HMC- Return of the Cheeky 500

[Zelandeth]

Sad to see it go, but equally thank god I can stop worrying I'm going to end up letting my guard down and buying the Rolls now!

[HMC]

16 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Sad to see it go, but equally thank god I can stop worrying I'm going to end up letting my guard down and buying the Rolls now!

Got to say i’m really glad @Weird Car bought it as having younger people prepared to get stuck in with old cars is fantastic. And this isnt, say, an allegro, its a rolls royce silver shad! Looking forward to fun road trip / general updates!

For me this is what enjoying older cars is all about, id happily put a flamethrower to all carcoon / dehumidified air chambers. Driving is living imo.

[Zelandeth]

7 minutes ago, HMC said:

Got to say i’m really glad @Weird Car bought it as having younger people prepared to get stuck in with old cars is fantastic. And this isnt, say, an allegro, its a rolls royce silver shad! Looking forward to fun road trip / general updates!

For me this is what enjoying older cars is all about, id happily put a flamethrower to all carcoon / dehumidified air chambers. Driving is living imo.

Dammit...that means I'm still not safe from it!

Agreed on everything you've said though.  I see no point in having cars if you're not going to use, enjoy and share the experience with others.

[hairnet]

joe 1 hmc 0

 

[HMC]

Took the shed-MGF out for a spin.

I think it might meed the attention of a hand pump I bought when I had my last mgf, and also used on 2 rover 100s i previously owned. Cos its LOW. I mean, it looks nice and low but the ride is pretty stiff. Maybe im just getting old?

Photos show the dreadful paint. But it drives a lot better than it looks, thankfully!

The “16v “ badge is none original (what isnit off?) but it feels period as when valveage was proudly displayed on the car bodywork feels a long time ago now.

Unforgiving light- but basically all the laquer has come off the NSF wing, and it’s falling off the front bumper/shroud and the bonnet.

Im enjoying pottering about in it. When I last had one ( a long time ago) I used to try and unstick it on b roads an generally behave like an imbecile.  Eg I remember I attempted a 4 wheel drift but it ended up correcting and recorrecting snap oversteer. What an idiot. Somehow i didnt crash it.

Anyway im happy just pottering now, and to be honest with its metro underpinnings maybe this suits the car better anyway.

 

[Zelandeth]

Badge is from a Citroen I think.

That does look a little excessively low, especially at the back.

[J-T]

4 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Badge is from a Citroen I think.

That does look a little excessively low, especially at the back.

Saxo VTS I believe. That and the SPORT badge from RenaultSport Clios made their way on to many vehicles in the early 00s

[HMC]

Good intel. It looked familiar but i couldnt place it.

I normally de-tat cars but i recon this is staying.

[wuvvum]

Four-wheel-drifting a mid-engined car is not something I would feel confident doing.  It ain't no MX-5.

[Zelandeth]

35 minutes ago, J-T said:

Saxo VTS I believe. That and the SPORT badge from RenaultSport Clios made their way on to many vehicles in the early 00s

That's it. Used to be on the rear quarter.  My brain was refusing to remember exactly which model it appeared on.

[HMC]

MGF progress 

After a pump up (i had a hand pump that i got off e bay years ago) it now sits at the spec ride height. So much more comfortable, presumably it was skittering about almost on its bump stops.  

I was a bit worried the shit ride quality was also blown displacers, but is now manages to be both sporty and a lot more supple.

 

 

[bezzabsa]

did rover ever chuck the 1800 Turbo lump in these???

if not why not???

[riek]

9 minutes ago, bezzabsa said:

did rover ever chuck the 1800 Turbo lump in these???

if not why not???

Produced similar power to the VVC but the VVC was more of a 'spank it' sports car choice?

[horriblemercedes]

Just now, riek said:

Produced similar power to the VVC but the VVC was more of a 'spank it' sports car choice?

This. Also why the 75/ZT got the 1.8 turbo but not the VVC

 

It was a light pressure turbo that was designed to be fairly lazy and cheaper on company car costs than the 2.0 V6

[N Dentressangle]

4 hours ago, HMC said:

MGF progress 

After a pump up (i had a hand pump that i got off e bay years ago) it now sits at the spec ride height. So much more comfortable, presumably it was skittering about almost on its bump stops.  

I was a bit worried the shit ride quality was also blown displacers, but is now manages to be both sporty and a lot more supple.

 

 

Can thoroughly recommend making sure hydragas cars run at their correct height.

If as a boy you ever dreamed of having your very own hydragas pump, maybe as a stepping stone to your own BMC dealership even, you'll be pleased to know they're cheap and readily available:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173119147833?itmmeta=01HT5RWTD7W06EXCP4C62JYT2G&hash=item284eb48f39:g:R3YAAOSwExZZc6h6

This is the very kind I have - fancier stuff is also on offer. Works a treat.

[HMC]

22 minutes ago, N Dentressangle said:

Can thoroughly recommend making sure hydragas cars run at their correct height.

If as a boy you ever dreamed of having your very own hydragas pump, maybe as a stepping stone to your own BMC dealership even, you'll be pleased to know they're cheap and readily available:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173119147833?itmmeta=01HT5RWTD7W06EXCP4C62JYT2G&hash=item284eb48f39:g:R3YAAOSwExZZc6h6

This is the very kind I have - fancier stuff is also on offer. Works a treat.

Same here, sorted 2x r100s and 2xmgfs with it so far.

[St.Jude]

5 hours ago, horriblemercedes said:

This. Also why the 75/ZT got the 1.8 turbo but not the VVC

 

It was a light pressure turbo that was designed to be fairly lazy and cheaper on company car costs than the 2.0 V6

Think there was an emissions thing too with the turbo? Could be wrong on that though.

Besides the VVC worked better at a higher rev band I think, as it was the VTEC equivalent. So you would do that in a 2 seat sports car and less so on a saloon.

[horriblemercedes]

3 minutes ago, St.Jude said:

Think there was an emissions thing too with the turbo? Could be wrong on that though.

Besides the VVC worked better at a higher rev band I think, as it was the VTEC equivalent. So you would do that in a 2 seat sports car and less so on a saloon.

I think the emissions thing was to do with producing less CO2 than the V6 (better fuel economy) so it meant cheaper company car tax and more fleet sales 

[Boycie]

HMCs car history is like the life of John Profumo ....

Minister of War ....Silver Shadow ...... get caught shagging Keeler and lying ......washing dishes and driving a tatty MG..... 

 

 

 

 

[Jim Bergerac]

On 29/03/2024 at 19:54, horriblemercedes said:

I think the emissions thing was to do with producing less CO2 than the V6 (better fuel economy) so it meant cheaper company car tax and more fleet sales 

Yep, around that time there was a bit of a trend towards such turbo petrols for that reason, as well as the 75/ZT can remember them coming up with 2.0 turbo versions of the Vectra and Laguna. 

And then the company car market moved to diesels and they disappeared almost as quickly as they appeared. 

[EyesWeldedShut]

6 minutes ago, Jim Bergerac said:

Yep, around that time there was a bit of a trend towards such turbo petrols for that reason, as well as the 75/ZT can remember them coming up with 2.0 turbo versions of the Vectra and Laguna. 

And then the company car market moved to diesels and they disappeared almost as quickly as they appeared. 

And now they're back? Plus ca change...
I was wondering if getting the intercooler into the MGF was maybe thought too much hassle? I'd guess you could lose that little bit of boot space at the back if you really had to but that'd leave you with sod all space for 'stuff'?
(Would it be feasible to site it all the down the front with the radiator? )

[HMC]

Acquired one of these lately.

Looks a bit “unhappy” to my eyes. 

Pininfarina design and build apparently. Presumably this one wont feature in future glossy portfolios of their work.

Familiar focus vibes from the view out front. 2.0 duratec/ manual. Its a bit flat in a car this weighty (think its about 1500kg) but its quite a comfy cruiser to potter about in.

[Bren]

A looker but I belive these make a Rover SD1 look like a submarine hatch in terms of keeping H20 out out of the car.

[stuboy]

1 hour ago, HMC said:

Acquired one of these lately.

Looks a bit “unhappy” to my eyes. 

Pininfarina design and build apparently. Presumably this one wont feature in future glossy portfolios of their work.

Familiar focus vibes from the view out front. 2.0 duratec/ manual. Its a bit flat in a car this weighty (think its about 1500kg) but its quite a comfy cruiser to potter about in.

i did like these

[Scruffy Bodger]

On 22/03/2024 at 17:50, J-T said:

Saxo VTS I believe. That and the SPORT badge from RenaultSport Clios made their way on to many vehicles in the early 00s

Don't forget the lesser spotted ZX!

[N Dentressangle]

3 hours ago, HMC said:

Acquired one of these lately.

Looks a bit “unhappy” to my eyes. 

Pininfarina design and build apparently. Presumably this one wont feature in future glossy portfolios of their work.

Familiar focus vibes from the view out front. 2.0 duratec/ manual. Its a bit flat in a car this weighty (think its about 1500kg) but its quite a comfy cruiser to potter about in.

I really hate those. Utterly pointless Hyacinth Bucket of a car.

Nice work.

[S2000]

Obscure and delicious in my eyes, you have a knack at procuring vehicles that time forgets.

I’ll take a. Opulent of randoms now 42 and 50 please.

[EyesWeldedShut]

1 hour ago, N Dentressangle said:

I really hate those. Utterly pointless Hyacinth Bucket of a car.

Nice work.

My local garage-guy-who-helps-when-busy turned up in one of these a few years back. First one I had ever seen. Now I have seen two.

He’s still got his one, I’m not taking any bets on this one 😉

[RoverFolkUs]

2 hours ago, N Dentressangle said:

I really hate those. Utterly pointless Hyacinth Bucket of a car.

Nice work.

About as pointless as the Astra twintop of the same era! 

To be fair though, they're a lot more fun with the roof down than you'd think

[Peter C]

Pretty with the roof up but only from the rear.

Lovely profile with the roof down, not so good with the roof up.

Guaranteed future classic, not that HMC will keep it for long enough to find out.

Well done.