True bangernomics - traded in a pram for an MG ZS
Discussion
Ok it won't be true bangernomics because I'll probably service it soon, but I've just come home with an MG ZS (for the second time) and I'm feeling pretty smug about it.
We recently sold one of these for £250:
http://www.preciouslittleone.com/images/products/p...
Baby Jogger City Mini Double finished in purple. Very swish. The pain I felt handing over £270 for a buggy relented somewhat when we managed to sell it for £250 a couple of weeks ago (I'm reminded that it was the fact it was purple lead to the minimal loss in value almost on a daily basis!)
Tonight the pain faded away and turned to unbridled joy tonight, as I hitched a ride along the coast to Worthing to hand over £250 to a man for this MG ZS.
It was cheap for a reason though; the MOT has just expired and it's got the usual KV6 inlet rattle, which I intend to quieten using a method that will cost me very little that I have yet to think of. It seems to go well enough (though it felt flat on the test drive, but I don't think I was gunning it enough) but I can pop it on the dyno at work to have a proper look at what effects the butterfly valves make on these engines. New, the manifolds are twice the price I paid for the car. We'll wait and see on that one!
The guy seemed genuine enough and had owned the car 8 years. Only sold it because he'd bought another tidier one, as this one was attacked by a psycho ex-girlfriend armed with a table.
The dents and various scars caused by this singular event (the rest is pretty tidy - you can tell it was cherished once) will remain on the car as part of it's history. I'll probably get the mechanicals up together though - no point having a tool I can't trust.
MOT booked tomorrow - fingers crossed!
We recently sold one of these for £250:
http://www.preciouslittleone.com/images/products/p...
Baby Jogger City Mini Double finished in purple. Very swish. The pain I felt handing over £270 for a buggy relented somewhat when we managed to sell it for £250 a couple of weeks ago (I'm reminded that it was the fact it was purple lead to the minimal loss in value almost on a daily basis!)
Tonight the pain faded away and turned to unbridled joy tonight, as I hitched a ride along the coast to Worthing to hand over £250 to a man for this MG ZS.
It was cheap for a reason though; the MOT has just expired and it's got the usual KV6 inlet rattle, which I intend to quieten using a method that will cost me very little that I have yet to think of. It seems to go well enough (though it felt flat on the test drive, but I don't think I was gunning it enough) but I can pop it on the dyno at work to have a proper look at what effects the butterfly valves make on these engines. New, the manifolds are twice the price I paid for the car. We'll wait and see on that one!
The guy seemed genuine enough and had owned the car 8 years. Only sold it because he'd bought another tidier one, as this one was attacked by a psycho ex-girlfriend armed with a table.
The dents and various scars caused by this singular event (the rest is pretty tidy - you can tell it was cherished once) will remain on the car as part of it's history. I'll probably get the mechanicals up together though - no point having a tool I can't trust.
MOT booked tomorrow - fingers crossed!
tbc said:
get it through the MOT
and fix the dents and you could get a grand profit
I'd love to think it'd be worth £1200-£1500 but it just wouldn't. Tidy ZS 180's go for £700-£800 these days. I've just saved a bit by going for a battered one!and fix the dents and you could get a grand profit
Goes well though, and handles brilliantly. Going to hook it up to diagnostics to see why the MIL light is on.
5potTurbo said:
£250 for that?!
Well done, sir!
Cheers. It seems so cheap I felt bad giving him £250 for it seeing as he'd owned it 8 years and clearly loved it before it got smashed up!Well done, sir!
But on the flip side, the inlet manifold rattle can be expensive, it has no MOT and it was on eBay at a starting price of £350. It ended with no bids, so it's not worth £350 straight away.
CarlosV8 said:
Nicely done sir. What do these drive like compared to a PSA offering (say a 306)? I like the idea of a V6 hatch with 5 doors, but wasn't convinced by the build quality / feel of our ZR
This feels more grown up than a Xsara VTS or 306 GTi-6. They feel more urgent and slightly more lairy, but the ZS feels more composed. Weird thing to say, but the ZS feels honest too - I think it's one of the things I like about them. They're built on a budget and feel like they're not pretending they weren't.I'd say a Xsara is slightly better built, but the driving position and layout is pretty good in the ZS, even if the cabin's a bit old. It's definitely nicer inside than a ZR, but a ZT is in another league again.
The ride is pretty solid - it can't beat the ride/handling trade off that PSA seem to get, but then no one seems to. On the flip side, it's more predictable and the grip level is pretty impressive.
Which makes a better family motor....ZS I'd say. It's more practical, it's slightly more grown up, it's epic value for the noise/performance and I actually really like the way they look. I believe the 4door is the one to go for, but if you wanna have a rag in it once it's MOT'd you're welcome to.
It won't be just yet....it failed!
1) 3 Tyres below legeal limit
2) OSF CV Boot split
3) Brake pads below min. limit
4) NSR stop lamp inop
5) NSF headlamp beam incorrect (bulb's not in right I think)
6) NSF upper wishbone (yup....double wishbone!) ball joint has excessive play.
Good news is all the parts are cheap and I'm told easy to fit. Bad new is the tyres are pricey, and its got a coolant leak, which is either the thermostat housing under the inlet manifold (I'll have that off soon anyway) or the water pump, in which case I might scrap the car!
Hitting the rolling road tomorrow....have some experiments to conduct
That's not a bad result then. Bit of tinkering and hopefully you'll be roadworthy! At which point i may take you up on that offer 
My list of possible family bangers seems to growing daily.
I remember changing the thermostat housing on a 75 V6 a few years ago, they certainly didn't make that easy.
My list of possible family bangers seems to growing daily.I remember changing the thermostat housing on a 75 V6 a few years ago, they certainly didn't make that easy.
CarlosV8 said:
That's not a bad result then. Bit of tinkering and hopefully you'll be roadworthy! At which point i may take you up on that offer My list of possible family bangers seems to growing daily.
I remember changing the thermostat housing on a 75 V6 a few years ago, they certainly didn't make that easy.
I'm hoping the thermostat housing will be pretty easy once I've got the inlet manifold off. And I'm still hoping that's actually what's leaking under there, because if it's the water pump it's stay of execution may be a short one! My list of possible family bangers seems to growing daily.I remember changing the thermostat housing on a 75 V6 a few years ago, they certainly didn't make that easy.
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