HMC BMW coupe meltdowns

[Yoss]

8 hours ago, Austin-Rover said:

Ooh, the Austin 3 Litre furthest left outside the showroom, please! 😍

 

5 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

That’s an 1800/2200.

The image is distorted, granted

I was going to say that but you beat me to it. The big give away are the stainless steel side stripes meaning it is an 1800S. But then the way wing drops down means it is a Wolseley 18/85S, the ultimate Crab. 

But I agree the wide angle lens has stretched it a bit. I have owned both the 18/85S and 3-litre and would happily do so again. Loved both of them. 

 

[Metal Guru]

On 02/07/2025 at 22:22, Schaefft said:

Having read the brochure text, how much does it really feel like a luxury car? You can throw plenty of tree on the dash but how supple is the ride or low are the noise levels?

You still get steelies with hub caps on the top of the range plus some.Today everything except pov spec comes with alloys. If it was marketed now, it would probably have 17in as standard with an option for 19in with rubber bands for tyres.

[HMC]

Q. what does a £500 mg tf with 12m mot and an intact headgasket look like?

A. This

Its quite a late one so glass rear window , supposedly less agressive spring and damper rates, and a later chinese afterlife 08+  SAIC dash cluster retro fitted…

Its a 10 footer. Silver might be bland but it is good and hiding less than great locallised paint repairs

[EyesWeldedShut]

1 hour ago, HMC said:

a later chinese afterlife 08+  SAIC

Off topic but I actually saw one of those in the flesh yesterday for the first time.
Yours IS much nicer

 

[grogee]

What a motley collection of rammel. 

Well done

[D.E]

Imo the redesign of the front end when the F became the TF was done well, despite the limited (financial) resources of MG Rover at the time. A new bumper and lamp units (are the fronts of an F /TF interchangeable?), but it was enough to refresh the design.

Edit: sir Google tells me they can be swapped, but it takes a bit more than just the bumper and lamps.

[mk2_craig]

Wheels off one of the later 08 on cars too? 

[HMC]

5 minutes ago, mk2_craig said:

Wheels off one of the later 08 on cars too? 

I was wondering as i didnt recognise the design 

[wuvvum]

On 07/07/2025 at 23:15, flat4alfa said:

That box was in my old Lancia Trevi. Wasn’t brilliant, but wasn’t trouble either, unlike the Renault chocolatebox as fitted to the talking Safrane.  Which says more about Renault than AP. The Trevi is very much still about and has visited the NEC carpet, no less.

Was that the same 'box?  I thought the one in the BL stuff was unique to those as it ran on engine oil rather than ATF.

[EyesWeldedShut]

8 hours ago, mk2_craig said:

Wheels off one of the later 08 on cars too? 

Yup - one we saw at the weekend (garish, bright, in yer face orange colour) had those ones fitted.
They all have a useful 3.75" PCD on them that translates well* into millimetres. Does have the advantage that you can pick up a used set of wheels for buggarawl cash though.

[Stinkwheel]

On 12/07/2025 at 19:51, D.E said:

Thats got something of the AMC pacer about it if you squint a bit

[Dan the van]

53 minutes ago, Stinkwheel said:

Thats got something of the AMC pacer about it if you squint a bit

I remember Harris Mann was very annoyed by the final product.The 'felt tip fairies ' as he called them had raised the bonnet line to fit the taller 1500/1750 engines.

[grogee]

I was hopeful 'ARG Mid engined nonsense' referred to this:

Sadly not, but given that @HMC is such a hero, it's only a matter of time. 

[tooSavvy]

52 minutes ago, grogee said:

I was hopeful 'ARG Mid engined nonsense' referred to this:

Sadly not, but given that @HMC is such a hero, it's only a matter of time. 

Quite a few years ago a fellah, two streets away, owned a 'roadgoing' one.

If I was leaving the house and stood by my car.... I could hear his .... 'clearing it's throat!'.... before it Grawww... GuhhGuhh... Grrraaawwwww  >>> off into the distance.

He either sold it or changed it's location as it was only around for a month or so.... 🤔

IMMENSE... 👍🚀😮

🚙💨

[barefoot]

1 hour ago, tooSavvy said:

Grawww... GuhhGuhh... Grrraaawwwww

I can't tell you how much I'd like to hear you say that out loud, and find myself wondering whether you have a strong regional accent. 

[tooSavvy]

16 minutes ago, barefoot said:

I can't tell you how much I'd like to hear you say that out loud, and find myself wondering whether you have a strong regional accent. 

🤣..... Metro 6R4 shouts "Winnagggghh" M8y

🚙💨

[flat4alfa]

23 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Was that the same 'box?  I thought the one in the BL stuff was unique to those as it ran on engine oil rather than ATF.

Good point. I somehow assumed the AP unit was same as the Maxi for the Allegros with E-series engines. But no, they ran the 4-speed fitted under in the sump, rather than the separate 5-speed fitted end-on. Apologies to all concerned.

To clarify: Austin Maxi and Lancia Beta/Trevi shared AP transaxles

The BL Mini, ADO16 and Allegro shared theirs. Also the Innocenti derivatives built in Italy - which might be how AP got the contract, as the Borg-Warners as used by FIAT were only offered in the rear-drive platforms such as 124/125

Landcrab and Princess got Borg-Warners, chain-driven no less.

[HMC]

Unusually, the 45 has a/c, and it works. I got a discount code from protyre for a service- they drained 400g out and lubed/ added 560g. Now colder than ever. 

I bought it off a rover botherer and he had fully refreshed the suspension, and rebuilt the PG1 box with metal caged, rather than placca caged bearings. Arnt rover botherers great? at 22 years old and worthless, with a noisy gearbox, and with not much of a following, it could well have been cubed.

So it rides nicely (IIRC they set them up with quite soft spring and damper settings) and is ice cool. Well as cool as a Rover 45 saloon gets 😂😎🥸

[robt100]

A comfy car is a good car, so no disapproval from me at having soft suspension settings! Looks like a nice little runabout...

...on a side note, I have to ask....

Your forum signature says  "2000 Toyota Avensis 1.8 VVTI estate" are we tens, or hundreds past that car now??!

[Matty]

On 14/07/2025 at 09:43, grogee said:

I was hopeful 'ARG Mid engined nonsense' referred to this:

Sadly not, but given that @HMC is such a hero, it's only a matter of time. 

Can't wait to see that popping up the high street for a Chinese 😁

[grogee]

2 hours ago, HMC said:

Unusually, the 45 has a/c, and it works. I got a discount code from protyre for a service- they drained 400g out and lubed/ added 560g. Now colder than ever. 

I bought it off a rover botherer and he had fully refreshed the suspension, and rebuilt the PG1 box with metal caged, rather than placca caged bearings. Arnt rover botherers great? at 22 years old and worthless, with a noisy gearbox, and with not much of a following, it could well have been cubed.

So it rides nicely (IIRC they set them up with quite soft spring and damper settings) and is ice cool. Well as cool as a Rover 45 saloon gets 😂😎🥸

Ooh chrome mirror covers. Talk of Tavi, you are. The knicker elastic is twitching at Whitchurch WI meeting. 

I wonder how long this will hang around? Having a good, usable hatchback with AC is actually darn useful. Big plus that it's also comfy. 

[Noel Tidybeard]

On 14/07/2025 at 08:53, Dan the van said:

I remember Harris Mann was very annoyed by the final product.The 'felt tip fairies ' as he called them had raised the bonnet line to fit the taller 1500/1750 engines.

i believe it was to fit the marina heater box

[paulplom]

On 14/07/2025 at 10:41, tooSavvy said:

Quite a few years ago a fellah, two streets away, owned a 'roadgoing' one.

If I was leaving the house and stood by my car.... I could hear his .... 'clearing it's throat!'.... before it Grawww... GuhhGuhh... Grrraaawwwww  >>> off into the distance.

He either sold it or changed it's location as it was only around for a month or so.... 🤔

IMMENSE... 👍🚀😮

🚙💨

I know the bloke you mean. He's still got it and also owns an RS200! He lives in Shields and is the bloke that was restoring Bluebird.

[HMC]

Found a production record in the MG history…

Built less than 8 weeks before shutdown.

[HMC]

A little bit more tinkering on the blue VDP.

The brakes were dragging/ sticking really badly from being in storage. I initially suspected the calipers were sticking but the pistons seem free, however when i went to bleed the brakes the pedal would pump, then there would be no pedal, which over 5-10 mins would return.  

Would the hive mind agree that the seals in the master cylinder are failing and sticking? So it seems that a seal kit is the next thing to order. I thought id rebuild the calipers, new flexihoses anyway as its had a long period of disuse, and at 47k, theres probably quite a few things still on it that were chucked on in 1977.

Its still got its supplying dealer plates that match with all the paperwork from new.

Morkel & Carnill of Nottingham. Quite a cool name.  This was registered in 1977 and by 1979 I believe they had closed down.

[bezzabsa]

loving the Allegro piccies, my 1st introduction to them was when my brother bought a 1979 1300 ESTATE in Gold , had a goldy/redy velour interior and was uber practical for shifting stuff about.. I owned a 4 door 1.3 in canary yellow with Black sunroof which someone had slung the MG Metro lump into and I believe a slightly bigger carb I used to work 35 miles away and used to commute on the M42 and regularly saw the allego off the clock and upset a few reps on the route..

Is the TF springs rather than French liquid suspension???

[Six-cylinder]

1 hour ago, bezzabsa said:

Is the TF springs rather than French liquid suspension???

Yes MG TF were steel spring rather than Hydrogas of the MGF.

I have driven quite a few MGFs and owned two MG TFs and the ride is harsh on the TF compared to the hydrogas cars. However I am told the later MG TF had revised spring rate that made them more comfortable. Unfortunately I have never got the chance to drive a later TF to judge for myself.

[D.E]

A rather obscure fact about the Vanden Plas is that they weren't actively offered outside of Britain, but it was possible to have an lhd Vanden Plas if you had a helpful importer who talked the factory into building one. Afaik a single person did so:

[EyesWeldedShut]

2 hours ago, HMC said:

 Would the hive mind agree that the seals in the master cylinder are failing and sticking?

Either that or reversing the lips in the cylinder? Either way get the master cylinder out and strip it - if the bore is Ok then new seals, if the bore is rusted or pitted then new complete unit unless price is prohibitive or they are unobtainable 

[HMC]

Fleet news.

Allegro suspension stays up

and MG Suspension  is much much firmer (without the hydragas the MGF had) supposedly this  MY2005 has spring rates reduced by 20% over the original TF.

Missing link: metro/ r100 series