Quote 'Lap learning Cats'
Would not want one on my lap ;)

I would imaging an instructor would give you a fast lap in a Fiat 127 (non Arbath before anyone says it) or a Moggie Minor (OK, no more cat jibes now) as well, does not make it a sports cat, sorry car (I Lied) ;)

I think you'll find they get a good deal on the cars as do a lot of race schools - kudos for the manufacturers, helps sell the cars to unsuspecting punters etc


[Edited by Paul Habgood - 5/1/2003 6:21:44 PM]

MGF...Hmmm,
really trying not to LOL
My cousin had one...she say's never again ;)

Had almost everything major electric item replaced. Problem was a bad earth strap (ok that's the dealers fault)

Head Gasket....as ALL other K-series do (And it' nothing to do with air/coolant - its just that the gaskets are crap :D)

Metro suspension. Bear in mind the Metro was based on the Mini, which is how old?? 50odd years - For effs sake DEVELOP new cars not recycle old designs!! Thankfully the latest ones have dumped the hydrolastic :)

Which means the Metro (and its bits) is finally dead :D Good riddance to the peice of junk. Just need to get the remaining oil-burning, polluting rusting death traps off the road (even the airbags are dangerous - seriously! :eek:)

[Edited by ALi-B - 5/2/2003 8:10:56 PM]

Thought I'd add a note about the Rover 200 (current shape) after Bob said they are good (the earlier shape were fine)

my Dad got lumbered with a 216SLi CVT auto as familes company car :(

Just got rid of it :D And we celebrated afterwards!

Shall I list? GO on then :)

Inlet manifold gasket
Head gasket
Water pump
Big oil leaks from gearbox
whistles above 60mph on a warm day
Engine always tries to fight the gearbox...gearbox wins...engine stalls!
Gearbox rattled like a diesel in neutral and park (in fact louder than a diesel)
Gearbox started screaming at me when I floored it :eek:
Gearbox rebuild....£1600 :eek:
Gearbox juddered (worse than scoobs) 15K after rebuild everytime you pulled away or tried to stop
Faulty MAP sensor
MAP sensor inside ECU - thus needed new ECU
Brakes squeel, even when not being used - new pads no difference
2 wheel bearings
Low ratio gear selector stopped working
Seats effing uncomfortable
On a cold day would stall everytime you stopped until it was warm

bear in mind, it cost £16K new in 1996, was religiously serviced and had only done 70K miles when we traded up!

We traded it in last week :D for a BMW 325 touring :)

I feel sorry for the poor sod who buys it from the traders pitch!!
-did'nt bother fixing the gearbox (again) or replacing the ECU ;)

[Edited by ALi-B - 5/2/2003 8:32:06 PM]

personally I they are pants

they are poorly made
they are slow
you need to wear a beard to drive one

their almost the least reliable car ever made aswell. and only women or strange men drive them aswell!!

My dad had one, and funnily enough he has a beard :)

Yeah but whats that optional 1000bhp monster they are bringing out :) :)

MB

I've never ever seen an MGF being driven hard......

one redeeming feature is that they are not like the TT i.e a gay car

Only know one person who had one bought it as an ex demo about a yr after they came out - The soft top leaked like a seive, Used a load of oil, eventually Rover took the engine to bits to discover an oval bore!

Alway gave him problems, he had it 2 yrs, it spend the equivilant of three months in the garage being 'fixed'

Later one are better apparently.

Would rather have an MR2 or MX5 or even a z3 but not the really girlie 1.8 or 2lt.

must admit, i've NEVER seen one in the fast lane!!!!

girls cars!!!

agree with CC on the TT's as well!!! LOL

BB:)

Funny, the Ian Taylor driving school at Thruxton used to use them as the lap-learning cats. The instructors could give you a pretty fast lap in them ;)

I think MG/Rover are giving a lot of cars to race schools to promote the sporty image, I notice that Aintree Racing Drivers School use them now. How the hell they get over Bechers Brook, I'll never know ;)

The missus has had two, no problems with either in 60k miles in total, one was a 1998 and the other a 2000 version. I used to drive it very hard and once you learnt how to get around the excessive understeer was a bit of a laugh. If you drive them softly they are awful but get in one and drive it hard and you can actually have a bit of FUN - fun in the sense of reaching the limits of the car rather than outright speed. Too many people think that going really fast is fun but that is bo**ocks.

They do get a lot of bad press but they both kept their value well (when compared to a UK MY99) and never leaked. Maybe we were just lucky.

The words HEAD, GASKET and BLOWN spring to mind... Oh, and scissors!!

Nowt wrong with MG-Rover! :)....mind you the MGF/TF is a hairdresser car!

They have metro suspension FFS:rolleyes: The back end is just a Metro front end except the track rods just bolt to the chassis instead of going into a rack. The front is just, well you guessed it, another Metro front end but the bit that made me laugh was the hubs! They have the outer CV in place, to keep the wheel bearing together but it's got no internals in it....it's just laughable:D:D

I'd rather shove wasps up mi arse than be seen in one:eek::D:D:D

BOB.T

Obviously a great learned authority on the subject, despite severe anti-Metro disorder bordering on anti-Brit anything. Is the Metro sooo very ..... were two million Metro buyers ALL mistaken? Is your vast MGF experience first hand or do you simply read a bit? Have you driven one? Have you owned one even?

For the benefit of those of more open minds or certainly less severely blinkered who have yet to try an MGTF, I suggest they would be pleasently surprised if they did so. Go on, take a demonstration, a long one without obligation. Only then can you form a genuine opinion based on your own direct personal experience.

A guy at work has a nice blue Subaru Imp. Not all that old but boy has he had trouble with it. Based on this one car, I must come to the conclusion that any Subaru Product MUST be carp! What was the number of that piston, you know the one. There's also a nice yellow one ..... nah nuff said.

.....and for CRISSAKES Christ, they way you go on no other car has ever had a head gasket blow ..... :D:D Genuine statistics show the coolant system bleeding on the MGF is critical...... not all garages can be trusted to do it properly. Surely not, garages dont make mistakes ever do they? It must be the car at fault every time.

bakerman2:

In view of BOB and Christ's comments, your favourable observations about the MGFs must surely be some kind of mistake, despite your genuine first hand experience..... LOL :D:D

Say it often enough, repeat it right or wrong, and pretty soon it's gospel truth..... aint it? I read that somewhere so it must be true .... ;)

BTW, statistics show that 99% of BMW drivers spoil it for the odd 1%. I read that somewhere too and it definitely has a ring of credence about it. ... dunno why ... :D:D:D

Safety FAST MotorinG

beemer boy:

please define "fast lane" .... or does one have to have a BMW mentality to appreciate that "fast lane" myth.

Write out a million times, the outside lane is called the ...... you must know the answer beemer boy.... "the BMW lane" ..... :D:D Well they're always in my way when I want to use it ... :(

Hey beemerboy,

I could think of some worse things to say about BMW drivers! So you live in Rayleigh? I live a few miles away in Hullbridge.

What BMW do you have? An M3?

MG John
Not liking the Metro or the MGF does not really make Bob anti British really does it.
The Metro was never a great car and the MGF has some problems as do/did a lot of Rover cars, i Did some work for Rover on the 820 when it was launched, taking some picutes of the interior and two bits of trim fell off! The Newer stuff looks and appears to be better built built though. It needs to be for Rover to survive.

BTW I had a frind who used to do up Metros and sell them on - not because they where good cars but because they where cheap due to being in such a poor condition and needed a lot of repairing so generating repeat business.


I speak as an proud ex owner of two AH Sprites and a ex member of the MG owners Club and Car club so no axe to grind.



[Edited by Paul Habgood - 5/2/2003 9:27:30 AM]

My boss has run a MY 96 with no probs for two years !

He has been called ' gay boy ' daily though ;)

Andy - I hope you mean a MGF of 96 vintage :)


Only real men drive Scoobs, no pantie wasters! :rolleyes:

Andy - I hope you mean a MGF of 96 vintage :)



Only real men drive Scoobs, no pantie wasters! :rolleyes:

Here - Have a y M8

verachocha, i wouldnt embarrass myself by driving a poxy 3 series....

Metro-john, hahaha bmws get in your way?? what in supermarket carparks???

hahahhaahhahhahhahahhaaaahaha

TF's don't use the metro set up any more, i quite like the new ones in the 160 variety and the MGF trophy got quite good reviews

Go on then I'll hold my hand up :D
I had one prior to the scoob :eek:
It was the worst car I've ever owned.
Bought it new in Aug 97 and it did nothing but break down.
New engine, blown suspension , leaking radiators, paint rubbing off with the hard top - you name it it went wrong.
Got to know the dealer's staff on a first name term basis -and the AA's :)
Only thing it didn't do, which I believe is a common fault, is leak.
Put me off Rover's for life - hence the Scoob - Fast & reliable.

Blimey, I better tell the bird to stop looking for one and consider another soft top then!! :eek: How can such a sh1tter have been as popular as it has been - there are loads about???

well your Honour my conclusion has to be that they really are a piece of **** but..............there are loads on the road which goes to show its sold on it's looks

Drive a TF or a trophy, thats all i'll say about it