My 2003 MG ZT CDTi

[HorneyMX5]

Bought this last week for £2250. 12 months MOT, 6 months tax and FSH. I get a £5.5K car allowance and as there was no age limit, only stipulation was it had to be a 5 seater, I thought I would maximize the cash in my pocket. One fo these ticked all the boxes in that respect as well as being able to pull my Golf GTI track car on a trailer. So I now have 3 cars, very PH I reckon!

So anyway, pics of the day I picked it up:


IMG_3863.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_3864.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_3865.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_3867.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_3868.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_3869.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_3870.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_3871.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_3880.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_3885.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_3888.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_3890.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_3895.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_3899.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_3902.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

Well chuffed. Does the job as a daily superbly. Wafts along, returns good MPG, comfy as hell inside, plenty of toys and actually handles the twisties really well.


Decided to splash the cash and get it fully detailed with a paint correction, this was a two day job:

A bit dirty at the start of the day 1:


IMG_4091.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4092.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4094.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4095.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4096.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

And so it begins:


IMG_4097.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4098.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

Removed the CDTI badge:


IMG_4099.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

Snowfoam time:


IMG_4101.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4102.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4103.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4104.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4105.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4106.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4107.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4108.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4109.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4111.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4113.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

Looking much cleaner already:


IMG_4120.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

After being clayed it was masked up for some rotary polisher abuse:


IMG_4121.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

You can just about see here the swirls in the paint that need to be removed:


IMG_4122.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

Guy working his magic:


IMG_4130.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

What CDTi badge?


IMG_4131.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

This shows the swirls in the bonnet that will be removed:


IMG_4135.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

Rotary polished tail light:


IMG_4150.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4149.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

Engine bay all dressed and looking gleaming:


IMG_4156.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

Some beading shots from just the first polish stage:


IMG_4160.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4161.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4162.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

Gleaming!!!!!!!


IMG_4163.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4164.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4165.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4169.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

Tomorrow it will be getting another pass with the rotary on the paint on some panels, a coat of sealant and a couple of coats of wax. Also the interior will get a spruce up.

Day 2:


IMG_4170.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4171.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4172.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4175.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

Nice reflections in the bonnet after the final polish:


IMG_4185.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4186.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4188.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

The seats have had a problem with wear on the alcantara centres but nothing one of those little fellas for removing bobbles off a wolly jumper couldn't fix!


IMG_4190.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4192.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4191.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4189.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

The car was then treated to sealant and a wax and here we can see the lovely beading when the car has water thrown at it:


IMG_4214.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4215.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4218.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4221.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4225.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4226.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4227.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

And finally some shots to show how clean and gleaming it is:


IMG_4229.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4230.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4233.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4239.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4240.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4242.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


IMG_4243.jpg by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

A MASSIVE thanks to Guy @ TONA Valeting and Detailing for another top job.

Nick

[rumple]

Great pictures op, love these, came so close to buying one a couple of years ago, still may give one ago.

[HeatonNorris]

You have to love the 'Brummie spec' panel fit around the nose.

[stevemiller]

Nice I like the Mark 1 more than the Mark 2. I have had both, as you said good on the twists.

[silvagod]

Makes me wonder why sellers never go the trouble of having this sort of clean. Would add value I'm sure. Excellent work.

I'd like to know how you get on with the car, been looking at them myself, but shied away due to the horror stories relating to the engine and reliability issues.

I may have been looking at the wrong site though, it was a 'consumer' car mag readers reviews. Might be a bit like the old 'reader's wives' sections of certain mags and only attract the mingers. (not speaking from experience obviously!)

[PH lurker]

Excellent car, excellent/ outstanding value.

[bamberwell]

had a zt as well myself, genuinely great car , handles surprisingly well as you said, really regret selling mine..... the75andztclub.co.uk are great for advice on anything and by far the best place for servicing is lates600.com , good prices and great blokes, sounds strange but i actually miss going there for my services!!

[bamberwell]

oh and ignore any talk of unreliablity, both the v6 petrols and diesels are very reliable (the 1.8t can be a pita though) just check your plenum drains (very important!!) and do the bonnet catch mod

[silvagod]

bamberwell said:

75andztclub.co.uk

I think I need to go look at that site as well

[HorneyMX5]

silvagod said:

Makes me wonder why sellers never go the trouble of having this sort of clean. Would add value I'm sure. Excellent work.

I'd like to know how you get on with the car, been looking at them myself, but shied away due to the horror stories relating to the engine and reliability issues.

I may have been looking at the wrong site though, it was a 'consumer' car mag readers reviews. Might be a bit like the old 'reader's wives' sections of certain mags and only attract the mingers. (not speaking from experience obviously!)

I'll quote myself from another forum I use, should answer your questions!

horneymx5 said:

So I thought after 2 days I better write up a proper appraisal of the new beast.

I'm well impressed with it. The quality of finish is not quite up with the VAG output of the same vintage with regards to plastic quality. The upper stuff and leather is all soft touch and really nice, all the cup holders and cubby holes feel good when shut but when you open them, although they are well damped you can feel the plastic behind it all is a bit flimsy. That said, it wears it's mileage and it's age much better than my Dad's old Boras, nothing looks worn out or gone shiny despite the 9 years and 111K. The only real wear shows on the seats where the alcantara has ruffled up somewhat. The doors, boot and bonnet all shut with a germanic thunk as well and there is not one single rattle or squeak from the interior. The seats are really comfortable, supportive and keep you planted when you chuck it about. The driving position is also excellent and the interior space is well thought out and HUGE!

Driving it is an eye opening experience as it is rather a large beast, biggest car I have ever owned including the old VW T25 van. Out on the road it's 135bhp is not a lot when it's hauling around 1500kgs of car but the torque is enough to make reasonable progress. By modern standards for a 2.0 diesel it's quite slow but it is very refined and surprisingly quite (Which reminds mine, road and engine noise in the cabin is almost non existent). Gear shift feels a little vague compared to the mx5 but that's hardly surprising. The steering is really sharp and there is surprisng amounts of feedback when pushing on, but feels stable and planted at speed on the motorway. This leads me nicely onto the suspension and handling. This is where I am most impressed. It rides undulations brilliantly and while it does feel 'sporty' and a little stiff it's not harsh or crashy. When throwing through a series of tight bends it feels nimble, well planted and like it wants you to push a bit harder, it's handling is really impressive for it's size and weight. Then when you're cruising along the motorway it'll happily waft along in the fast lane at speed quitely and sedately with the minimum of fuss.

When I decided to buy one of these it was because they are cheap and ticked all the boxes for what I need from a daily for work. I've been genuinely surprised at how good a car it is to drive and how well screwed together it is. It seems a shame that MGR's demise came at a time when it was building probably the best car it ever had. Having driven Passats and Golfs of a similar age, I have to say I would choose one of these over the equivalent VAG offering even if money was no object. It's that good!

The only downside is the constant ribbing about MGR going bust and the inevitable Head gasket comments. A small price to pay.

Nick

[silvagod]

HorneyMX5 said:

other forum stuff

Thanks Nick, I#'ve just been looking at a few other forums and read similar stories. I do have a liking for these cars and would not mind at all being an owner. I was tempted away by the previously mentioned stories though.

However, you have got me looking and I've found this...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-MG-ZT-2-0-CDTi-135-...

It's the right colour for me (I know black is a bh to keep clean) as it fits in with my company colour scheme (No, I'm not an undertaker!!)

I am 90% towards going to see it tomorrow.

Thanks for your post, most helpful

[davepoth]

Can I ask how much the paint correction cost? My 75 is in similar condition and I'd like it to look as pretty as your car.

[HorneyMX5]

Apart from the fact that the last owner seems to have gone a bit crazy with stick on badges that looks really nice. Have a google for a 75/ZT buyers guide as I printed one off the net for looking over them. Had some useful tips for checking for fuel pump failure etc.

NIck

[HorneyMX5]

davepoth said:

Can I ask how much the paint correction cost? My 75 is in similar condition and I'd like it to look as pretty as your car.

£250. http://www.tonavaleting.com/detailing/enhancement-...

Nick

[silvagod]

HorneyMX5 said:

Apart from the fact that the last owner seems to have gone a bit crazy with stick on badges that looks really nice. Have a google for a 75/ZT buyers guide as I printed one off the net for looking over them. Had some useful tips for checking for fuel pump failure etc.

NIck

I did notice that, but stick on, pull off!

I'll look into the guide.

Thanks again

[Max M4X WW]

Looks great, looks like someone has fitted some white led bulbs to the number plate lights and interior dials etc?

[Chimune]

lovin the fotos and the paintwork there.

I too am a new zt cdti convert ( facelift 04 ) and agree with your writeup. I do 80 miles a day on fast a roads through moors etc and it rides sooo well at speed. Also gets about 45 mpg regardless of what my right foot is doing!
its quiet,comfy has good brakes, the fab bmw m47 engine and still looks good. What's not to like?

have you heard about roverrons synergy box ....

I am paranoid about the clutch though despite both master and slave being replaced recently. Its one of the few points. Oh and the gf says its too big to drive and park round town. It is cavernous....

[silvagod]

Chimune said:

I am paranoid about the clutch though

That's one question I need to ask the dealer that's selling the one I'm looking at. 90k is apparently the usual limit for the DMF. The car has done 88k! I don't need a £500 bill 3 weeks after purchase.

Having said that, I did once say I could never afford to have children....27 years later, I was right!...oh, wait!! :P

[HorneyMX5]

Well mines on 112K on the original clutch so I am also worried that the RR box will bring on an expensive repair bill.

nick

[silvagod]

HorneyMX5 said:

Well mines on 112K on the original clutch so I am also worried that the RR box will bring on an expensive repair bill.

nick

The joys of motoring eh?

You've set me off now Nick, I'm almost certain to buy it! I will totally blame you