How did it all begin?

[Andyf]

Originally Posted by peterzs

Worrying how many cars end up getting rear ended. Think they are so busy trying to make out what the car is, and not noticing its stopped.

LOL, that is very true!

I remember seeing an advert in a magazine for the MK2 and thought it was a great looking car. Then a mate at work said he wanted a MK1 and then decided not to get one but that had planted the seed for me. I wanted a 4 door saloon with a big spoiler and couldn't afford an Evo/Scooby so was going to get a MK1 180, then thought i'd spend a bit more and get a 1 year old MK2. The salesman told the wife about the fuel economy of the 180 though so I got a MK2 120+.

I love the car, I love the fact it's British, I love the way it looks and drives and I love the fact you don't see many of them about.

Wanted one from launch was driving a bubble 416 when they came out and i promised myself a ZS but settled for a mk1 120 until i saw a mk2 180 at a price that was to good to resist.

[Gazza]

I started out in the MG world when i was 21, i'd just finished my apprentiseship i hhad more money and wanted a hot hatch; so test drove the proton satria, civic type r mini cooper s and the MG ZR. I realy wanted the civic type r but it was gonna cost me ?350 per month for 5 years, so i decided to get the ZR as it only cost ?316 per month for 3years.

After i finished paying for the ZR i made the mistake and got a quote for an EVO 6 Tommi Mak and it was reasonable (?1600) after traveling the country and only finding ***** i went out and bought an TT which was/is the best car i've ever owned!!!! After getting a house i found it hard to pay a mortgage and run/pay for the TT so i sold it so i could buy something cheaper to run.

I'd always liked the mk2 ZS so i decided my next car would be a mk2 diesel with the 180 kit, so after i was looking for 6 weeks i found 1 for sale in preston so travelled from cov to get it and wrote it off 30 days later. I was determined i wanted another mk2 diesel so it took me another 6 weeks to find the 1 i have now.

[Phate]

Had a Saab 93 Turbo and was looking for another car as I was simply bored of it. Tried out the following:

BMW E46 330i
Audi A3 1.8T
Mondeo ST220
(and a few others, can't remember)

And whilst all of them were good, there were things about each that put me off. It had taken me a long time to save up, and I didn't want to buy a car that had something about it I didn't like.

Then Dad got a ZS smashed up over the yard, had NEVER considered or thought about one. Did some reading, saw they had a 2.5L V6. Went and test drove one and knew it'd be my next car. Went and looking at 4 others and came back to the original one and bought it

And I'm now on the hunt for another!

[Saint Bailey]

I've owned a total of 5 cars now. I got bored of them very fast and ended up selling them. Anyway, when i sold my last car late last year i decided my next would be around with me for a while. I decided my next would be a zs. I've always loved the appearence of the zs's, the fact it was British and they came in various engine sizes. Anyway, come december 1st 2009 i needed to save a chunk load of money as i had sweet nothing. I ended up doing 60+ hours a week to save ?1800 in 4 weeks for my baby. Hard graft but she's well worth the sweat, muscle strains and many sleepless nights lol.

[Maxfly]

After seeing the press releases for the Z cars i had to have a ZR, liked the ZS but wouldn't have been abble to run a 180. Got my TB120 in 02 and had her 5 fun filled years. By time those years passed I started hankering after something a bit faster and having seen the facelift on the ZS just thought it was the dugs baws but still not sure i could run one. However i changed my mind after some gentle persusion from Craig lol and after a good bit of hunting found my one in Dundee which Sammy checked over for me prior to driving doon from Inverness

[daveronimo]

RRead the autocar reviews when it came out. Couldn't believe they'd made an exciting car out of a rover 45! Whilst trying to sell my mercedes 190 2.5-16 cosworth (which is still for sale) I decided to buy a cheap runabout. Was looking for civic vti's etc when I came across the 54 plate 180 which I have now. Went to see it, was (and is) a bit of a heap but fell in love with the engine/chassis. LPG Conversion/cambelt/service all needed this year though!

[Ritchy]

well up till 3n a half years ago i was one to slate the rovers i have to admit, working in a ex rover dealer always saw them comingin with blown head gaskets and zt/75 non starts, then i was out a test drive with davie one day n he was saying how good they where, n i was like no theyre rubbish, n he said well what goes wrong with them instantly, "head gasket, zt tank sender splitting, zt plenum fills up" then had to think, then he said well whats all the problems you see on fords n i can list a lot there,

so got intrested in them a bit working on them, but i had already bought an orion for when i passed my test, a month before my test someone decided to launch a brick through the orions window, soo was contemplating getting it fixed or not,

week before my test i had decided....i wanted a mark2 zs, a 110, it had to have the full body kit, the extreme spoiler, it had to be a saloon, it had to have the 11 spokes on it, i wanted silver grey matrix seats, and i wanted it blue or black,
next day guess what gets traded in, mk2 saloon, full kit spoiler, alloys i wanted and its a 1.6. only thing is it was silver, but wow was that silver eye catching, so said tomyself, "self, if i pass my test im buying that" and passed and went straight down and bought it, half an hour later it was mine, had to wait 3 days though, and tbh ive never regretted buying it
i walk through our showroom everyday, 3 floors of cars, and ive never seen a car in there id rather have, that id say oh wish id bought that instead, n pretty certain il keep it unless something happens to it

[stamford]

My interest started in pre-production as I was the lead design engineer for some new airbag assembly cells. I was then doing the new Rover 75 and the updated 25 and 45. Later some MG badged samples came my way and learned that they were for a new range of models. Once I saw the ZT models I then came across the ZS which caught my eye due to the colours and that mean looking boot spoiler.

However at that time the ZS was too small as the family would have filled the car in no time. I was looking at the ZT and ZTT when that was launched, but was too costly. Some years later I was looking to change my Calibra V6 for something newer, as the wife had 'stolen' the new Picasso, and came across a really nice trophy blue 180, the rest is history!

[Glen290]

Originally Posted by StragglaSteve

what was it that made you want one for ages mate?

been a fan since u 1st seen em?

Just thought they looked great...thought the zs was the nicer of the three zeds