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MG production restarts at Longbridge

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Old 29 May 2007, 03:42 PM
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what would scooby do
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Thumbs up MG production restarts at Longbridge

However, I get the feeling it's all going to end in tears.

A hybrid of brummie and chinese build quality
Old 29 May 2007, 03:52 PM
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The cars will be good, as long as you don't buy one that was made on a Flyday
Old 29 May 2007, 03:53 PM
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what would scooby do
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Originally Posted by Duck_Pond
The cars will be good, as long as you don't buy one that was made on a Flyday

it'll be a remon
Old 29 May 2007, 03:57 PM
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Prasius
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Great - can't wait to see shoddly built cars based on a design from the 1950's being heralded as the summit of British motor vehicle production again..

Just wish they'd let Rover/MG DIE. The reason they went bust was that they made ****e cars at a rate that made a sloath look like a world class sprinter.
Old 29 May 2007, 04:00 PM
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/cooper/

This steering wheel is rubbery
Old 29 May 2007, 04:20 PM
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Originally Posted by what would scooby do
However, I get the feeling it's all going to end in tears.

A hybrid of brummie and chinese build quality
Oh dear another misconcieved idea that will no doubt back fire. At least all the broken down MG's will have a bit more company now

Production restarts at Wong Bwidge all cars will be delivered when yam is reet and redday and your number is called

Last edited by The Trooper 1815; 29 May 2007 at 04:22 PM.
Old 29 May 2007, 08:57 PM
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Jamescsti
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A feature was done on the new MG's built in China and they were excellent quality car's.
I fail to see how a scooby website can comment on the quality of car's built, and before anyone quesstions it, I have owned an STi and so am in a position to make comment.
Granted the engine's of the 90's werre suspect, but I believe this was largely rectified in 2001/2 when the headgasket was redesigned?
Old 29 May 2007, 09:03 PM
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what would scooby do
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I fail to see how a scooby website can comment
It can't but us people can
Old 29 May 2007, 09:16 PM
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Jamescsti, first sensible comment on this thread, give them a chance, ok the cars werent bang up to the minute but the 75 was a great car by any standard, still is.

They have had a couple of years to iron out the problems from what were otherwise tried and tested designs, basically it was the headgasket issue that finished them off, perhaps the trim wasnt the latest BMW/Audi standard but then again they werent in the same price bracket. But guess what there is a lot of BMW know how in the 75/ZT, a commodity the Chinese could never have had without the long drawn out Rover death rattle, a shortcut to a free Z axle, not a bad result, has saved several iterations of Chinese cars that are like the Korean stuff in the 80's and 90's, i.e. reliable but crap old designs, they are dropping in on the game with late 90's tech, not late 80's.

Hopefully they will do the right thing and provide a reliable MGF for 13 grand and a ZT/75 for not much more, if they get it right they will sell like mad as not everybody wants to pay 20 grand for a basic BMW 316 or a A3 diesel.

I think the Chinese may forgive you a few cheap cracks at their accent if they can flog a few cars over here, if they can make a success of this, just think what they could do with the next and subsequent generations of cars, you may scoff but the all conquering Germans started with the Beetle, itself part of a leg up from the British car industry after the war.

Dont think it will be all little fellas from rice paddies, the Chinese will seduce the best talent they can get.

Last edited by J4CKO; 29 May 2007 at 09:18 PM.
Old 29 May 2007, 09:47 PM
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mg driver
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mg's are very poor and it shows in the price ,i mean you can pick a good one of these up for £3500!!,terrible dynamics too, after getting held up by a tweeked 170 bhp elise and a 205 gti, it takes this one almost 2 laps to catch the lotus exige 190.

Video - mg zs at donington vrs's lotus exige

Last edited by mg driver; 29 May 2007 at 10:14 PM.
Old 29 May 2007, 09:58 PM
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Prasius
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First things first - this may be an Impreza website - but oddly enough most of us have owned enough cars to know whats good and bad about a car.

Right. Now - the utter furtility in defending Rover/MG in any of its guises since the BMC debacle.

Apart from my utter disdain at the amount of tax payers money that has been thrown at Rover/MG over the years, in order to make up for:
Inept management
Idle workers
Crap cars (for reasons I will go into in a moment)
Nonsensical goverment tinkering (over the last 30-35 years)
..I'm sure the list continues but I'll leave it at that for now..

So - I think the idle workers/inept management was covered very well by Top Gear in their comparasion to the outputs of the Toyota and Nissan plants in Sunderland. Of course, the Longbridge workers might not be idle, and it could simply be crap management, however, the fact still stands that they didn't make enough cars quickly enough.

Crap cars - the MGF uses two Rover Metro front subframes ffs.. if that isn't enough to damn a car to the pits of hell then I don't know what is. How can any car company expect to survive by throwing the same tired old cars out for 25years? (which is EXACTLY what Rover did).

The Company should have been allowed to collapse years ago; I don't see how building a bunch of MGTF's (which are STILL a shiney new looking body slapped on chassis parts designed over 25 years ago) is going to make any different.

Frankly; unless they're throwing them out for absolutely silly money - I don't think I have words polite enough to describe anyone who would buy one. Unless they've been subjected to a long course of hallucinogenic drugs.. then I might consider forgiving the still not entirely understandable purchase.

*phew*

Last edited by Prasius; 29 May 2007 at 10:43 PM.
Old 29 May 2007, 10:06 PM
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what would scooby do
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Can't see a dealer network appearing that easily. The old MG/Rover company ripped off all its dealers just before it collapsed.
Old 29 May 2007, 10:24 PM
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Do you really think that car design has really come on that much, its still a wheel at each corner regardless of where the subframe came from, crap as the Metro was it did handle tidily as did the MGF, it was better once they got rid of the Hydragas suspension which was ok when new but no good once it aged.

I really hope they manage to produce a cheap, reliable and pokey mid engine sports car for 13 grand, the British public just arent that arsed about ultimate technology if its cheap and does its job, ffs the MX5 is nothing special, its just 4 wheels and an engine, but its reliable and well made.

I came home from the airport a few months back in a 250,000 mile Rover 75.

I have been on the receiving end of Rover sh1tness but also Fiat Sh1tness, VW Sh1tness and numerous others, I dont however think that Rover made every bad car in the last 30 years.
Old 29 May 2007, 11:23 PM
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i'm sure FORD bought the ROVER name????

if so, expect a focus with a reshaped body and rover badge, will that change some minds


the last owners bought it too rape it of its assets, when it went under it had the same amount of debt as it did when they took over, so it must have been making money
the worst crime was when BAE sold rover/mg to BMW, when the germans walked in there was the new mini designed and built ready for production,
and what a success its been for BMW
the K-series engine is actually a HONDA design!!!!!
i thought the MG ZR -S -T had it right and were being bought by young people, just needed a better engine,
another lazy horrible idea was the city rover bought from TATA in india and rebadged
this reopening is just a token gesture by the chinese, and will probably close and be shipped to china once the chinese cars have established them selves in the market
Old 29 May 2007, 11:29 PM
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I cannot see the point in attempting these cars back to life. The brand is too associated with failure for me.
Old 29 May 2007, 11:55 PM
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I think the majority of the nails in Rover's coffin came from lending to much of an ear to politics.

The way I read it, those employed to produce cars did produce cars, whatever the feelings about the quality.

Rover blew it big time by continuing to employ too many people in nonsense jobs. With the eyes of Fleet Street and Wapping on them, how could they slim down and spend money on R&D or even modest re-design and re-fab exercises.


J.
Old 30 May 2007, 02:37 PM
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Originally Posted by 51st state
i'm sure FORD bought the ROVER name????

if so, expect a focus with a reshaped body and rover badge, will that change some minds


the last owners bought it too rape it of its assets, when it went under it had the same amount of debt as it did when they took over, so it must have been making money
the worst crime was when BAE sold rover/mg to BMW, when the germans walked in there was the new mini designed and built ready for production,
and what a success its been for BMW
the K-series engine is actually a HONDA design!!!!!
i thought the MG ZR -S -T had it right and were being bought by young people, just needed a better engine,
another lazy horrible idea was the city rover bought from TATA in india and rebadged
this reopening is just a token gesture by the chinese, and will probably close and be shipped to china once the chinese cars have established them selves in the market

The City Rover only as 2 claims per 100 on Warranty. That beats ALL the Japanese marques. JD Power survey 2007 "What Car" magazine this month
Old 30 May 2007, 02:51 PM
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...and where exactly would you go for warranty service on a car that was brought out just before all the dealers disappeared and the factory closed?
Old 30 May 2007, 03:09 PM
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Will have to be dirt cheap, just a re hash of an old design first shown the light of day in 1995 12 years old
Old 30 May 2007, 03:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Blue Dragoon
The City Rover only as 2 claims per 100 on Warranty. That beats ALL the Japanese marques. JD Power survey 2007 "What Car" magazine this month
I thought they only sold 2 cars?
Old 30 May 2007, 03:33 PM
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Brilliant.

I can't wait to rush out and buy one.
Old 30 May 2007, 07:27 PM
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My Rover 220 turbo coupe gave me 50,000 trouble-free miles. Went like stink too - once I sorted the suspension and brakes
However, I wouldn't buy any Rover now as none of them appeal.
75 reminds me of a tosser I used to work for - because he had one!
All others received only minor facelifts throuhout production. And putting the big 25/45/75 badge in the middle of the boot ffs. Looked crap imo.
MG TF looks tasty enough for a woman to drive.

However, before we badmouth Rover anymore lets not forget what the styling of the all new Impreza looks like!


Nick

Last edited by skoobidude; 30 May 2007 at 07:34 PM.
Old 30 May 2007, 07:40 PM
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Difference is - however much we might dislike it - Subaru spent more than £1.34 on R&D
Old 30 May 2007, 09:00 PM
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Yes a fortune was spent on R and D at Subaru, The 1.34 in their case was spent on the styling, it does look like a badly restyled Rover 200 with BMW 1 series sides.
Old 31 May 2007, 08:57 AM
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But Rover had £1.34 for the ENTIRE car.. and that was after protracted arguments during dozens of budgeting meetings with accounts
Old 31 May 2007, 08:26 PM
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Well at least I will have some spare parts for my 180...lol

tbh I have had the ZS for a couple of months and its been a great car, handles well and it will keep up with most things....

Jez
Old 31 May 2007, 08:39 PM
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A mate at work has just had the head gasket go on his 53 plate mgf tf leaving a 500 quid repair bill.
Bag of sh*te in my opinion and wouldn't touch one in a million years.
Nik.

Originally Posted by Jamescsti
A feature was done on the new MG's built in China and they were excellent quality car's.
I fail to see how a scooby website can comment on the quality of car's built, and before anyone quesstions it, I have owned an STi and so am in a position to make comment.
Granted the engine's of the 90's werre suspect, but I believe this was largely rectified in 2001/2 when the headgasket was redesigned?
Old 31 May 2007, 08:43 PM
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I can only talk about the ZS 180 I have and from talking to other lads on the forum I go on they are pretty solid cars, in fact when I was looking at gettin the 180 I had a few possitive comments from S/netters.

https://www.scoobynet.com/other-marq...-zs-180-a.html

I cant talk for the whole MG range but as I have said before the 180 is a superb car.

Another clip....
Video - MGZS on track at Donington with Porsche GT3


Jez..

Last edited by penfold118; 31 May 2007 at 08:49 PM.
Old 01 June 2007, 03:17 AM
  #29  
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I'll keep my fingers crossed! I hope it works!



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Old 01 June 2007, 06:59 AM
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Bring back the M.G. Maestro I had one it went like stink and after Moto-Build had set it up it handled great too, in 10 years of ownership 2 things went the clutch and flywheel needed replacing and I use to batter it everyday In the end when i bought the Scoob I gave it too the M.G. owners club for parts it had then done 115,000 miles.
Cheers
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