MG ZR+ 105, tell me what you know...

[Cti Stu]

Right then I have the chance of a clean and tidy MG ZR+ 1.4, in yellow, apart from the headgaskets what do you guys know about them? Worth going for??

[joefaulkner]

They're great cars as long as the head gasket has been changed.
Check for a noisy gearbox too.

[stealthstylz]

They're ace, not particularly quick in a straight line but they're good fun to drive.

[TopJobHobNob]

depends what you want it for. the 105 is just a rover, if it was a more pokey one then it would be worth getting a mg version i suppose. how cheap is it compared to equivelant rovers?
oh, and te side skirts have a habbit of sagging, which doesnt look great.

[Cti Stu]

....

[marinanut]

The 1.4 K is a strong engine; as long as the HG is done right (and there are a hell of a lot of bodgers out there) and you allow it to warm up properly, it can be caned within millimetres of its life and still be reliable. Gearbox should be OK, but listen for rumbles from the main bearings on it (plastic cages.... yuk). Otherwise, check for corrosion at the ends of the sills, wheel arches and round the rear hatch. Electrically, not much goes pop apart from the dash clock (normal to be dead) and the heater fan speeds which are just the resistors in the heater intake breaking - mods are available. Not particularly fast, handle well, fairly good mpg. And, of course, you could chuck a bigger 16V K series in......

[theheap]

Sorry but are you about to hand over 800 pounds and your pug td? If you want a nippy motor just throw 300 at the pug and have 500 spare.

[Cti Stu]

Oct 20, 2013 15:10:56 GMT theheap said:

Sorry but are you about to hand over 800 pounds and your pug td? If you want a nippy motor just throw 300 at the pug and have 500 spare.

Yeah thanks for your input its helped alot!!
I was asking what people know about the MG ZR and not should I "throw" £300 at a diesel estate car that I don't want! I m not worried about how much the car is or how much 'spare' ill have! my budget is alot more than £800 anyway! Ive also not said anything about wanting a nippy car?

[mattfletcher]

Mate £800 plus another car is too expensive. My brother sold a facelift 2005 plate one for £550 not long back, with just a slight dent above the drivers door. One on used walsall just,2003 model taxed till new year, no mot £300

[theheap]

Oct 20, 2013 16:36:58 GMT mattfletcher said:

Mate £800 plus another car is too expensive. My brother sold a facelift 2005 plate one for £550 not long back, with just a slight dent above the drivers door. One on used walsall just,2003 model taxed till new year, no mot £300

This is what i was getting at.

[Cti Stu]

Oct 20, 2013 16:57:28 GMT theheap said:

Oct 20, 2013 16:36:58 GMT mattfletcher said:

Mate £800 plus another car is too expensive. My brother sold a facelift 2005 plate one for £550 not long back, with just a slight dent above the drivers door. One on used walsall just,2003 model taxed till new year, no mot £300

This is what i was getting at.

Well it wasn't really was it!! You didn't say I think that's a lot for a MG ZR you just said if you want a nippy car spend £300 on my peugeot!

Only issue with a £300 car with no mot is how much is it going to cost to get through? There are plenty of cheap ones about, but this is a 1 owner car with FULL service history

I'm not really after info on how much we think I should be paying! I may not go for this one, I like the look of them and they can be had for cheap

As in my first post I'm asking for advice on the cars them self not a valuation!

[welshpug]

I'd rather a diesel 306 any day over a rover 200

[theheap]

Ok the MG ZR+ 1.4 in my opinion is a car worth grabbing if it's cheap, taxed and mot'd. Sub 700 pounds= use it then get rid before the mot runs out. That way you might get a few quid back. Or, get a 300-450 jobbie with t&t to fly about in. When the paperwork runs out scrap it.

They are nippy-ish, fun to boot about in, cheap and nasty, look sportier and better quality then they actually are, depending on your age they are probably a tad heavy on insurance due to the badge.

I know 800 is not a problem for you but the acr you describe is worth IMO 700-800 but would get a grand thrown at it no doubt.

For you a fellow Retro Rider i WILL tell you that giving 800 pounds AND you pug diesel is not a deal to you.

[theheap]

Oh and how much do you weigh sir? I myself am a tad less then 11 stone and when i sit in those cars i can feel the frame of the seat through the neckbrace foam they use for the seats. NOT COMFY

[Cti Stu]

Cheers :-). The insurance was a surprise as its exactly the same as the peugeot, (to the penny!!)

I'd rather a MG ZR over my 306 estate, 306 estate isn't exactly exciting or nice looking!

[recarouk]

Oct 20, 2013 17:32:02 GMT welshpug said:

I'd rather a diesel 306 any day over a rover 200

i'd rather a 200 L series over a 306 anyday of the week, would spank a d Turbo all day long

[stefan]

We had one when it was 3 years old on a 52 plate, one of the crapest cars I have ever had. Two head gaskets both done by different specialists in 30,000miles a drivers door trim that kept coming of and stopping the door opening or shutting properly, a boot that would come open with no warning, would be open when you came back to it after shopping, boot door and sunroof seals that leaked loads, bad tickover when hot (never was sorted in 5 visits to 3 different garages) and loads of rattily trim that kept falling of and a drivers seat that kept jamming when ever you moved it forward so people could get in the back (greased everything loads of times)

tried an MG ZT and that was loads worse, MG/Rover going under could not have happened to a more deserving company

[retroturbo]

Ha, ha, like Stefan, had a 52 plate 1.4+ at three years old but had the opposite experience.

Had 15k on the clock and was mint. Perfectly competent but it took time to find a good one - we were just about to hand over £5,5k for one from a Peugeot main dealer until we checked the history and found it had had a new engine at 18 months old...

It was never fast but the + spec wasn't bad with the half leather and the rare A/C. When you put that on though, the 'performance' really did take a dive! It had the optional Kenwood CD player too which was half decent.

Yep, certainly a bit nasty here and there in the style stakes, although it did look nice in the deep red colour, but it was (and rightfully should have been!) fine in the 3k or so miles we covered before sprog number one came along and a 307TDI 2.0 115hp took its place. That thing made the ZR look pedestrian and was £150 a year cheaper to insure...