Can an MG F ever be a good idea??? even if its free???
Discussion
I recall NEC debut of it and in Top Gear mag they issued 3D glasses for the pics...
Let's be honest the MGF is quite a "pretty" car read girly whereas the MG-TF is much better in that aspect.
The seats I found not accommodating if your 6 foot or more I needed much more legroom and seat adjustment. It felt cheap inside too IMHO.
If it is free has tax and an MOT you'd be mad not to take it then if you don't like give it away or sell it
Let's be honest the MGF is quite a "pretty" car read girly whereas the MG-TF is much better in that aspect.
The seats I found not accommodating if your 6 foot or more I needed much more legroom and seat adjustment. It felt cheap inside too IMHO.
If it is free has tax and an MOT you'd be mad not to take it then if you don't like give it away or sell it
kambites said:
sure the driving position is woeful, the engine eats head gaskets and the build quality is questionable at best
I have no problem with the driving position at all but I am average height; they do not "eat" head gaskets - the revised MLS gasket is a once and for all fix provided you keep an eye on the coolant - all MGFs will be at least 12 years old so this is a sensible precaution with any car that age -BMWs of a similar vintage also suffer from HGF ; build quality is on a par with other non-premium European manufacturers of the same era, and fixes are generally cheap. I agree with the rest of your post - they are great fun to drive.Bluebarge said:
they do not "eat" head gaskets - the revised MLS gasket is a once and for all fix provided you keep an eye on the coolant.
If you mean the new one from China with the more rigid oil-rail and different stretch bolts, it's too early to conclusively say. If you meant he Land Rover one, it's really, really not. The MLS gasket is a marginal improvement if the liner heights are at the top end of the factory range; it can be worse than a good elastomer gasket if the liners are on the low side. jamieduff1981 said:
And yet one could justifiably level all those criticisms at any generic French hothatch yet in general people accept them for what they are.
There are plenty German "premium" cars which are actually crap despite the media assurances of quality yet British people are unwavering in their support to them.
I'm not one of those people, I buy a car then form a personal opinion based on my experience, which in this case was terrible. Maybe I was expecting too much, like having central locking in a 2004 car. In saying all this if a car is free, no matter what its reputation it is worth giving a go for a while. There are plenty German "premium" cars which are actually crap despite the media assurances of quality yet British people are unwavering in their support to them.
mini1380cc said:
I'm not one of those people, I buy a car then form a personal opinion based on my experience, which in this case was terrible. Maybe I was expecting too much, like having central locking in a 2004 car. In saying all this if a car is free, no matter what its reputation it is worth giving a go for a while.
My 2001 model has central locking as do almost every other, except the TF115 which was the cheapest model in the range. mini1380cc said:
Thats not true really. A car can have a crap reputation simply because it is actually crap. I held on to mine for one summer and was glad to be rid of it. It was slow, the bodywork was unbelievably easy to dent, like you could dent it with a press of your thumb. The gear stick was plastic instead of metal so would flex when pushing it home. The whole thing was just an insult and I'm no rover hater, I quite liked my 214si.
I have had my 2001 MGF Trophy 160 for over a year & 14,000 miles, it has never let me down, the mileage is around 90,000 & it is on it's first head gasket so they are not all destined to go. I am just around 6ft & don't have a problem at all with the driving position, the brakes are fabulous, the steering sharp & the suspension although firm inspires confidence when pressing on in the twisty bits. I much prefer them to a MX5, seems to me to be superior in every way, including economy, in mixed driving I am averaging 35mpg & on my regular jaunts to Sheffield can get 40mpg if I stick to the speed limits. I don't get the haters, sure it is not perfect, some of the build quality is questionable, but it is fun AND cheap, what's not to like!Personally and having driven an MG TF, MX5, MR2 and Alfa Spider I would say yes. Doesnt have the go kart appeal of the MX5 or the speed of the MR2, but it still is a lot of fun. Just dont use it as your main car, it is a weekend car, and if its free, you'd be glad you did.
Incidently there may be many reason not to buy a convertible in the Autumn or Winter but here is one reason why I believe one should.....North Wales!
Incidently there may be many reason not to buy a convertible in the Autumn or Winter but here is one reason why I believe one should.....North Wales!
I borrowed my dads 1.6 Tf for a week as my car (e39 530d) was in having a bit of work done. Surprisingly I actually quite (shhh!) enjoyed driving it! (Yes yes, hand in ph membership as I shuffle towards the exit etc etc).
The build quality IS shocking, rattles, dire plastics, terrible driving position, general feeling of mucho cheapness. My dad bought the car at 19,000 miles, I bet him £50 the head gasket would go before 25k. At 24,300 miles it popped despite perfect maintenance!
But underneath all the tat & horrid Roverness, there is a willing little revvy sports car trying to get out, and with the top down & the sun shining, it makes sense. I still would not buy one with my own money, but I can sort of see the appeal now.
The build quality IS shocking, rattles, dire plastics, terrible driving position, general feeling of mucho cheapness. My dad bought the car at 19,000 miles, I bet him £50 the head gasket would go before 25k. At 24,300 miles it popped despite perfect maintenance!
But underneath all the tat & horrid Roverness, there is a willing little revvy sports car trying to get out, and with the top down & the sun shining, it makes sense. I still would not buy one with my own money, but I can sort of see the appeal now.
I'll be honest, I don't really see what's wrong with them even if they're not free!?
So long as you're small enough to get into one, they're fun enough, but they are kinda cramped...
They're not an MX5 but then maybe that's the point?
A mate does HGs on a variety of Rovers/MGs - uses a third-party kit sourced through a local motor factor which he's found to be pretty decent (he's not had one back yet and he's been using this kit for almost 3 years)
I've always gotten the feeling that a lot of K-series HG issues are PEBKAC (PEBSWAS?) issues tho - some people never check anything until all the warning lights come on (says he who does that with his current car - it even tells me the OIL level ffs!)
So long as you're small enough to get into one, they're fun enough, but they are kinda cramped...
They're not an MX5 but then maybe that's the point?
A mate does HGs on a variety of Rovers/MGs - uses a third-party kit sourced through a local motor factor which he's found to be pretty decent (he's not had one back yet and he's been using this kit for almost 3 years)
I've always gotten the feeling that a lot of K-series HG issues are PEBKAC (PEBSWAS?) issues tho - some people never check anything until all the warning lights come on (says he who does that with his current car - it even tells me the OIL level ffs!)
Edited by 405dogvan on Tuesday 29th October 00:37
Who cares what anyone thinks? Especially people on the internet?
If you want it, get it! My mum has just sold her MGF VVC, she absolutely loved and adored it - and she is a women who has NEVER got attached or emotional about a car before, ever. It was a really fun car I have to admit.
People go on about rattles and build - well that is not brand specific to MG/Rover. If you wanted a quiet, comfortable, well built car then get a Rover 75 they are very nicely built. If you want a fun open top roadster for a sensible price (especially if its free!) then an MGF/TF could be the answer.
If you want it, get it! My mum has just sold her MGF VVC, she absolutely loved and adored it - and she is a women who has NEVER got attached or emotional about a car before, ever. It was a really fun car I have to admit.
People go on about rattles and build - well that is not brand specific to MG/Rover. If you wanted a quiet, comfortable, well built car then get a Rover 75 they are very nicely built. If you want a fun open top roadster for a sensible price (especially if its free!) then an MGF/TF could be the answer.
deanogtv said:
It wouldnt be my first choice of roof down 2 seater fun however a friend needs rid of his and is offering me it for a days work helping him move.
I'd do it for nothing anyway but having the MG in the sum of things adds a bit of fun to it.
So the MG, its roof down, rear engined, small ............... and thats about it lol
But can a little bit of fun be had with it. OK K-Series engine I believe, so could ba an issue. Would a bit of tweaking to shocks, decent set of wheels and a little tune to the engine offer some cheap fun or would it be more trouble than its worth????
You're being offered a fully-working sports car for free? I'd take it. If nothing else you could rag it round a couple of cheap track days and then scrap it when the tyres are spent or use it as a runaround for the winter and then sell it for a profit to someone looking for a convertible when spring arrives.I'd do it for nothing anyway but having the MG in the sum of things adds a bit of fun to it.
So the MG, its roof down, rear engined, small ............... and thats about it lol
But can a little bit of fun be had with it. OK K-Series engine I believe, so could ba an issue. Would a bit of tweaking to shocks, decent set of wheels and a little tune to the engine offer some cheap fun or would it be more trouble than its worth????
I can't say the MGF would be the first choice to spend my own money on either, but for free it's a no brainer.
And on the subject of 'tweaking to the shocks', I think I'm right in saying the MGF has Hydragas suspension. So if it's working correctly all you'd need to do is get someone to pump it up and you'd have an instantly stiffer platform. Whether or not that then turns it into an MR2-eater remains to be seen, but it's worth a shot...
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