How did it all begin?

[Hambo-180]

Been driving Rovers for years, i knew they had launched the MG "Z" cars range so looked at:-
ZR - to small,
ZS - wasnt keen on the 4 door,
ZT - to big.
Then i saw a 5 door MG ZS 180 in Trophy Blue in the carpark at the gym...2 months later i bought 1, a brand new MG ZS 180 5 door in Trophy Blue. That was back in 2002, its a 52 plate, and i've still got it. I love it, its a joy to drive and looks superb. Not had many problems with it, VIS motors, throttle body sensors, thats about it. As i say i love it!!
Here's a wee list of the Rover's & MG/Rovers i've had:-
1982 "Y" reg 1.6 MG Meastro
1986 "D" reg 2.0 MG Meastro
1987 "E" reg Ford Orion
1988 "F" reg 2.0 MG Montego
1990 "H" reg Rover 216 GTi
1991 "J" Rover 220 GTi
1993 "L" rover 220 GSI
2002 "52" reg MG ZS 180

[Rocket Red]

my first car was an MG meastro 1600 and i loved it had it for a year but sold it (always regreted that) and had a few different cars, mk2 escort mexico, opel manta, XR3, mini with metro turbo engine but i hankered after my meastro again found it and it was dead so bought an EFI version had it lowered 2" it looked great then it died sump got court on a rock, then i had a montego turbo again lowered five spoke alloys in white loved that car it really handled but it ate wheel berrings for brekfast then i had a 220 gsi which did 200,000 miles with no headgasket problems then i had a few alfa's and a nice bubble 200 then three years ago i bought my red car for a steal ?1600 when that got destroyed i bought the black mk2 180. always loved MG Rover very underated alot of car for the money and now my misses is in the MG club as well.

[Dan1971]

Swapped a Vectra and cash for a 53 plate TF. Did an internet search for a forum and found .org. as I wanted to sell the hard-top that I got with it.

My other car at time was a Scenic. It broke, and the TF ain't a good car when you've got 2 kids. Otherwise it's brilliant !

Anyway, was driving past a Peugeot main dealer and spotted the Black Mk2 180 and px'd the TF for it the next day. Then I got a dog - Bought a ZT-T. Then I realised I never took the dog out in it, so got a Mk 1 ZS180 for pennies off the 'Bay. Then a nice Mk2 came up but I missed out on it, but had the cash burning a hole and found my Red Mk2 180.

Now pottering around in a focus diesel as I do 50 miles a day. I have noticed though ....petrol's coming down a bit.

[p_b82]

For me it was funny, i wrote my fisrt car off and was looking for something to buy for around ?1500, looked at a 420SLI wedge, but was veoted by the parents who were acting as the bank role - family loans much cheaper than banks!
but that wa what opened my eyes to MGR

anyhoo, got a derv 205 puglet with 58 bhp and did about 500million mpg even when trashing the nuts off it, so decided that my next car would be a diesel.

Went to the thruxton BTCC while still at uni must have been 19 or 20 at the time and saw the stand there, with a trophy blue MK1 sat there in all it's glory and i fell in love.

for my 21st birthday my parents bought me an experince day at thruxton - i put off the present of cash towrads a new car till i could buy summit better - and got to drive the 180 round a track.

Did a year in industry, lived with the parents for that, came into some money due to death in the family and also the delayed money from my parents meant that just before my 22nd birthday - walked into a MGR dealer near my parents told them i wanted:
a diesel ZS + hatch model, any colour but yellow (sorry Peter, I did not like it on the MK1 and the MKII wasn't out) but needed to be a 115, under 1 year old but mileage not an issue.

the salesman nmade a few calls, while i wandered round the yard, and let me know he found one in birmingham, 9 months old demonstrator with 15k on the clock. it even had the full body kit, monaco part leather seats and 17" wheels but not the fogs - i got them fitted later.

put a deposit down without seeing the car and went back on my birthday to pick it and pay the balance - which i paid via a cheque and then drove the car away. that was 6 years 2 months and 14 days ago.

the car has done over 83,000 and I have done nearly 70,000 miles myself in the car, even with it being off the road more than on recently i never ever get tired of it. Hell i have driven 3000 miles in it with HGF and now i know how to drive round it, has not let me down!

I still hanker after a 180, but can't justify the running costs - even tho if i had bought one, i would not have sunk as much cash into the car as i have the derv... ah well. Maybe i will treat myself and get me a 260 instead at some point

[Jay-ZS+]

I had a XR3i as a first car which was pretty ragged and ended up written off, so wanted another car and my sister was selling her 200, so bought that and had an issue with the srs light, googled it and came across .org. Hung around there for a while and saw someones zs and thought it looked stunning.

After an accident in the 200 I was again after an other car but couldnt quite afford a zs bought an ibiza the same day as my crash off a guy at work and hated it from day one! Used the car as motivation to save up for a zs. I then bought my mk1 120 and loved every minute of it, do regret selling it at times. Although when I saw Murray selling his MK2 180 it was too good to resist. As had always wanted a 180 and here we are!

[carmadbaker]

i was trying to sell my mini one (horrible bmw rubbish!) and a friend at work came wondering in to the office and shouted "don't fancy a ZS V6 do ya?" to which i replied "i won't get insurance."
tried it later that day and it came up at a manageable price, so sold my mini and bought my mates zed! never looked back!

[tb steve]

well i was after a new car as my wrx just wrote off by a drink driver it was happy just sitting out side my house and then got hit by a carlton anyway
i was driving up the road behind a zs a thought that looks ok so i drove up the road (5mins) and i was at the mg dealers 20 mins spin in the zs and thought yer thats nice 2 weeks later i was driving a brand new zs 180 with about 3 miles on the clock 15k bargin lol

[haGGard]

Well my reply might seem quite strange. I'm not actually the owner of one yet, but im fairly sure by the end of the summer i will be, i've set my heart on one!

I've never even considered one before. My mate has owned an MG ZR for the best part of 3 years, i've always given him stick about it calling it a rover etc. One day he took me for a spin in it (his actually had a bigger engine in it, think it was the 1.8 120) and when he put his foot down it took off! Even when i mocked him though i knew deep down i was actually pretty jealous. I love the styling! I was actually looking at getting a scooby first but then i looked up about the high maitenance costs and no doubt insurance (im only 23). Then i drove past the MG ZS in blue (with a big wing on the back!) and thought, thats it! Thats my car! Its affordable, great looks (not too bothered about the dated interior) and from what you guys are telling its got great handling and puts a smile on your faces which for me is what its all about, a car i look forward to driving even if it is just taking me to work!

[talkingcars]

Having had a couple of Vee engined cars (V6 espace and V8 range rover) I was getting bored of driving the Rover 114 I'd inheritted from my mum and my wife was about to need a car for work so we were going to get a "toy" car for me and she'd have the metty.

I was actually considering a wrx impretza and Mrs TC was surfing autotrader when she came across the ZS. TBH I hadn't even considered one despite having had several MG maestro/montego/metros but this ZS looked good, as I was passing near the dealer the next day I detorured and fell in love, I had a good look around, rang Mrs TC who arranged a test drive that evening, the dealer stayed open late just for us.

We agreed to pay the screen price as long as it had a full service and full tank, how lucky, it was the 60k belt service!

2 and a half years later I still love the car, indeed we have added my wifes ZR (she HGFed the R114), my sons R111 and the MGF to the stable and I still have my T16 maestro which is feeling very unloved but as a daily driver and family runaround the ZS has been the best of many I've owned.

There is currently only 1 car I'd consider as a replacment and that'd be a 260 ZT.

[roverdave81]

i was no my way back from the hosiptal as my misses had just had her 1st scan and i spotted the zs180 in a garage near to the hospital for sale. So i stopped to have a look at it as would make a great family car i as my 220 gsi turbo was ideal really and the rest is history just had to have it.
hear a list of all the car ive had in order
1. mini 1150
2. rover 214si
3. same car with 1.6 gti engine
4. metro 1.1 sport
5. 220 gti
6. mg metro 1300
7. mini 1000
8. same car but with a 1380 race engine
9. rover 220 gti turbo
10. rover 418 diesel
11. rover 620 gsdi
12. rover 216 gsi
13. rover 220 gsi turbo
14. mg zs 180