Which zs to go for?
 

Im looking to get a zs but undecided on which model to get. Im looking at either the 110, 120 and 180. What problems do each of them have? Please help

180 baby ;o)

the 110 and 120 have the same problems as theyre both k4 engines, the head gasket fault if the engine overheats then the head gaskets likely to go, but theyre is an uprated gasket it which prevents it from ghappening again, if the car has discs on the rear the calipers have been known to sieze, ask the 180 guys the 180 faults:)

whats the tax for 110 and 120?

£170 possibly? £190 cant remember between the two

What engine u got bud?

ive got a 110, which is the 1.6

whats the tax bud? You had any problems?

i cant remember how much the tax was lol, ehmmm, engines fine not done anything! thats it hit 70,000, the only thing ive changed are things that didnt really need changing tbh!

thanks mate ill see what comes up. All depends if the bloke coming to see my astra on saturday wants it

ah ur from the zr site! i was talking to ya! probably slightly more reliable than the zr

yeah thats me! just trying to gather as much info together as i can

well window regulators can become sticky, you want to get a plus model if you can, obv look for head gasket faults, look at the bodykit for any damage as theyre hard to get replacement bits now, heater resistors in the one and 2 position inop, easy fix, rear brake calipers can sieze, alarm sounder can get water in it on the mk2 so worth taking to bits and resealing it, heat shield on the exhaust can come loose at the bottom lol, ehmmm, look for rear bumper sag on the mk2, again cheap fix, but wa to batter the price down

nice, really like the looks of the mk2, dont see many about

Deffo the 180... Has least problems. Although you may end up with a few if you haven't a job to fuel & tax (£215/yr) it. :)

the 180 has the vis problem, and the rattly plenums, the leaking thermostat and the expensive belts change,

the 180 is £215 a year tax is it?

aye, but watch as those registered after a certain date in 2006 get hit with a higher tax cost, over £400 iirc!!!

oh forgot for the 110 120 the wires can chafe on the bracket going into the ecu, easy fix just bend the bracket down and tape it up

There seems like therea alot of problems with the zs!

na, no more than any other car tbh:) just that it's always good to point out what to look for, whatever it is:)

i could list just as many faults if not more with the zr, or any other car to that matter, just worthwhile to point out absolutly everything

ok thanks guys, what sort of price should i expect to pay for a mk2?

generally no more than £3000, but if you got an absolutly mint one a couple of hundred over that

• 180....

Vis motors can be repaired by yourself or my old man can repair them for beer tokens.

You can get a brand new plenum off the 'bay for £450 which includes both vis motors, or a second hand one for circa £200 from a breaker.

Belt change is £350 from stamford's recommended mobile mechanic and so now compares favourably to the 4 cylinder cars. Mk 2's are getting near the 6yr - 90K mile recommended change so factor in that expense if/when you're looking to give some leverage on price.

Door handles. When you open the door - a common fault will show where the handle surround comes away from the actual door slightly. Again - there is a fix - but another leverage area - or a fix from a dealer before you take it away.

Tax is £215 so long as the car is registered pre-March 2006 - so anything up to an "06" or "56" plate.

The 180 is a truly awesome under-rated car. The tuning potential is not as great as perhaps something with a turbo, but a few mods around induction - exhaust and decat will get you to around 190-195, so long as everything else works properly. Add a remap as Stamford had done - 200+ .

Don't know how old you are mate so insurance can put some off - I'm 39 and pay £280 fully comp protected with business use.

Car does 30 mpg on a run - but can drop to under 20 if you listen to the V6 go through the motions as it was meant.

Every car has it's issues. But we've all got one - And - you'll love it. If you can afford it - go large - 180 all day long - but for the looks and less running costs - I can't imagine there being a lot between the 110 and 120 performance wise , but make sure that you get one with the full 180 kit - bodykit and 11 spoke alloys. If you do some mileage - Don't forget about the diesel. A few on here running well and probably more tuning potential !

You'll also still have access to loads of knowledge on these cars via this and all of the other related sites ... so go for it.

Excellent post Dan! :thumbsup:

Not much more to add. I would suggest you hook up with a few members local to you to get a feel for what's on offer, 120, 180, TD, mk1 and mk2.

Budget will play a big part in your decision, if you have around £3k plus to spend then you are made.

Hasn't the 1.6 got a ford based gearbox that isn't as good as the PG1 fitted to the 1.8? Or am I thinking of the 1.4?

i think in the Zs they only fitted the PG1, it was the 25\ZR they used the IB5 jobber...

but i might be wrong :)

You are more than welcome to come and have a look at mine Luke, she is for sale but is a mark 1, 120 on a 53 plate, if you're not interested in it then it doesn't matter but if you just want to check out a ZS and see what it's like I'd be happy to show you. They are very underated.

Black Mk2 180... Simples :trampoline:

I reckon the best colours are XP Grey and Black.

Starlight Silver isn't far behind \o/

http://i43.tinypic.com/2edqrsl.jpg

Have to agree there, I'd personally choose Starlight over X-Power

Here we go ..... Colours .... !

Whatever you do ... don't get a Red one .... they look awful ....

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/i.../RedZed003.jpg

Of course XPG all the way ;)

Starlight Silver is lovely on the mk2.

the 110 has the ford box but ma dad says its fine, n hes a gearbox specialist lol, 70,000 miles no problems

hmmm not sure on the silver... it looks well to awesome:P
http://i969.photobucket.com/albums/a.../RitchyP01.jpg

or if you want something a bit different, a ski blue peral, semi-replica :P
http://www.themgzs.co.uk/vb/showthread.php?t=10566

just boring post but i have a mk1 180 on an 02 reg and just paid £118.20 for 6 months, wasnt impressed.

Another £1.80 would have got you 12 months for a derv.:flowers::flowers:

Best colour dont stand out much!!

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/m...eterzs/2-3.jpg

:devil::devil::devil::devil:

Haha i will swap ya, mines trophy yellow ;)