I've got about UK£ 3 grand to spend on a fun car - limited use, weekends etc. Not a daily driver. I've seen a 1997 MGF advertised (UK£2850), with the following "boy racer" apparel fitted. I've no idea if this list of accessories is impressive. Should I take a look at the car or run away..?!
68600km
GAZ 16 way adjustable shocks (GAZ GT2-4621)
17 x 225 Rears/215 Front wheels/tyres (LVV certified)
Bridgestone tyres
Drilled and slotted discs, EBC green stuff pads
NZ motorsport approved removable roll bar
Removable over engine stiffening bar
Racing belts (not fitted)
Front air splitter
Mike Satur SSK slick shift gear change kit
Shortened shift, Momo gear knob.
Uprated fuel pump
New cam belts fitted (approx 56000Km)
- New exhaust and inlet manifold gaskets fitted
- Mike Satur competition head gasket with dowels
- Mike Satur Stainless steel 4-2-1 exhaust manifold
- Kevlar clutch, gearbox bearings replaced.
- Piper H285 cams, piper vernier cam pulleys
- Emerald programmable ECU.
- Full gas flowed head (about 25% above standard), new valve springs
- 60mm throttle (flows approx 23% above standard)
- Cold air box with 70mm ducted intake feed.
- New water pump fitted
- Classic Camaro vortex muffler system
Twin airhorns
Front spots/driving lamps
Hardtop with rear demisting
Spare front bumper
Spare front headlights
Spare clutch/brake servo/cylinders (used)
Original down pipes/muffler system
All mods approved by NZ motorsports and carried out by mechanics under previous owner. His intention was to fully prepare it to race in NZ targa series;
Fully road legal (registered and warranted)
Clear coat needs redoing in places, shown in photos
Very quick, possibly fastest MGF in the country.
Would benefit greatly from a dyno tune done by a reputable company.
Receipts for most parts (ex UK)
Printed ECU manual
Maintenance manual
List of handy MGF sites
At present has Sony Mini Disc head unit, this may stay with the car, and will also be supplied with mini disc stereo component to allow recording of minidisks from CD or this may be exchanged for Sony CD head unit currently in another car.
So, what do you all reckon?! TIA!
|
would be worth asking the question on the F/TF forum at mg-rover.org. There is a reasonable chance they will know the car in question.
hth
|
Insurance may be a problem because of the mods, research that bit first. Personaly I hate modified cars, I can see why people like doing it but unless I did the mods myself I would n ot want to buy another persons modded car.
That said it puts me off a car if it dosn't have the original radio!
|
It sounds great, if you want to race it, have the money for specialist mechanicking (is that a word?) and keep it in fine fettle (which probably means spending about as much time tuning it as driving it).
I hate to think what it's like to drive on the road, particularly through a town.
|
That's not a list of chav mods, I recognise some of the names from my MG owning days and it sounds like a car that's had a lot of money and care spent on it.
I would definitely ask the question over at www.mg-rover.org as the guys there are highly knowledgeable and as has been suggested, there's a strong liklihood that they will already know the car that is advertised.
|
|
|
|
Looks as if it has had a lot of TLC. Usual warning with these cars - limited water capacity so watch for overheating (although no problem with mine over the 3 years I had it, even once when trapped for two hours in a barely-moving jam on a sweltering Summer night in Cannes ).
|
>>Would benefit greatly from a dyno tune done by a reputable company.
Is that another way of saying that it doesn't quite run right with all of these current mods???
|
>>Would benefit greatly from a dyno tune done by a reputable company. Is that another way of saying that it doesn't quite run right with all of these current mods???
LOL, that's exactly what I thought.
Rattle, if you're going to fret about non OEM radios on 1-2K cars it really will take you an age to buy anything ;-)
|
|
'Racing belts' - are these the new cross-drilled ones I've heard about? Or does he mean it's already fitted with powerbands?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Being in km, I am guessing its not a UK car?
For 3K you can be picky so get the best you can - sometimes a modded car is not the best route - it may have been ragged about. For that money you can pick up a good MGF Trophy - will be faster, rare and be standard. Even high mileage TF160's are not that much more. (again depending where you are)
Personally, I would be a little suspicious that some of the things listed are a bit odd - i.e.
Tyre sizes - these are standard
Over engine stiffening bar - again, I think this is standard (My TF has one)
Racing belts - new to me
Mike Satur Competition HG - Nothing on his website - I 'think Mike will use either Payen or the Land Rover upgrade (MLS) - again not competition
Mike Satur manifold - should have a MS Daytona exhaust fitted as well - seems odd that only the manifold has been changed as there will be little benefit (noise or performance)
The list goes on!!
Would be interested in what BHP they think it is pusing out. A standard VVC that starts out in 160bhp tune in the TF/ZR can be pushed to around 180-190 with an ECU remap and a good performance exhaust and better engine breathing. Any more and I would be very concerned about how long it will be before the engine falls to pieces.
|
In answer to the original question.
Run away!
For various reasons, but if its not been completed, then thats the main reason.
Why has it had so much done to it? Whats it been used for or intended for ?
|
|
I get the impression that the OP is in New Zealand and possibly the car as well.
|
From his post I thought that too PU, but his profile still says:
"I'm a Brit, living in France and travelling all over EMEA. Currently on my 5th Volvo, with a Fiat Panda for local runs."
|
I modified my 1997 MGF and regretted it. The MGF bodyshell is not very strong (hence the additional bracing on this car) and can suffer from stress damage around the rear suspension mounts - these can be very difficult to find and deal with. Stiffening up the suspension and adding big tyres will only make this worse.
The emerald ECU might be worthwhile for someone who is desperate to wring the last bit of power from the engine - and spend large amounts of money in that pursuit.
Who's going to be servicing this 'fun weekend' car ?
Personally I would steer well clear of this car. The TF has a stronger bodyshell, and is on springs rather than hydrolastic (?).
|
Ooops, I need to update my profile!
The car is going to be bought in NZ, where I'm going "on sabbatical" to escape these recessionary times :-)
Plenty of unmodified, clean MGFs from 95-98 seem to be available for nearer UK£2k so I'm probably better off seeking one which hasn't been excessively meddled with?!
|
|
|
|
