MG ZR. Yes.

[SiC]

On 12/11/2022 at 12:32 PM, Dan29 said:

Car looks ace. I'd be interested in the details of the decent garage if you have them please, as I'm hoping to move back and after 26 years away, I think the mechanics I used to use have either retired or died..! 

I can thoroughly recommend these guys. Only issue is that they are incredibly busy nowadays and can take a good few weeks to get a slot booked in. Not helped by having so many positive reviews and ending up high on search results. However I won't and don't go anywhere else for MOTs and servicing.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/9jV6atLGMWS2fYYy6

 

[andyberg]

Well one week of using the MG to commute to my new job, how is it?

Bearing in mind it's been bloody cold for the past week and the fan only works on 3 and 4( come on post office pull your finger out) it's been quite pleasant. It does feel 'sporty' both in sounds from inside and the harder than I am used to suspension, but it's a comfortable place to be. Done an mpg check, bang on 40mpg, which again, bearing in mind the weather and my commute is twisty A roads, I'm happy with. I think once I am used to the car and it gets a touch warmer I could see low/ mid 40s. Stereo has been binned so no radio 4 on my run which I miss a bit. 

Also found a receipt for a new clutch less than 4000 miles ago, more good times.

I won't say it's my most favourite car I have had but it's up there and it does remind me of my old MG Montego. Definitely a keeper providing it doesn't FTP or do a Rover on me.

[SiC]

36 minutes ago, andyberg said:

Definitely a keeper providing it doesn't FTP or do a Rover on me.

Does sound like a car that has generally been well looked after and worth putting money into if it does need some additional love. 

[andyberg]

8 minutes ago, SiC said:

Does sound like a car that has generally been well looked after and worth putting money into if it does need some additional love. 

I have kind of decided if the head gasket goes again then providing nothing else major looks imminent then I'll get it done. A big part of me wants to see this car live on a good few years yet.

[N Dentressangle]

On 12/12/2022 at 10:47 PM, SiC said:

I can thoroughly recommend these guys. Only issue is that they are incredibly busy nowadays and can take a good few weeks to get a slot booked in. Not helped by having so many positive reviews and ending up high on search results. However I won't and don't go anywhere else for MOTs and servicing.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/9jV6atLGMWS2fYYy6

 

Handily round the corner from Moss

[SiC]

28 minutes ago, N Dentressangle said:

Handily round the corner from Moss

Yeah its makes it even easier to get my BGT sorted when it failed its MOT on brake light switch failure! They have three guys, two of which are the owners and they both own classics (Lancia Fulvia and BMW 2002). The older guy only does MOTs and he understands and is sympathetic to classics. Also helps that they're near Barton Hill and no doubt get a lot of right old tosh through their workshop...

I do miss not having Moss in the centre by Wogans Coffee/where Staples used to be. I could walk there from the office in less that 15mins and pickup odds and sods really easily.

[N Dentressangle]

16 hours ago, SiC said:

I do miss not having Moss in the centre by Wogans Coffee/where Staples used to be. I could walk there from the office in less that 15mins and pickup odds and sods really easily.

 That part of Feeder Rd is anything but easy to get to. Right PITA.

[andyberg]

Week 2.

A better week in lots of ways but there is a downer ☹️

Now the weather is a proper temperature, if wet, the difference in driving the MG is amazing, no longer fighting the icy windows unless I put the fan on 3 or 4,still waiting for the post office to deliver the resistor 🙄 and now a radio too. It's a very pleasant place to be. New rear light seals ordered as the rain has come into the boot. Temporary fix of hole drilled in spare wheel well should help with the moisture content inside. Possibly a dribble coming in from rear drivers side door, need to investigate.

The bummer is the intermittent wipe has given up. A bit of Googling has discovered that the culprit is usually the relay, yay I hear you say. Replace relay, job done. This is Rover, The relay is soldered onto a SCU behind the glovebox. Repair means removal and sending off to a competent rover specialist, £50 to you sir. Oh and I use royal mail 1st class same day return postage. And you can't use the car without the SCU in place. Ok then looks like intermittent wipe may not be working for a little while then... 

 

[Noel Tidybeard]

check drain holes in door bottoms- it's not unheard of for the door* to fill with water enough to overflow through the speakers or door trim!

*not specifically rover

[Skut]

At least it's a fairly benign BCU/SCU failure. Quite often they fail and deadlock doors, that you then can't open. If the specialist is offering to replace all the relays in the bcu for better quality items I'd do it.  Stops it failing again.

[andyberg]

Yes, you are right. Having read up a bit about it, I seem lucky at the moment. I'll just keep my fingers crossed that the post office come off strike so I can send it away reasonably quickly 🤞🤞

[Tommyboy12]

It's fairly easy to do the relays yourself if you're half competent with a soldering iron. I've done them on two MG TFs. It minimises the down time to a few hours.

[andyberg]

3 minutes ago, Tommyboy12 said:

It's fairly easy to do the relays yourself if you're half competent with a soldering iron. I've done them on two MG TFs. It minimises the down time to a few hours.

Never soldered in my life! So maybe not the best idea to start with this?

[Tommyboy12]

In that case probably not 😅 The PCB is a fairly simple and old fashioned affair and the relays are not diddy little things but maybe you should pay someone if that's the case! I actually did it on both occasions because of the electric windows failing.

[andyberg]

I can buy the relays without having to send the SCU away. Maybe I can see if I can find a local company that will sder for me. Worth it? Or should I use a specialist?

[RoverFolkUs]

Just your average pektron BCU chaos

I'd say get it all done in one go by someone who knows what they're doing and that should be all issues with it sorted once and for all 

[andyberg]

22 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Just your average pektron BCU chaos

I'd say get it all done in one go by someone who knows what they're doing and that should be all issues with it sorted once and for all 

I have been recommended technozen electronics to do the work. You are right, the car is worth sorting properly. Especially as I have since found out that the car is 1 of 54 built in this colour as a mk2 and 5 door. She needs to be saved.

[Isaac Hunt]

Looks clean.  I had to throw away our 03 2-Door late last year, it needed a sparkly stick, nsf strut, Rad, 4 tyres and the paint down one side was proper Hobo.

it was a fun spare car but wasn’t really being used.  Scrappy gave me £400 for it so I drove it down there, felt quite sad, but I had a lot of other stuff on and too many cars.

fun cars

[andyberg]

New resistor arrived yesterday, life is good with a proper fan😁 new rear light seals are due to arrive today so hopefully the boot will be dry from Saturday, not before time. Just the rear drivers side door seal to sort. MPGs are improving, 42 now on the work commute. The car is really growing on me now, it's good to get little niggles sorted. One thing I will do is improve the speakers.put a decent radio in there and on the odd occasion I like to turn up the CD the sound is bloody rubbish, no bass at all. The intermittent wipers will get sorted in the new year.

First longish drive tomorrow, going to see my brother who is about 70 miles away, bit of A road and dual carriageway. Let's see how she is at motorway speeds.

[AnnoyingPentium]

2 minutes ago, andyberg said:

One thing I will do is improve the speakers.put a decent radio in there and on the odd occasion I like to turn up the CD the sound is bloody rubbish, no bass at all.

What size are they? Best bang for buck I ever found was a set of 6.5" Pioneer speakers, cost me £30-odd and are still going strong in the Skoda. The rear speakers are 4" Pioneers as well.

[andyberg]

8 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

What size are they? Best bang for buck I ever found was a set of 6.5" Pioneer speakers, cost me £30-odd and are still going strong in the Skoda. The rear speakers are 4" Pioneers as well.

I don't know. When it stops raining I'll have a look see. I'm guessing project drive cost cutting so they will be the best speakers that were available from the local knock off store🙄

[andyberg]

Always had pioneer speakers and radios back in the day, including the obligatory shelf mounted box speakers 😂

[Cookiesouwest]

I've got some new speakers in the shed somewhere. Bought for one of the MGs.

You are welcome to them

[andyberg]

1 hour ago, Cookiesouwest said:

I've got some new speakers in the shed somewhere. Bought for one of the MGs.

You are welcome to them

Don't you want them for the ZS????😂 

Dont worry I'm running fast!!!!

[andyberg]

Quick update.

The car was given an 'italian tune up' on new years eve to visit my brother about 70 miles from me. It seems to have done it some good, average MPGs are now 44, so up 4mpg. I think the previous owner didn't go far in it, she only did about 1000 miles a year in the 10 years she had it. 

The car continues to grow on me,just wish I could give it a bloody good clean. 

[SiC]

44mpg is pretty impressive for a petrol engine of that generation/age. 

[andyberg]

2 minutes ago, SiC said:

44mpg is pretty impressive for a petrol engine of that generation/age. 

It may just be an anomaly, though I have been using ESSO supreme E5 in it since I got it. So I'll do another check on next fill up.

[Garythesnail]

On 1/10/2023 at 7:51 PM, SiC said:

44mpg is pretty impressive for a petrol engine of that generation/age. 

Between the 1.4 16v, 1.4 8v and 1.8 VVC,  we found that the R8 400s and bubble 200s all had very similar fuel conaumption -  between 33 and 38  on a mix of roads, more on a long run.

[wuvvum]

The late 25 I had managed about 44mpg on a run to Somerset and back.  That was a 1.4 16v.  The 200VI did about 38.

[andyberg]

For no other reason than when I looked back to check my lights. It may be dirty but it still glows in the sunshine, bloody lovely.