Tell you a story. Warning contains MG Montego Turbo content.
Discussion
Reading the BL are crap and MGF/TF "Bad Rep" thread over on MG-Rover.org reminded me.
Not just MGF/TFs, other MGs have "Bad Rep" which in my own direct experience is certainly NOT justified. Take for instance the "tarted up" Montego known as the MG Montego Turbo. Twenty odd years ago when I drove Montegos regularly colleagues and neighbours would question my buying and running such unreliabe cars.
I was outnumbered millions to one when it came to my choice of cars as the registration stats confirmed every year and a glance at the average supermarket car park also confirmed. However, none of my cars ever left me stranded at the roadside unlike the car choices of those many who questioned my judgement.
Tell you an amusing story. I always checked the local classifieds for cars that might interest me. Still do. One day, about ten years or more ago, there was an MG Montego Turbo advertised. Located deep in the dark, damp depths of the Forest of Dean, it had not been used for years after being switched off for the last time when the owner died. I drove out and this is what I found.
The daughter was selling the four vehicles left and wanted far too much for the car [b]"It's very fast you know"[b] ...
... Not only that, lifting the bonnet revealed a partially stripped SU carb with parts spread across the engine! Her brother had tried to get it running.. 
Even ignoring the heathly seedling Stinging Nettles and Oaks growing in the leaf litter accumulated in the area where the wipers parked, releasing the handbrake revealed rear brakes locked on solid. Even though the car was parked on a 1 in 4 slope, no way would it budge with the brakes seized on. No deal and left a contact number should she change her mind on price. Move on six months and I get a call from her asking if I was still interested in the car and if so, make an offer. I jokingly said ten quid and she immediately said DONE. Provided I moved the car by the weekend which she needed it gone as the old house had now been sold and needed clearing.
So loaded up my Monty Turbo with a tow bar, a good Battery, two gallons of 95 ron, some water, a known good Carb and my son who is a good pilot in a towed a car.
On arrival I checked what I could, collected up all the dismantled SU carb bits, fitted the good Crab, Battery, checked fluids topping up the fuel with the fresh two gallons, switched on the ignition and heard the fuel pump prime. So far so good. Waited afew more seconds. turned the key further and a second later the O Series Turbo Burst into life ..
... and all the people were amazified! ... 
Released that handbrake ... car held solid on seized rear brakes.
Right, nothing ventured etc. Selected reverse and lifted the clutch hoping the power would free up the seized rear brakes and the car could reverse back up the steep 1 in 4 drive. Car changed stance as the brakes still held solid and I applied more power to the now slipping clutch which was starting to smell like abused clutches always do... then suddenly the brakes freed and I shot up the slope backwards much to my relief. I had already arranged an MoT for the car and moving up and down the long steep drive, I became confident the car would make it. However, with my son following in the other car just in case.
I enjoyed sorting that old car, fitting better Alloy Wheels and good tyres replacing the tired steel ones with perished rubbers. A quick wipe over with an oily rag soon had the old car looking and running well as these pictures show :~
Used the car for a year or two and went well. One of the best tenners I ever spent. Another winner.
Not just MGF/TFs, other MGs have "Bad Rep" which in my own direct experience is certainly NOT justified. Take for instance the "tarted up" Montego known as the MG Montego Turbo. Twenty odd years ago when I drove Montegos regularly colleagues and neighbours would question my buying and running such unreliabe cars.
I was outnumbered millions to one when it came to my choice of cars as the registration stats confirmed every year and a glance at the average supermarket car park also confirmed. However, none of my cars ever left me stranded at the roadside unlike the car choices of those many who questioned my judgement.
Tell you an amusing story. I always checked the local classifieds for cars that might interest me. Still do. One day, about ten years or more ago, there was an MG Montego Turbo advertised. Located deep in the dark, damp depths of the Forest of Dean, it had not been used for years after being switched off for the last time when the owner died. I drove out and this is what I found.
The daughter was selling the four vehicles left and wanted far too much for the car [b]"It's very fast you know"[b] ...
... Not only that, lifting the bonnet revealed a partially stripped SU carb with parts spread across the engine! Her brother had tried to get it running.. Even ignoring the heathly seedling Stinging Nettles and Oaks growing in the leaf litter accumulated in the area where the wipers parked, releasing the handbrake revealed rear brakes locked on solid. Even though the car was parked on a 1 in 4 slope, no way would it budge with the brakes seized on. No deal and left a contact number should she change her mind on price. Move on six months and I get a call from her asking if I was still interested in the car and if so, make an offer. I jokingly said ten quid and she immediately said DONE. Provided I moved the car by the weekend which she needed it gone as the old house had now been sold and needed clearing.So loaded up my Monty Turbo with a tow bar, a good Battery, two gallons of 95 ron, some water, a known good Carb and my son who is a good pilot in a towed a car.
On arrival I checked what I could, collected up all the dismantled SU carb bits, fitted the good Crab, Battery, checked fluids topping up the fuel with the fresh two gallons, switched on the ignition and heard the fuel pump prime. So far so good. Waited afew more seconds. turned the key further and a second later the O Series Turbo Burst into life ..
... and all the people were amazified! ... Released that handbrake ... car held solid on seized rear brakes.
Right, nothing ventured etc. Selected reverse and lifted the clutch hoping the power would free up the seized rear brakes and the car could reverse back up the steep 1 in 4 drive. Car changed stance as the brakes still held solid and I applied more power to the now slipping clutch which was starting to smell like abused clutches always do... then suddenly the brakes freed and I shot up the slope backwards much to my relief. I had already arranged an MoT for the car and moving up and down the long steep drive, I became confident the car would make it. However, with my son following in the other car just in case.
I enjoyed sorting that old car, fitting better Alloy Wheels and good tyres replacing the tired steel ones with perished rubbers. A quick wipe over with an oily rag soon had the old car looking and running well as these pictures show :~
Used the car for a year or two and went well. One of the best tenners I ever spent. Another winner.
te is always assumed they were.
My Dad had the non-turbo version and I used to think I was cool as all feck in it (14). Down under these sorts of cars were pretty rare and reasonably flash (!). He wasn't allowed the turbo version (co. car) but our local police used to run them. It was a pretty good car from memory and still have a big soft spot for them. Not that you ever see any on the road anymore.
The bog standard EFi versions were reasonably nippy for a mid-1980s car. Sub 9 second 0-60 I believe. I had one of those too. One of the most reliable cars I've ever had. This one:~
Mainly driven by my better half, who is one of the most non-enthusiastic car drivers I know, she loved it. Probably because of the huge boot capacity as she always had loads of stuff in there. An extension to her handbag.... I also miss the superb cabin space and the near perfect all round visibility. The latter being something sadly rare on modern stuff mainly in the interests of the 'safer' car I guess. Bit of a myth that.
Mainly driven by my better half, who is one of the most non-enthusiastic car drivers I know, she loved it. Probably because of the huge boot capacity as she always had loads of stuff in there. An extension to her handbag....
I also miss the superb cabin space and the near perfect all round visibility. The latter being something sadly rare on modern stuff mainly in the interests of the 'safer' car I guess. Bit of a myth that.Love stories like this, thanks for sharing. Do you know if it's still on the road?
My dad ran a 1989 1.6LX for about 15 years, facelift with the nicer interior, was sadly stolen in 2005 by a bunch of teenagers and subsequently written off due to damage to the steering lock and ignition barrel
Had massive sentimental value as it had been a feature of all our summer holidays and took me and a bunch of teenage cross country runners all over the country to races with utter reliability. Was really sorry to see it go, was a comfy old thing and I would have loved it as a first car.
We went up to the recovery yard it ended up in somewhere in Essex to collect some bits out of it. Knowing it was the last time we would see it before it was scrapped wasn't nice poor old thing, but dad had had enough after having to deal with halfwit police officers and silly offers from the insurance.
Can't remember the last time I saw a monty on the road.
My dad ran a 1989 1.6LX for about 15 years, facelift with the nicer interior, was sadly stolen in 2005 by a bunch of teenagers and subsequently written off due to damage to the steering lock and ignition barrel
Had massive sentimental value as it had been a feature of all our summer holidays and took me and a bunch of teenage cross country runners all over the country to races with utter reliability. Was really sorry to see it go, was a comfy old thing and I would have loved it as a first car.We went up to the recovery yard it ended up in somewhere in Essex to collect some bits out of it. Knowing it was the last time we would see it before it was scrapped wasn't nice
poor old thing, but dad had had enough after having to deal with halfwit police officers and silly offers from the insurance.Can't remember the last time I saw a monty on the road.
Edited by lufbramatt on Wednesday 19th June 21:57
Here's my son, some years before he could hold a licence, learning how to handle a reasonably powerful car off road on my personal track. Some folks mention their personal track. I actually have one .. 
:~
Back in his schooldays, several of my two sons' school classmates, all with parents of a mindset "No son of mine will own an MG or Rover", also learned how to drive these cars in this safe environment and loved every minute. Several went on to buy MGs or Rovers much to the chagrin of their more knowing parents. Including one who has the finest ZS T16 Turbo conversion I've ever seen. There was one exception. He chose Japanese and German. He must be the only S2000 owner who did not enjoy the 'bullet proof' Honda reliability. He had bad luck with his BMW too.
Both my sons passed their driving test soon after their seventeenth birthday first time. Not having to learn clutch control, gear changing when I handed them over to BSM to be taught how to pass the test, they could concentrate on that having already learned how to control a car in a safer environment and not on the roads.
:~
Back in his schooldays, several of my two sons' school classmates, all with parents of a mindset "No son of mine will own an MG or Rover", also learned how to drive these cars in this safe environment and loved every minute. Several went on to buy MGs or Rovers much to the chagrin of their more knowing parents. Including one who has the finest ZS T16 Turbo conversion I've ever seen. There was one exception. He chose Japanese and German. He must be the only S2000 owner who did not enjoy the 'bullet proof' Honda reliability. He had bad luck with his BMW too.
Both my sons passed their driving test soon after their seventeenth birthday first time. Not having to learn clutch control, gear changing when I handed them over to BSM to be taught how to pass the test, they could concentrate on that having already learned how to control a car in a safer environment and not on the roads.
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