Mercedade's MG ZT 190+

[Bobthebeard]

I opened the sunroof on mine when I got it home.....

It nommed the interior blind thingy and burned out the motor. Gah.

Wound it shut with the allen key and disconnected the switch!

[Roverageous]

Lovely looking car. More pictures / details?

 

Potholes are ridiculous. I rant at transport for bucks on a daily basis - they haven't blocked me yet though.

[mercedade]

Well, that was quite the day, but more on that later.

 

Let's start at the beginning.

 

The car in question is this one

 

I'd sent the seller a couple of questions and had encouraging answers, suspecting he'd undersold it. I'd bid what I fancied for a car I hadn't seen in the flesh, I maybe could have tickled that itch a little further but ultimately didn't because lazy and disorganised. After it had ended, I saw that even though it had gone beyond what I was prepared to pay, it didn't even meet its reserve so thought no more of it. Low and behold, Tuesday night I got an ebay message asking me if I still fancied it because he was getting hacked off 'negotiating with a tyre kicker' and would I want it for my last bid?

 

I slept on it, and after getting few more details, I decided it was worth the gamble - and so began yesterday's collection mission.

 

£17 on a train to Chester, and Steve the seller picked me up - and what an interesting guy! Former airforce, now quasi-military aircraft technician. Maaaaan he's got some scary stories to tell which, for the sake of internet ridiculousness, I will keep to myself. Proper sound fella.

 

So, the car in question. Good photos are on the ebay listing, but two new ones of my own:

 

 

[mercedade]

Had a bit of a 'mare this morning when heading off to a meeting in Blackpool - absolutely smacked a pothole about 1/4 mile from my house. Thought I'd got away with it when nothing bad seemed to happen, so carried on my way. About 10 miles from Blackpool, started to get a wheel wobble. I knocked my speed on the head and took it steady until I got to where i needed to be, whereupon I noticed...

 

 

Turns out I'd properly mangled it when I hit the hole, but because they were run flat tyres (I didn't know this), I soldiered on until the sidewalls could take it no more, hence the wheel wobble.

 

Anyone ever had success claiming tyres from the council?

[mercedade]

Now I'm back home, courtesy of the RAC. It made me wince, but the spacesaving spare wheel (BASTARDS) only fits over the rear brakes, so it was going to involve a double wheel change using an emergency suicide jack? No thanks. The wait gave me time to inspect the car

 

The only bit of grot I can find on the bodywork:

 

 

RAC man was a nice fella, happy to chat about old cars (he has a Cossie of course) - slipped him a fiver for the chat and help.

 

No pics of this thrilling exchange.

 

So now it's parked up:

 

 

That Vitesse is now for sale.

 

As is...

 

 

Cheers for reading

[mercedade]

I like.

 

I am thoroughly disgusted by the (P)Rat look Focus parked behind it.

I hope it was the sellers neighbour.

 

It was the seller's son's!

 

Obviously I sneaked a pic

 

[mercedade]

Naaah, that's Mayfield station, where they filmed the first episode of The Last Train, m9. 

 

Well, in fairness the picture shows both the Mayfield and The Star and Garter - one of them a dirty, barren wasteland best seen during the 70s, and the other etc and so on.

[mercedade]

I do now have a shopping list of faults to resolve:

 

ABS light (known about) - seller has supplied a full set of brand new sensors. I'm going to start with the driver's front first because apparently this feeds the speedo too and he reckoned about 2 weeks ago he saw the speedo 'freeze' for a couple of seconds. I'm prepared for a bit of a war, because it doesn't look fun.

 

Absolutely no handbrake - he reckoned it was fine because it originally failed MOT on it, but either something has changed in the last few weeks, or the garage missed it. He supplied a new handbrake cable which I hopefully won't have to use, but we'll see.

 

Sort missing exhaust hanger - it clonks and vibrates when at certain angles.

 

New tyres - all round because old and/or getting close.

 

Driver's seat - really tough to slide forward or back, I think a cable has stretched.

 

Err....realign wash jet on passenger side?

 

Clean it....and that's it.

 

Happy for now

[mercedade]

"Clean it....and that's it."

 

How those words will haunt me forever.

 

So, one thing I do have is cambelt history. (30k ago).

 

However...in the last 48 hours I've developed a spontaneous coolant leak which is worrying. Especially because it hasn't driven anywhere in the last 72 hours.

I picked it up, drove it 50 miles home with no bother. The next day I drove it to Blackpool (approx 100 mile round trip) again with no bother. Because it's a new car, I'm pretty sharp on checking levels, noises etc.

 

I then left it parked up from Thursday night until I noticed on Sunday late morning a small puddle had formed under the car and the coolant level had slightly dropped.

 

Over the next hour or so, the expansion tank emptied itself. Looking underneath, the fluid is running down the o/s of the engine (can't see where from) and dripping as it gathers from the sump.

 

It's definitely on the correct side to be water pump, but it's either been too hot outside, or too bright to be able to check the exact cause of the leak.

 

So either:

a) I've been spectacularly unlucky to have a water pump give out on me less than 200 miles into my ownership, or
a get-you-home bodge by a previous owner has finally given out.

 

Balls.

[Bobthebeard]

Thermostat housings (plastic) tend to leak with age. The leaked coolant collects in the V on top of the engine and drains down the waterpump side. Both mine did it. The MG ZT still does, but only slightly. The Rover 75 leaked a lot so have replaced the thermostat housing and pipe work.

A KV6 thing. Often wrongly diagnosed as waterpump failure.

Just a thought.

Use a bright light (LED torch) and shine it down by the back of the alternator into the V and all may become clear. Signs of coolant will be obvious (orange wet OAT goop) if it's leaking.

[mercedade]

Cheers Bob - now it's not a billion degrees outside with sunlight that renders absolutely everything a silhouette, I might have a chance at seeing down into the V.

 

Will check it out.

[mercedade]

That was quick - sold it tonight! Lost out on £50 which, all things told, I'm happy with.

 

I had to clear space you see. Got something else incoming...

[red5]

 Handbrake will be either the compensator (where cable splits) pulling apart or the shoe retainers have pulled through the backing plates - if they aren't too rotten you can penny washer repair them. Slacken cable off 1st.

 

Do usual fan speed/resistor checks.

 

Lovely colour.

 

Sam, missing any of mine  :-0

[mercedade]

 Handbrake will be either the compensator (where cable splits) pulling apart or the shoe retainers have pulled through the backing plates - if they aren't too rotten you can penny washer repair them. Slacken cable off 1st.

 

Do usual fan speed/resistor checks.

 

Lovely colour.

 

Sam, missing any of mine  :-0

 

When I sent it on its way last night, I included a replacement New Mini compensator I bought last week - apparently they're a straight swap and can't stretch - but obviously I never had chance to fit it.