Free MGF

[talkingcars]

So the post on another forum read

I have a T reg 1.8 that is available free to the first person who can collect it.

It does have some MOT and drives OK on the motorway and free flowing traffic.

The reason why it is free is that I don't want to get involved in a sale and then an argument about what was and was not explained, so it is free.

It overheats in traffic but not on the motorway even though both the radiator and cooling fans come on. Currently there is an airlock in the cooling system

The front tyres lose about 3psi per day

There is a squeel on start up and slowing down, it has a fairly recent new alternator belt, so this might be nothing.

Needs new rear window, has a temp bodge in place.

Speedo cable (probably broken), electic power stearing defaults to off in this case.

Someone both keen and who knows what he is doing may be able to get the car running OK, so I would that then sending it to the scappie.

Bye

Ian

http://www.mgfregister.org/forum/download/file.php?id=9920&t=1

So even if it was just scrap there was a profit to be made.

I borrowed the transit flat bed from work (with a full tank of fuel :angel:), a triple axle 20ft trailer through my kids ex step dad (don't ask), picked my lad up at 6am on Sunday morning and hit the road - 150 slow miles later we were outside the P/O's house.

The first problem was as we drove the car onto the trailer it was bottoming out so I had the bright idea to raise the trailer noise by winding up the jocky wheel which worked, however the transfer of weight bent the jocky wheel post and it took half an hour to get it back in.

On the way back we went cross country so it was only 130 miles, I figured that the combo struggling to do 55 on the motorway and slowing on hills so would be even worse with the extra weight of the F.

Half way back we stopped for a coffee and stuck 25 litres of diesel in to get us back.

[talkingcars]

I decided to drop the car off at work as we have a slope I could back the trailer up to and unload, worked a charm.

We then took the trailer back, suprisingly neither my "mate" or his boss seemed too fused about the jocky wheel but I have offered to pay for a new one as it wont be much.

A quick lock around the car showed, apart from the above, that the clear coat on the front wings has failed, the same although not as bad on the bumpers, it needs a new tyre and a bit of TLC and a jolly good valet.

Good points are 4 months MOT, absolutly standard and the seats look brand new.

[talkingcars]

I'm not sure which way to go with this, sort it out and sell, give it to one of the kids for her 21st, use it as a track car or scrap.

[Dan1971]

Sort it out then give it away for a 21st would get my vote.

[MG ZS STE]

love the colour. its good to have a project on the go but havent you already got enough to keep you busy until retirement?

i think of it was me id try to keep it standard and driving, fix the issues and take it out and enjoy it for what it is. but then, you already have an F dont you?

[talkingcars]

The only problem with giving it as a 21st present is that my step daughter says she likes her Oscar (her 1.1 R100 that whe got for her 17th) and she needs more than 2 seats sometimes.

All our cars are projects of 1 sort or another, if I'm selling it I hope to have it sorted by the May bank holiday (who am I kidding).

It is almost identicle to our other F and thats how I got around the depot manager, I told him my convertable got damaged over the weekend, he said I could park it in the warehouse in the evenings, nice chap.

[stamford]

See how far you get with the work and reassess it then, you may decide to finish it off and sell on, at least it is saved.

[ShireRoller]

Lovely little project!
L-series it!!
New SLK cdi meets MGF :p

[petet16]

Not bad for a freebie :)

[peterzs]

Well done, he could have sold it scrap/spares but good for you.

Sounds a lot of work.

:whistle::whistle::whistle:

[talkingcars]

I found the spare rear screen in the shed on Monday night, I saved it from when I changed the hood on the VVC. I was worried it may have creased or cracked after two years but it was just a bit rumbled and a couple of days on the decking in the sun and it has flattend (is that a word) out.

I was hoping to get a start taking the old one off on Tueday between finishing work and going to the welding course I was starting at the local technical college but I was late finishing due to a failed relay on my truck causing me to be parked up for 3 hours and then traffic resulting from a car fire on my segment of the M25.

I have noticed some rust on the edges of the front wheel arches so am on the look out for these.

[talkingcars]

and the front indicators have been glued in! A common but incorrect fix for the common fualt of the locating tags breaking.

What is worse is the glue has run down the bumper.

[peterzs]

sounds all doable, will be interesting to see it finished.

:yes::yes::yes:

[stamford]

I found those stainless clips off those clip-frames work a treat on those indicator lugs. With a little work they attach well and clip in with some tweaking.

[talkingcars]

One can wrap a cable tie around the lug, apparently it works well.

[talkingcars]

Cleared out the rubbish and other less expected items.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u226/talkingcars/temporary_zps43luexha.jpg (http://s169.photobucket.com/user/talkingcars/media/temporary_zps43luexha.jpg.html)

Yes, I'm growing sycamore trees on the rear shelf!

[potter690]

Flipping heck! And I thought mine was bad. Looks like a good accumulation of fallout, I take it the previous hood did not keep any of the outside from getting in?!

[talkingcars]

The rear screen had a massive hole.

[stamford]

Hmm greenhouse springs to mind.

[talkingcars]

Only 8 days later than planned'

Tonight I drilled out the rivets prior to replacing the rear screen.

I also pumped up 2 tyres, both off side and reduced the pressure in the nearside front from 40psi!
Not quite the "front tyres lose 3psi a day" the car was advertised with.
Not to worry, she'll be getting new(er) tyres.

[talkingcars]

OMG - that looks bad - but then 2 sheets of sticky back plastic will always look rough.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u226/talkingcars/temporary_zps7qmxc1bx.jpg (http://s169.photobucket.com/user/talkingcars/media/temporary_zps7qmxc1bx.jpg.html)

Looking better already

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u226/talkingcars/temporary_zpsuc4xakap.jpg (http://s169.photobucket.com/user/talkingcars/media/temporary_zpsuc4xakap.jpg.html)

[talkingcars]

Remeber the picture of the tree?
After hosing, drying, hoovering and a little trick from Wheeler Dealer and heres the rear shelf carpet.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u226/talkingcars/temporary_zpszp7ericn.jpg (http://s169.photobucket.com/user/talkingcars/media/temporary_zpszp7ericn.jpg.html)

(the Wheeler Dealer trick - matt black spray paint)
(the shiny spots are glue that the P/O had used trying to fix the rear screen, before the sticky black plastic, I'm not gonna worry about that as it isn't a show car)

[talkingcars]

And now with a rear screen -

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u226/talkingcars/temporary_zps2nftnlnv.jpg (http://s169.photobucket.com/user/talkingcars/media/temporary_zps2nftnlnv.jpg.html)

[talkingcars]

Today I fitted a MGMania alternator adjuster, these are a version of the rose jointed adjustor and comes with the longer bolts needed.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251584587336?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I also hoovered the boot, cabin, under bonnet and roof and cleaned the dash so she looks loved.

[talkingcars]

No updates since the last one as the only thing I've done is pump the tyres up.

That is until today, I brought her home, well my dads place just around the corner.

First time I've driven any distance, there's a slight pull to the left which is probably just a steering reset, the clutch hydraulics require attention as the bite gets lower as the car gets warm and the brakes are appalling!

And I missed the extra power of the VVC.

[talkingcars]

A few weeks ago collected the replacement panels, they came from an early mk2 that had the same paint code, a lucky find indeed.

They came from the same area as the car, Gloucester. I took the new van we have at work that replaced that horrible thing I used to collect the car, OMG, what a difference, it had loads of grunt all the way up to 68 miles an hour, then you hit the speed limiter but it does have DAB so that makes up for it, apparently. I did the whole round trip in less than 6 hours.

[talkingcars]

Taking the front wings and bumper off only took about half an hour, we have started fitting the replacements but several fixings were damaged so I am going to get some new ones. In the meantime the new panels are hung in place so the car looks complete.

[peterzs]

will be good to see how its improved.

:happy2::happy2::happy2:

[talkingcars]

We ended up scrapping it as the engine seized, the brakes seized and the sills collapsed, underneath she was as rotten as a pear.

[peterzs]

shame, but when some go so cheap, makes sense.

:):)