MG ZS MK2 - XPower Grey 120+ - theboynoz
 

Well i'm back, I did miss the club and the cars, and after driving the wee beasty home tonight I remember why I loved it! I may have even found a name, and break with tradition of naming all my cars the same, but that is something to think on.

Anyways, the pics after purchasing;

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps5leinn76.jpg

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...psijehzczi.jpg

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...psus4uaia6.jpg

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...psbg49lsnj.jpg

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...psj5ca4idc.jpg

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...pstxqistyt.jpg

So for the list of work, a brief drive home meant some issues surfaced, they are;

Throttle cable, lots of play (2 second job tomorrow lunch time) - Fixed, no issue at all, 2 seconds!
Wind noise at motorway speeds - Nearside front door (Check rubbers, fix/replace as needed) - Believed to be clogged rain channels, will clean, leaked into passenger footwell
Tyres perishing (Replace as required, but good tread for now on most)
Alternator Whine (Possibly bearings, maybe something else needs further investigation) – Second hand unit fitted, noise gone!
Ruddy good clean (Including white vinegar to draw out smell of fags) – Done, not great but better than it was
Wheels! (Defo needing a refurb, maybe subtle colour change too) – Pricing up
MOT (Runs out in 3 weeks! Advisories already fixed!) - Booked in tomorrow 08 MAY 2015, checked car over and fixed blown bulbs
Dent on bonnet/Boot (May fix/replace, will se on how annoying it is and spare cash) – Pricing up
Totally standard! (Does it want anything or just site stickers :D) - Site stickers Done, that’s enough for now
Handbrake (Pulls too high, will see if MOT passes it first) – Passed MOT, needs adjusting now I have fixed the brakes :S
Service (Due one, FSH though!) – Currently in garage with a lot of service parts sat next to it, will be done in next few days

Lets see what else crops up over the next few weeks.....

Should keep me busy during lunch breaks!

Site stickers and badges renewed too

Wheels look good to me, I keep taking chunks out of mine.

Thats why I wont get them sorted!!!

Kerb magnets, I reckon.

Plenty of site stickers will look good, doesnt look bad at the moment.

On f/b yesterday someone put up about a thing you put in the car and its sends out a fog, that gets rid of all smells. Selling on Ebay

:smile1::smile1::smile1:

Nice car!

I missed that, awesome, will check. I think it will be like the air con bombs that I used to see at Halfords!

Thanks for the heads up.

Nice, a good list of jobs to do too that'll keep you busy :)

Well, about to go and cross a few bits off the list, replace some blown bulbs and clean her, after sorting the throttle cable and window rubber!

Glad I don't have too much work on, oh wait....... ha

Very nice indeed! Glad to see another XPG on here and it looks I great condition tbh!
We might outdo the yellows soon!

looks a nice little project to keep you busy this summer.

Dave may be able to do something with those dents.

http://www.themgzs.co.uk/vb/showthread.php?t=28607

I have now noticed a longish dent across the passenger door too, (bums) I missed that when I looked at it! Few normal scrapes and what not, plus bird muck that has eaten into the paint!

Seems the clean revealed a leak too, into the footwell, so that will smell nice when it rains heavily, best get unblocking those rain channels! Also the creak the guy mentioned, and I could not get it to do, seems to be front left by my feet so I think possibly suspension play..... Will investigate when I get a chance. And that whine, it is annoying, but can't remember if it was present when the clutch was depressed or not, must check later and go for another drive. Only issue now, is since I cleaned it, it wants another wash as I got her dirty again!

Man alive the XPG shows up road dirt! lol

Is Dave the dent man local to West Mids then?

First post updated, will join up fully soon and get me my stickers ordered up!

Tamworth but he came out to me in garretts green.

Might wait and see what the MOT ends up costing and then see how much he'd charge for it. Is there any contact details in the traders section at all? How much did he charge you, if you don't mind me asking?

Had a check of the rear brakes tonight, and I think the rear offside one is binding, might have to look at sorting that....

Fitted new Bosch wipers, old ones were shot, and used an air-con bomb however it left a runny mess over the hard back of the passenger seat and I am now struggling to clean it, most annoyed!

i was told he charged 50 per panel whether it had 1 dent or a dozen but he charged me 50 to do 2 doors and rear quarter panel. i'll PM you his number.

Cheers

Failed it's MOT on the rear driver side calliper binding and rear driver side I think brake pipe corroded, that will cost around £300 including the MOT to fix!

Not to mention the noise, they think it is the cambelt tensioner making the noise, but the whole kit was changed in Aug last year but 2.5 hours away in Suffolk, going to need that looked at too! Damn!

Ok, so update time.

The car is coming home from the garage as they told me the price to fix it for the MOT and I may have laughed, then asked 'Really?' - £772 I think she said.....

So I am fixing it myself.

In other news I will now start patrolling the parts for sale, ebay and other websites for some parts. Anyone got an entire brake pipe, rear offside? Calliper, rear offside? Discs and pads, guess which ones? Alternator repair kit?

Lol - Busy weekend then! Might not make it to the meet.....

It would be easier just to splice into the brake pipe and replace the corroded section using either compression fittings or get a pipe flaring tool.

I got new sliders from Rimmers, think it was, sorted out the binding O/S/R caliper.

Having a laugh at that price, I reckon.

A mate suggested the same thing, however I've never done it before nor do I have the skill/patience for it....

Will do some searching, but looks like their quote was for discs and pads too, so I'll check into that after I check them! I do trust the garage, but they just have high labour costs... They do a good job though, and did fault find that the alternator seems to be at fault not the timing belt tensioner...

Even replacing a complete pipe, a caliper, rear discs and pads that is one huge quote, £120 an hour?

46+vat!

Been quoted now £60 for the work to fix the pipe, just need the caliper and I'm away. Will replace discs when I have more cash.

On another note, I checked the dvla website and it seems the number plate is worth in the region of £500, not that I'd sell it lol!

Also started cleaning the engine bay up, can now see fluid levels and the other odds and sods...

Cleaned a shell up to see if it can be salvaged or needs sand blasting..... The verdict is not good, May sand blast them, as the inside edge is knackered and paint flaking! Will post pics of how clean they came out, also tried to polish the bolts a wee bit.... Meh

In other news I'm not going to replace the calliper myself, I've still only gotmhalf a toolset after my garage flooded at my last house so I'm going to ask the garage down the road to sort callipers and discs when they do the brake pipe for me, will be a lot quicker! Need to buy the discs/pads now though, as the offside are truely foobarred!

Knackered piston

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...psbr9tgwp8.jpg

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...psrlcdeapl.jpg

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...psqajmxcgl.jpg

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...psqahqwl3n.jpg

Polished up ok in the end

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps30yhi4ts.jpg

Well, sorted the rear calliper, discs, pads, etc etc she went in for re-testing and passed with 3 advisories which I knew about and will be sorting before her road trip to Nottingham in 2 weeks!

Now where do I put these new site stickers? lol

Update list time;

So for the list of work, a brief drive home meant some issues surfaced, they are;

Throttle cable - Fixed, no issue at all, 2 seconds!
Wind noise at motorway speeds - Nearside front door (Check rubbers, fix/replace as needed) - Believed to be clogged rain channels, will clean, leaked into passenger footwell
Tyres perishing (Replace as required, but good tread for now on most)
Alternator Whine (Possibly bearings) - Still unresolved
Ruddy good clean - Phase 1 underway, better weather will allow full cleaning
Wheels! (Defo needing a refurb, maybe subtle colour change too)
MOT - Passed!
Dent on bonnet/Boot (May fix/replace, will se on how annoying it is and spare cash)
Stereo (Standard, do I replace 6 disc changer for BT head unit?) - Keeping as the changer is an MP3 multidisc one
Totally standard! (Does it want anything or just site stickers ) - Site stickers to be fitted
Handbrake (Pulls too high) - To be adjusted
Service (Due one, FSH though!) - Waiting for next month as it will be done by local MG/Rover specialist, £170 full service though - ouch!
Rear Discs/Pads and calliper - Fitted

Should keep me busy during lunch breaks!

£170 for a full service is a good price.

To keep standard or modify is always a difficult one with a car of this age, if it's got this far without modification it maybe worth thinking of future desirability.

However you already have Alcantara and reverse sensors that are options over standard and the twin exhaust that isn't.

Another consideration is how long you are keeping the car, if it's only a few months keep as is, if it's for a few years then make it how you want it.

I currently have two MGF's, both late mk1's, both BRG, one has lots of mods, the other even has the original radio cassette - it wont be hard to guess which is for sale.

I think I will probably stay standard (ish), maybe do something with the wheels as they need a refurb but I do like the silver sparkle.....

Also only has the single exit exhaust ;)

I am thinking i'd like to keep it and then see when things go on it, such as front brakes, camshaft possibly etc about upgrading instead of straight replacing, but as she doesn't go anywhere most of the time apart from the local shops or to the office every 6-8 weeks I can't justify actually modding it, I won't get any enjoyment from her. Whereas staying standard (ish) will mean I still enjoy just driving her!

We'll see, I guess it also depends on what I could do that isn't noticed by the wife lol!

But the picture of the exhaust shows it on the left or at least that's what I though earlier on the other machine?

Ha, no sorry, definitely only on the right....must have been the angle of the shot?

I'm a fan of the single exhaust personally, so won't be doing that particular mod, only maybe a stainless system in future.

Small update, got the site stickers fitted but still have a medium spare and can't decide where it looks best. Also got a rather sudden deflation on the right rear the other day so as it ran flat picked up some winter wheels with tyres to enable me to start refurbishing the 11's.

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps4o5hiqkn.jpg

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...pspdidwj86.jpg

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...psyhtcvjjq.jpg

Looks good, my alloys need doing, but I keep bashing them!!!!

:beer::beer::beer:

Now have the windscreen to possibly fix, bloody 4x4's! Going down the Bromsgrove Highway and one cuts in front, flicks a stone that I thought had just bounced off the car, turns out it chipped the screen on the passenger side in the black bit and in the heat yesterday it cracked about 4 inches across! Grrrrr.

Going to need to sell my Astra for sure now, so I can claim some of the Zeds money back lol..... Can't wait to replace all the bushes etc and get the 11's refurbed and new tyres on them, then the bonnet etc etc. Wish I had bought a 180 now, next time, next time!

So I decided to use some of the summer evening light to test the theory that the alternator is the faulty part and release the Aux belt to see if the whining noise went away............



After faffing with the socket set and locating what I believed to be the tensioner bolt thingamy bobby I finally released the belt, was actually easier to release than refit lol!

Anyways, that there whine went and disappeared! So I guess I need to find me an alternator, 85 am one too, may just pop down to the local MG breakers at some point and swap the parts out. at least it is not the engine then!!!

Oh, and whilst drunk on Saturday night at the Oulton Park BTCC meet I performed a temporary fix to the broken windscreen, it was simply brilliant (at the time)!

My secret squirrel fix for a cracked windscreen, involving a sticker from the neck of a Doom Bar, it will be fixed properly before I actually need it again but that will be a few weeks yet so.......

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...psa9kchlsl.jpg


This would be the tensioner then.....

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...pskxfyylus.jpg

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...pspfeocm80.jpg

A 13 mm should do the job....

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...psqds6r8om.jpg


Make sure you double check the belt sits on all pullies properly as mine was off the one slightly by the PAS pump!!! Checked by hand and repositioned and all is now well!

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/u...pswpfetera.jpg

New Jobs List, forget the rest as these actually need doing......

• Fix Windscreen as crack got worse.....
• Replace Inlet Manifold Gasket - Bought and ready to fit
• Replace alternator - Done
• Service - to be done this weekend along with engine and coolant flush and inlet manifold gasket
• Grease interior fan
• Re-seat rear brakes as they squeal like a wounded piggy! - Actually a seized calliper so replacement ready to go on!
• New tyres x 2 - make that 4 and the 11's to go back on!

Other jobs are down the list now, even the suspension bushes can wait a few months.

Edited above post

So tonight I decided that having spent a couple hors yesterday doing the rear discs and pads on the sister in laws MK8 Civic I should actually fix something on my own car for a change, and managed to pull out the old alternator and fit the new (second hand) one which seems to have stopped the whining. I did check with the aux belt removed and the whining stopped so figured it was either alternator OR tensioner pulley...... so at £25 I went for the cheap option.

However, it was not all plain sailing, as I found that after refitting the heat shield on the manifold there was smoke! I do think this is the result of me getting the wire brush out and cleaning some grime off the parts I had access to and it may have fallen on the manifold, but as I cannot be sure I now need to strip it down and check I didn't snag any wiring or anything...... Damnit! 1 and a half hours and I could have waited!

Smoke was grime I cleaned off of parts and had fallen onto exhaust mani, brushed off and refitted it ALL again, and all seems well now. Will just see if I missed anything when driving tonight/tomorrow, otherwise it is onwards towards the weekend and a service......

Operation MoneyPit is well underway now!

Updated post #1 and this is still the hit list, really need to just start doing these jobs lol;

• Fix Windscreen as crack got worse..... - Needs booking in
• Replace Inlet Manifold Gasket - Bought and ready to fit when it gets serviced
• Service - In my garage with parts ready to be done, other things came up that took precedence
• Grease interior fan
• New tyres x 2 - make that 4 and the 11's to go back on when refurbed