's seat. He found the horn too, so now I know that works...

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was going out 'on the town' for the wife's step-sister's birthday last Saturday night, thought I'd generously offer to collect my in-laws en route and figured I should take my lovely MG to do so. Pickup successful, I parked up in the town centre and off we walked towards a bar all happy and content. I looked back as I pressed the central locking button on the remote, and a great sense of dread ran through me as I spotted a stream of liquid coming out on to the tarmac from below the engine...

 

Took a closer look (nothing like kneeling on wet tarmac in my smartest shoes & jeans...) and saw it was coolant, but no time to investigate properly due to the impending dinner reservation so I had no choice but to sit and run through the possibilities in my head for a couple of hours, admittedly while enjoying an otherwise lovely meal...

 

Returned to the car around 10, there was a small puddle underneath but not as much as I'd feared given the rate it was coming out earlier, so I drove it carefully to the in-laws' house a couple of miles away, topped up with water and it only took about a litre to get it back to the level. Slightly reassured I drove it the 15 miles home and it felt normal, temp gauge didn't go above the mid-point. Bed time, worry about it in the morning...

 

Checked the level on Sunday and it was down again but only took a few hundred mls to get back to min, so I'm diagnosing some kind of pressure-sensitive leak. During Saturday daytime it had it's first big run out since the collection journey so maybe that's what's triggered the failure.

 

My spannering skillz are limited so it's going to a local MG/Rover specialist on Thursday for a proper investigation, hopefully it's a relatively straightforward fix...

 

Aside from that though, it's been very enjoyable to drive these first few weeks...

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Cracking. For me the 75s have to be very early and very well appointed, and the ZTs have to be early with an extra T. This is smashing.

 

I wish Essdeewon was still about. He told an anecdote that I can only vaguely remember; the essence of which was a guy on the 75ZT forum deliberately still on the original belts, in a bid to prove they’re stronger than everyone thinks.

 

Enjoy it!

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Late to this thread. I'm biased as own a 75 estate but a diesel.

However recently purchased a Freelander with the KV6 engine and that gets a shift on when prompted, so bet its awesome in the ZT.

 

Two things;

 

Can the thermostat mod be done on the V6 as well as the diesel,  Basically its a Renault 4 thermostat shoved in the upper rad pipe. Mine was running cold when purchased and this has sorted it for the last two years.

 

Would be interested in which MG/Rover specialist you are using as also in the West Mids (Halesowen), so having someone local for 75/freelander issues could be useful.

 

- Dave -

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The housing itself is plastic but a metal one is available via the owners forum.

 

It's nestled right in the V and is a known problem. I know this previously and currently.

 

Inlet manifold gasket and O rings are good to do as well when it's all being done.

Previous owner did all of these things on mine not that long ago, so really hoping that's not the cause of this latest issue. We shall see...

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Would be interested in which MG/Rover specialist you are using as also in the West Mids (Halesowen), so having someone local for 75/freelander issues could be useful.

 

- Dave -

Not used them before, only had the car a few weeks, but it's the closest garage that came up when I google searched, and they do have a big sign saying 'rover specialist' on the front of their building, so I'm taking that as a good sign. Will report back later in the week and recommend, or not, as appropriate.

 

Seemed to be a few options in and around Birmingham though, I guess due to Longbridge proximity

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It was the weight of that amp and speaker!

 

Hopefully nothing serious.  There's a set of metal coolant pipes at the front that are prone to rusting - it might be that since the usual suspects have been done already.  I invested in wasted cash on a stainless set from Rimmers.

 

 

Slightly reassured I drove it the 15 miles home and it felt normal, temp gauge didn't go above the mid-point.

 

See previous rant - because of some smartarse wanker at BMW (*other manufacturers smartarse wankers are available), it won't move from the centre for any temp between about 75 and 115c so even it's a getting a bit hot you won't get a lot of warning.

 

Just a thought - you aren't overfilling it are you?  I did that to mine when I first got it due to more BMW fuckwitted design.  There is a marker inside the tank that is really difficult to see -

post-20411-0-92630700-1524058423_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

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It was the weight of that amp and speaker!

 

Hopefully nothing serious. There's a set of metal coolant pipes at the front that are prone to rusting - it might be that since the usual suspects have been done already. I invested in wasted cash on a stainless set from Rimmers.

 

 

See previous rant - because of some smartarse wanker at BMW (*other manufacturers smartarse wankers are available), it won't move from the centre for any temp between about 75 and 115c so even it's a getting a bit hot you won't get a lot of warning.

 

Just a thought - you aren't overfilling it are you? I did that to mine when I first got it due to more BMW fuckwitted design. There is a marker inside the tank that is really difficult to see -

9.JPG

Haha I might have driven it fairly hard with the very heavy amp and speaker in it, but I'm sure it would have happened anyway... will try to get a look at those coolant pipes tonight, certainly seems possible it's that.

 

The tank design is really bad, I don't understand why they couldn't just make it translucent with markers on the outside like everyone else... apart from anything it's a pain having to take the cap off to check the level

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The tank design is really bad, I don't understand why they couldn't just make it translucent with markers on the outside like everyone else... apart from anything it's a pain having to take the cap off to check the level

 

Totally agree - how this was nicked from the "ultimate driving machine" when they had a perfectly serviceable one they could have used from various other Rover cars.  There's even a totally black variant which makes it almost impossible to fill accurately.

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Oh balls.

 

The garage just called, they're 99% sure the leak is from the water pump but obviously he hasn't taken it apart fully yet as this means doing a full cambelt job at the same time... rough estimate £900 all in... going to pick it back up from them tomorrow morning and have a think about options, advice welcome...

 

Tempted to just bung in a bottle of Radweld and hope for the best

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Definitely shop around - that price is OTT.

 

My dad has just had the water pump, cambelts, tensioners & thermostat done on his for £640 all in - get it done and it'll last forever. Mine is due a cam belt this year so I'll be forking out for the lot too. It sucks but it's the age these cars are at now - once it's done it'll be worth it

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Way OTT - MG Rover Mobile will charge you £450 plus fuel costs from Derby to fit new belts, tensioner and a water pump - should be cheaper just for the pump. Give em a ring mate, really

 

http://www.mg-rovermobilemechanics.com/pricelist

 

Other than that try the Rover 75/ZT owner's forum or Facefart group for other recommends

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Way OTT - MG Rover Mobile will charge you £450 plus fuel costs from Derby to fit new belts, tensioner and a water pump - should be cheaper just for the pump. Give em a ring mate, really

 

http://www.mg-rovermobilemechanics.com/pricelist

 

Other than that try the Rover 75/ZT owner's forum or Facefart group for other recommends

What he said! They are highly recommended and easily found on Faceache.

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Thanks all. Brought it home from the garage and have done a couple of short local journeys with no major coolant loss so I'm feeling better about it. Got a bottle of K-Seal which will go in soon as a short-term helping hand, and then in the not too distant future I'll give those mobile guys a ring and get the whole lot sorted. Would help if I could sell my Delta so I can afford it, but I should be able to do it in a month or two either way.

 

On a lighter note, I thought I'd get on with something I could actually do myself, so I tackled the headlights today. Meguiar's Plastx was the weapon of choice, combined with a cloth polishing mop in my cordless drill. I spent maybe ten minutes on each light and it's a marked improvement, very happy with the results;

 

Before;
post-24231-0-76417400-1524433769_thumb.jpg

 

After;

post-24231-0-07316400-1524433783_thumb.jpg

 

In combination with the sunshine, a bottle of beer, and streaming American country music radio, it made for a most pleasant afternoon's work.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Update 2 - I discovered what I think I already knew, this car is not 'cool' in the 'real world'. Went to a gig the other night and ran into a friend, offered her and her two friends (all three female, early 20s) a lift home to save them a train journey. Walked from the gig venue to my car and on seeing it was greeted with "that's a dad car, mate" from one, and immediate agreement from the others...

I might be just into my 30s now but I'm not a dad and I'm certainly not old enough to be theirs...

 

They did all enjoy the novelty of a cassette deck and a broken television though.

 

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