Pogweazled MG ZT-T - Now ft. Poorly Piaggio Porter

[Cheggers]

The Sallyport pub-cum-antiques emporium is always worth a visit, as is Fort Nelson on Portsdown Hill overlooking the city. In fact I'm sitting in my back garden as I type this looking up at the fort.

[danthecapriman]

There’s quite a few nice places to eat and drink in Port Solent I think. It’s been a while since I’ve actually been there but I remember it being a nice place on a sunny evening.

[Cheggers]

There’s quite a few nice places to eat and drink in Port Solent I think. It’s been a while since I’ve actually been there but I remember it being a nice place on a sunny evening.

It's lovely on a summer evening, it's just the locals can be a strange bunch

[High Jetter]

Looks like I'm going to be busy then! 

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Cheggers said:

It's lovely on a summer evening, it's just the locals can be a strange bunch

We've been around a while, strange can be interesting.

[Cheggers]

We've been around a while, strange can be interesting.

Not that strange really, just an in-joke as I live in Port Solent

[High Jetter]

Hmm, OK

Clean(er):

[High Jetter]

Pootled down without any hassle, though a later start than planned (guess which idiot forgot to get bread). No interesting chod as yet, sadly

[High Jetter]

On 6/10/2023 at 5:26 PM, danthecapriman said:

The Still & West pub is right on the waterfront in Portsmouth. You can sit and watch all the boats & ships come and go. It’s right on the very tip of the inlet to the harbour.

I can now confirm this to be a really top tip. Spent the last 2 evenings there, eating outside, great food. Good staff too. Was going to post live updates but AS had gone to sleep, for some reason. Will post pics when back home.

[danthecapriman]

1 hour ago, High Jetter said:

I can now confirm this to be a really top tip. Spent the last 2 evenings there, eating outside, great food. Good staff too. Was going to post live updates but AS had gone to sleep, for some reason. Will post pics when back home.

Sounds like your enjoying yourself then!👍

[High Jetter]

We did, massively, thanks. Just got back home, CBA to do much now!

[High Jetter]

MOT day yesterday, did not go well:

 

Quote

 

Date tested

4 July 2023

FAIL

Mileage

179,117 miles

Test location

View test location

MOT test number

3730 3010 9295

Do not drive until repaired (dangerous defects):

• Front Fuel hose leaking excessively or a risk of fire (6.1.3 (b) (ii))
• Nearside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed 215/55/16 (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Repair immediately (major defects):

• Nearside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded to rear (1.1.11 (c))
• Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded to rear (1.1.11 (c))
• Supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a fault (7.1.6 (a))
• Nearside Headlamp lens seriously defective (4.1.1 (b) (ii))
• Offside Headlamp lens seriously defective (4.1.1 (b) (ii))
• Nearside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))
• Offside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories):

• Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))
• Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))
• Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both rear inner surfaces (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
• Nearside Undertray not fully secure (8.1.1 (b) (i))
• Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive near side and off side rear (5.3.6 (a) (i))

 

Garage have estimated £800 inc VAT for the dangerous & major faults + a couple of hours (possibly) for the fuel leak, though I do have 5 (larger) wheels for it so could save the cost of a tyre. £400 +VAT is for labour for the 2 brake pipes, which apparently need a lot of dismantling to get to.

Am really not sure which way to go on this - I think it's too good to scrap but know I'll never get a fortune for the car if I get it MOT'd, and it's a useful old bus to have. Any thoughts?

 

 

[Cookiesouwest]

Thats a tough one.

Spend the money on a new motor, not that you will get a lot for 800 quid, or fix what you have.

Thats a big bill. If you love it and plan on keeping it a long time, then worth fixing.

But if neither of those apply, then time for it to go.

[High Jetter]

If those two brake pipes weren't an issue, I'd have said OK, £320, could have been worse. If I get it fixed, I can sell it or swop it for something else. I just hate to junk things that still potentially have a use.

[Stanky]

Look at it from the other end of the telescope. What does £800 get you on gumtree/Facebook marketplace/autotrader?

Yeah, exactly...

Get it fixed and you've got a good few years of motoring left

[High Jetter]

6 minutes ago, Stanky said:

What does £800 get you on gumtree/Facebook marketplace/autotrader?

Not much, admittedly, but a fair few roffle tickets on here! Not that that would produce anything solid, given my luck so far with roffles

[FakeConcern]

Too nice to scrap and as said won't get you much for that money. Also unless you buy new, any replacement can easily bring more problems with it. My vote is to bite the bullet and get it fixed.

[stuboy]

4 hours ago, Stanky said:

. What does £800 get you

normally the crap thats been polished and tyre shined to hell and back

[High Jetter]

1 minute ago, stuboy said:

normally the crap thats been polished and tyre shined to hell and back

What are you trying to flog me now?

[Zelandeth]

Given the state of the market at the moment I'd say fix it.  The car's far more of a known quantity to you than rolling the dice at the bottom end of the fifth or ninth hand car market.

[Bren]

£800 is end of life shit that even traders and private sellers will not hit with a bucket of soapy water.

If you spend £1k and car lasts another 18 months you will have no complaints.

[New POD]

17 hours ago, Stanky said:

Look at it from the other end of the telescope. What does £800 get you on gumtree/Facebook marketplace/autotrader?

Yeah, exactly...

Get it fixed and you've got a good few years of motoring left

https://autoshite.com/topic/53918-now-for-sale-mk4-astra-16-16v-club-march-2000-w-reg-bromsgrove-not-£1300£1000/page/3/

Sell the MG for £400, buy this for £999. 

Seriously...

[High Jetter]

Thanks for all replies, I've given them the go-ahead. I may then look to move it on, as feel it's time for a change. Could also be open to swappage.

4 hours ago, New POD said:

Sell the MG for £400, buy this for £999. 

Seriously...

Might make sense, but does nothing to pique my interest. Thanks for the thought, though.

[83C]

There’s a nice Citroen C5 on here that would be well under a grand, and the owner might even take the ZT as a p/x…

[High Jetter]

52 minutes ago, 83C said:

There’s a nice Citroen C5 on here that would be well under a grand, and the owner might even take the ZT as a p/x…

Hmm, that's more interesting than the ashtray...

Edit: I see that's in a forren country, and a 5 hour train ride away. Interest would be higher if it were nearer.

[Shirley Knott]

On 7/5/2023 at 6:17 PM, Stanky said:

Look at it from the other end of the telescope. What does £800 get you on gumtree/Facebook marketplace/autotrader?

Yeah, exactly...

Get it fixed and you've got a good few years of motoring left

I'd agree with this.

Painful, but it doesn't take an awful lot of man maths to see that whilst unpleasant, fixing the car you have is the the lesser of the evils in this instance. 

[wuvvum]

When replacing awkward brake pipes in the past, I definitely haven't* rerouted them and just left the inaccessible bits of the old pipe in place.

I would also vote for fixing it, and agree it might be best to let a garage have a go at the fuel leak.  Ball joint dust covers should be easy enough - the top nut on the front drop links is an absolute twat to get at on these but if you just need to undo the bottom you should be OK.  Give the electrical connectors under the front seats a wiggle, that can sometimes make the airbag light go out.

[High Jetter]

2 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

When replacing awkward brake pipes in the past, I definitely haven't* rerouted them and just left the inaccessible bits of the old pipe in place.

I would also vote for fixing it, and agree it might be best to let a garage have a go at the fuel leak.  Ball joint dust covers should be easy enough - the top nut on the front drop links is an absolute twat to get at on these but if you just need to undo the bottom you should be OK.  Give the electrical connectors under the front seats a wiggle, that can sometimes make the airbag light go out.

Thanks. They seem to think they know which hose it is, somewhat buried though. I've told them about the connectors, it solved it last time I did it. I'd honestly got so used to seeing the light that I forgot about it until I was heading for the MOT. Didn't know about the re-routing of pipes trick, thanks.

My problem for working on stuff is the centre third of the width of our driveway is gravel, with 2 concrete stips to drive on, which makes it a pain for jacking etc. No, that is definitely* not an excuse

[High Jetter]

Pog's back, with a fresh MOT. 2 fault codes reported, P2228 & P0069, both referring to Barometric Pressure, so I guess the MAP sensor. Should I be worried?

Next to get the a/c re-gassed. Local F1 autocentre is still £54 after a £5 discount applied, same as 2 years ago on the Toyota.

[Matty]

2 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Pog's back, with a fresh MOT. 2 fault codes reported, P2228 & P0069, both referring to Barometric Pressure, so I guess the MAP sensor. Should I be worried?

Next to get the a/c re-gassed. Local F1 autocentre is still £54 after a £5 discount applied, same as 2 years ago on the Toyota.

Great stuff. It's only money, you'll make more 👍