MG ZR - £400 - Shite or not?

[BradT]

Hey guys! Picked up my first ZR yesterday, hopefully a stop gap for a few months...

Cost me £400! runs and drives, has a host of electrical issues including non working sunroof, driver window, heat control knob does not turn properly, passenger door is deadlocked and central locking seems to be non existent 😂 
It’s the 1.4 (105) model! With 80k miles 
MOT for a few months and doesn’t look too bad just needs a clean! 
Car had been sat for 6 months so yes I am charging the battery! 😅

Looks like it has the original kenwood stereo which is awesome!

What do you think for £400?

 

[dozeydustman]

Welcome BradT! If you haven’t already done so,  Pop your head in here 

We don’t bite!

Looks worth the £400 as I’ve started seeing these hit a grand near me, hope it does you well!

[wuvvum]

Heater knob - TADTS.

[PrinceRupert]

Looks ace, that's barely above scrap money at the moment.  

Hopefully a decent charge of the battery might resolve an electrical issue or two ...

[RoverFolkUs]

42 minutes ago, BradT said:

Hey guys! Picked up my first ZR yesterday, hopefully a stop gap for a few months...

Cost me £400! runs and drives, has a host of electrical issues including non working sunroof, driver window, heat control knob does not turn properly, passenger door is deadlocked and central locking seems to be non existent 😂 
It’s the 1.4 (105) model! With 80k miles 
MOT for a few months and doesn’t look too bad just needs a clean! 
Car had been sat for 6 months so yes I am charging the battery! 😅

Looks like it has the original kenwood stereo which is awesome!

What do you think for £400?

 

That is ace for £400, if you look there are hardly any of this generation MGs on Gumtree Autotrader etc, let alone for basically scrap money!

The "newer" ones have the pektron BCMs which can be a nightmare (does it have the round remote key fob?) 

There's a chap on Tiktok who has a 75 and a streetwise, he solved similar electrical faults by having some new relays soldered onto the BCM apparently. 

Though a good charge may help as I've always found Rover electrics to be a little* bit French-like when the battery gets low 😄

[Garythesnail]

£400 for a road legal, working* car in the current environment .....

You've done well there.

These aren't expensive to keep going if you choose not to just run it in to the ground ..... as long as it isn't terminally rusty at least.

[stuboy]

cant complain for 400 quid

[Matty]

2 hours ago, BradT said:

Hey guys! Picked up my first ZR yesterday, hopefully a stop gap for a few months...

Cost me £400! runs and drives, has a host of electrical issues including non working sunroof, driver window, heat control knob does not turn properly, passenger door is deadlocked and central locking seems to be non existent 😂 
It’s the 1.4 (105) model! With 80k miles 
MOT for a few months and doesn’t look too bad just needs a clean! 
Car had been sat for 6 months so yes I am charging the battery! 😅

Looks like it has the original kenwood stereo which is awesome!

What do you think for £400?

 

Very nice. Really really wanted one when they came out. Too dear for me then, don't know why I never got one later. 400 quid? Can't fail bud 👍

[warch]

That looks unbelievably cheap, you literally can’t go wrong at 400 quid

[St.Jude]

Well bought!

I'm breaking an MG ZR, so if you need anything (other than engine, seats, cubby hole thing, bumper, wings) let me know.

[BradT]

Already found that the drivers window does work! But window regulator is complexity mangled if anyone has one!

 

sunroof fuse is okay but still won’t work, have you by chance got the sunroof cranking wrench? 
 

cheers for all the feedback guys seems like a good buy 

 

many thanks,

 

brad 

[RoverFolkUs]

1 minute ago, BradT said:

Already found that the drivers window does work! But window regulator is complexity mangled if anyone has one!

 

sunroof fuse is okay but still won’t work, have you by chance got the sunroof cranking wrench? 
 

cheers for all the feedback guys seems like a good buy 

 

many thanks,

 

brad 

I wonder if someone has deliberately jammed the sunroof shut? Maybe if it was leaking? 

Not sure though, just an idea but if it's stuck shut and not leaking I'd be scared to try and coax it to open 😆

[BradT]

1 hour ago, RoverFolkUs said:

I wonder if someone has deliberately jammed the sunroof shut? Maybe if it was leaking? 

Not sure though, just an idea but if it's stuck shut and not leaking I'd be scared to try and coax it to open 😆

That is very true! Unusually there doesn’t seem to be any rust around the sunroof and it’s never been taped, maybe it’s never been open 😂

[RoverFolkUs]

35 minutes ago, BradT said:

That is very true! Unusually there doesn’t seem to be any rust around the sunroof and it’s never been taped, maybe it’s never been open 😂

As far as I know ZR sunroof mechanisms are nigh on impossible to source so if it were to jam or otherwise nuke itself then you could be in a bit of a pickle!

That's good if it's never been taped, but if it has indeed never really been opened then the seals and runners are possibly as dry as a ..... an ..... erm ...... We'll leave it there 👍😂

Good god I need to cheer up don't I, I'm just coming out with every excuse as to why you shouldn't try it, this is Autoshite so we don't follow conventional, sensible guidance 😅

[Cavcraft]

Looks class that and what a bargain.

[Minimad5]

Brilliant purchase!

Big Andy in work used to have one of these, at the time I took the piss, but I won't lie I'm starting to like them now 😅

[BradT]

11 hours ago, RoverFolkUs said:

As far as I know ZR sunroof mechanisms are nigh on impossible to source so if it were to jam or otherwise nuke itself then you could be in a bit of a pickle!

That's good if it's never been taped, but if it has indeed never really been opened then the seals and runners are possibly as dry as a ..... an ..... erm ...... We'll leave it there 👍😂

Good god I need to cheer up don't I, I'm just coming out with every excuse as to why you shouldn't try it, this is Autoshite so we don't follow conventional, sensible guidance 😅

Yep I definitely think I should leave it if it’s keep rust at bay 😂

[BradT]

Well… 150+ miles in and it’s been doing really well!

I'm actually very impressed with how they drive! And 102bhp from a 1.4 back in the day was some statement! 

the engine seems to be running amazing well considering it’s been sat for 6 months, I’ve been checking oil and coolant daily and neither has dropped so I’m hoping the head gasket is holding up pretty well! 

still having few issues with central locking, passenger door is STILL deadlocked which is annoying and sunroof does not work but not fussed about that!

seems like a very solid buy for £400 so far! 

[RoverFolkUs]

40 minutes ago, BradT said:

Well… 150+ miles in and it’s been doing really well!

I'm actually very impressed with how they drive! And 102bhp from a 1.4 back in the day was some statement! 

the engine seems to be running amazing well considering it’s been sat for 6 months, I’ve been checking oil and coolant daily and neither has dropped so I’m hoping the head gasket is holding up pretty well! 

still having few issues with central locking, passenger door is STILL deadlocked which is annoying and sunroof does not work but not fussed about that!

seems like a very solid buy for £400 so far! 

Sounds good! As you say 102 bhp from an "old" 1.4 is definitely impressive. You definitely got a bargain

The K-Series certainly likes to rev!

Fun MG ZR fact - something I didn't realize until recently was that they didn't put the 1.6 in the ZR, so you only had the choice of 1.4 or 1.8 petrol. 

Since they did put the 1.6 in the 25 I always automatically assumed they did the same in the ZR but alas they did not! 

[St.Jude]

13 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Sounds good! As you say 102 bhp from an "old" 1.4 is definitely impressive. You definitely got a bargain

The K-Series certainly likes to rev!

Fun MG ZR fact - something I didn't realize until recently was that they didn't put the 1.6 in the ZR, so you only had the choice of 1.4 or 1.8 petrol. 

Since they did put the 1.6 in the 25 I always automatically assumed they did the same in the ZR but alas they did not! 

Now that you mention it, I did wonder why I couldn't find another MG ZR with a 1.6 when I was looking for them. I'd feel bad that I've got a unicorn, except the engine in mine was from another car and definitely hasn't had the log book updated to reflect the tax change that incurred! 

56 minutes ago, BradT said:

the engine seems to be running amazing well considering it’s been sat for 6 months, I’ve been checking oil and coolant daily and neither has dropped so I’m hoping the head gasket is holding up pretty well! 

Check the oil on the dipstick too for mayonnaise. 

[RoverFolkUs]

12 minutes ago, St.Jude said:

Now that you mention it, I did wonder why I couldn't find another MG ZR with a 1.6 when I was looking for them. I'd feel bad that I've got a unicorn, except the engine in mine was from another car and definitely hasn't had the log book updated to reflect the tax change that incurred! 

Yes it had thrown me off before too! 

I believe the 1.4 and 1.6 are both in the £250 tax band? Unless yours used to be a 1.8 in which case I'm not sure off the top of my head 👍

[BradT]

2 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Yes it had thrown me off before too! 

I believe the 1.4 and 1.6 are both in the £250 tax band? Unless yours used to be a 1.8 in which case I'm not sure off the top of my head 👍

Mine was £210 to tax for the year

[RoverFolkUs]

12 minutes ago, BradT said:

Mine was £210 to tax for the year

Ah right, maybe I'm thinking of the 45 which is £250 to tax regardless of being 1.4 or 1.6. 

Well at least I always thought that was the case! 

[RoverFolkUs]

16 minutes ago, BradT said:

Mine was £210 to tax for the year

Well that's interesting! The 1.4 ZR is 164 g/km and the 1.4 45 is 168g/km so just nudges up into the next tax band, even though it's the same engine. Every day is a school day!

Edit - ignore me, I'm a complete sausage. I was comparing the ZR to the 45 when I should have been comparing it to the 25. The 1.4 25, predictably, is also £210 to tax 🤦😂

[St.Jude]

I thought it would've been but no, the 1.6 and 1.4 25/200's are in the same band.

 

[RoverFolkUs]

1 minute ago, St.Jude said:

I thought it would've been but no, the 1.6 and 1.4 25/200's are in the same band.

 

Actually the 200's would be in the pre 2001 bracket so the 1.6 would be £280 and the 1.4 £170  

/pedant alert/  

[St.Jude]

15 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Actually the 200's would be in the pre 2001 bracket so the 1.6 would be £280 and the 1.4 £170  

/pedant alert/  

Pedants gotta pedant!

[BradT]

Well, nice weather today so I thought I’d actually give it a good proper clean using some detailing stuff! 
 

came up rather well! 
 

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

SH reg. Makes it a Glasgow regional identifier. Could have come from Bryson's Rover/MG down my way perhaps, unless you have the dealer plates, of course.

[BradT]

27 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

SH reg. Makes it a Glasgow regional identifier. Could have come from Bryson's Rover/MG down my way perhaps, unless you have the dealer plates, of course.

Interesting! Don’t have the original plates, but the current plates say Darlington car sales, I do have the original MG handbook and service history might be able to see where the first service was I’ll have a look when I’m back