1.4 MG?

Toker said:
crap build quality, crap interior, slow, head gaskets blow all the time... good buy!
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Taking the latter two points specifically, slow compared to what? Certainly it's slow compared to say, an Evo. In terms of it's class the 1.4 is actually pretty quick.

Head gaskets blow all the time? Surely no one would ever be able to drive them if that was the case?
 
Dogbreath said:
Taking the latter two points specifically, slow compared to what? Certainly it's slow compared to say, an Evo. In terms of it's class the 1.4 is actually pretty quick.

Head gaskets blow all the time? Surely no one would ever be able to drive them if that was the case?
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It's supposedly 105bhp is it not? My mate had one at the time I had my 100bhp 1.4 16v polo and my polo completely spanked it in every gear, so that's where my comparison is coming in - comparing it to something in another class would be stupid.

My mates one also blew 2 head gaskets within 6 months, until he fitted an uprated one. If you're going to try and question the fact 1.4 mg zr's blow head gaskets you're wasting your time as it's common knowledge
 
Toker said:
It's supposedly 105bhp is it not? My mate had one at the time I had my 100bhp 1.4 16v polo and my polo completely spanked it in every gear,
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Poor choice of wording tbh.

My Megane would 'spank' a 1.4 MG ZR in every gear. A 1.4 polo would not (albeit it may be slightly faster).
 
Toker said:
My mates one also blew 2 head gaskets within 6 months, until he fitted an uprated one. If you're going to try and question the fact 1.4 mg zr's blow head gaskets you're wasting your time as it's common knowledge
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Shoddy repair ahoy!

Thats usually caused by people who dont know how to do the job properly having a go themselves becuase a bloke down the pub said its easy and a 15 minute job.

We do more HG's on pugs then rovers.
 
It's common knowledge that the k-series engines suffer from head gasket failure more then usual.

It's for this reason that I bought a diesel zr.
 
Its a weak point, certainly, but they don't randomly explode every time the car leaves the driveway the way some people would have you believe and they certainly shouldn't go repeatedly - if they do its a shoddy repair or a missed fault that caused it to overheat again.
 
Thanks for the opinions guys, I'd say it's sort of 50-50 really. The only thing that'd put me off is the head gasket problems.
 
Glad I could be of assistance.

Out of interest, what car were you comparing it against? You need to rev the 1.4 16v to get it to move, but if you drive it properly it's a cracking engine!
 
i actually like the look of these. good looking cars, same goes to most of the last MGs.

would have loved one as a first car!
 
agw_01 said:
Glad I could be of assistance.

Out of interest, what car were you comparing it against? You need to rev the 1.4 16v to get it to move, but if you drive it properly it's a cracking engine!
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Sorry if my last reponse was a bit off, it has been one of those days.

I drove a couple of smaller engined cars because at the time that was what I wanted and I REALLY wanted the MGZR but having driven it I was a bit disappointed. At the time I was driving a 1992 1.3 Fiesta Ghia, I'd driven an Astra and I cant even remember what the other one was.

I remember coming away from the dealership feeling a bit gutted that it felt like a lot of money for not a lot of car because of the lack of equipment on it and because it wasn't as quick as I'd hoped. It was a brand new car and it felt like it wasn't worth the money (just like a lot of other new cars but this one more than most) and it was what I'd had my heart set on.

They seemed distinctly average performance wise for something that looks the business hence why I made the sheep/wolf comment but as you say...it's a 1.4. It's just a shame that the go doesn't match the show.
 
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Jez said:
What went wrong on yours? I dont really understand how a 200 could really cost very much unless massive components broke on you? :( My family have had loads of rover's and all have been excellent reliability wise and have cost near on nothing to maintain.
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Here's a list (retrieved from my thread on the MG Rover forum):

I really enjoy getting into the car and driving it but it has cost me a lot of money over the last 18 months since purchased - too much really IMO for a car that's five years old (2002/52) and has done 57,000 miles.

Costs so far (excluding insurance, fuel, tax and depreciation):

- 60k service last year (with new discs and pads, including MOT) £750
- 2 new tyres last year £200
- New exhaust (mid and rear) £250
- New fuel filter with diagnostics (running poorly) £120
- New headgasket and cambelt £800
- Another two new tyres £200
- 75k service (with new discs and pads and a new passenger headlight) £950
- MOT £50
- New windscreen wipers and headlight bulbs: £30

Total £3,350

Faults:

- Boot doesn't shut properly - fixed by removing and regreasing mechanism
- Rear and front washer jets not working - both fixed in the 75k service
- Glovebox has fallen off (not fixed yet)
- Sunroof leaks (not fixed yet)
- Trim has fallen off the door handles on the front doors (not yet replaced)
- Badges have delaminated
- Still uses coolant and can't find out why


All of this work was done at Barretts of Canterbury

At my parent's house I had the inlet manifold gasket replaced by their local (ex) Rover dealer who they trust to fix the coolant leak. The oil filter was loose and the Inlet Manifold hadn't been replaced previously (which it should have been at the time of the Headgasket replacement) so I lost faith in Barretts. In all fairness I didn't help myself being such a mug and going back to the same super expensive dealer but it was a long list of faults.

The Astra Coupe has turned out to be a nightmare too :(


To the OP - it was a great fun car though and I don't want this to put you off too much. Just go into it with your eyes open - the guys at the MG Rover forum are very helpful too. http://forums.mg-rover.org
 
ajgoodfellow said:
- 60k service last year (with new discs and pads, including MOT) £750
- 2 new tyres last year £200
- New exhaust (mid and rear) £250
- New fuel filter with diagnostics (running poorly) £120
- New headgasket and cambelt £800
- Another two new tyres £200
- 75k service (with new discs and pads and a new passenger headlight) £950
- MOT £50
- New windscreen wipers and headlight bulbs: £30

Total £3,350
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You would make any car cost a fortune to run looking at those bills, a service and MOT including discs and pads all round should not come to more than a couple of hundred quid for example! The headgasket and cambelt is an unfortunate failure but again it should have been no-where near £800.

Those service bills are S-class Mercedes main dealer sized :/

Edit, and new discs 15k miles later, just wtf. My 2 tonne automatic (therefore harder on brakes) is still on its original discs at 106k!

I dont get that list of bills AT ALL matey :/ that garage must have been laughing all the way to the bank
 
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Jez said:
You would make any car cost a fortune to run looking at those bills, a service and MOT including discs and pads all round should not come to more than a couple of hundred quid for example! The headgasket and cambelt is an unfortunate failure but again it should have been no-where near £800.

Those service bills are S-class Mercedes main dealer sized :/

Edit, and new discs 15k miles later, just wtf. My 2 tonne automatic (therefore harder on brakes) is still on its original discs at 106k!

I dont get that list of bills AT ALL matey :/ that garage must have been laughing all the way to the bank
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As above! Ouch! £950 for a service and headlight? :eek:
 
Yup. Basically, those costs look like it just comes down to being had.

Personally I spent just under £700 on a headgasket and reconditioned head, so £800 for just the gasket and a skim does take the mick a bit.
Front discs and pads on my 214 (did the ZR105 get the bigger brakes?) were £110 for some standard-issue ones.

Personally, the only parts I've had go wrong in the near 2 years I've had it that aren't wear and tear are the headgasket (thanks to a bodged repair by the previous owner), temperature sensor and distributor. Not perfect, but not too bad for an old banger.
 
Ive got a Rover 214iSE and im more than happy with it. The HG was done before I got it by the garage, they had the head skimmed and replaced and it cost £210. I had the cambelt done for £60 (FoaF admittedly). I was told by the bloke who did my cambelt that the reason people have so many HG failures is because they tend to rag the car when cold. Yes, the K series has a HG made out of a soggy cornflakes packet, but that seem to be the only major fault. Most people that **** them off tend not to have ever owned one.
 
Id buy a Rover 200 BRM before i bought an MG ZR.

Faster than all but the ZR160 in a straight line, less common, full tacky leather seats and interior and a torsen differential so corners a bit better.

Cheaper too!
 
I cant actually believe how wtf that list is - every single item on there is absolutely obscene.

If i were getting bills like those i would be seriously wondering how anyone affords to run "expensive" cars. A car like that, HG failure aside, should cost around £200 tops per year to run (£25 mot + £175 in small repairs, and consumables, being generous). We have had loads of them and they have never cost a penny really.
 
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