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-   -   Removing side skirts and questions about former write-off (https://www.themgzs.co.uk/vb/showthread.php?t=4358)

moonklash 09-06-08 01:16 PM

Removing side skirts and questions about former write-off
 
Hi there!

First off let me introduce myself. I'm Stu and I'm hoping to buy my first bright yellow 2002 MG ZS this weekend!

I have one concern. The car has side skirts and low profile tyres (I take it these were all options or were they standard?), which I love the look of, but I'm not to clear how close they go to the road (I've only seen photos of the car I'm buying). On occasion I may need to drive down a bumpy dirt track and I don't want them wrecked, so I was wondering if they are easy to take off and put back on as required?

The car was a former cat D write-off so I'm getting it cheap. Cat D's are generally okay aren't they? It's been on the road for 5 years since the accident.

I'm really sorry if any of this has been asked before, I did try searching the forum but got error messages :(

Thanks in advance! Once I've got it I'll post some photos!

Cheers,

Stu.

stamford 09-06-08 01:48 PM

Firstly :hi:

What model ZS is it? If the side skirts are of the genuine design then you will not have any clearance issues even with low profiles etc. I really wouldn't worry about that part. As for cat D, no problems as that is purely cosmetic and nothing to warrant any concerns.

moonklash 09-06-08 01:55 PM

Thanks for the info, that's great news! I'm just a little worried as it looks close to the ground in the photo. I'm assuming it hasn't been modded of course (just because it seems unlikely).

The details I have are:
2002 (52 plate) MG ZS 1.8 120 +

I know I shouldn't really get this as I do 500 miles a week in an ugly Renault Megane, but when this came along I could resist. I've wanted one of these since I first saw them!

http://www.moonklash.com/mgzs/1.jpg
http://www.moonklash.com/mgzs/2.jpg
http://www.moonklash.com/mgzs/3.jpg
http://www.moonklash.com/mgzs/4.jpg
http://www.moonklash.com/mgzs/5.jpg
http://www.moonklash.com/mgzs/6.jpg
http://www.moonklash.com/mgzs/7.jpg

stamford 09-06-08 02:00 PM

Looks pretty good, I'm guessing the rear has at some work done as the badges are missing. Nice steering wheel as well! Added bonus of an electric sunroof I see, not many have those.

Is that a screen in each sunvisor?

moonklash 09-06-08 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stamford (Post 55626)
Looks pretty good, I'm guessing the rear has at some work done as the badges are missing. Nice steering wheel as well! Added bonus of an electric sunroof I see, not many have those.

Is that a screen in each sunvisor?

I hadn't realised about the badges, that's interesting! I heard it was indeed the boot that was replaced, but the seller doesn't have too much information as there's been a few owners since the accident. I think someone must have gone in the back.

I may try getting the badges from a scrapyard or the net if/when I get the car, I want it to be as perfect as poss! I'm just worried about paying a couple of £k for something that's a hundred miles away, so just trying to think of every possible problem. Apart from going from diesel to petrol of course, and I'm not looking forward to the extra fuel costs :(

And yep, I love the steering wheel! That's one of the reason I wanted the car, haven't seen that before! Must have been quite expensive when it was first purchased as it looks like the original owner went for all of the options! He only had it about 6 months before writing it off, bet that was frustrating.

Sunroof was on my list of requirements, I hate not having one. People tell me to use aircon, but on the few days we get to see some sun in the UK I want to let it in the car lol!

Yep, apparently it has a DVD player! Not such an essential for me but I'm not gonna complain. Also has an amp! I'm just worried about clearance because there's a few places I go where the ground is not really designed for driving on, that's my biggest fear at the moment. As well as whatever damage may have been done to it during the crash but I won't know that till I've driven it around for a while.

I'm just hoping I can sell my Renault Megane in time lol!

stamford 09-06-08 02:52 PM

Just noticed you are near Pompey, where? I'm in Cowplain.

moonklash 09-06-08 02:57 PM

No way - I'm just down the road in Clanfield! Ha ha - what are the chances of that! If you've seen someone staring at you while you're driving your ZS down the road that probably would have been me lol!

moonklash 09-06-08 03:09 PM

I guess it is a small world...!

stamford 09-06-08 03:13 PM

Certainly is! I drive through Clanfield twice a day, not always in the ZS though. I work in Aldershot so it's up the A3 to Bordon and I always drive through Clanfield, it sets me up for the day and calms me down when on the road home through Lovedean. The Bird in Hand is my local, a nice drop of HSB :)

moonklash 09-06-08 04:42 PM

Haha! This seems so surreal :) It's sad about the old Horndean brewary really, I was never too into my bitters but it was a pity when they closed anyway :(

I have to drive the other way, right up to Southampton and back each day, which is why I got the diesel Megane. After six month I miss the comfort from my old Rover 416, and I've always loved the MG styling (and wanted originally a little MG since I was a kid) which is why I'm quite keen on the ZS! Even with the cost of petrol! Although I'm very scared of buying a write off.

stamford 09-06-08 04:52 PM

I was born within spitting distance of Gales! Always been partial to it!

Like I said cat 'D' is minor work, cat 'C' is also road worthy but requiring a bit of labour and jigging to put right, all other catergories are beyond repair and not road worthy. They are not allowed to return to the road, the worse ones are not even allowed to be stripped off parts, therefore crushed whole!

Taken from the AA website:

Categories Of Write-Off

An explanation of the categories of write-off are listed below:

Category A
A vehicle which should be totally crushed, including all its spare parts.

Category B
A vehicle from which spare parts may be salvaged, but the bodyshell should be crushed and the car should never return to the road.

Category C
An extensively damaged vehicle which the insurer has decided not to repair, but which could be repaired and returned to the road.

Category D
A damaged vehicle which the insurer has decided not to repair, but which could be repaired and returned to the road.

Category F
A vehicle damaged by fire, which the insurer has decided not to repair. Theft These vehicles have not been recovered and ownership rests with the insurer who made the total loss payment. They are able to repossess the car as soon as it is identified, even if it has been bought innocently.

Stephen 09-06-08 06:53 PM

Rust on the Arches of a 52 REG MG ZS :ohmy:

shroonie29 09-06-08 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MontegoCountryman (Post 55686)
Rust on the Arches of a 52 REG MG ZS :ohmy:


I agree,most ZS don't have any sign of rust on the bodywork

Shroon

Boot Hill Bandit 09-06-08 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shroonie29 (Post 55693)
I agree,most ZS don't have any sign of rust on the bodywork

Shroon

Easily sortable although a sign of a poorly prepped job prior to spraying.

Try these for rust cures..........classic car owners are swearing by it apparently.

Jim

moonklash 09-06-08 09:46 PM

Thanks for the info guys - that's really helpful! I thought it was odd that there would be rest on somthing only six years old... seams really weird! I'm a little concerned now, because now I've looked at some other ZS rear ends it's clear that the boot has been replaced (which I was told) but I'm guesing that most of the work was not done with genuine MG parts or the badge layout would be the same as the other MGs I see driving around? And I was told that the accident was with the rear of the car so it seams strange for a lot of panels to have been replaced (although I guess it could have been relatively minor damage that required work).

I suppose that as long as the chasis and engine are okay it shouldn't matter... just frustrating as I have a four hour drive to go look at it :(

I'm going via London to bring a friend who's a professional mechanic. He's got the gadgets to read how deep the paint is, he can use that to see which panels have been replaced (or painted at least!) though I'm starting to worry that should wait a bit longer till something a bit more guaranteed turns up in my price range... though for under £2k I reckon it must be a bit of a bargain even if it has had a lot of work! So difficult to tell...

stamford 09-06-08 10:08 PM

Would a trophy yellow 180 tempt you? I know of a good one going for £2300 and it's had its cambelts done as well, I can vouch for the car as I know the owner and have worked on it myself. He's a scummer too ;) so would be local!

moonklash 09-06-08 11:02 PM

It may indeed! Probably safer than getting the one I've been looking at as there seems a fair amount to worry about (although I do love the extras). Do you know what the mileage, and year is? Oh, and if it has a sunroof :) Everyone things I'm mad but I hate not having a sunroof lol! That's what's missing from my Megane (plus a nice looking car lol)

I've just put my Megane on autotrader so I'll probably have to wait and see what I get for it. I was pushing through with this one because I won it on eBay but the listing didn't mention the write-off which is why it's a little uncertain whether or not we'll be going ahead with it. It was a good price I won it for though, £1800!

Haha - good old Pompey v the Scummers! I'm ashamed to have to work there lol!

stamford 10-06-08 08:45 AM

Thread link here, as I said it has dropped to £2300 now.

moonklash 10-06-08 10:20 AM

Thanks that's great! I'll probably need to sell my Megane first before I make a decision but it looks good :)

I'd probably better go do some work before I spend a second day on here and my boss notices lol ;) But I'll give it some thought.

stamford 10-06-08 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonklash (Post 55787)
Thanks that's great! I'll probably need to sell my Megane first before I make a decision but it looks good :)

I'd probably better go do some work before I spend a second day on here and my boss notices lol ;) But I'll give it some thought.

Ah the benefits of having your own office and with no-one who can look over your shoulder!

moonklash 10-06-08 04:18 PM

Ah - something very useful! But I can get away to the odd brief trip this site :)

afcbadam 10-06-08 05:57 PM

just been to pompey. what a old rundown s'hole. southampton much nicer

moonklash 10-06-08 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afcbadam (Post 55892)
just been to pompey. what a old rundown s'hole. southampton much nicer

Haha lol - uh oh!
The war is never over :indian: What have we started!

stamford 10-06-08 10:51 PM

Oi scummer! :tease:

I agree it's not very pleasant down there, that's why I moved outside!

So, how's Derby Road these days eh? ;)

afcbadam 14-06-08 06:39 PM

QUOTE=stamford;55988]
So, how's Derby Road these days eh? ;)[/QUOTE]

not to sure not my thing! how does a man from the blue side of the coast know about a road like that??????????????? there's only 1 reason i can think of :tease: and dont say you got lost while out testing the zs!


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