2004 MG ZT260SE Saloon
Discussion
Update!
Just put new owner's club spec handbrake cables and shoes on, hopefully with some adjusting the handbrake will hold the car on hills now!
Whilst doing it found the foam under the carpet on the passenger's side is wet, also that most of my wheel bolts are on their last legs. Sigh. When the weather dries out a tad it'll be time to get the carpets out and check the known water ingress places, of which there are a few, and have ordered a new set of bolts and lockers.
Sigh.
Kumho winter rubber on the way too, nowhere had them in stock to fit so having them sent to the house and I'll find somewhere to sip them on the spare wheels for me.
Oh, also traced a wheel wobble at 75-ish to a missing wheel weight on the driver's side front. At least that's easily solved.
All these aren't V8 specific issues as far as I'm aware, handbrake is made more obvious by the V8 being heavier but all 75s and ZTs have the same design. Water too is a common niggle.
A turn of the key still makes all the foibles burble away though
Just put new owner's club spec handbrake cables and shoes on, hopefully with some adjusting the handbrake will hold the car on hills now!
Whilst doing it found the foam under the carpet on the passenger's side is wet, also that most of my wheel bolts are on their last legs. Sigh. When the weather dries out a tad it'll be time to get the carpets out and check the known water ingress places, of which there are a few, and have ordered a new set of bolts and lockers.
Sigh.
Kumho winter rubber on the way too, nowhere had them in stock to fit so having them sent to the house and I'll find somewhere to sip them on the spare wheels for me.
Oh, also traced a wheel wobble at 75-ish to a missing wheel weight on the driver's side front. At least that's easily solved.
All these aren't V8 specific issues as far as I'm aware, handbrake is made more obvious by the V8 being heavier but all 75s and ZTs have the same design. Water too is a common niggle.
A turn of the key still makes all the foibles burble away though
Tiniest of updates, been wielding a spanner under the bonnet to change the water pump.
Old one sounded like it was running on nails, by the feel of it the coupler has broken, only the pressure from the belt and pulley must have been keeping the impeller turning.
Managed to source one from http://www.ultimatespares.co.uk/ for £50, the 260 uses a short housing '04 Mustang pump.
Total time to do the job, including draining and refilling the coolant, was less than an hour. Engine sounds lovely again now!
Also nearly averaging 22mpg on a run lately, found I can pretty much do the entirety of my commute in 5th due to the sheer amount of torque at hand.
Old one sounded like it was running on nails, by the feel of it the coupler has broken, only the pressure from the belt and pulley must have been keeping the impeller turning.
Managed to source one from http://www.ultimatespares.co.uk/ for £50, the 260 uses a short housing '04 Mustang pump.
Total time to do the job, including draining and refilling the coolant, was less than an hour. Engine sounds lovely again now!
Also nearly averaging 22mpg on a run lately, found I can pretty much do the entirety of my commute in 5th due to the sheer amount of torque at hand.
90k service done, new plugs and fluids in.
Also a new driver's side handbrake cable, as it melted the old one.
Also a nice list of stuff that needs looking at, some sooner rather than later. Leaky radiator and corroded brake line foremost on the list. Not to mention plugging wherever water's getting in to the cabin and boot from.
I think running the car as a daily driver is slowly killing it as it gets older, not what I want to happen.
I know at 10 years old these things will happen to a car, last two I ran went older. I've not got the time, space, nor spare cash to have a second car so I can look after the 260 whilst having something I can rely on for work, though.
I also love the car too much to run it into the ground by not making sure it gets sorted when needed.
Time to move on is approaching I think :/
Call me a quitter, if you will, but I'd rather never reach the point where I have to choose between eating or driving to work. I'd also rather never reach the point where I start hating the car I've had that much fun with.
Also a new driver's side handbrake cable, as it melted the old one.
Also a nice list of stuff that needs looking at, some sooner rather than later. Leaky radiator and corroded brake line foremost on the list. Not to mention plugging wherever water's getting in to the cabin and boot from.
I think running the car as a daily driver is slowly killing it as it gets older, not what I want to happen.
I know at 10 years old these things will happen to a car, last two I ran went older. I've not got the time, space, nor spare cash to have a second car so I can look after the 260 whilst having something I can rely on for work, though.
I also love the car too much to run it into the ground by not making sure it gets sorted when needed.
Time to move on is approaching I think :/
Call me a quitter, if you will, but I'd rather never reach the point where I have to choose between eating or driving to work. I'd also rather never reach the point where I start hating the car I've had that much fun with.
pmanson said:
On my ZT (Mk1) the wheel well used to fill with water. Traced into the trim on the side of the car, the rubber clips had perished, so water could run down the side of the car and into the boot that way (luckily i didn't have the advanced hifi in the boot).
To test: remove all boot trim and run a hose over the rear window/side panels with the boot open and if it's the trim you see it coming in from the side of the car.
I never really solved it (moved the car on) but I think if you got of the clips you'd be able to remove and refit the trim.
I'll give that a look, the right side is definitely a drip coming from somewhere on to the carpet, so I suspect one of the back window seals is gone/going somewhere, but the left does seem to be underneath.To test: remove all boot trim and run a hose over the rear window/side panels with the boot open and if it's the trim you see it coming in from the side of the car.
I never really solved it (moved the car on) but I think if you got of the clips you'd be able to remove and refit the trim.
Edited by Scourge151 on Monday 15th September 17:30
St John Smythe said:
Mine leaked from rear lights, trim clips holding on the outer side trim and rear window seal. All fixed with a bit of patience and a tube of silicon. Watch out if you have the nav option though, the water getting in fried my nav computer so I had to get it replaced 
I do stick a hand underneath the trim to feel if anything's running down the inside near the nav computer f I find the carpet damp, so far nothing on that side (luckily).Finding something comparable to the MG sure is difficult. May have to make the ultimate sacrifice and move away from a manual box.
The horror.
The. Horror.
MGZTV8 said:
Recently sold mine too albeit with 23000 miles on it and in perfect condition.
Got an offer on it that I couldn't refuse but boy do I miss it.
They are truly unique cars and a piece of history.
Got an offer on it that I couldn't refuse but boy do I miss it.
They are truly unique cars and a piece of history.
- nods sagely* It's off the road at the mo while I wait for springs and brake pads to turn up, driving my dad's E36 328Ci sport in the meantime. I miss it already, when it goes I'll have to have another V8 or I'll go potty.
Roverload said:
One day I will have one of these, wonder if a transplant into a ZS is possible 
You might have to make it a two-seater, but I reckon you could wedge it in. No doubt it'd be mostly just a ZS silhouette at the end of the procedure!SlowStig said:
If it makes you feel better, mine snapped both front springs just before the MOT was due but changing them over was really simple with lots of penetrating oil. I would suggest doing the top mounts at the same time as you have to remove them anyway to change the springs over.
You need some more pictures on here though!
It doesn't look tricky, and my brother's a mechanic!You need some more pictures on here though!
Photos?
Here's the silly thing on my driveway after its most recent washing and waxing.
The aforementioned gift it left me (and the cat)
My loaner from Dad. He's had it 12 years can't bear to get rid of it, and I can't blame him really.
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