RE: MG ZT-T V8 Catch it while you can.

[greggy50]

400hp supercharged one for sale here at £9k with only 31,500 miles

Wish I had the money!
http://www9.mg-cars.org.uk/mgoc260/f0rum/showthrea...

[Mr2Mike]

XJ Flyer said:

It seemed coherent enough to me.Unlike Rover's production policy in firstly ditching the idea of making V8 powered rwd cars in favour of making stbox fwd Honda based ones and then changing it's mind when it was all too late.

Are you seriously blaming Rovers demise on the fact that they stopped producing the SD1 in 1986? It's not April 1st so why would you even post that?

[J B L]

That's a cool car and a good article.

[Bill]

Mr2Mike said:

XJ Flyer said:

It seemed coherent enough to me.Unlike Rover's production policy in firstly ditching the idea of making V8 powered rwd cars in favour of making stbox fwd Honda based ones and then changing it's mind when it was all too late.

Are you seriously blaming Rovers demise on the fact that they stopped producing the SD1 in 1986? It's not April 1st so why would you even post that?

"Coherent"

[StefanVXR8]

J4CKO said:

lincsls2 said:

insideimsmiling said:

Vanity projects? well maybe, but its amazing what was achieved on minute budgets & with some excellent engineering - these v8's along with the SV8 are already seen by many including myself as classics.

Agreed. The ZT 260 was a well engineered, over engineered car. Word has it that it was this way ready made for the extra power of the SC engine.
The rest of the ZT range was excellent, they now make brilliant 2nd hand cars.
My 260 was also 100% reliable.
I don't think anyone will suggest that they were better than the competition, but if you wanted something rare & different & smiles per mile you couldn't go wrong.

Must have done something right, 75,000 odd the ZT/75 still on the road, best part of nine years old for the youngest, pretty good survival rate for something so many write off as being crap.

Well said. I can't fault my 13 year old 148,000 mile 75 with its 2.5V6 Auto. Everything still works, it drives with a good wafty but not wallowy ride, reasonable economy (35mpg on the motorway), classic interior, mine has the personal line blue leather with real wood dash, fully loaded with such things as cruise, electric sunroof, electric rear blind, heated electric memory seats, climate, traction control, cd changer, Harmon Kardon upgrade, power fold heated mirrors, heated washer jets, headlamp washers, computer, sat nav etc and it cost me £500!!

It was a great car new (along with the ZT), good solid underpinnings of dare I say it, German descent, it had a very high level of technology with even such things as the capability to switch on the brake light bulb at a lower wattage if it detected the rear tail light bulb had blown.

They are an amazing buy now for those in the know, the (ahem) diesel being a very good buy if you want old school British looks with an economical and reasonable power saloon, and of course no cambelt to worry about on the BMW sourced diesel. For me though I wanted the silky smoothness of the V6, it's actually a great engine, no major issues as long as you service it right and change the cambelt when due, it certainly doesn't have the HGF issues that people harp on about.

I'd like the V8 Rover 75 in my garage, just for the novelty factor.

Stef

[robinessex]

Just to think, when Rover went down the pan, a local garage had a brand new 260 for £11,000 !!!!!!!!!!

[XJ Flyer]

Bill said:

Mr2Mike said:

XJ Flyer said:

It seemed coherent enough to me.Unlike Rover's production policy in firstly ditching the idea of making V8 powered rwd cars in favour of making stbox fwd Honda based ones and then changing it's mind when it was all too late.

Are you seriously blaming Rovers demise on the fact that they stopped producing the SD1 in 1986? It's not April 1st so why would you even post that?

"Coherent"

No I'm blaming Rover's demise on the fact that they chose to replace it with a fwd drive range based on Honda ricers instead of developing a new range of rwd products.

[Fleckers]

Hooli said:

I still remember a ride in Kermit Power's Mk1 Estate (the only Mk1 Estate I think) utterly fabulous car, just needed more power (doesn't everyone?) I could see them as a competitor to the XJRs if they'd been sold with the blower.

I also had a MK1 zt-t

There were just 25 of them made about of 850 V8's across mg and rover

[sjc]

StefanVXR8 said:

Well said. I can't fault my 13 year old 148,000 mile 75 with its 2.5V6 Auto. Everything still works, it drives with a good wafty but not wallowy ride, reasonable economy (35mpg on the motorway), classic interior, mine has the personal line blue leather with real wood dash, fully loaded with such things as cruise, electric sunroof, electric rear blind, heated electric memory seats, climate, traction control, cd changer, Harmon Kardon upgrade, power fold heated mirrors, heated washer jets, headlamp washers, computer, sat nav etc and it cost me £500!!

It was a great car new (along with the ZT), good solid underpinnings of dare I say it, German descent, it had a very high level of technology with even such things as the capability to switch on the brake light bulb at a lower wattage if it detected the rear tail light bulb had blown.

They are an amazing buy now for those in the know, the (ahem) diesel being a very good buy if you want old school British looks with an economical and reasonable power saloon, and of course no cambelt to worry about on the BMW sourced diesel. For me though I wanted the silky smoothness of the V6, it's actually a great engine, no major issues as long as you service it right and change the cambelt when due, it certainly doesn't have the HGF issues that people harp on about.

I'd like the V8 Rover 75 in my garage, just for the novelty factor.

Stef

100% agree.Paid 2300 quid over 4 years ago for a 28K miler to same spec as yours, now done 80,000 miles at 13 years old.Biggest asset is it's like driving a classic,( due to the interior) updated and refurbished with allthe mod-cons you listed above.
A poor mans Beacham Jag.....(alright that's really pushing it!)

Here's my very own car being assessed by a certain Mr.Tiff Needell on Fifth Gear last year.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhUEK6Vaes8

Strangely with the MG's, I prefer the 190 V6 to the V8 ZT 260. Better developed and not much slower,far nicer gearbox.

[Alicatt1]

Have one from new in 2004, had a 75 1.8 as a company car and loved it so much that I went looking at a ZT190 as a personal car, and then heard about a garage that had the ZT260 so went there for a test drive and loved it even more than the 190. I put my money down when we got back to the garage.

To get the car to breathe better above 5k rpm it really needs a bigger throttle body, putting a 72mm one on instead of the standard 68mm really makes a big difference. However putting a Dreadnought fitted blower on it makes a huge difference

[Bladedancer]

Rollcage said:

As they don't often hang around long on the second hand market, I'd say the majority are worth what people ask for them.

Sentimental value? Wanting to buy British?
I'm happy that sellers find customers. They are a niche car with but a few on the market so no wonder they go.
These 260 cost 5-8k. I can have a Mazda MPS for that money. That's why I said I'll pass.

[Bill]

So they are worth what people ask...

[John_S4x4]

Bladedancer said:

I can have a Mazda MPS for that money. That's why I said I'll pass.

I was looking at buying a Mazda 6 MPS vs ZT 260 V8 and they can be compared in regards to weight, simular hp, price, age and 4 door saloon type but there it seems to end. In the end I chose a ZT because you can get ZT V8's with lower milage and better reliability and that great sound track

[Bladedancer]

John_S4x4 said:

Bladedancer said:

I can have a Mazda MPS for that money. That's why I said I'll pass.

I was looking at buying a Mazda 6 MPS vs ZT 260 V8 and they can be compared in regards to weight, simular hp, price, age and 4 door saloon type but there it seems to end. In the end I chose a ZT because you can get ZT V8's with lower milage and better reliability and that great sound track

I looked at it this way:

For Mazda -
1) Great handling, nimble car
2) Easily tunable engine (remap alone gives 290 bhp or so)

For MG
1) Soundtrack
2) Estate is available

For me MG blew it with 260. They could have made a brilliant car and instead they just made a good car. A 260 V8 just isn't enough to cut it among V8 powered BMW mercs and Audis (not talking about M5 here but things like 540i and 500E).

Edited by Bladedancer on Monday 3rd March 22:12

[Bladedancer]

greggy50 said:

400hp supercharged one for sale here at £9k with only 31,500 miles

Wish I had the money!
http://www9.mg-cars.org.uk/mgoc260/f0rum/showthrea...

And that was IMO well priced and definatelly well worth it.
I'm always surprised when people price standard 260 at or above 10k.

[Agdavie]

HA HA! BX54KJE - what a car!!!

I used to work for SMC MG Rover and know Mark Baxter as a good friend! (although he was my boss at the time and is was still getting used to his sense of humour and crazy car buying abilities)

That car was bonkers! I got to drive it on a few occasions and it was nothing short of a miracle! The sound was great although i would have put the Xpower exhausts on it if it was me.... MORE NOISE!!

Based in High Wycombe we had our fair share of rude boys in Golfs and Audi'd who would try to give it large down the Marlow bypass and the look on their face when you let them go from the lights then stomped past with the supercharger whining like a pig in a pan leaving them for dead was priceless....

Ive always wondered what ever happened to this car as it was sold by us to an enthusiast who wanted something different and ive never seen it again.... if anyone knows where it is id be interested to find out!

Also i would like to add that Mr Baxter also has one of the rarest cars made by MG Rover at that time... a 75 V8 Estate.... only one of 7 made I do believe...

[disco666]

Rollcage said:

Bladedancer said:

If they all had the supercharged engine from factory they'd be worth be money people ask for them now.
But since they don't sadly the ZT-T V8 is just another estate with not that powerful V8.
I'll pass.

As they don't often hang around long on the second hand market, I'd say the majority are worth what people ask for them.

Is it ok to agree with both of you?

I can certainly see the appeal, but not enough go for me.

[JulesV]

Agdavie said:

HA HA! BX54KJE - what a car!!!

I used to work for SMC MG Rover and know Mark Baxter as a good friend! (although he was my boss at the time and is was still getting used to his sense of humour and crazy car buying abilities)

That car was bonkers! I got to drive it on a few occasions and it was nothing short of a miracle! The sound was great although i would have put the Xpower exhausts on it if it was me.... MORE NOISE!!

Based in High Wycombe we had our fair share of rude boys in Golfs and Audi'd who would try to give it large down the Marlow bypass and the look on their face when you let them go from the lights then stomped past with the supercharger whining like a pig in a pan leaving them for dead was priceless....

Ive always wondered what ever happened to this car as it was sold by us to an enthusiast who wanted something different and ive never seen it again.... if anyone knows where it is id be interested to find out!

Also i would like to add that Mr Baxter also has one of the rarest cars made by MG Rover at that time... a 75 V8 Estate.... only one of 7 made I do believe...


I bought mine from SMC High Wycombe. Very good garage and they kindly fitted XPower exhausts on mine as part of the deal.

[AntB]

Hooli said:

(the only Mk1 Estate I think)

mine is a mk1 estate. number 000026, one of the former development cars i believe

[iloveboost]

I don't know whether it's been mentioned but not only did they make the MG ZT with a mustang engine they stuck the same engine in the Rover 75! Yes you too you can get a Rover 75 that looks like any other Rover 75 with a big V8 and RWD! I guess the thinking was that it was a cheaper E39 BMW 540i? I've no idea what they drive like.