Summer Projects

Tesla

Tesla

Tesla

Soldato
Joined
19 Jan 2003
Posts
17,599
Location
Bristol, UK
Morning guys, is anybody considering a purchase intended as a summer project?

There is an 1998 MG F for sale local to me which has no MOT. Failing on emissions and a wishbone. I emailed the seller asking about the car, he seemed honest and said he bought it as a project last year but has no time.

I suspect this means he bought it as a project and it has HGF or soon will, explaining the emissions issue and that's beyond his scope.

The largest job I've previosuly undertaken is a clutch change.

Do you think this is too large a step-up from that? Do you think it's a bad idea in that repair costs could outweigh vehicle value?

What would you be prepared to buy this car for. It has about 100k, looks to be in good condition and has cream leather.

I'm hoping this thread will become a little hive of summer project activity.
 
Wouldn't bother, odds are it will be cheaper to buy a working one rather than spend the time and money trying to get a broken one working again.
 
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I was going to sort my MX5 out myself to a point. But now I'm just spending a fortune for someone else to fix it instead so I can enjoy it over the summer.

It's a waste of money, no doubt about it. I could probably go buy a nicer one, but it's an itch I need to scratch before I'm 30 and have somehow got a teen boy up the duff after cutting his hair too short. New paint, wheels were delivered today, suspension, new roof then down the line I want to fit a decent roll bar and seats etc. Over winter, I might look into supercharging it, which I will do most DIY.
 
Tesla said:
Morning guys, is anybody considering a purchase intended as a summer project?

There is an 1998 MG F for sale local to me which has no MOT. Failing on emissions and a wishbone. I emailed the seller asking about the car, he seemed honest and said he bought it as a project last year but has no time.

I suspect this means he bought it as a project and it has HGF or soon will, explaining the emissions issue and that's beyond his scope.

The largest job I've previosuly undertaken is a clutch change.

Do you think this is too large a step-up from that? Do you think it's a bad idea in that repair costs could outweigh vehicle value?

What would you be prepared to buy this car for. It has about 100k, looks to be in good condition and has cream leather.

I'm hoping this thread will become a little hive of summer project activity.
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I wonder if the great british summer will allow for such a thing, with how it was last year, I dont know if their would be enough time to fix it up and actually enjoy it :(
 
Firestar_3x said:
Doesn't have to be sunny or even dry to enjoy a convertible.
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Certainly helps though, cold and wet is never as nice as warm and sunny!

As for the OP I wouldn't bother with it, plenty of TF's going around for very little money that will see you through a summer of motoring without the hastle of a dodgy head gasket.
 
Dogbreath said:
Buying a working car isn't exactly much of a project is it? You can pick up broken MGFs for pennies almost.
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Correct, but it's not like he's talking about buying an MGB GT, it's a run of the mill MGF, the effort and cost it could potentially take to put it back on the road makes it a pointless endeavour, which is further compounded by the fact that once he's gone through all that effort and expense he's still left with an MGF which is far from the best in it's class.
 
I've got my two that I'm determined to get back on the road this summer and have BOTH working at the same time, for the first time :p

Updates here if you missed them:

Anglia: http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18257878

Hotrod: http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18256072

On the subject of the o/p, I think it provides a great opportunity to learn how to rebuild an engine. Get a cheap engine crane, rebuild it with the help of a Haynes manual, maybe slip in a naughty cam, job done :)
 
Dogbreath said:
Buying a working car isn't exactly much of a project is it? You can pick up broken MGFs for pennies almost.
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I'd say buying a broken car at the start of April isn't a project for this year it's a project for next, by something thats sound(ish) and have making it nicer/better as a project with the added bonus of enjoying driving it!

Jonny69 your circumstances are slightly different given the cars your using for these projects!
 
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Why not do similar with an MX5? You could also try and sort out a cheap SC build with scrap cooper S supercharger or something?

Use your money from when you sue Topgear
 
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Depends how much the car is on sale for really. I'd be tempted to buy something more exciting than an mg-f for a project. However, a convertible for the summer is a very good idea!
 
If you're seriously considering it, go and look at it, make a nice big list of everything wrong with it, including bits that go wrong on that model that aren't wrong on yours (....yet). Work out how much that will all cost to put right. Then triple that number.

If it still looks like a good idea then do it :cool:

Not sure I'd bother with an MGF personally, but each to their own :)
 
HGF is a lot rarer than people make out, and how would it affect the emissions?!

Cars with epic HGF still manage to pass emissions tests, will be a sensor out or a dodgy cat.
 
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