Talk To Me About - MGF's

[SiC]

This is all elementary now they're becoming classics and enthusiasts cars where owners are prepared to love and care for them.

[dave21478]

I just spent most of the day in my MGF with no troubles at all.

 

I gassed it up with a quarter tank remaining on the gauge and the mileage saying 333 miles (536km) since I last filled up. It took 33.5 litres to fill up, so 6.25 L/100km which is 45.2mpg. 

[Lacquer Peel]

The only small Rover I'd trust to get me around without constant daily driver misery would be an XUD or L Series engined R8 or R3.

 

The T-series is a sturdy engine as well, I don't know why they didn't downsize it instead of up-sizing the K. The T is relatively old school with an iron block but plenty of manufacturers still use iron blocks, or at least did well into the 21st century.

 

The K-series is a much sweeter engine than the Honda D-series, torquey from low revs and more fuel efficient, but yeah, replacing the head gasket at major service intervals isn't worth it.

 

I agree with all of your points by the way, I was trolling a bit.

[alcyonecorporation]

I agree with all of your points by the way, I was trolling a bit.

I also concur with your conclusion.

[AnthonyG]

Its a lot easier to look for rust on an MX5 when buying one than it is to do all the head gasket/service history voodoo with an MGF/TF. This is why, even at the autoshite end of the market, an MX5 is generally worth twice as much as an F.

 

I've got nothing against Fs and would love a go in one, but I'm just saying there's a good reason why the MX5 is now on its fourth generation (and spawned an Italian cousin) whilst the F stopped at the sort of mk1.5 that was the TF.

[Barry Cade]

Don't forget the 6,000,000 yards of howling understeer thanks to plastic ditchfinder tyres all the cheaper ones seem to wear.

You get understeer in an MGF?

 

U R doing it rong.

 

quick flik and a bootful, not too much or you'll spin it, they 4 wheel drift lovely on crap tyres.

[alcyonecorporation]

You get understeer in an MGF?

 

U R doing it rong.

 

quick flik and a bootful, not too much or you'll spin it, they 4 wheel drift lovely on crap tyres.

They're set up to understeer, all Fs/TFs are. You go round upsetting it on purpose the weight will drag you round and the steering isn't quick enough to get it back at anything over 40mph.

 

[pistonheads] Not the quickest way to get round a bend, sorry. If I wanted to slide a car around the last thing I'd pick would be something mid engined. Already barrel rolled an MG and don't want to do it again.

 

The fastest way to get mine round on tyres that weren't built for an end of life shopping trolley was go in hard and trim the speed off with left foot braking. It'd wibble appopriately to let you know it was on the edge of grip before pushing wide. [/pistonheads]

 

Slid lovely on pendine sands, mind. I got told off #troyqueef

[kinkersaab]

To any MGF geeks out there...i am currently trying to deal a dec 2011 one with 5000 miles, that must be one of the last registered surely? cant see any 61 plate ones anywhere? when was the last registered one put on the road?

[Partridge]

Didn't they do a limited run again when SAIC took over?

[DVee8]

Has anyone tried a 1.6 MGF?

 

I thought they were all 1.8's untill this thread,i now have found 1 close for sale.

[Barry Cade]

They're set up to understeer, all Fs/TFs are. You go round upsetting it on purpose the weight will drag you round and the steering isn't quick enough to get it back at anything over 40mph.

 

[pistonheads] Not the quickest way to get round a bend, sorry. If I wanted to slide a car around the last thing I'd pick would be something mid engined. Already barrel rolled an MG and don't want to do it again.

 

The fastest way to get mine round on tyres that weren't built for an end of life shopping trolley was go in hard and trim the speed off with left foot braking. It'd wibble appopriately to let you know it was on the edge of grip before pushing wide. [/pistonheads]

 

Slid lovely on pendine sands, mind. I got told off #troyqueef

Been driving X1/9's for nearly 20 years on 165/70/13's. Not interested in going round bends quick, just really like a car to move around at uncrazy speeds so I can enjoy it, and having that knife edge of mid engined cars just adds to the fuzzy feeling when you get it right. I have got it rong..a lot, but the nice thing is they pretty much spin in their own length.

 

Already barrel rolled an X1/9 ..drove it home after. My X1/9 turbo, now that was a twitchy bastard..

[holbeck]

Has anyone tried a 1.6 MGF?

 

I thought they were all 1.8's untill this thread,i now have found 1 close for sale.

 

Yes. I found it still had plenty of go in it. The early ones (at least) were a base spec. no PAS as standard.

[Rod/b]

Didn't they do a limited run again when SAIC took over?

Yeah, well sort of. Is was still NAC then, before SAIC bought them out. They built them in Longbridge from kits made in China for a few years from about 2008, I think 2011 would be about when it was canned though, if that late even.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Its a lot easier to look for rust on an MX5 when buying one than it is to do all the head gasket/service history voodoo with an MGF/TF. This is why, even at the autoshite end of the market, an MX5 is generally worth twice as much as an F.

 

I've got nothing against Fs and would love a go in one, but I'm just saying there's a good reason why the MX5 is now on its fourth generation (and spawned an Italian cousin) whilst the F stopped at the sort of mk1.5 that was the TF.

 

 

Because BL went down the drain. The BMW Z3 doesn't drive particularly well (nowhere near as good as an MGF) but it actually outsold the MX5 at one point.

 

MX5 rust is nothing short of disgraceful - I've seen 03 and 04 platers that are absolutely fucked with rust. The F is that last ever MG - never mind rebadged Rover and Chinese crap.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

For the Elise I imagine Lotus tried to get the 1.8 through. 

'Fs were hot weather tested in Arizona. If you want even more conspiracy theory foam Rover was kept out of the US because BMW didn't want the F to compete with the Z3. 

 

Or Rover had no money to finish the K Series emissions certification (or were stopped from doing so by vested interests).

 

 

It was Bernard Pinchinstrider, he personally replaced the steel dowels with plastic ones as well to finish Rover off. My mate down the Dog and Hammer in Droitwich told me.

[SiC]

My wife's mk3 mx5 on a 56 plate that we sold 3 years ago just started having rust show up underneath. Must be the Ford influence in them.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

My wife's mk3 mx5 on a 56 plate that we sold 3 years ago just started having rust show up underneath. Must be the Ford influence in them.

 

 

 

Zero rustproofing. Domestic Jap stuff has no rust protection bar a lick of underseal and a breath of top coat - you see imported stuff.....mint when it lands here but finished after 5 to 10 UK winters.

[Snipes]

Zero rustproofing. Domestic Jap stuff has no rust protection bar a lick of underseal and a breath of top coat - you see imported stuff.....mint when it lands here but finished after 5 to 10 UK winters.

I've spent a lot of time under MX5s and the imports are always cleaner, even if they've been here since new. The worst was always pogweasel uk mk1s.

[buckbuckbuckie]

The 1.8 vvc 160 is the best engine that I can lift up.

[Barry Cade]

The 1.8 vvc 160 is the best engine that I can lift up.

It's also the best Diesel sounding non Diesel..

[Lacquer Peel]

Zero rustproofing. Domestic Jap stuff has no rust protection bar a lick of underseal and a breath of top coat - you see imported stuff.....mint when it lands here but finished after 5 to 10 UK winters.

I think that's a fallacy like the "They have to scrap their cars at 3 years old in Japan" shite, as others have pointed out, the cars that sold new in the UK are often a lot worse and plenty of cars of all nations designed in or for Europe rust like buggery.

[alcyonecorporation]

Also, immobilisers. The Lucas-Pektron thing is a disaster. Knock some money off if the car you're looking it has a sick one - otherwise you'll soon get tired of Emergency Key Access (EKA) procedures.