RE: MG ZS 180: Spotted
Discussion
I had a real shed of a ZR a couple of years ago. I swapped it on facebook for a broken motorbike which says it all! The paint job was colour matched by Stevie Wonder but you know what? It drove fantastic. Was only the 1.4 105bhp model but it was great fun to drive fast and left a real soft spot for MG!
Would love a ZS V6 and will have one - one day!
Would love a ZS V6 and will have one - one day!
In many ways time has been kind to the ZS, the outdated interior is no more or less outdated than many of the 1990s Japanese cars which we now lust after.
Unfortunately, build quality does leave a lot to be desired and the vast majority (if not all) of these have at some point had an owner who has let the car go to ruin.
I recently drove one in the hopes of buying it as a daily driver, in the ad the car had everything right however it still was falling apart due to many years of lack of caring.
A shame, because they do genuinely handle brilliantly. A super low weight by modern standards and quite advanced suspension really helps.
Unfortunately, build quality does leave a lot to be desired and the vast majority (if not all) of these have at some point had an owner who has let the car go to ruin.
I recently drove one in the hopes of buying it as a daily driver, in the ad the car had everything right however it still was falling apart due to many years of lack of caring.
A shame, because they do genuinely handle brilliantly. A super low weight by modern standards and quite advanced suspension really helps.
I always wondered why this is the only car I can think of which suddenly developed orange front indicators whereas the R45's were clear, at the same time as pretty much every other car at the time was doing the opposite. Extremely weird facelift technique.
Any ideas? I am guessing change for change's sake.
Any ideas? I am guessing change for change's sake.
ToothbrushMan said:
i seem to remember old airfields cram packed with new rovers of this era all unsold - what on earth happened to all of them or are they still rotting away?
I bought a new 75 V8 in 2006 for about 10k off list and still have it. It has under 40,000 miles and is in regular use. It is in extremely good condition and people really like it. An excellent purchase.rare6499 said:
The fact that we no longer have MG
I think a few people might have something to say about that... Most likely the 270 or so that still work at Longbridge and drive past the big MG logo on the way in to work and the more than 9,000 people who bought one in 2018 
https://mg.co.uk/
OK - it's not British owned (but apart from a few niche manufacturers what is?) and they don't do a "sports" car (yet) but MG is still alive and was the fastest growing OEM in the UK last year. Not necessarily hard given the starting point I'll grant you but still not too shabby.
InitialDave said:
I've got one at the moment. Bloody good car to drive, not the last word in build quality, but I'd say they're a serious bargain for the money they go for.
Not at £4k though, crikey.
You're right about 4k but when mine was recently hit by a recycling truck the damage assessor couldn't find one with similar condition and mileage for under 2.5k so at least he didn't write mine off Not at £4k though, crikey.
I've posted in a few MGR related threads, as I own and run an MG Rover parts supplier.
The cars have lasted longer than either I or anyone else in the business has really expected - personally, I was expecting to have had to wind the business down through the tapering off of numbers left but it's been the polar opposite.
We're constantly being asked for no-longer-available parts, and seem to spend a large amount of time bringing some odds and ends 'back from the dead' in terms of availability.
In my opinion (don't shoot me) I think the 75 and ZT are the cream of the crop - I own cars of other marques, and still find them absolutely brilliant to own and drive.
The BMW-engined diesel models win it for me, with a winning blend of reliability (I've covered around 200,000 miles in diesel variants over the years, with only minor repairs) and cabin comfort. The ZT is quite 'crashy' due to the springs being rather thick (my ZT is a 2003, so has the firm suspension), but I feel the excellent handling for such a large barge makes this a worthy trade off.
The automatic gearbox in the 75 / ZT deserves a special mention - in a world of ZF 6HP19/26 and 5L40E transmissions in similar vintage / sized cars (both with their issues), the Jatco JF506E is fantastically reliable. The only issues of note are the 2/4 Brake Duty Solenoid (an hour to change) and the reverse piston (3-4 hours); both parts are cheap and readily available.
I can only see values of good examples going up - a good automatic diesel 75 / ZT with top specification can easily fetch £4k+ now.
I seem to have gone off on a tangent there... with regards to the ZS, they're an absolute hoot to drive with lots of grip, character in spares (especially with the V6) and a relatively well-laid out (if rather basic) cabin.
I miss owning one - I've not had one for a while now, as the 330d I currently 'babysit' currently occupies the space a ZS would take.
The MGR engine line-up was rather basic, which held things back a little - the 1.8 was a lovely drive, if a little lost in the 75 and ZT - and ultimately reliable once sorted out with a decent head gasket and associated work. The 2.5 V6 is brilliant fun in all variants - enough power to drag the larger cars around, and make a ZS180 seem like a genuinely quick car. They also sound absolutely glorious at full chat!
Finally, the diesels - the L Series in the ZR and ZS etc is quite a basic, tractor-sounding lump of pig iron but is absolutely dependable (save for short cambelt change intervals, 48K / 4 years), and of course the 75 / ZT got the basic (but ample) BMW diesel engine, with the VNT turbocharger and swirl flaps removed vs. the BMW application. Of course, any E46 320d owner will probably tell you this was a blessing in disguise - the VNT vanes seized regularly, and swirl flaps were a favourite luncheon choice for the engine itself.
Ramble ramble ramble
The cars have lasted longer than either I or anyone else in the business has really expected - personally, I was expecting to have had to wind the business down through the tapering off of numbers left but it's been the polar opposite.
We're constantly being asked for no-longer-available parts, and seem to spend a large amount of time bringing some odds and ends 'back from the dead' in terms of availability.
In my opinion (don't shoot me) I think the 75 and ZT are the cream of the crop - I own cars of other marques, and still find them absolutely brilliant to own and drive.
The BMW-engined diesel models win it for me, with a winning blend of reliability (I've covered around 200,000 miles in diesel variants over the years, with only minor repairs) and cabin comfort. The ZT is quite 'crashy' due to the springs being rather thick (my ZT is a 2003, so has the firm suspension), but I feel the excellent handling for such a large barge makes this a worthy trade off.
The automatic gearbox in the 75 / ZT deserves a special mention - in a world of ZF 6HP19/26 and 5L40E transmissions in similar vintage / sized cars (both with their issues), the Jatco JF506E is fantastically reliable. The only issues of note are the 2/4 Brake Duty Solenoid (an hour to change) and the reverse piston (3-4 hours); both parts are cheap and readily available.
I can only see values of good examples going up - a good automatic diesel 75 / ZT with top specification can easily fetch £4k+ now.
I seem to have gone off on a tangent there... with regards to the ZS, they're an absolute hoot to drive with lots of grip, character in spares (especially with the V6) and a relatively well-laid out (if rather basic) cabin.
I miss owning one - I've not had one for a while now, as the 330d I currently 'babysit' currently occupies the space a ZS would take.
The MGR engine line-up was rather basic, which held things back a little - the 1.8 was a lovely drive, if a little lost in the 75 and ZT - and ultimately reliable once sorted out with a decent head gasket and associated work. The 2.5 V6 is brilliant fun in all variants - enough power to drag the larger cars around, and make a ZS180 seem like a genuinely quick car. They also sound absolutely glorious at full chat!
Finally, the diesels - the L Series in the ZR and ZS etc is quite a basic, tractor-sounding lump of pig iron but is absolutely dependable (save for short cambelt change intervals, 48K / 4 years), and of course the 75 / ZT got the basic (but ample) BMW diesel engine, with the VNT turbocharger and swirl flaps removed vs. the BMW application. Of course, any E46 320d owner will probably tell you this was a blessing in disguise - the VNT vanes seized regularly, and swirl flaps were a favourite luncheon choice for the engine itself.
Ramble ramble ramble
Edited by mattyprice4004 on Monday 21st January 21:48
I bought an MG ZR for £400 when I was a student. It got abused for the three years I had it and was never serviced once. I racked up a fair few miles in it too. It never skipped a beat and was great fun to drive.
The only downside was it was massively over-tyred, meaning in aquaplaned at every opportunity (it had 17 inch wheels from a ZS). And the previous owner had put some stupidity loud exhaust on that was a pig on the motorway.
I sold it when I finished uni for a small profit! Where are you now PK51 LUD
The only downside was it was massively over-tyred, meaning in aquaplaned at every opportunity (it had 17 inch wheels from a ZS). And the previous owner had put some stupidity loud exhaust on that was a pig on the motorway.
I sold it when I finished uni for a small profit! Where are you now PK51 LUD
Edited by lee_erm on Monday 21st January 21:58
lee_erm said:
I bought an MG ZR for £400 when I was a student. It got abused for the three years I had it and was never serviced once. I racked up a fair few miles in it too. It never skipped a beat and was great fun to drive.
The only downside was it was massively over-tyred, meaning in aquaplaned at every opportunity (it had 17 inch wheels from a ZS). And the previous owner had put some stupidity loud exhaust on that was a pig on the motorway.
I sold it when I finished uni for a small profit! Where are you now PK51 LUD
The ZR also came with 17" alloys in several formats The only downside was it was massively over-tyred, meaning in aquaplaned at every opportunity (it had 17 inch wheels from a ZS). And the previous owner had put some stupidity loud exhaust on that was a pig on the motorway.
I sold it when I finished uni for a small profit! Where are you now PK51 LUD
Edited by lee_erm on Monday 21st January 21:58
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